I'm curious...do you have any idea why the trees were switched?

Have you tried talking to the board and/or the President of the association?

Talk, at least, to architectural control or , whoever is in charge of common ground maintenance. Sometimes they just let the landscapers do what they want without thinking of impact on individual homeowners. There is no reason not to have a dialogue.

Don't assume that anyone should have known what your issue might be. Start a dialogue with the board and the management company and clearly explain your concerns.

Agree with all of the above, but also, unless you control all of the property protecting your view, the view is just coincidental or by circumstance at any given time.

My lot has a fabulous view of Mt. St. Helens. If the owner of the acreage behind us sells and develops it, my view will be gone. It's not in my control. I will enjoy it while it's there but it is not a guarantee.

Not to mention, Mama, you used to have a much bigger mountain to look at!

Do talk to the HOA people. Not all HOAs are bad. The old tree might have been diseased or something and had to go and nobody realized a big tree would be bad for anybody.

The common area is the area right in front of my home, in between my home and the neighbor.

I've dealt with the Property Manager before and I really do suspect that there's some special connection or kickbacks because of how incompetent the Property Manager is. Planting a tree like this with no regard as to how much it will grow or how it will block somebody's views is just so typical of this place.

I'm a bit reluctant to talk directly with the HOA because that will put a spotlight on my place and thus prevent me from taking matters into my own hands in the future. If I don't say anything and trim it myself, they might not notice the difference. But, if I say something, then they'll always keep an eye on it afterwards.

I've talked to other owners who are freaking out too because the association is blocking their views too with other trees that have been planted. One of them has talked to somebody on the HOA and the response was that you could always request a work order to trim it. But, that there was already a complaint filed concerning the trees getting trimmed by somebody who obviously didn't have any views affected by these trees.

Even if the work order goes through, I don't see them really cutting enough to save my view. You'd have to prune it so dramatically that somebody would complain and it might kill the tree. The tree is going to continue to grow and grow even if you trimmed it so that the view will be blocked at some point.

If you trim the sides so a car doesn't have to drive through leaves and branches in order to enter the garage, then the top will grow more and block the view. But, if you trim the top to minimize how it blocks the view, then the sides will grow more and block the garage.

There is nothing you can do about the view. Unless you buy all the land that surrounds you, you can not control the view around your house. The tree blocking the entry to your garage is something that should be taken care of, though. The HOA's landscaping can not block access to your garage.

The way you describe it the view being blocked is your neighbor's home. Wouldn't it make you happy that you wouldn't be able to see your neighbor's home?

It might be better to just address it as a problem with having a tree there because of access to the garage. Maybe don't even mention the view part which may be considered trivial to some HOA members. If you don't address it they may not realize it is a problem.

I agree, unfortunately you are not entitled to a view but you are entitled to clear access to your garage.

When you post things on the internet, they tend to stay around for a long time. Just something to keep in mind....

I think it would be in your best interest to rally a few neighbors and attend an HOA meeting to address these concerns specifically.

First, I'd ask if there is a long-range landscaping plan for common areas.
- If yes, ask if growth of plantings was considered.
- If no, ask that it be considered for any future changes.
* A landscape architect can help draw this up with mature tree heights

Second, it's always good to attend the HOA meetings or at least read the minutes / provide written feedback. At some point these changes should have been ratified by the board, in the form of budget approval to make the changes to the landscaping. If there was not, you may have some ground to complain that there was no due diligence for impact of the decision.

Good golly, have you considered salt? Or offering to pay for a new tree if you can have final approval of type and orientation?

are you condoning vandalism?

If I tried the 'tree is blocking the garage' complaint, would the HOA really uproot the tree or just order the tree to be trimmed so it doesn't block the garage? If they just end up trimming the sides so it won't block the garage, then that will the top will grow more and block the view even more.

I know that this sounds like first world whining to complain about a blocked view, but I know this blocked view will significantly hurt the value of my home. You buy these homes for the views and with a diminished view, then I know the value of the home as been diminished too.

I know that I don't have a 'right' to a view. I wouldn't be happy but, at least, I could understand it if a developer developed the land like in Mama Rachel's example and you lost the view. To a certain point, that uncertainty was reflected in the price you bought the home for.

But, who would have thought it would be the HOA that would block the view by plopping a tree right in front of the window? Other than that, there would have been no other way for the view to get blocked.

Who, moi? Of course not. Not without paying for it. But then the cost of replacing a tree and paying a fine is a lot less that $1M.

The hardest part of the democratic process is taking part in it. Dana, you now have the needed motivation to become more active. You can run for HOA on your innovative and relevant platform, and add to the bylaws that the HOA cannot plant anything that blocks an ocean view. And heck, you might even be able to find a new management company. Your neighbors will love you.

First of all I doubt if even an idiot HOA would plant a tree that blocked entry into the garage. They would have had to plant it on your driveway. Secondly, did you say that the view that is being blocked is your neighbor's house? Most people are really happy when trees are planted so what view is being blocked exactly?

Can you take a pic of the view from your window and a view from outside facing your house so we can get an idea of exactly how this tree is growing/blocking?

You really need to talk to the Board, there is no reason not to.

There certainly are laws about blocking scenic views. They're called view ordinances. Many scenic cities and areas have them. http://realestate.findlaw.com/neighbors/view-ordinances.html

This would give you an avenue to address this through the court system.

Can you tell us what your view is of? I'm sure I'm not the only one who is curious.

As a former president of a HOA, I can tell you a few things. A) few of those doing the job are actually interested in doing the job, it's a fairly thankless position. B) They generally don't want to upset people, so talking with them can usually have positive results (especially if you're willing to pay for the issue yourself). C) Doing things without approval can result in fines, liens, etc (don't do it). D) Talk with your neighbors before talking with the board. If you get their approval, and pay to remove it, it's generally a non-issue. E) if all else fails, you can hire an attorney.

Basically, start a dialogue and go from there.

It would help to know what kind of tree you are talking about. Trimming the sides or the top doesn't make a tree grow in the opposite direction.
http://www.treeboss.net/tree_trimming.htm

I'm glad Mike pointed out that views are protected in many areas. Your view added value to your property, and blocking it will create monetary damage, as well as impair your use and enjoyment of your property. Please do not assume you lack a right or recourse without checking with a real expert -- a property law attorney or similar expert in your community.

Second, would the topography and eventual tree size allow your view to be reestablished by limbing up the tree as it grows? In large-tree parts of the country branches often start well above homes, creating that lovely high, dappled shade that lawns and other plants like so much. As summers become hotter and hotter, that could be a win-win solution. If it couldn't be limbed up because it was evergreen, that would certainly be cause for demanding it be replaced with deciduous.

In any case, talk with the board, and other affected members as needed, for sure, but first arm yourself with a proper knowledge of your rights, standard community practices, and possible alternatives.

Without a picture it's impossible to assess the situation. Although without knowing if her town has a view ordinance.