A 28-year-old Jacksonville woman says the homeowners association in her dad’s 55-and-older neighborhood is trying to force her out of the house she inherited after caring for him through his final years. The fight has dragged on for nearly three years, and it’s now hitting other residents in the wallet, too.
News4JAX laid out the dispute in the source post, reporting that the HOA in the Arbor Mill community sued in an effort to remove Bethany Michel from the neighborhood for not meeting its age-occupancy rule. At the same time, the HOA board was expected to consider a proposed special assessment tied to legal costs.
A daughter moved in to care for a terminally ill father
Michel, 28, told News4JAX she moved into the Arbor Mill home in 2020 to care for her father during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions at his assisted living facility made it difficult for her to provide his dialysis care. She said her father was a disabled veteran and that the house carried deep personal meaning because they upgraded it with the idea it would one day be hers.
Her father died in October 2023, and Michel said she inherited the home. She described it as her home and her workspace, saying the dispute isn’t only about losing a roof overhead, but also being pushed out of her daily routine and livelihood.
The HOA says ownership isn’t the same as the right to live there
The core problem is the community’s age restriction. Arbor Mill is governed as a 55-and-older community, and its declaration requires that every occupied home include at least one resident who is 55 or older. The declaration also prohibits anyone under 19 from living in the community…