Georgia homeowners scared of their HOA, say they could lose their homes over nonstop fines — is it even legal?

“You just get to the point you don’t want to open these [letters] no more, you’re afraid of what you’re going to see,” resident Labron Weems tells local outlet Atlanta News First (ANF).

The torrent of fines has many worried they’ll lose their homes — with the HOA applying liens against homes for unpaid fines.

“It brings me back to plantation that people tell you where to live, how to do,” said Shirley Bryant, a resident who has received violation letters for parking on the street and having the wrong screen door.

No way to pay, no way to appeal

Lester Point’s homeowner’s association (HOA) is managed by Sentry Management, a company that oversees more than 400,000 homeowners across multiple states. However, residents claim they’ve been unable to access the company’s CommunityPro payment portal or contact anyone who can address their concerns.

“Once I see it from them, I go into a rage,” resident Rosalyn Cash tells ANF. “I’m sick and tired of them wasting their 44 cents or whatever a stamp is now sending me a letter telling me I need to cut my grass.”

And Cash isn’t alone. Margo Mincey, who was forced to refinance her home in 2020 to pay off an earlier $10,000 balance in HOA fines, says she’s been hit with new fines for small issues like a leaning mailbox that was struck by a car.

“They said that I wasn’t making payments, but I couldn’t,” Mincey told reporters. “Like, they wouldn’t allow me to.”

According to Sentry Management, once it refers a delinquent resident to the HOA attorney, homeowners are shut out of the payment portal and can only pay through the attorney — creating a catch-22 situation where fines accumulate without recourse.

American dream turns into HOA nightmare

For many residents, their home has become a source of fear and financial stress.

“I’m the very first person in my family to own a home. I grew up in a trailer. I had no idea it was going to be like this,” said Mincey, a single mother who claims she’s now out of pocket “nearly $20,000” in total HOA fees and fines.

County records show Mincey is one of dozens of Lester Point homeowners with liens on their property. Under Georgia statute 44-3-232, an HOA can place a lien on any home for any amount. They can foreclose on a home if that amount exceeds $2,000.

Labron Weems faced $15,000 in fines and fees in June, many of which were for an Airbnb he hadn’t operated since September 2023. Yet, every week since then, he has been fined $150.

One day, Weems got a Ring notification and found a marshal at his door — there to serve a judgement on the $15,000. Weems represented himself in court and had most fines waived — only to receive a new bill for $17,573.30 for unpaid fees and fines.

Options for distressed homeowners fed up with HOAs

Homeowners facing an HOA nightmare do have recourse. Housing experts recommend the following tips when filing complaints against HOA management companies: