An HOA Double-Bills an Elderly, ESL Homeowner

An elderly ESL (English as a Second Language) homeowner couple were surprised and confused when the HOA claimed they owed more that $500 in missed monthly assessments and late fees. The homeowners pay their assessment by direct deposit. Calling the property management office seemed to add to the confusion. Only after involving a bank official and requesting – in print – a refund did the HOA corrects its errors and return money taken (in error) from the homeowners' bank account.

The homeowners have lived in this community for more than 25 years.

Let's pause for a moment. HOA accounting errors are among some of the earliest testimonies that we recored in these "Living on Cuckoo Court" articles five years ago. We post this new incident (above) not to be vindictive or to spread "bad news," but to create a public record (however incomplete) of these incidents. We value accountability in government.

Homeowners too often suffer abuses in isolation. It seems the HOA board of directors is perpetually unaware of many property management mistakes. Neighbors are unaware. Our elected officials are unaware. Montgomery County's CCOC (Commission on Common Ownership Communities) does not collect or report on these incidents, nor does the state's Office of Consumer Affairs.

Nationwide, there is a rising bipartisan wave of reforms, such as a new 2026 HOA-homeowner's "Bill of Rights" in the state of Georgia that gives a state agency enforcement powers. When and HOA board or its vendors break the law, there are real consequences, not feckless "mediation." (Enforcement is sorely lacking in Maryland, as only the most extreme repeat offenders ever get fined.) We also support the proposal that every HOA and condo association partner with a LOCAL bank where homeowners can pay their monthly assessment – and where they can speak face-to-face with a human being when things go awry.

Steven Sellers Lapham is a 26-year HOA homeowner