Florida woman jailed after her HOA took her to court — why you should never ignore your HOA’s ‘petty’ requests

What started as a disagreement in grass care ended with Irena Green spent a week behind bars.

Living in the Creek View sub -section of the Hillsborough district of Tampa, Green says that everything started with a violation of a host (HOA) on the state of the grass.

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He said he accused compulsory irrigation restrictions for dry patches in his garden last year and insisted that he was far from being the worst of the block. Nevertheless, the only host in the neighborhood is to jail on him.

“I think they have a lot of power. I haven’t heard of anything like this in my life, G Green said ABC I-Team Research.

In 2024, Florida directed the country for Hoa Living and goes below 3.9 million of 3.9 million houses Landlords Association Rules – Approximately 45% of all houses. But do a scattered grass imprisonment right, or do some HoAs overcome the Curn charm?

A legal warning

It started with a few infringement notifications from Trowbridge Company Inc. First, dry grass. Then a small dent at the garage gate can barely see from the street. After that, he was molded in the mailbox, which he said was caused by moisture from a nearby tree.

The last straw was a cargo van parked on the car road, unlike others seen in the neighborhood.

“If you wander around the neighborhood, you’ll see that there’s plenty of unqualified yards,” Green said.

Hoa went green to the court in Hillsborough County. Green represented himself and provided photographs and explanations for each violation. Nevertheless, the judge was not convinced. At a hearing last summer, he was given an ultimatum: correct problems within 30 days or imprisonment.

Green said he had to work immediately, but he missed the next court date, claimed that he had not received official notifications and even contacted the courthouse several times to watch him.

The judge did not buy. Green was disrespectful to the court and an order was issued to arrest.

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How far?

“I think it is quite rare in a civilian case that someone has a despise order,” he said, Professor Paul Boudreaux at Stetson Law Faculty.

One HoA community It means accepting a series of rules – those who can dictate everything from where your grass can grow from where you parked. But things climbed for green.

After taking his daughter from the practice of Amigo, Green was withdrawn, handcuffed and reserved in Orient Road prison. He said he was the only person wearing a prison uniform in the civil court.

Six days later, his brother-in-law-a illegal petition to challenge the illegal futting. Photographs of Green’s garden and other evidence were presented to a different judge than the signing of the original order.

Nevertheless, Green said he was arguing against the release of Hoa’s lawyer.

Hoa Power Game Risk

HoAs offer many buyers and consistency to many buyers, from well -groomed grass to access to common possibilities. However, with these advantages, strict rules and sometimes serious consequences.

Green was finally released, but the case emphasizes how fast HOA conflicts can concentrate.

“Sometimes they move in a small way, but if they decide that you need to do something, you have to follow the rules. And when a judge tells you to do something, you need to do it, B says Boudreaux.

Green then admitted that he had to hold a lawyer before to better understand his rights. The HOA Board has brought a new management company to execute since then.

For the landlords, HOA statutes Carefully, if a conflict occurs, look at the past of the board and get legal advice. A little condition detection can help you stay away from costly and preventive problems.

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This article only provides information and should not be interpreted as advice. It is provided without any warranty.