MARSFEVER / MARS HOA
OLYMPUS MONS ESTATES · A PLANNED COMMUNITY ON MARS
Enroll a friend in a
homeowners association on Mars.
For $1 a month, your friend becomes the registered occupant of a plot in Olympus Mons Estates. They get a deed. Then the letters start — violation notices, dues statements, newsletters, ballots — and they do not stop until you stop paying. The perfect gift for someone who deserves both a present and a consequence.
The correspondence
What the association sends
A welcome deed immediately, then a rotating letter every couple of weeks. Written by hand, delivered by email, enforced by nobody.
The deed
Official notice of enrollment with their assigned address — Unit 114, Cydonia Court; Olympus Mons Overlook; Valles Marineris Way. Lot condition: regolith, unimproved, magnificent.
The violations
"Untidy regolith." "Failure to erect a fence." Required action: none possible. The dust is planetary. Fine for non-compliance: a sterner letter.
The Crater Courier
Community news. The potluck was cancelled again (the atmosphere is 95% CO₂; attendance tied last year's record of zero). A dust devil toured the neighborhood without a permit.
The ballot
Two candidates for the Board, both named Greg. Abstentions count as votes for Greg. Results certified by Greg (the other one).
Exhibit A
An actual violation notice
Re: Untidy regolith — Unit 114, Cydonia Court
Dear Derek, during a routine drive-by (the rover drives by everything), the Architectural Committee observed that the regolith at Unit 114, Cydonia Court is untidy. Dust has been observed settling on the property in a manner inconsistent with community standards.
Required action: none possible. The dust is planetary.
Deadline: 30 sols.
Fine for non-compliance: a sterner letter.
This notice will remain on your permanent record, which is a text file.
Want the full rulebook? Read the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions — all 14 articles, including the fence you are required to consider and the pool that is both frozen and nonexistent.
Reasonable questions