Richard and Carole DeProspo say they wanted to curb their outdoor water use in light of the drought, not pick a costly fight with their homeowners association.

And yet that’s where they’ve found themselves—headed to court to ask a judge to relieve them of thousands of dollars in fines levied by the Westlake Ranch Property Owners Association over their crushed-rock-laden front yard, arguing that a recent state law protects their landscape decision.

Pre-drought HOA rules are clashing with new state-imposed water conservation measures, which means a judge ruling in favor of the DeProspos could be setting a legal precedent, said Southwestern Law School professor Roman Hoyos.  Read more: