HOA president scared off a woman's tenant, then refused to let her sell her own home. That power trip backfired with a $33,000 bill

In early March, Elizabeth Luna got pulled into a battle she didn’t initiate. Luna, a resident of San Antonio, owned a rental unit in a community governed by the Homeowners Association (HOA). Instead of protecting her house, the HOA gave her a strategic push and initiated a spearhead battle. First, they frightened away her tenant and then blocked the sale of her own house. After three years of grappling with court hearings and the HOA’s despotic treatment, Luna finally won the lawsuit, while the HOA was forced to shell out $32,000 for this mistreatment, according to a September 18, 2026, report by KSAT. A clip shared by the same outlet on YouTube has gotten 162,000 views so far.

Inessential cold war

Luna owned a rental unit in the Oaks Northwest community, a development of just 11 townhomes near the San Antonio Medical Center. She earned passive income by renting the house on Airbnb to short-term residents and traveling professionals. When she had purchased the unit, it came with no renting restrictions whatsoever, according to the court records. But in March 2023, the HOA took the gloves off and launched a cold war against her, one which Luna believes was targeted. To begin with, HOA President Terri Thomure put a ban on short-term rentals in the area. He even held a special meeting to announce the ban.

At first, Luna tried to comply with the ban by securing a 12-month lease with a long-term tenant. But the HOA didn’t stop getting under her skin. Days later, Thomure approached the new tenant’s assistant in the parking lot without identifying herself. At one point, Thomure’s interrogation became so creepy that the tenant cancelled her lease and walked out of Luna’s house. Afterwards, even when Luna tried to sell her property, the HOA continued to get on her nerves. This time, they imposed a ban on the sale altogether, leaving Luna a helpless outside observer of her own property.

Justice prevailed

“What was going through my head when all of this was happening is the abuse of power of the homeowners association,” Luna shared with the outlet. “I’ve seen online and on the broadcast multiple stories about homeowners associations running amok — boards not following rules and harassing and making homeowners’ lives difficult.” At one point, she was so fed up with her back teeth that her only recourse was to seek legal help. In May 2024, she finally sold her rental unit and filed a lawsuit against the HOA in Bexar County’s 438th District Court.

Justice prevailed as Bexar County District Judge Monique Maz ruled in Luna’s favor. The HOA was ordered to pay a penalty of $10,743.39 in damages and $10,000 in attorney’s fees. Thomure was charged with $12,500 for tortious interference with Luna’s rental contract, totaling the fine to more than $32,000. All the amounts were paid, Luna confirmed.

Many are not as lucky

Thanks to the discriminatory judge, Luna was saved from further trouble. But similar episodes unfold every day in different parts of the country. According to the data shared by FixMyHOA, there are approximately 370,000 HOAs in the United States, with 77.1 million Americans living under their rules. Yet, only 5% of the HOA disputes end up in court. But nearly 80% of homeowners complained that the HOA directors tend to treat them unfairly and overstep their boundaries to the point of tyranny, per statistics by the Connecticut Condo Owners Coalition, cited by New England Condominium.

Made us smile

Viewers who watched Luna’s story were enraged by the tyrannical treatment of her HOA. @Milliale commented, “Some people can't even handle a teaspoon of power. Ridiculous. Glad the judge finally checked the HOA and the board president.” @ledwallet1944 reflected, “The real tragedy here is it took the courts and lawyers three years to settle this.” @mrchancebozey protested, “HOAs as they exist now need to be outlawed. They hold too much power and are too often subject to bad behavior by ever-changing board members. What works today will be exploited by some bad actor tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Luna believes her story is a wake-up call, both for powerless-feeling homeowners and dictatorial HOAs. “If you find that your board members are not following the rules, hold them accountable. Hold them to a higher standard,” Luna asserted. “Because often they abuse that power.”

More on Scoop Upworthy

HOA said a disabled woman's wheelchair ramp ruined the neighbourhood's 'aesthetic'. Her husband responded with a lawsuit

Entitled HOA president barged into a resident's home to continue an argument. They went to court instead — and made her fight to save $300,000

HOA dues jumped from $158 to $350 for a pool that was never built. Now residents are being asked for $1,250