I feel for the OPs sister in getting fined for something not written explicitly in the HOA documents. Makes me think that there are a second set of bylaws somewhere, or she has a good arguement that all fines need to be revoked and detailed bylaws set up.
For my dh and I, we have lived in a few HOAs. You really can't ignore them if you want to live in an apt or townhouse. Each community needs common rules, and shares cost like garbage or snow removal. Our solution was to be on the committee each time yo keep it real. The are some crazy old people out there with no life!
Funny story:
At one (townhouse), my husband was in charge of the complaints letters. He was told one month that a unit needed a letter about a red painted front door.. Although behind a white storm door, all exterior changes required approval and this was a black or white paint only sort of complex, and the door was no longer identical.
He put it off, and next month meeting he said that he forgot, thought the owner may be argumentative, but he would do so and promised to get to it. A week later, he wrote the letter....and handed it to me. I handed him back the paint brush and white paint. Lol. (It was his own home). He reported that all was resolved at his third meeting.
To your comments:
HOA regulations about street parking, and renting to Tennant's are very important because in small lot communities it causes huge problems. Even street parking because you have teenagers and three cars takes up a lot of space and quickly intrudes on your neighbors. The reason there was parking available for guests on the street is because of this bylaw.
My sister has moved homes, and another friend moved because of neighborhood parking issues on the public street. HOAs try to figure this out, albeit with draconian measures.
Tenants add a lot of volume to water and trash, and parking, and lots of renters tend to drive up neighborhood population and noise with late night activities or arguing. ( not a comment about renters, just density of the neighborhood drives impacts to others living there).
DMV has no ticketing there, maybe because the HOA is actually responsible for road repair and bylaws on it? It is common here that access roads are HOA owned, even when they look like a street with no gate.
Sounds like a picky group. I would have sis register you, a brother should not be a problem... you offer to pay for a street parking permit, or pay for a storage locker for sis to empty garage, and park bike and vehicle there. Meanwhile the added HOA fee is also your responsibility to pay. Do everything you need to to make this easier for sis.
This is not a "no laundry line in backyard " or "no petunias" sort of bylaw.. The ones you mention may actually make sense if better executed and explained.
Oh, and yes, I have had police car slowly follow me as I was jogging at 6:30 am on Christmas morning.. Anything unusual to cut the boredom is grounds for being followed, so don't take it personally unless it is obvious that they only follow you and not any other cyclist.