A neighbor recently complained online that the homeowners’ association (HOA) was akin to North Korea. While it might be true that the HOA went a little overboard in its enthusiasm to enforce the deed restrictions, comparing it to North Korea is a gross evasion. HOAs and North Korea are nothing alike.
North Korea is a dictatorship. Every aspect of one’s life is under the control of the government. Those who displease government officials are sent to slave labor camps or simply murdered. Escaping from this cesspool of misery and suffering is nearly impossible.
Deed restrictions, also known as covenants, are a voluntary, contractual agreement with one’s neighbors. While the details vary, those restrictions identify what one may or must do regarding one’s property. As an example, the deed restrictions in my neighborhood require us to keep our yards mowed and trimmed. The covenants also stipulate when we can place trash cans at the curb, what we must do to modify the exterior of the house, and myriad other things.
Purchasing a home in a deed restricted community is a voluntary choice. If one finds the covenants too restrictive, one is free to buy a home elsewhere. In North Korea, there is no such thing as freedom of choice. Indeed, in that communist dictatorship, seeking to move elsewhere could get one killed.
To compare an HOA with North Korea makes light of the inhuman conditions in that country. Every aspect of economic activity is controlled by the government and food shortages are common. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The photo to the right tells the entire story.
As further evidence that HOAs and North Korea are nothing alike, my neighbor will not be punished for speaking ill of the HOA. If a North Korean speaks ill of a government official, it may very well be the last thing he says.