HOA sent woman a legal notice for helping her 84-year-old neighbor without a POA. One Google review and 27 minutes later, they backtracked
The author was a representative in writing for her elderly neighbor, who wanted to raise her voice in the community without dealing with the HOA
A law firm hired by an Arizona HOA completely backtracked on a false legal claim just 27 minutes after a homeowner left a public Google review detailing their heavy-handed tactics. For several years, the woman (u/My_Three_Plus_Me) had assisted her 84-year-old neighbor by being a representative for obtaining HOA records and handling community matters. But after this legal firm took over, they cited a bizarre rule that barred the woman from assisting the elderly neighbor. But soon, public pressure forced them to backpedal because they were failing to follow basic legal requirements. Her October 3, 2026, Reddit post has tallied 2,100 upvotes.
HOA Uses False Legal Theory to Restrict Me from Helping 84yo Neighbor.. I won 😌
by u/My_Three_Plus_Me in fuckHOA
Representing an elderly woman
The woman's 84-year-old neighbor had been residing in the community for the past four decades. She wanted to raise her voice in the community without having to do anything with the HOA. For the past couple of years, that’s what the woman had been trying to do for her neighbor, being a representative in writing. This is explicitly permitted under Arizona Condominium Act ARS § 33-1258, which she cited. “An owner within the HOA is able to put in writing a designated representative for them to, one, attend meetings and two, obtain records on their behalf,” the woman explained. For several years, she would meet before the meetings, lay out agendas, and voice her concerns on her behalf.
When law becomes illegal
But ever since a legal firm took over, they issued a formal opinion that the elderly woman needed to have a power of attorney if she wanted to have a representative or obtain any association records. “Their contract screamed private equity to me,” the woman described, and added, "Cookiecutter contract. They nickle & dime for everything. Super convoluted. Seemed like it was formatted for confusion rather than clarity. Gave wild amounts of power, some that many boards don't even have, to the management company.”
In such a scenario, the woman did a basic Google search and got the contact of the founder of Associa, a property management firm. Despite reviewing the case, they told her they were upholding the legal firm’s restrictive opinion. Frustrated by the stonewalling, she directed her attention directly at the law firm.
Dismantling the deceptive web of law
After her phone calls and voicemails were ignored, the woman published a detailed Google review detailing the law firm's inaccurate legal positioning and how it was trying to sabotage a vulnerable 84-year-old senior. The response to public pressure was immediate. Exactly 27 minutes later, the property management company frantically informed her that the law firm’s opinion had been retracted and admitted that it was inaccurate. Meanwhile, the homeowner was restored to being the elderly neighbor’s helper.
HOA enforcement
HOA enforcement affects a sizable share of American homeowners. According to Fixmyhoaviolation.com, over 370,000 HOA communities operate across the United States, dictating the housing rules for 77.1 million Americans, roughly 30% of all households. Additionally, a 2023–2024 Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies survey found 58.7% of 1,502 respondents reported concerns about improper or inconsistent covenant enforcement.
'Used AI to draft the legal opinion'
Viewers applauded the way the woman approached the matter and raised concerns about the illegality of law firms. u/Lizzyote commented, "It's crazy how many people in positions of authority think that people can't know their rights. Tbf, they think that because so many folks will just take them at their word.” u/pdxwestside said, “Looks like that law used AI to draft the legal opinion. And couldn’t stand by it when they actually looked at the status.”
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