Dad writes sarcastic note to 'Karen' who forced him to take down his kids' treehouse
A father was left fuming when he had to take down a treehouse that he made with his sons during the Covid-19 pandemic. An anonymous passer-by had reportedly complained about it to the homeowners' associations or HOAs, and as a result, the father — who is known only as 'Dave' — had to remove it. But he did let out his anger by writing a sarcastic note to the complainant.
The photo of the plastic-covered letter pinned to a tree, where they built the treehouse, was reportedly then shared on Reddit and it soon went viral. The note stated, “Dear Anonymous Passerby, Don't worry, you're safe now! Your act of casual cruelty was successful. The complaint you lodged with the HOA was heard. They made me take down the small treefort that I built on this location with my sons during the pandemic.”
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He added: “No longer will its presence offend your walk past my house. Please enjoy your stroll free from the sound of my children's play and laughter. They are safely back inside now, watching television I'm sure. Enjoy the unobstructed view of my backyard. I will try to keep it up to code.”
According to reports, in some American neighborhoods, HOAs can be quite powerful as they have the authority to control everything — from structures that can be built on a house owner's property to the condition of their backyard to the choice of color they use to paint their property. And mostly, the issue arises when a neighbor files a complaint, citing violations of HOA rules.
Dave, however, did not mention anything about the person who complained about the treehouse, not even if they were a man or a woman. But Reddit users called them ‘Karen’. A user commented, “Dave, Fight back. Don’t let the Karen win. Take over the HOA and change the rules. Work from inside the system if you must. Don’t let the children down. I really really need to know you didn’t let this idiot have her way. Let me know if you need help. Dave’s of the world UNITE!” The second user said, “HOAs and housing plans like this are the natural breeding ground of Karens. It is interesting that American society is so shallow that a treehouse or unapproved color or non standard decoration can get you in hot water, but your neighbor being a homophobic, mysogynistic, adulterer, and all around asshole is no big deal.”
A user suggested, “I hate HOAs. That being said, this person knew what they were getting into when they agreed to live there. Pointing out that somebody is an asshole there is kind of silly because that’s where assholes live. I feel their frustration, but there’s only two solutions: try to get the bylaws changed or move. I like to think of HOA neighborhoods as asshole zoos. Sometimes I drive through them just to catch a glimpse of a rare brunette Karen.”
“I'm in my neighborhood ‘HOA’ Facebook group (we mostly complain about the HOA and use it like a marketplace). One day, a male Karen posted a vague complaint about one of the houses near him and how ‘everyone needs to make sure their yards are up to par’. We were all confused because the lawns were mowed and we couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Turns out, some kids were playing in a tent in their front yard... Yeah…” added another one.