Cost of Ownership: 

Fines

[The fines] are scary. It's all about submission. He gets
excited if there’s pushback. You can tell from the body language.
He’ll lean forward a little and shift his feet. You see the gleam in
the eye and the smirk.  He wants a fight.  He wants to win.
When you realize who he is - you get that "oh
[boy]" feeling.

Fines are imposed arbitrarily by the president.  Some owners may find themselves having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars on "violations" that others do not, depending on how the president feels about them (or their tenants).  Certain owners have even been fined for something done by someone else, thus having to pay money they probably wouldn’t owe in a different association.

Since they cost more to challenge in court, fines are always collected (along with "interest" and mounting fees).  Until the money is paid, the owner’s participation in the association is denied, thus mitigating opposition to the president's personal agenda.

By timing a $10 fine toward the end of the month, the president knows it is almost certain to incur $75-150 more in fees and interest by the time it is even realized.  This in turn compounds the following month, severely impacting those on an automatic payment cycle. 

While he is careful to justify the action, fining others has been described as a way of humiliating certain owners and establishing the pecking order.  Those affected say it is like a schoolyard bully forcing other kids to hand over their lunch money.  Since it is an open secret that the board is in the president's pocket, there is nothing they can do.

"It's just legal enough to where he can get away with it, even though everyone knows it's a [expletive] power game.  There's no one to appeal to.  He's laughing because everyone's too afraid or too stupid.  If you let him know what you don't like, he just makes it worse[Investing at Beaver Ridge] is like handing your wallet to a kid."  Owner

The game of nickel and diming others for the purpose of control is so carefully hidden behind the rulebook and 'common interest' that some will deny it is even happening.  While the president appears to relish his personal power, ordinary owners have been brought to tears by the frustration and financial loss.


Next Issue: Liens

Home