Man Sets House On Fire, Dies In It, After Losing Home To Homeowners' Association

Feuds between homeowners and homeowners' associations can get pretty intense, as BoingBoing pointed out twice last week. One feud in Ogden, NC, was so bad that the man's house was sold by the court to pay for dues and fines levied by the association. The house was sold earlier this summer, reports the Star-News, and last month the man doused everything in gas and set the place on fire.

The cause of all the trouble? A fence and planters:

[The victim] violated the covenants of the homeowners' association by building a white picket fence, shed and "round, black objects in the front yard" without approval from the Architectural Review Committee, according to the complaint. On Sunday, the "round, black objects" were dug into the front yard and held plants.

"Fatal fire at Ogden home was set intentionally, investigators say" [StarNewsOnline] (Thanks to Liz!)
"Body found after Ogden house fire was the former owner" [StarNewsOnline]