Living next to a homeowners’ association (HOA) can be convenient—but it can also lead to unexpected friction when those associations reach beyond their bounds. One Reddit user, u/Educational_Dust_932, shared a classic case of HOA overreach that sparked a creative and hilarious response.
The poster explained the layout of their home: “My house is the first house in the neighborhood behind mine. I am on the corner. The street on the side of my home is the HOA neighborhood, but my front yard is on a different street that isn't part of the HOA.”
Wanting to let their kids enjoy the nearby amenities, the homeowner tried to arrange access: “When I moved, I asked them if I could pay their HOA fees to let my kids use the pool and playground directly across the street,” they wrote. “My request was denied outright.”
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Later, the homeowner planted a mulberry tree to beautify the corner property. That tree would soon become the target of an unwanted intervention.
Despite the property being outside of HOA boundaries, members reportedly started complaining that the tree’s branches were hanging too low and in violation of their rules.
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Then things escalated: “One day, I came home, and someone had lopped off a big branch from the tree, one that went out to the street,” they explained. “I tried to find out who did it, but they kept mum about it, and there wasn't anyone I could go after.”
Rather than let it slide, the homeowner decided to retaliate (with a twist of humor and holiday flair).
“So, I rebuilt the branch using PVC and wrapped it in bright Christmas lights in May and then wrapped the rest of the tree for good measure,” the post said.
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The lights stayed up for months, blazing with festive defiance. “The HOA members who came to my house to ask me to bring them down since it was the gateway to their neighborhood and that I was 'probably' affecting property values were brushed away,” the poster wrote. “They never did mess with the lights, though. I guess they were worried about what I would pull next.”
To top it off, the homeowner added: “I went and looked at my Facebook and found a picture I took. It doesn't have all the lights, but it shows most of the awful glory. You can see the wound on the tree about a foot above the fake branch.”
Reddit commenters were both horrified and delighted.
User u/GoingSouthGarage shared a similar tale: “I know of someone in a similar situation, house on the corner, not part of HOA. The first time they tried to mess with him, he placed an old white toilet at the edge of his property and planted a fake flower in it.”
Comment from RedditReddit | u/Necessary_Baker_7458
Another commenter, u/TLost17, said: “I saw red just reading this. How dare they chop off a branch? Also, I love how they denied your family membership in the first place. Like, why couldn't your kids play in the park and pool across the street? Not like you wanted to do it for free.”
And user u/LokiKamiSama offered a next-level suggestion: “You should plant more. Like lining your property. Make sure to decorate them with lots of lights and tacky yard ornaments. I'm talking camo pink flamingos, zombie gnomes, the mooning grandma standup, and the works. But only facing the entrance to the HOA.”
In the end, it was a glowing lesson in boundaries—and how a bit of petty brilliance can go a long way.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.