We've all heard some pretty outrageous HOA stories, usually involving at least one Karen and a handful of passive aggressive notes about trash cans or shrubbery.
But this story takes the biscuit.
Meet Carolyn Babcock, a woman stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare with her HOA.
Since her husband went into a nursing home last year, Carolyn has been handling the household bills alone. In January, he reminded her about the yearly HOA fee, so she headed over to the HOA office, but was told they didn't take cash so she'd either have to pay online or mail them a check. They added that she may have an additional late fee.
That's efficiency that would make the IRS proud!
She sent the check straight away after returning home, but accidentally missed a 20-cent interest fee. When she realized her mistake, she went back to the HOA's office with 20 cents in coins, but was turned away, and has since racked up $30 in monthly fees for this missed payment.
"Apparently, I still owe $90.20," Babcock said, before explaining why she is fighting back.
"I don't feel that it's right, absolutely not," she explained. "They can come and arrest me. Who's going to pay $90 for a 20-cent interest?"
Legally, the HOA is within its rights to charge a "reasonable" late fee, and failure to pay HOA fees can even lead to a loss of privileges, collections, a lawsuit, or even a lien on your home.
After a decade of living there and never missing a payment, Carolyn's not feeling the love.
"This is crazy," she says. "Let's stop this nonsense."
Carolyn: the face of freedom against HOA tyranny.
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