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I didn't pay my $800 HOA fees - I didn't know it could have drastic consequences
Aggressive homeowners associations are so notorious they have even found their way into classic TV drama plots, such as Desperate Housewives.
When new residents Bob and Lee decided to install a water sculpture outside their home on idyllic Wisteria Lane they had no idea what pandemonium they had brought down on their heads in the form of the local HOA.
However, the nightmare of foreclosures and aggressive diktats from such associations are far from fiction for many in Georgia.
HOAs are meant to oversee general maintenance of the neighborhood using a pool of money made up of fees from residents in the area.
For example, they may remove a fallen down tree, clean public facilities such as pools or make sure the neighborhood is neat and tidy by monitoring yards.
Jewel Inostroza was baffled when she discovered the previous owners of her newly bought home in Newnan, Georgia had left tens of thousands of fees to the local homeowners association that were now her responsibility.
Bob and Lee in Desperate Housewives faced the wrath of the local homeowner's association
The Desperate Housewives are shocked at the ugly water feature on Wisteria Lane
Karyn Gibbons received a foreclosure on her home despite always paying her fees on time
Jewel Inostroza (right) found she was responsible for the previous owners unpaid fees
Inostroza went to court, paid off what she believed was owed but still ended up with a bill for tens of thousands of dollars, Realtor.com reported.
Tricia Quigley told the property site how her Cherokee County home in Georgia was sold on the courthouse steps for just $3.24 after she refused to pay an $800 HOA fee when she became frustrated with the billing process.
Quigley discovered that the bill has soon risen to $10,000 due to late and attorneys fees.
When she could no longer keep up her home was sold.
'They just showed up and threw all my stuff on the lawn,' she said.
HOAs are legally allowed to foreclose on properties, garnish wages, and turn off the water if owners that fall into payment arrears.
Another homeowner in Georgia, James McAdoo of South Fulton, claims he has to file for bankruptcy to stop his homeowners association from taking his wage after being warned about weeds on his lawn.
Despite going through bankruptcy, McAdoo still owes the association $36,000.
Other have had issues with bureaucracy, including Karyn Gibbons who told Realtor.com she received a foreclosure notice on her home despite always paying her HOA fees on time.
Gibbons said her local association in Gwinnett County often cashed her checks late or not at all, a confusion that left her owing $30,000 for late and attorneys fees.
Georgia lawmakers are planning a fightback on behalf of their constituents and their HOA horror stories.
State Senator Donzella James is working to reign in the power of homeowner associations in Georgia.
Democrat Senator Donzella James has teamed up with Republican Matt Brass to take on HOAs
HOAs are legally allowed to foreclose on properties, garnish wages, and turn off the water of owners that fall into payment arrears
James told Realtor.com she began looking into the issue in earnest after hearing from constituents who were being forced from their homes after incurring fees and fines for lawn grass being above four inches or a shed painted the wrong color.
'What would start as a $200 penalty could quickly rise to $5,000,' James, a Democrat, told the publication.
'And once [HOAs] get $4,000 in penalties, they can sell your home on the courthouse steps,' she explained.
James has joined forces with Republican Matt Brass. Together they are proposing a bill that would stop fines accruing once homeowners have paid off what is owed to their HOA.
The proposed legislation would also force HOA boards to meet regularly, record minutes of their meeting, and have a transparent voting process.
'It's tragic. We're talking about people losing generational wealth over someone not mowing their grass. It's jaw-dropping,' Brass said.