Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Lawyer Up or Pay Fine?

We are the lucky recipient of a not-much-over-$100 fine from our neighborhood ass'n for a matter that we feel is pretty unfair and subjective, relating to a somewhat-terse discussion wife had with association employees being construed as "abuse" on her part. I know the concept of cutting losses, paying the negligible fine and moving on with life, but this one has us a bit irritated and I'm wondering how we can stick to our principles.

They have scheduled a hearing before the elected board in which we can present our "case", and after which our fate will be decided. At present we stand to incur escalation of the fine, loss of ass'n privileges (presumably vehicle barcodes for the gate reader and perhaps access to amenities), and loss of good-status standing. I presume the board will determine where things go during or shortly after the hearing.

What is the general campfire sentiment on where to go with this sort of thing? Lawyer up (at what cost?)? Pay and live to fight another day? I'm willing to spend a bit of mad-money on this, but not much.

Thanks for any/all advice, to include "pay the fine, dummy...".

Since it involved your wife...she was probly wrong...pay the fine...then MOVE as quickly as possible.

MY general sentiment is you gotta be an idiot to

A - live where there's anyone who can tell you what you can and can't do on your property, and

B - come on here looking for sympathy.

YMMV

Well, there's a saltwater dock in the backyard, so compromises must be made. Wife has a pretty level head.

Yeah this isn't going to go well.

I would be a "stick in the spokes"
Some of those associations are nothing but a bunch of bullies.

Pay the $100.00 dollars and move!

HOA's are nothing more than places for no-job/retired busy bodies to exert their power over people they feel are beneath them.

If one agrees to live under an association they agree to abide by the rules of that association. Knowing my personality I'd NEVER live where someone/s could tell me what to do or say within the confines of my property. Just reading your predicament gets my blood pressure up. I'd be in jail. 😬

Yeah sell house find new home not in a HOA and be happy..

Do you know where you can get a $100 in pennies? Put them in a big pickle jar...and pay the fine.

Thats for damn sure.

What was the matter that got the HOA rep involved?

Pay it & forget it.

I would get 5 twenty dollar bills, I would address on envelope and then place 8-10 poison oak leaves in that envelope for a day, then I would remove the leaves and place the money in the envelope and hand deliver it to the woman involved, and the I would graciously apologize for any misunderstanding, and assure her that nothing like that would happen again.

Pluck them!

We notified the office that we didn't get a bill for an item offered for sale to all members, four months after acquiring said item (they claim to bill monthly for that item).

Received bill 3 days later, with 10% late fee.

Wife spoke with lady in office who stated that it was USPS fault that we didn't get the 3 mailed invoices in advance of the one my wife requested and my wife snapped back something to the effect of "well they had no problem with prompt delivery of this invoice after I phoned you and specifically requested it."

Wife asks "Did you apply the late fee?"

Lady says "Yes"

Wife says "Then you can remove the late fee"

Lady says "Only the board can remove the late fee"

Wife snatched the invoice out of lady's hand, they exchanged pleasantries, and wife left. We got the fine for abuse a week later.

We pay all dues on time and are not troublemakers. We have had prior frustrating conversations with them regarding such important items as signing kids up for swim lessons and balancing access hours to the pool between old folks (who think the ass'n is a retirement community) and the rest of the members. Found out in the abuse letter that they considered one of these prior testy discussions about swim lessons to be abusive by my wife, and claim she was warned verbally at that time.

IOW, it's a bit of chickenpoop.

Saltwater in the back yard and a HOA ? What a shythole ! I'd tell them to GFY and get the hell out of there. Geezus, saltwater. Friggin shyt smells like dead fish and'll rust your guns. Not good.

Does that mean you would not be able to access your own propety ?

GTC

I would fight it just for the fun of it. If you lose don't pay it. Go to the newspaper and get a sympathetic reporter to put a story in the paper about this draconian HOA group.

Then move the hell out of that place. Abuse? There must be a bunch of democrats running that place.

We'd have to converse with the guard each time instead of buzzing through. Will get annoying in the summer with increased traffic.