I go to plenty of estate sales and it amazes me when I see a new subdivision built that has literally no space between each driveway long enough to park a vehicle.
You literally have to park on an entirely different street, why? Because there is no where to park in this subdivision.
Original posts:
First off thank you all so much. I did not expect my posts to blow up the way they did and the support and advice in the comments genuinely helped me figure out what to do next. So here is everything that has happened since.
For anyone who missed the original posts — I'm 26, bought my house at 23, first time homeowner in Charlotte NC. A sheriff showed up at my door with HOA foreclosure papers for over $11k in fines. I had never received a single letter, email, phone call or notice about any of this. Not one. The first time I ever heard from my HOA or their management company was when I was being served foreclosure papers.
When I reached out to the management company to figure out where I was even supposed to be sending my HOA payments, they told me they couldn't help me and to call their attorney instead. I have that in writing.
The VP of the HOA told my neighbor over the phone that they don't send certified mail for violation notices. My neighbor is willing to put that in writing.
And out of the $11k they're claiming I owe, only about $840 is actual dues. The rest is fines. For a fence that was leaning when I bought the house — you can see it in the listing photos from 2023 — and a fascia issue that was also there before I moved in. The second I found out about the fascia from a neighbor I paid to have it fixed that same day. The fence I tore down myself.
So here's what happened after my posts
Channel 9 news in Charlotte reached out and came out to do an interview with me. They also contacted the HOA and management company directly for the last month with emails, calls and texts and didnt even get back to Jason Stoogenke, the reporter, once. The story is live now if you want to check it out:
Something I mentioned in the interview that I think a lot of people connected with — part of how I bought this house in the first place was from selling Pokemon cards from my collection. And now with the 30th anniversary of Pokemon happening this year, I'm in the position of having to sell my collection just to pay for a lawyer to keep that same house. Kind of a wild full circle moment.
I also now have legal representation. I can't say much about it yet but for everyone who kept telling me to get a lawyer — I heard you.
And then they hit me with another fine
I talked to someone from management company in person, as they drove though the neighborhood i flagged them down to try to actually talk to someone and work something out. When I was talking to her she told me that I am currently being fined for weeds in my flower beds. No notice. No warning. No time to fix it. No hearing. Nothing.
Same exact thing they did with every other fine in this case. Just shows up out of nowhere.
I'll let you guys decide whether that's a coincidence or not given the timing.
I'm going to keep posting updates as this moves forward. My hearing is November 23rd 2026 and there is a lot that still has to happen between now and then. But things are moving in the right direction and honestly none of that would have happened without the people in these comments pointing me where to go.
More updates to come.
Before laughing at my mistake, here is my context:
I have an interestingly unpleasant experience with my HOA management company. Every unpleasant experience with them via mail would prompt me to write a crash-out email, in which I’d type whatever I thought at the moment. These emails of course are my attempt to calm down and remain professional in the midst of chaos. They are not supposed to be sent to the supposed recipient. That changed today when I found out that I accidentally sent one. What to do? Should I just ignore it and own it?
Please be kind:) and constructive feedback is greatly welcomed
So my HOA is trying to blame a main sewer line root invasion on an "improper cleanout," and I just served them with an $8,800 Small Claims lawsuit.
Back in February, raw sewage backed up into my place. I called an emergency plumber who cleared the line and ran a camera, finding heavy root intrusion originating out in the common area walkway. I paid about $600 out of pocket for the emergency clearing and sent the receipt to management asking for reimbursement and for the HOA to clear the roots. Management told me that pipes on my property line were my responsibility, but said they would inspect the main line.
Fast forward to May, and sewage backs up a second time. This time I got three separate licensed plumbers to scope the line. All three confirmed structural root damage in the main line right near the walkway cleanout, with repair estimates coming in around $5,000 to $7,000. I sent all the reports and footage to management asking for urgent repairs.
Instead of authorizing the repair, management sent out their own plumbing vendor in early June to hydro-jet the main line and run another camera inspection. But then they completely hid their own vendor's video files and report from me. I spent a month demanding copies of their vendor’s inspection footage, but they just stonewalled me while the Board sat on it.
In July, the Board finally sent a formal letter claiming the issue was caused by an "improperly installed sewer cleanout assembly" that was my responsibility, and said their vendor's hydro-jetting was just done as a courtesy. Because apparently an improper cleanout magically plants full-grown roots inside a main pipe.
