I'm fighting a 'turf war' against my HOA

Jun 09, 2023

AN Arizona woman has gone to war with her homeowners association after installing artificial turf on her lawn.

Sherry Lund lived in Arizona for over 15 years before deciding to switch from natural grass to turf. She said it had numerous benefits for her home.

"I'm trying to save water. We're in a drought situation in Arizona," she said to Arizona News.

Not only is Lund doing her part to protect the environment during a drought, but she is also saving herself a lot of money in the process.

"We're saving $1,100 a month in water bills, just my house alone," Lund said.

While some would say it was a smart decision, the HOA decided it didn't hold up the high standards of Lund's community.

"They said 'we're an elite community, and we don't want artificial turf,'" Lund said.

Lund and others argued that the turf was of such quality that it could pass as regular grass. For her lawn to her neighbor's lawn, she couldn't see a difference.

The HOA wouldn't let up on the issue, so Lund went to her local government representative, Republican John Kavanagh, to ask for his support. He was able to draft a bill to bring before the Arizona state legislature proposing limitations to certain HOA powers.

"[Lund] asked the legislature to step in, as we sometimes do when some HOAs act very egregiously and unreasonably towards their members," Kavanagh said to Arizona News.

House Bill 2131 was drafted to prevent HOAs from banning artificial grass in their communities. The committee agreed that switching from natural to artificial turf brought both environmental and economic benefits to the homeowner.

"One of the people who testified in our committee said that if a home has grass, 90 percent of their water usage is for watering the grass," Kavanagh said. "So it is a tremendous draw on our limited and decreasing water supply.

The bill was first proposed in January 2022 and swiftly passed through the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate. Arizona Governor at the time, Doug Ducey, signed the bill into law in March of the same year.

The state of Arizona has seen a large increase in homeowners switching to artificial turf in recent years. Many switch for the same reasons as Lund.

"From water conservation to cost effectiveness from their bills," Eric Nitschke, owner of Arizona Artificial Lawns, said to Arizona News.

In part because of Lund and her "turf war" with the HOA, many homeowners will be able to reap the same benefits she has from switching over to artificial grass.