The worst suburban little Eichmann's given the tiniest and most banal sliver of power. It's very much a legitimate example of "people who seek power shouldn't have it".

The problem, for the most part, isn't community organization. it's the goals, structures, and cultures behind HOAs. Since no normal person whats to be involved in that bullshit often the most surburban brained next door nazi hypermayos end up in charge. Suburbanites already largely despise themselves, their neighbors, and humanity in general and that alienation and is fully in effect in the petty tyranny of the HOA.

The goal of the HOA is not social welfare or community benefit, but rather one monomaniacal drive; PROPERTY VALUES PROPERTY VALUES PROPERTY VALUES

The purpose, for most HOAs, is not the improve and connect the community, but rather to enforce rigid and brutal conformity to what they think will best enhance the "value of their investments". Any expression of individuality, lack of conformity, or frankly use of the home as a home is brutally suppressed. Whether it's painting your house a cool color, having vegetables in your front lawn, or allowing your children to leave toys in the lawn, it will be suppressed without mercy. Having family stay over? Two many cars in the driveway, the HOA will issue threats and punishment. Lawn dying out because you don't give a shit about green concrete, or because you can't afford, wether in time or money, to poison the earth with fertilizer, expend precious water, and meticulously measure your grass to make sure it is exactly one inch tall? Punishment.

It's basically a disciplinary structure imposed on a neighborhood to ensure that the capitalist model and goals of the suburbs are enforced and cannot be deviated from.

Anecdote; I had a neighbor a long time ago who, for whatever reason, wasn't part of the HOA. He loved filling his yard with tacky lawn decorations, flags, parking his and his kids cars in the driveway, leaving his trashcan visible. Just any damn thing that would make the micronazis of the HOA's heads combust. A true American.