Under my state's HOA law, they're required to maintain common area infrastructure and turn over association records upon formal demand. I hit back immediately, demanding Internal Dispute Resolution and issuing another demand for their vendor's inspection records. Only after I cited statutory non-compliance penalties did management finally hand over their vendor's hydro-jetting report and the camera inspection video files. Of course, their own vendor found the same problem: root intrusion originating at the exterior clean out.
We held the IDR meeting on site. The Board president admitted they didn't even know the exterior cleanout existed, as mine and my neighbors units are the only ones in the community that have them. They said they needed 10 days to pull original city plumbing plans to find out where the cleanouts came from before they could resolve the issue, but an hour after the meeting ended when I emailed saying I looked forward to hearing back in 10 days, management replied to me saying they weren't legally required to give me a written resolution deadline, and basically opted to kick the can down the road further.
I sent a formal Notice of Intent to Sue with a 7-day deadline. They replied saying management would no longer communicate with me due to pending legal action.
So I went straight ahead and filed. My claim is for over $8,800, which includes out-of-pocket emergency clearings and diagnostics, the main line repair estimate (or a conditional judgement to force them to take on the repair), and a $500 statutory penalty for unlawfully withholding their vendor's records, and court fees. All I was originally asking for $1200 reimbursement for the emergency clearings, and for them to commit to handling the repairs. Every plumber said the repair would require them to trench 5 to 6 feet down in the common area, which I don't even have any legal authority to authorize even if I wanted to.
I served the papers and offered one last option to settle, but they let the deadline pass. Trial is set for the end of September. I have a thick evidence binder ready for the judge with four plumber reports, including their own vendor, email logs, and photos of common area bushes planted directly over the common area sewer cleanout. Wish me luck!
TL;DR: My HOA is blaming a common-area main sewer line root invasion on an "improper cleanout" to dodge repairs. After they hid their own plumber’s inspection report and backtracked on dispute resolution, I served them with an $8,800 Small Claims lawsuit.
Following up on the post I made a few days ago about how my HOA voted to use our money to effectively launch a thermal-camera-equipped-drone-based roof inspection business for unaffiliated communities. A lot of you seemed to enjoy it, and fortunately for you, there are updates to share.
They did in fact buy the drone. I do not know if it’s the thermal one they voted to purchase, but I am certain they bought a drone and are preparing to use it. They have notified us that the first mission is scheduled to take place in the coming days within our community.
To my surprise, the notice was filled with legalese. It was surprisingly restrained and referenced many restrictions that the community noted. While I was initially surprised an attorney actually approved this nonsense, that was of course until I found out that a month after staging a coup on the Board, my President and their spouse (who they named the VP) promptly fired the existing attorney and replaced them with their personal attorney’s law firm (I believe it is likely their same attorney too but still confirming this).
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but the drone isn’t the first issue I’ve had with these people. In fact I have been dealing with sporadic disputes with them since they were elected.
Every time I pull up the bylaws or argue with some outrageous action they take, like deferring maintenance to owners, governing almost exclusively from a Facebook Group they adamantly claim is a social channel, extending their terms and canceling an election, or owning property that’s delinquent on dues in a state that says disqualifies eligibility, they always come back saying something to the effect of “the association attorney says it’s okay. Matter closed or else”.
Imagine my surprise today when I found an old set of records that mentioned the name of the President and VP’s lawyer from a time they made a stink prior to their election. Then another record showing that same firm replaced the community’s existing counsel within weeks of their election win.
I guess now it makes sense why they feel like they can do whatever they want. I also think i found the rule that they’re using to justify the drone business. It say the community can enter into an agreement with another community to share expenses. My understanding is that this applies to sharing the cost of landscaping or sidewalk repair. For example, getting a larger order and benefiting from a volume discount, not for the community to operate a for profit unlicensed unmanned aviation inspection business. 🤦🏼♂️
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckHOA/s/Cc0jZHxfn4
I have an update for my recent post regarding my friend's stolen boat posted by a neighbor on marketplace for "free"
He was able to track down the person who picked up the boat and got his boat back! The guy of course was cooperative and more than happy to give it back right away.
