Someone who admitted to being a “pretty petty” person shared their ultimate petty moment on Reddit’s Petty Revenge forum when they explained how they got back at an annoying neighbor.
The poster (OP) explained that they bought a condo a couple of years ago with an HOA that is paid every month.
Despite the monthly fees, the building has rapidly deteriorated to the point the OP has hired an attorney to address the issues, including broken AC units and elevators and a constantly empty pool.
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The OP Took The HOA to A Small Claims Court
The OP revealed that he took the HOA to a small claims court a year ago as they did not provide evidence of how the money residents were paying was being spent.
He won the case as being open about spending is a legal requirement and was awarded a $30 filing fee plus the $1, which was symbolic rather than an achievement financially.
The OP believed that residents should have access to documents and there may have been criminal activity. He wants the HOA to pass the $31, and the president has said that they should meet at a private space so he can hand it over. The other option he was given was to sign a Satisfaction of Judgement and mail it to him. Then, he would send the money. The OP declined both.
The HOA Upped Their Fees After a Win
The OP then tells readers that three days after the case win, the HOA informed residents that they would need to pay $1000 each for a special assessment and an increase of $10 on their monthly fees.
He goes into detail explaining that “ a membership vote gets triggered if you charge a special assessment that brings the building more than 5% its yearly income, which means 51% of the owners must approve of the assessment for it to take effect”.
The HOA president explained that the changes were being made under an emergency clause, so they were permitted. The emergency they referred to was the broken elevator that had been broken for over a year and not for an issue an emergency fund is required, such as a flood.
A Lien Was To Be Put on Units
After pushback from residents, the HOA declared that a lien would be put on each unit for anyone who did not pay the $1000. The OP said they paid theirs, but other retired or low-income residents could not.
The OP goes on to reveal that the president of the HOA owns a home that is currently up for sale for $20 million and that he has just got back from court after filing a $31 lien against the house so that the trial cannot change hands until he receives the money.
Reddit readers responded to the post, saying they admired his pettiness. One person said, “$31 lien on a $20M mansion? Man, that’s the essence of petty, and I’m here for it!” Another said,” Omg, this is gold.”
Other readers warned of the inevitable comeback, with one person saying, “Now just be prepared to file to foreclose on the lien. And recover filing/attorneys fees, of course.”. Another there is a dampener on the post saying, “This won’t get you much satisfaction. When the house sells, the closing attorney will go to the clerk of court with a check, and the Lien will be satisfied. The clerk will mail you the $. It won’t be an inconvenience and won’t bring any embarrassment to the seller.”
Source: Reddit