Lancaster Residents Battle HOA Over Alleged Illegal Fees and Liens

Hearthstone Subdivision HOA Dispute

• 🏠 Residents in Lancaster's Hearthstone subdivision are in conflict with their HOA over alleged illegal fees and unfair practices.
• 💰 Homeowners like Charles Allen, Patrick McDonald, and Bobby Smith claim their HOA fees have significantly increased and that they were charged backdated fees they were unaware of.
• 📜 Documents suggest the HOA's official paperwork was submitted years after some residents began paying fees, raising questions about the HOA's legitimacy and fee structure.

Legal Battles and Property Liens

• ⚖️ Several residents, including Patrick and Bobby, have taken their disputes to court, with some achieving judgments against the HOA's foreclosure attempts.
• 📌 Despite legal victories, at least 35 residents report having liens placed on their properties due to the disputed fees.
• 📢 Residents are demanding the dissolution of the HOA until their questions about fee allocation and governance are answered.

Developer Influence and Lack of Transparency

• 🗳️ A significant portion of the subdivision's homes (120 out of 368) are reportedly owned by a developer who rents them out, and whose son sits on the HOA board.
• 🤝 This developer influence allegedly allows for 120 votes in HOA matters, potentially overriding resident concerns.
• ❓ Residents express frustration over a lack of transparency regarding where their HOA fees are being spent, noting a lack of major improvements in common areas.
• 🗣️ Attempts to get responses from the HOA president and her lawyer, as well as the developer's son, have been unsuccessful.