Don't join a club if you don't want to do club stuff.

And most of the time, board members are "older folks" not because they have more time on their hands. It's because they got burnt enough and figure being part of the board is an easier way to deal with the bullshit.

Hell, in the HOA I'm in, the board members are trying to give the spots away but no one want it. Unfortunately someone has to make sure the common elements get maintained, and even if you hire someone to do it, someone has to be accountable for making sure the person hired does their job.

Your first statement is no different than saying "I want to life in a safe democratic country, but dont want to dealing with all that politics and voting stuff"

People complain about their governments all the time, few are willing to do anything.

No, it's not the same thing. Participating in a system that controls a navy or decides if murderers get executed or not is not the same thing as having to play politics with busybody nosy neighbors with too much time on their hands telling you you can't build a camaro with your son in your driveway or put a leg lamp in your window.

Then why would you choose to live among a community of people who agree to live by a set of standards with respect to their property if all you want to do is go home and chill?

HOAs exist mostly for those who want to live in a community of people where everyone else does care about one another, where there are common properties that are shared and taken care of, and where everyone has a responsibility to maintain their property.

That is not for everyone, absolutely, but if it's not for you, then don't live there. From the way your post is written, it suggests you wanted the benefit of living in an HOA without contributing to any of the responsibilities.