I’ve never belong to an HOA, so I have an outsider’s view, but the idea of paying people to foist a bunch of rules on you, is comical to me.
Like all things, I think there should be a balance. I can tolerate quote a bit, but if you are leaving junk cars in your front yard, I start to have to deal with my own hypocrisy.
Some people choose to join HOAs. If that’s what they want, and they are getting the services and the uniformity that they seek, more power to them.
When I moved there in the 90's I was surprised to find so many houses in covenant communities, i.e. HOAs.
That one guy who left his car on blocks in the front yard certainly had a hand in it.