One frustrated California condo owner wanted to install an electric vehicle charger in their parking space — but not at the cost that their condo board dictated.

They posted about their dilemma in the r/HOA subreddit, asking, “Can a board require use of a specific vendor for EV charging without a written policy in place and without putting it out to all homeowners for a vote?”

According to the original poster, the board president — who had held that position since 2014 — decided at the time to contract with EV charger vendor EverCharge to install up to 30 chargers in the 165-unit building, including one for the president himself.

Now, however, there are many cheaper options, and the OP does not want to foot the bill for installation using the board’s only approved vendor when it doesn’t benefit them.

“I’ve spoken with about 10 of the 20 EV drivers who do not currently have chargers,” the OP said. “Myself and these 10 other owners each looked into getting EverCharge installed but decided against it due to cost, poor customer service from the vendor, and/or uncertainty about how long we would be able to use the chargers for since there is no plan in place for all 165 spaces to get wired up for charging and limited electrical capacity.

“… When I or other homeowners have provided feedback at board meetings that the current vendor is too expensive, or we’re having difficulty getting an installation performed, the Board President says that he will ‘look into it’ but nothing comes of it.”

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home’s indoor air quality?
It’s no mystery why the OP is concerned. An electric vehicle can save drivers money while being better for the environment, and charging at home is one of the best ways to make EVs practical. But if drivers are priced out of home chargers, things get trickier.

That’s why California has laws to protect residents’ right to install EV charging stations — and the OP wondered if this situation might violate those laws.

“I don’t know what is considered an unreasonable restriction,” they said in a comment, referring to a California law prohibiting homeowners associations and condo associations from creating unreasonable restrictions on EV charger installation.

“If I can implement the same service using a different vendor for 1/3rd the cost, would requiring me to use the more expensive vendor therefore be considered unreasonable?” they added.