Strange how people think they can tell you what you can and can not do. I have never lived in a neighborhood that had an Association. Had a friend that did and he wanted to add 1 row of block to his wall accross the back, he had no neighbor behind him, just a street. The HOA told him he could no add a row. It took some reading, but he found in the laws of the HOA that walls were allowed to be 6' tall. His was only 5' tall. Took a letter from a lawyer to get them to ok the additional row of blocks...he also sued the association for his legal fees....
