system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Exactly what is a home owners association and how do they have the authority to issue fines and say what you can and can't do to your own property?

Exactly where do they gain this power of authority over your own land and how do they enforce it?
gpt
They don't "gain this power of authority" over your land. Instead, when a person buys property in a "deed-restricted" neighborhood that person is agreeing (in writing) to abide by the deed restrictions (that are typically enforced by the HOA). When these types of communities are formed, the "deed restrictions" are typically put in place BEFORE the lots are sold, not after. Nobody forces a person to live in a deed-restricted community. However, many people *choose* to do so for lots of reasons. Common reasons cited are that it prevents neighbors from doing things that some consider unsightly (parking cars on the front lawn, having junk cars in the driveway, painting the house odd colors like bright orange and purple, letting the grass grow too tall, etc). Lots of people don't like HOAs and deed restrictions. Fortunately (in the US at least) there are lots and lots of places where people can live that are not part of an HOA. Conversely, lots of people *prefer* to live in an HOA-neighborhood because they feel it helps maintain property values and also helps protect against neighbors doing strange or obnoxious stuff to their homes.