Homeowners associations: Can you fight them and win?

By Scot Meyer of SwitchYard Media

Twenty percent of all U.S. homeowners, and 80% of those in newly built homes, are subject to homeowners association rules, according to The Associated Press. These can dictate everything from house color to the kind of Halloween decorations that can be placed in the yard — if any can be.
Many people who live in these communities appreciate their HOAs and the restrictions they impose to maintain property values, says attorney Kevin Britt, whose Seattle law office represents HOAs and homeowners. "You're all partners, in a sense, in this common enterprise," Britt says, adding that boards function like extremely local layers of government. Homeowners can exercise their rights by calling meetings, working to eject board members or trying to persuade their neighbors to change the rules.
When these methods fail, though, HOA disputes can wind up in the courts and in the headlines. Here are 10 examples of ways to run astray of HOA rules — and what experts say about how you can challenge them. (Bing: How to fight an HOA)