I don’t know what kind of HOA you belong to but where I used to live (6 years ago) you joined up and paid dues. The town was not controlled by a HOA and you certainly didn’t sign a contract once you bought the house. They had no control over other people’s property except to occasionally send a letter telling you to cut your lawn. Maybe it differs from state to state. Weird.
I don’t belong to any kind of HOA - I eliminated houses in mandatory HOAs when I was looking.