I had a neighbor attempting to sell their run down hovel for double the market rate. It wouldn’t sell, for obvious reason.
His solution was to call in Code Enforcement on every single neighbor every single day. Which meant I had to send a weekly photo of my lawn to my landlord to be sent to the Code Enforcement Officer to prove I had an orderly property to avoid him a ticket to avoid him a court appearance.
Turns out many (most?) cities and suburbs have laws on the books that meet or exceed virtually any HOA. In that case, they can ruin your life far more than any Boomer on patrol could ever dream of.
Municipalities across America have been implementing laws like this for decades.
•Grass must be <10"
•No indoor furniture on patios
•Address must be posted (near entrance) in 4" tall script
•All vehicles parked outside must be operable and registered ("projects" must be garaged)
•Cannot leave dropped branches on yard, nor piled up (except pile for pickup)
•Paint/roof must be watertight
Certain inspectors are eager for your disagreeableness, as they (in their minds) are god.