A HOMEOWNER took her HOA to court after being hit with fines of nearly $40,000 over a fence that was out of place by an inch.
Problems started for Betty Hooker from Waldorf, Maryland, in 2017 when she got approval from her Homeowner’s Association to build a fence.
A five-year legal battle ensued which “devastated” Hooker and her family.
Despite the fence costing just $8,000 the cost of long-term litigation amounted to almost $40,000.
“This dispute started in like 2017,” Hooker told ABC News affiliate WMAR-TV.
After constructing the fence, the HOA informed Hooker in March 2018 that it was encroaching on the community’s common area and forest conservation easement, situated behind Hooker’s home.
“Exactly 8 inches by [the HOA President’s] measurement,” Hooker recalled.
The HOA threatened to take legal action against the Hookers if they refused to move the fence.
In a bid to save themselves from legal trouble, Betty got an estimate of the cost to move the fence and then debated with the HOA over who should pay for the cost.