Sick resident tried paying off his $877 HOA debt a little at a time, but they refused. Then they sold his $475K house for $8,172 — to themselves
Toby Newton and Sherri Patten are still fighting to get their house back
HOAs are supposed to help residents maintain their communities and help protect property values. However, the Superstition Community Association, an HOA in Mesa, Arizona, sued Toby Newton for falling behind on his bills and assessments. Newton owed them $877 and offered to pay it off little by little, but the HOA declined. Almost a year later, Newton received a letter that his house was going up for sale at the sheriff's sale, 12 News reported. When Newton found out who bought his four-bedroom $475,000 home, he was shocked. The video was shared on September 16, 2026, and it has since gotten 5,578 views, 294 likes, and 245 comments.
Auctioned away
Newton bought his East Mesa home in 2022. Unfortunately, he lost his job in 2024 and was diagnosed with diabetes, which put him behind on paying the HOA's $170 quarterly bills and assessments. Before the HOA filed for foreclosure, his fees and interest came to $977. Newton asked his HOA if he could add an extra $50 a month to catch up on the payments, but they declined. He negotiated for $133.70 and later increased it to $200 a month, but they kept rejecting his offer. By November 2025, they initiated a foreclosure, led by Augustus Shaw IV, the HOA's attorney. By July 2025, the Supreme Court of Arizona made the foreclosure official, as per Realtor.com. 12 News also reported that the HOA asked for $4,000 at the time.
Chance to reclaim his home
By October 2025, Newton's home was sold through auction at just $8,172 to the Superstition Springs Community Master Association. By that time, Newton's debt had increased to $6,579. Newton told the news outlet, "I'm still in shock over it. And I'm getting people saying that they have my deed now, and I'm like, 'I don't know how this could happen over $977 that I owed the HOA.'"
He was given a chance to reclaim it on one condition: he had to pay the entire debt within six months. Unfortunately, Sherri Platten, his long-term partner, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo treatment. They missed the six-month window, and the HOA gave them another chance to pay it by May 15, 2026. However, the debt had increased to $10,484.
'Let us pay the original fee'
Newton attended an HOA meeting in September and was convinced that Shaw was using his situation to make money. He said, "This guy is going up to other HOAs and doing the same thing. I don't wanna give that attorney a red cent. It's not my bill. It's theirs. They pushed me onto him." Newton and Patten are still living in their East Mesa home, but they set up a GoFundMe account and managed to raise $22,145 so far. Sherri pleaded with the HOA, saying, "Just give us our house back and put everything back to the original that we owe you. We'll pay you what we owe you and move on. And leave us alone."
HOAs taking away homes
A large number of homeowners are losing their homes due to HOA foreclosures. A report from Attom, cited by The Wall Street Journal, revealed that 6,376 properties were foreclosed due to HOA filings. This number reflected only the first quarter of 2026, which was a 40% increase from the previous two years. Brian Fox, the co-founder of Benutech, said, "HOAs are being forced into more aggressive collections to avoid their own financial collapse." Sadly, Newton and Patten were also the victims of an HOA. But they're not giving up. They are still fighting to get their home back.
Mafia HOA
Netizens were furious with the HOA in the comment section. They called them "heartless" for taking away a man's home from under him while he was struggling to pay his and his partner's medical bills. @ghouleymule wrote, "What a bunch of corrupt weasels." @Cucumberflavoredmustard pointed out, "If that house sold for $8k to the HOA at an 'auction,' that auction is crooked as a dog's back leg."
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