HOA Requires Watering Despite Drought

HOUSTON – A homeowner said she received a letter from her homeowners association telling her to water her lawn, even though all of the communities around her were under mandatory water restrictions.

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The notice was issued to the Rolling Fork resident last week and clearly stated, "Please water and maintain lawn."

Since much of southeast Texas is under mandatory water restrictions, many homeowners are wondering whether they should follow their homeowners association's rules or follow their city or county laws.

There are nearly 30,000 homeowners associations in Texas, and homeowners can face penalties if they don't follow their homeowners association's regulations.

Local 2 legal analyst Brian Wice said even though homeowners associations are powerful, homeowners must follow their local government's laws. Wice said the city or county's laws will always trump a homeowners association's rules.

However, if homeowners live in areas that do not have mandatory water restrictions, their homeowners association rules will still apply.

Charles Jackson, a member of the Rolling Fork Board of Directors, said he wanted to make sure homeowners in the Rolling Fork area still water their lawns.

"We will not apologize for any notices sent out, and we will continue to enforce deed restrictions, including watering lawns and all landscape maintenance," said Jackson.