New Hampshire woman faces legal action, fines for planting flowers at condominium

The daisies, irises and hydrangeas around a New Hampshire woman's condominium have become a costly endeavor as a judge has been asked to order her to pay nearly $6,000 in fines and remove the flowers.

Kimberly Bois, of Portsmouth, told the Portsmouth Herald that many of the perennials planted around her condo are heirloom plants from her late mother and were planted with written permission from the developer that predates the current condominium association.

The Atlantic Pointe Condominium Association, however, wants Bois to restore her front yard, saying that the grounds surrounding the units are common areas controlled by the development's governing board. The association's attorney said Bois was told the developer's permission was temporary and could be changed by a future governing board.

Bois, who could not be reached for comment early Tuesday, told WBZ-TV that she's being charged $50 per day for the violation, with fines reaching close to $6,000, plus the board's legal fees.

"It’s just not a happy place to live anymore for me,” Bois told the station. "It just feels like we’ve been bullied and really all we wanted to do was have a conversation to figure out how this can benefit all of us."

Bois said she is considering selling the unit she has owned since 2008, but the board has placed a lien on the townhouse in connection to its fines.

Bois also offered to remove the flowers and pay a portion of the legal fees a few weeks ago, but that offer was refused, she said. The association's bylaws do not expressly forbid planting flowers, she said, nor does it explicitly allow it. Board members have told her they simply want all units to look the same.

“Now we’ve gone down a rabbit hole that I just can’t seem to get out of and it’s very sad, and it’s upsetting,” Bois told WBZ-TV.

Click for more on this report from the Portsmouth Herald.