Knock, Knock! HOA Says the Townhouse Door Needs to Go!

M.W. from outside of Connecticut writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

I purchased a townhouse in October of 2014. I got a letter in the mail today stating that my front door is not in compliance with the CC&Rs and that I need to purchase and install a door that meets specs. The door on the unit was in place when I purchased the it and likely here since the 1990’s given the dated style. Do I have a reasonable argument to keep the door or am I stuck paying for a new one?

Mister Condo replies:

M.W., it really depends on what type of a unit owner you wish to be. If your door is out of compliance with the rules and regulations of the association, then the association has every right to ask you to comply, regardless of what the door looked like when you took possession of the unit. Since the door may have been in place more than 20 years, you may have a case to claim the HOA took too long to enforce the code but that is dependent on which state you live in as not all states allow for this. Finally, if the door is 20 years old or older, it may be time for a new door any way. I always advise folks to choose their battles wisely. Would you rather spend your money fighting to keep the old door or simply paying for a brand new door that will look great, provide years of performance, and keep everyone happy. I know which one I would do. Good luck!