Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Arizona Senior Living Facility Sparks Backlash After Telling Orphaned 15-Year-Old He Can't Live With His Grandparents

Arizona Senior Living Facility Sparks Backlash After Telling Orphaned 15-Year-Old He Can't Live With His Grandparents
ABC 15 Arizona/YouTube

A resident of a senior living facility in Arizona is outraged at her HomeOwners Association (HOA) for prioritizing their rules over the life of her orphaned grandson.

Collin Clabaugh, 15, moved in with his grandparents in the community located in Prescott after his parents died within two weeks of each other.


Last year, Clabaugh's mother, Bonnie, died in a hospital and two weeks later his father took his own life.

But now the homeowner's association at the Gardens at Willow Creek are forcing him out because he is younger than the required minimum age of 19 to live in the 55+ community.

The boy has nowhere else to go and has until June to find another place to live.

Clabaugh said:

"I just don't think it's right, what they're doing."

His grandmother, Melodie Passmore, told news station KNXV-TV:

"It's amazing how one rule is more important than one person's life."

You can watch the clip of the news report here.

youtu.be

Passmore said that nothing prepared them for the family tragedy.

"We didn't plan this. We didn't go out all of a sudden one day and say, 'Hey, let's have Clay kill himself and let's have Bonnie die, and we'll take Collin in and to heck with the HOA."
"It's not the way it was planned."

Although some of the residents at the facility expressed their support for the orphaned resident, others complained to association board members.

Passmore insisted her grandson is not a troublemaker.

"He's not a danger to the 'old' people that live here."

In a statement, lawyers representing the board wrote:

"The board must balance the interests of all parties involved, not just the Passmores."

The lawyers also claimed that forcing the teen out is legal under the Housing for Older Persons Act, which was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton on December 28, 1995.

Although the HOPA does stipulate that no one under the age of 19 are allowed to reside in certain 55+ housing facilities, exceptions can be made with community designated "family units."


But the board insists that not enforcing the age restriction rules could further complicate matters.

The attorneys added:

"Community associations that fail to enforce their residency age restrictions leave themselves open to legal claims from other residents and could even endanger the ability of the association to remain an age-restricted community."

The Passmores have been residents at Willow Creek for four years but are now planning to meet with a real estate agent for relocation in order to continue caring for their grandson.

On Facebook, Passmore explained why they chose to live in the community.

"We bought here because we liked the house and the neighborhood, not to move away from kids, as so many have said this is why people move to a 55+ community. Not always, people."
"My immediate neighbors moved here because it was affordable, especially when living on SS or a pension. Not all of us have money."

She continued by defending her grandson:

"This isn't a little whiney kid running up and down the street screaming and causing trouble."
"This is a young man who helps his neighbors and is rarely seen outside of going to and from school."
"So next time you want to rag on me remember to ask yourself if you have compassion and want to see him happy and living with people who love him or would you rather he be in foster care because some lawyers are trying to push his grand parents around and intimidate us."

Clabaugh, who remains worried about being separated from his grandparents, said.

"It just seems so heartless that even though we've explained our whole situation, it has to be the rule that dictates everything."

He also expressed not wanting to leave Prescott.

"I want to be here. 'Cause I know I have two people who love me."

This is one of the reasons why people seem to have a problem with communities with an HOA.



Passmore's frustration was expressed with these strong words for the HOA.

"I've stepped in things that I find nicer than you people."

More from Trending

Pedro Pascal
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Goes To Bat For Trans People Once Again At 'Fantastic Four' Premiere

When it comes to Pedro Pascal, we made the right person famous.

During the Berlin red carpet premiere of Pascal's latest film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pedro Pascal advocated once again for transgender people and transgender rights, citing their community as inspiring.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cal Raleigh
Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Yankees announcers react to player's NSFW nickname!

During a game against the Mariners on Tuesday night, Yankees fans found out why Seattle star Cal Raleigh is nicknamed “Big Dumper.”

The moment was caught on YES Network’s broadcast of the game in the sixth inning while Raleigh was on first base with the Yankees leading 10-3.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Joseph Boakai and Donald Trump
NBC News

Trump Dragged After Praising English Skills Of President Of Liberia—Where English Is The Official Language

President Donald Trump was called out after he praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s command of English—embarrassingly unaware that English is the official language of Liberia.

Boakai had been delivering a speech during a meeting with other African leaders at the White House on Wednesday in which he remarked that Liberia is "a long-time friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again."

Keep ReadingShow less
Alex Cooper singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
@MBDChicago/Twitter (X)

'Call Her Daddy' Host Alex Cooper Gets Brutally Booed At Wrigley Field After Painfully Off-Key Singing

If there's one thing that all baseball fans can come together about, it's the importance of their traditions—and songs.

In the seventh inning at Wrigley Field during a match between the Cubs and the Cardinals, popular Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper was invited to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and brought two backup dancers with her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Linda Yaccarino
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

X CEO Resigns Day After AI Chatbot Grok Praised Hitler In Alarming Series Of Antisemitic Tweets

Linda Yaccarino—the former NBC Universal executive who later took the reins at X—stepped down as CEO of billionaire Elon Musk's platform after two years on the job just a day after Grok, the platform's AI chatbot, went on antisemitic rants and openly praised Adolf Hitler.

Grok issued deeply antisemitic responses on Tuesday following a reported software update that encouraged the bot to embrace what developers described as the “politically incorrect.” Taking that directive to heart, Grok responded with a series of disturbing posts that included praise for Hitler and even a statement expressing its aspiration to become a “digital version” of the Nazi leader.

Keep ReadingShow less