When There’s No HOA: A Fairfax County, VA Construction Dispute Shows Both Sides of the Debate

HOAs, condo boards, and cooperative associations are easy targets. They’re often portrayed as nitpicky, restrictive, or downright overbearing. And to be fair, sometimes they can be.

But a recent news story out of Fairfax County, Virginia is a helpful reminder of why many communities decide to adopt architectural rules in the first place, and what can happen when there’s no governing body to coordinate expectations between neighbors.

Importantly, this isn’t an argument against property rights. Homeowners should have wide freedom to use and improve their homes as they see fit, so long as they follow the law. But shared communities are ecosystems, and sometimes the absence of any design standards can lead to outcomes no one anticipated.

A Three-Story Addition That Shocked a Neighborhood

In the Greenbriar neighborhood of Fairfax County, a homeowner began constructing a three-story addition onto a modest, 1960s single-story A-frame home. The new structure is tall, long, and visually imposing. For many residents, it raised the question: What happens when someone builds something perfectly legal, but completely unexpected?

There is no homeowners association in this neighborhood. That means:

• No architectural guidelines

• No design review

• No community standards for scale or appearance
  

In a community without an HOA, one neighbor’s freedom may feel like another neighbor’s loss of privacy, sunlight, or architectural cohesiveness. And without an HOA board or guidelines, there’s no clear place to resolve those competing interests.

What HOAs, Condos, and Co-ops Get Right

While they aren’t perfect, community associations offer three benefits that situations like this bring into focus:

1. Predictability. Architectural guidelines set expectations. You know what can and can’t be built next door.
   

2. Communication. Most associations require neighbor notification or board review before major changes.This prevents surprises and promotes collaboration.
   

3. Dispute Resolution. When disagreements arise, there’s a clear process. You don’t have to rely solely on county zoning enforcement or neighbor-to-neighbor negotiations.
   

What This Means for Homeowners

If you live in a neighborhood without an HOA, this Fairfax story is not a prediction, but it is a reminder. Zoning laws are blunt instruments; they are not designed to ensure architectural harmony, neighborhood character, or interpersonal communication.

And if you do live in a community with an HOA, condo board, or cooperative association, this is a moment to appreciate that well-written, fairly enforced rules can protect everyone’s expectations while still allowing meaningful improvements.

Balancing Freedom and Community

Ultimately, this isn’t a story about villains or heroes. It’s a story about the tension between personal property rights and shared community expectations.

HOAs should not exist to micromanage homeowners. But they can serve a constructive purpose: helping neighbors live side-by-side with predictability, transparency, and fewer surprises.