A homeowner's association, or HOA, has the potential to be such a nightmare that multiple AskReddit threads deal with horrible HOA stories. Though some go beyond the realm of nightmares into outright ghoulish.
Take, for example, the story of 82-year-old widow Marie Riggins, who may lose her home after her HOA in Inglewood, California, demanded $38,000 in back payments that she reportedly fell behind on in 2017.
Riggins and her husband moved into their home in Inglewood in 1986. But in the last 10 years, Riggins lost her husband to pancreatic cancer and was forced to file for bankruptcy.
Now the HOA wants her home.
DON'T YOU DARE tell me America isn't a racist country, @KamalaHarris. This is happening RIGHT NOW in your state. FIX IT. \n\n82-year old losing her Inglewood home for $38,000 Marie Riggins was the first to buy in Carlton Squarehttps://inglewoodtoday.com/featured/82-year-old-losing-her-inglewood-home-for-38000-marie-riggins-was-the-first-to-buy-in-carlton-square/\u00a0\u2026— JillKlausen (@JillKlausen) 1620515818
#AbolishHOAs . County\u2019s already regulate codes and clean up of homes, there\u2019s no need to have HOA\u2019s— C. (@C.) 1621877003
That\u2019s some BS! Leave the woman alone.— Strugglingtowrite (@Strugglingtowrite) 1621874030
How disgusting. I hate HOA\u2019s— beebz (@beebz) 1621874237
Riggins, who continues to work in bookkeeping at the age of 82, says she doesn't believe she owes anywhere close to the $38,000 the HOA is alleging.
"There's no way in the world that I would owe $38,000... that meant I never paid my property dues."
I grew up directly next door to Marie and her late husband. Sad story.https://twitter.com/fox5sandiego/status/1396865344166404102\u00a0\u2026— Marcus Vanderberg (@Marcus Vanderberg) 1621903819
This is why I hate HOAS— Your mosque\u2019s favorite AUNTIE (@Your mosque\u2019s favorite AUNTIE) 1621883011
Woah.https://twitter.com/enclave_la/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— e. (@e.) 1621914808
She got more than 40k they better give her her title back https://twitter.com/enclave_la/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Ms. Jo (@Ms. Jo) 1621911184
We need to stop HOAs. This is insane. Also, why you wanna be in my business?https://twitter.com/enclave_la/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Lay (@Lay) 1621908901
Riggins also said she'd be hard-pressed to "stand around here and let them take the home that I worked hard for."
"I have spent too much money to just say, 'OK here take it.' … And there's no way in the world I can get out of here in a month. Where am I supposed to go?"
"I'm trying to pay them to get my title back because I don't plan to move from here. My husband died here. It makes me sick. I said they're going to have to kill me, it's that bad."
Her home, which now sits across from a newly built stadium, is worth much more than Riggins and her husband paid for it in 1986—close to one million dollars.
Many people pointed out the role of HOAs in gentrification, where people of color are forced out of neighborhoods after property values increase.
Once again HOAS are evil & racis they should be abolished along with all other forms of policing in this country.https://twitter.com/EnClave_LA/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Je suis Fatty-Gay. (@Je suis Fatty-Gay.) 1621907486
HOAs are trash.https://twitter.com/EnClave_LA/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Astral Horizon Zero Dawn (@Astral Horizon Zero Dawn) 1621896961
And we know why. \n\nShe's Black.\n\nThe #Gentrification of Inglewood continues.\n\nI lived there for almost 30 years. Not far from where her house is.\n\nFuck #Gentrification.https://twitter.com/EnClave_LA/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Ivey McClelland \ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37 (@Ivey McClelland \ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37) 1621887439
HOAs are TRASH.https://twitter.com/EnClave_LA/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Black Tech. (@Black Tech.) 1621883406
hoa fees. \n\nI am enraged.https://twitter.com/EnClave_LA/status/1396675022337368066\u00a0\u2026— Gary & Big Mike Ship Account (@Gary & Big Mike Ship Account) 1621862666
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Riggins both stay in her home as well as pay legal fees to keep her home from foreclosure.
The GoFundMe has raised about $60,000 out of the $250,000 needed.
