HOA President Accused of Harassing Black Family Over 5-Year-Old Touching Tree

HOA Complaint Against a Child

• 🎯 Ariel Barner, a single mother of five, is facing legal action from her HOA president after her 5-year-old son, Owen, was accused of touching a tree and a rock.
• ⚖️ The HOA president has filed a complaint, listing Owen as a "public annoyance and public nuisance," a designation typically reserved for loud parties or excessive noise.
• 📸 The HOA president has been video recording Owen at his public bus stop daily, despite no damage to the tree and no evidence of him throwing rocks.

Allegations of Discrimination and Abuse of Power

• 🌳 The complaint stems from Owen touching branches of a community magnolia tree at his bus stop, an action Barner believes is being used to target her family.
• 💰 The HOA is demanding $382.16 to cover attorney fees incurred to address the complaint.
• 🚫 Barner believes the actions are prejudiced and discriminatory, pointing out that her garbage cans also face fines while others do not.

Community Response and Legal Avenues

• 📣 Barner has been informing her neighbors about the lawsuit, asking if they consider her son a public nuisance, and has received widespread support.
• 🗣️ She intends to consult an attorney to fight the HOA's demands, stating she will "go down fighting" and use her voice against what she deems unconstitutional.
• 🤝 Dr. Rashad Richey suggests that sympathetic neighbors could become active members of the HOA board to vote out the current leadership and potentially elect Barner as president.
• 📝 Richey also advises Barner that she has the right to depose HOA members, allowing her to ask potentially embarrassing questions under oath.