My friend has made it clear he wants criminal charges filed against the neighbor. She had nothing to do with recovering the boat and was less than polite when confronted about the situation. She is still defending her actions and as you can see from her comments is even acting as if it were her intention all along to get it to its rightful owner, when in reality her actions led to the exact opposite.
It's pretty clear she was not acting under the authority of the HOA nor had any permission to communicate for them. I'm sure she will be the talk of the neighborhood for a long time coming.
Thanks for all the entertaining comments, advice, and stories on the original post.
Our HOA president out this up.
She has been president since it began in 2010, and every election she refuses to show the votes to other members, saying that the lawyer had processed it and she would remain president.
Edit: We've tried fighting the HOA lawyer with another one, and it just draggggged. Delays, etc and eventually the other members who wanted her out didn't want to pay attorneys fees anymore.
This week I got my days mixed up and accidentally put my garbage out the day before. It sat out for a few hours before I realized it and immediately took it right back in.
A few days later, today, I got my first warning. I guess it had to happen. I can’t believe people do not have better things to do with their time. Who would purposefully put their garbage out on the wrong day just to be annoying?
I received a $50 fine and notice from the HOA about the weeds in my front planting bed. They gave it to me as I was leaving this morning.
I’m like I pay your $250/month fee because this is supposed to be included along with grass cutting, shrub pruning, replacing dead bushes, and snow removal.
I’m thinking of hiring someone to do the weeding for me, paying them, and deducting the cost from my HOA fees. Same with the snow removal since the snow removal waits until the afternoon and I have to leave by 6:30, earlier if it’s snowed.
[UPDATE POSTED] https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckHOA/s/v4NmQngnxQ
A good friend just bought his first house in a brand new neighborhood last month, currently is the only house built on his cul-de-sac. Last week, his boat that he's been fixing up all year gets stolen from in front of his house. I posted about it on our local page and we found out pretty quickly he has some MORONIC neighbors. The last two screen caps were shared by people who saw or responded to the listing.
Boat is still missing. Sheriff's office is still "investigating" so we're not sure yet who's getting charged but at no point was he sent any notice or had anyone knock on his door to let him know the boat needs to be moved. We don't know if this lady is actually with the HOA or not but what a big dumb!
EDIT: To be clear, the boat was not abandoned through any legal means and the Sheriff's Office never received a report of it as required by state law. It is being investigated as a stolen vehicle.
He absolutely should not have left it parked on the street, to the "that's what you get" commenters. We know. Lessons were learned. That does not justify the illegal transfer of someone's property, in this case a titled and registered boat AND trailer, depriving the legal owner of his property.
Only 5 out of 125 condos (built in 1980s) in my HOA have central AC. My HOA just implemented a new rule that AC units can’t output more than 50 decibels. Even the most efficient central AC units output 50-60 decibels which makes installing AC virtually impossible because of this new ridiculous rule. The board already has denied medical exceptions applications.
This years heat wave has been brutal!
AB1684 is currently going through the system and looks like it will pass! This new law that would go into effect January 2027 essentially prohibits HOAs from making nonsense rules that inhibit members from installing AC such as decibel requirements and architectural appeal. It allows members to install any AC units of their choosing as long as it’s allowed by state and local laws.
There had been a very nice old cat lady who was feeding the feral cats next to my neighborhood when it was a forest. She had been feeding these cats for like eight years. And bringing them water in the sweltering summer. And she would try to trap as many as she could, and take them to be spayed and neutered, she was actively helping this feral cat community. One day I saw one of the feral cats catch a rat in my front yard, and I was totally stoked with the cats.
Then, one year, they tore down all the trees and put in a fancy little neighborhood with all the houses all packed together, and it was down to only about three cats still around.
About two years before this incident, some douche bag must’ve moved in because all of a sudden the lady would find her cat food ((which she kept in bowls circled by diatomaceous earth)) dumped in piles, which would be covered in fire ants. Then someone kept stealing the cat food and water bowls completely. Then, during the winter when there was literally snow on the ground, the cat lady had asked if she could put some little winter cozy boxes in my side yard for the cats, and I said, of course, and then someone stole them. Pretty sure it was all the same guy.
