guest blog by Nila Ridings
Let’s refresh our memories about the Davis Lake Community Association in North Carolina, the HOA that foreclosed on Alfred Thompkins, an ill and elderly man who stopped paying his dues. He was upset because the HOA wouldn’t let his niece and nephew who lived with him use the swimming pool. Obviously, he was honest and said he wasn’t their legal guardian, so the HOA just grabbed his house.
The point is: Who gives a rip? In the beginning Thompkins was paying dues, which contributed to the pool even though he wasn’t using it. So why not let his niece and nephew take a dip?
This is what gripes me about HOA board members. So many of them seem to be incredibly lacking in common sense! They foreclosed and sold Thompkins’ house for pennies on the dollar. But was that really the issue? Or could it have been the fact that his house was mortgage-free and loaded to the roof top with equity? (Click on the link below to find out how a reverse mortgage saved his house from foreclosure.)
I think of all the people inconvenienced and costs that were involved in this insane situation:
1) He had to pack and move
2) Rented a storage unit
3) Stayed at a relative’s house
4) Wells Fargo got involved
5) The television station got involved
6) The county court system got involved
7) Utilities were disconnected
8) His mail had to be forwarded
9) Relatives are buying gas and driving from Chicago to help him move back in
10) Utilities have to be re-connected
11) Mail has to be re-established
12) He will have to unpack and re-settle
In the big picture, would it not have made better sense to have worked this out with Alfred before putting him and all these other people through such tremendous stress and nightmares?
I can personally think of at least ten ways this could have been resolved without this “bullies on the board” approach.
Not to mention, Mr. Thompkins could have just lied and said his two relatives were his children. Would the board have paid for DNA testing? Doubtful. But he told the truth and this is the mess he got into for being honest. A person’s honesty should never be met with a penalty. This is one of the reasons deception and dishonesty have become a way of life in America!!!
And, now we have another elderly person in tears because of the torture he endured at the hands of an HOA! The rest of his days in that house he’ll be living in fear of doing something wrong and losing his house again.
I guarantee it!
list of Davis Lake board members:
stevendonai@davislake.org
bettylee@davislake.org
bruceauerbach@davislake.org
lesliematthews@davislake.org
briansenatore@davislake.org
