HOA sells Port Orange family's home over $2K debt

[mfcorey1]

NEW SMYRNA,Fla. — A Port Orange family will be kicked out of their home after it was sold at auction over a $1,900 debt.
Homeowner Katelyn Annis says it’s not fair.
“It's not their home, this is our home.”
Annis, her husband and children will be kicked out of their house in a matter of days.
The Waters Edge Homeowners Association foreclosed and sold the family’s home at an auction to collect $1,900 in overdue fees, plus a few thousand dollars in legal costs.
Annis claims they were never told about the auction.
“I feel so let down by the HOA, by our neighbors, by the board,” she said.
She and her husband knew the association filed a lien to collect two-year-old association dues, but after losing their jobs, Annis said they had to delay paying.
“Literally, it was either my power bill or the HOA and my power for my children comes first, “said Annis.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/action-9-hoa-sells-families-home-over-2000/np7pW/

[geek tragedy]

1. always pay the people who can foreclose. nt

[Lochloosa]

2. Never give that power to your "neighbors".

[DrDan]

5. they did not give the power - they moved into it

they knew about the HOA and it's fees when they closed

[Lochloosa]

7. I understand that....moving in gave them the power. Screw HOA's.

[DrDan]

8. folks that move into HOA areas know what they are getting in to with respect to fees - no surprises

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. I believe it.

We had a family here in KC that almost list their home over a fireplace that needed repairs. They had a child in the hospital dying of cancer and didn't have time to take care of it.

I hate HOA. Bunch of jerks.

[saturnsring]

4. when i was house hunting i ran from any hoa home

[DrDan]

6. they paid 160K for the house in 8/2010 - it previously sold for just under $260K in 2005

they also owe property taxes for two years - not having paid 2014 taxes (averaging around $5k per year).

The taxable value of their house is around $210K.

(from the property appraisers db - http://vcpa.vcgov.org/cgi-bin/search.cgi)

So I have doubts as to the $300K value they are putting on their house. It did not nearly double in value in less than 5 1/2 years.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. It happened to a friend of mine.

It's more common than you think.

Assuming HOAs follow procedure in all matters that involve Association business, they have more power over homeowners than the city has. Which makes the alliances between elected officials and community leaders that more threatening to the American Dream.