The thing about trees is, they grow. But not fast enough for one Homeowner’s Association, which has been fining a man $10 a day until the amount reached $5,000 because he planted trees that are too small.

The magnolias are just like all the other ones in the neighborhood except for the glaring height difference — the HOA requires that all trees must be above six feet tall in order to maintain an even, matching appearance in the subdivision, reports WESH.com (link has a video that autoplays).

But the man who dared to dream about his little trees growing up thinks that taller isn’t always better, which is why he went small. Other trees in the area that soar above the streets aren’t so healthy, and he thinks it’s because they were planted too tall.

“I don’t think they’re bringing down property values in the neighborhood,” he says of his wee plants, but the HOA says the man’s just got to stick to the agreement he made with the group by living there. So it’s pay up in 20 days time or take the trees down.

“He wanted to make a tree nursery out of an area controlled by the HOA and we said no,” a group rep said of his efforts.

The man is still stunned by the rule, saying it’s hard to face after serving time in the military and wanting to make a home for himself. He doesn’t have the money to pay the fine so the trees will be coming down.

“It’s funny, I don’t have the right to plant a tree in front of my house,” he says. “There’s something wrong there.”

Man fined $5,000 by HOA for trees that are too short [WESH.com]

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