Finally, it all culminated with them sending a letter to me & my Grandparents. Saying I had to keep my pets in compliance, when I didn’t have any pets out of compliance, it was feral cats that I had no control over “really” I was just allowing it to exist and that was apparently a violation.
My 80-year-old grandparents technically own the house, but I have asked the HOA repeatedly not to bother them with their silly little HOA violations about garbage cans. Please send all communication through me, and my grandmother had died just a few months before , and my grandpa was really not in a place to deal with HOA violation shit at his granddaughter’s house. And i happened to be on vacation at the time, so I was able to send this snarky reply. Fuck you HOAaaaa
I live in an ~1,000 unit, 55+, condo community. Residents own the land under their units. The rest of the land (the common area), is leased from a property company. Those lease payments are part of our monthly dues. There were different lease terms offered to residents who bought at different times (back in the 60s). Earlier buyers had $15 a month grandfathered in. Later residents have a lease that escalates.
About five years ago, some of the escalating-lease owners started to think that they, (even though leases are sacrosanct and prices fluctuate) , should be compensated for the difference. They got themselves elected to the board. Their first lawyer told them that what they wanted to do was illegal, so they shopped and found one to tell them what they wanted to hear.
Anyway, they passed a "flat-lease" amendment. One-third of residents started being overcharged (read "extortion") and 2/3 started being undercharged. This went on for several years and thousands of dollars. We could not refuse to pay the un-contracted fee because a lien would've been placed on our home.
A non-profit was formed, one of the flat-lease residents sued the association and won (last year). Every single HOA argument was thoroughly rejected in court and the amendment was ruled illegal.
The judge utterly savaged the association in his decision:
>To allow ‘escalating-rent’ property owners to infiltrate the HOA board and co-opt the association for the purpose of unilaterally ending the benefit of the premium paid by ‘fixed-rent’ landowners would represent a grave inequity and profound miscarriage of justice.
After this judgement, the HOA did stop overcharging us (I'm actually slightly surprised that they did). But, of course, they didn't come out and say "we made a mistake, here's your money back." They hate flat-lease residents and they doubled-down. Since it wasn't a class-action (don't know why it wasn't), they are forcing every single victim to sue them individually to recover the ill-gotten gains. EDIT: needless to say, the association has no chance of winning any of these cases, they are just cluttering up the courts to be obstinate.
I'm not a person who was reflexively anti-HOA before this, but this association sure is making that stance difficult. These last several years have been a madhouse. This isn't the only story of how they've made my life hellish.
Also, it's so bizarre to me that we live in a system where no one who did this will suffer any repercussions. The board members don't even have to return, to the association, the extra money that they made from the amendment.
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Here is the full paragraph from the judgment, for anyone who's still reading and interested. He clearly explains why the idea that the flat-leasers weren't paying their fair share was incorrect.
>Before concluding the Court wishes to express that equity weighs strongly in favor of Plaintiff and other ‘fixed-rent’ landowners. It is entirely possible, if not likely, that purchasers of property in the _______ development would consider and rely on the stability of a 99-year ‘fixed-rent’ sublease in deciding what property to purchase. Naturally, it is likely such a purchaser would decide to pay a premium for a ‘fixed-rent’ home to ensure their monthly obligations are limited. Similarly, a purchaser may achieve a substantial discount when purchasing an ‘escalating-rent’ property knowing their monthly land rent obligations will periodically increase. To allow ‘escalating-rent’ property owners to infiltrate the HOA board and co-opt the association for the purpose of unilaterally ending the benefit of the premium paid by ‘fixed-rent’ landowners would represent a grave inequity and profound miscarriage of justice.
This might be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of but basically my HOA decided to use our money to buy a thermal drone so they can sell inspection services to neighboring communities for a profit. The president was going on about having a verbal commit from first customer, a payback schedule for the drone, introductory pricing and a growth strategy.
First, we are squarely a non profit and can’t use our money to launch a business servicing other communities. Second, there’s no way our insurance covers drone missions off property.
Note this was like the second or third commercial business proposal in the meeting as they also blew through our entire repair budget for the year in a little over a month and I guess they’re desperate to earn it back.
EDIT - to be crystal clear, this isn’t a LARP or satire. This is 150% real lmao
So my neighbor found a grey area loophole for the strict no commercial vehicles on street rule. And it doesn’t block the sidewalk so he can’t be ticketed for that either.