Fact Check: Home Owners Association Hands May NOT Be Tied On Installation Of A Large Bat Roost

Do federal laws protecting bats prevent a homeowners association (HOA) from "legally doing anything" if someone in the neighborhood installs a bat roost to attract thousands of bats to the neighborhood? No, that's not true: This contrived scenario depends on unlikely variables coming together in order to "succeed" -- to use endangered animals and the protections afforded to them to intentionally cause a disruption in a community with common rules. Not all varieties of bats are federally protected, and which bats are protected by state laws varies state to state. Most states have guidelines for what months bats can be humanely excluded from structures without harming them.