Duck Dynasty vs HOA (aka: Don’t I have rights in this country?)

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The Robertsons vs Their HOA

As you probably know, Duck Dynasty is an American reality television series on the A&E cable channel that portrays the lives of the Robertson family, who have become wealthy and famous for their family-operated business, Duck Commander. The Louisiana business makes products for duck hunters, primarily a duck call called Duck Commander. The popular Duck Dynasty TV show features the daily lives of the colorful Robertson family members, and has broken several ratings records on both A&E and cable television as a whole. Now in its fifth season, the fourth season premiere drew 11.8 million viewers; the most-watched nonfiction cable series in history.

Episode 8 of Season 2 featured the Robertson family clan attending the monthly board meeting of their upscale Community Association. The Robertsons were there to contest a rules violation citation they received for having chickens and burning leaves in their back yard. Famously “back woods”, this incident represented the clash of two cultures. Enjoy the short (2:31) film clip from this episode by clicking here.

Living in a Community Association is an Exchange

The clip reminded me that living in a community association is an exchange. In exchange for the responsibility that neighbors have to invest their financial resources in the common area amenities, homeowners enjoy cost-effective home-ownership and the peace of mind that comes with knowing home values are protected by a uniformly enforced set of community standards.

The Board is charged with the responsibility to care for the community – its physical assets, financial assets, and community spirit. While this incident is entertaining to watch, I applaud the Board for doing their job well… and not yielding to the pressure of a celebrity, his clan, and a casserole!