A WOMAN has stated that she might lose her $65,000 home due to accruing over $38,000 in fines for minor HOA violations, such as having garbage bins visible outside her residence.
Catherine Gibson, 74, a retired EMT moved into her $65,000 three-bedroom home in a HOA community in Rotonda West, Florida, in 1997.
Her troubles began in 2012 with a $300 fine from The Rotonda West Association when the county delivered new recycling bins to her curb while she was on vacation, according to her account.
She was fined because they were visible while she was out of town.
“It would’ve been easier just to move the garbage pails,” she said.
“But they didn’t. And then they fined me.”
Gibson said she tried to pay the fines – totalling around $3,000 – but instead she claims they were added as a lien on her property.
And because she didn’t pay them – because she simply couldn’t afford to – they climbed and climbed.
By March this year the total had ballooned to $38,452 – due to interest and attorney fees.
The fines also include approximately $10,000 accrued in 2022 for instances where others, including lawn service providers and construction workers, parked on the grass near her property.
Other fines were for having lattice around her lanai, and a shed – which she dismantled – identical to those installed by her neighbors, Gibson claimed.
She’s now facing foreclosure because the HOA put a judgement against her.
“I hate them,” she said, speaking of the board members of the The Rotonda West Association.
“If I live long enough to sell this house, I’m going to sue them – for harassment, trespass, selective enforcement, and discrimination.”
She added: “They’ve destroyed my credit, my health, and my peace of mind. I have nothing but ill will for them. I wish them the absolute worst karma.”
She claims that initial fines should never have been turned into a lien on her property because they were less than $1,000 – making them exempt, under state law.
And fines for the likes of her lanai lattice – she said she could find no rules prohibiting this in her deeds.
“They said it was a nuisance,” she said.
“But I went through all 34 pages of the deed restrictions and found nothing about lattice. And it was inside my lanai — on my property.”
Speaking of her shed, she added: “My friends had the same shed and were never bothered.”
THINGS WORSEN
Her financial situation became even more fraught when her business partner and “only family” died in 2023.
Their water and waste maintenance business collapsed, and Gibson was left reliant on Social Security.
She has never paid a single fine. Not only can’t she afford to – she feels they are unjust and unlawful.
Gibson posted her story on Nextdoor. It drew over 2,000 views and messages from others with similar complaints.
She reached out to the Florida Attorney General, state lawmakers, and the governor’s office, seeking reform.
Now, Gibson is exploring a class-action lawsuit and working with legislators to introduce HOA-reform legislation.
“I spoke to the governor’s office, and they referred me to legislators who could file a bill next session. Unfortunately, we missed this year’s deadline,” she said.
The Rotonda West Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
