By: Deborah Goonan
Another report of fair housing discrimination by a homeowners association board, with all of the typical hallmarks.
After filing a complaint with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) in 2013, Allen and Cynthia Campbell have settled their dispute with Sonora Springs Homeowners Association.
The complaint was filed when the HOA failed to repair a broken chairlift for the HOA’s pool for over two years. The chairlift accommodation was necessary for Allen Campbell, a disabled Marine Veteran, to use the common amenity for therapeutic exercise.
Campbell is a former Board member that resigned in protest, after being denied access to financial records, questioning the whereabouts of proceeds from a foreclosure to recover a Homeowners’ Association lien. Campbell subsequently filed a report with the FBI over the matter.
DFEH found the Association’s actions regarding the chairlift to be retaliatory in nature, apparently in response to Campbell’s dispute with the Board of Directors. After the chairlift was repaired, Campbell also suffered a foot injury while using it.
The settlement for $109,000 is contingent upon the Campbells moving out of Sonora Springs, something the couple is more than happy to do. And they vow they will never again reside in a homeowners association.
You can read the details of the dispute here:
Natomas couple settle long, bitter dispute with homeowner association
I wonder: how much did the Sonora Springs Board spend on legal fees fighting this losing battle, and dishonoring a Veteran? And how do the homeowners (192 homes in all) feel about using their assessment dollars in an apparent attempt to harass an humiliate a retired Marine? And do homeowners agree with the concept of using discriminatory and legal tactics to purge their “community” of unwanted residents – in this case, a retired Veteran with a disability that dared to request access to financial records?