Neighbor News
A Small Victory: HOA drops fine for a spot of dirt on the lawn
Another family gets some relief in court. Enough. Let's study, confront, & reform the abusive HOA system we have here in Maryland
Gaithersburg homeowners protested HOA abuse and gathered to support neighbor Eric O. Segura at Maryland District Court in Rockville on the morning of August 7, 2024. Mr. Segura defended himself against the Quail Valley HOA, which was suing him for having a bare patch on his lawn. Following the protest, the plaintiffs dropped their fine for the alleged property violation against Mr. Segura.
This is a victory, but a limited one. The Segura family has not yet received pool passes or any compensation for the years that the HOA denied them the benefits of community membership. We see a pattern, the Quail Valley HOA has issued abusive "property violations" before, and it continued doing so in 2024. Homeowners are appealing to government agencies to discover who might curb HOA harmful actions. Homeowners are working with state legislators to reform the state laws that enable the predatory HOA industry. This civic struggle–for housing security, economic justice, and the civil rights of HOA homeowners–is picking up some steam.
Steven Sellers Lapham is a 24-year resident of Quail Valley HOA and author of the Cuckoo Court blogs at tinyurl.com/CuckooCourt.
