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Jun 12, 2009 10:00 pm US/Central
DeSoto Family Loses Home Over Unpaid HOA Fees
DESOTO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
A DeSoto family is a battle with their home owners association.
They live in a home worth more than $150,000, but the family of five is about to be out on the streets over just $1,300.
It's happening in the Crystal Creek Neighborhood Association off Cockrell Hill Road and Beltline in DeSoto.
"I just can't believe that people could do this to you and take away my dream home," said Edith Moreno, foreclosed homeowner.
It began last year when Moreno protested her home owner's association by not paying dues. She also ignored warning letters that the 35-year-old didn't realize would lead to a sudden foreclosure over less than $1,300.
"I thought it was a joke," said Moreno. "I really didn't think they would take my house for a little over a thousand."
The sight of high grass, broken fences, and other neighborhood eyesores had Moreno and other residents of Crystal Creek wondering how the HOA was spending their money.
"There's a car that's up on jacks. The tags have been out for six years. These are all things that the homeowner's association was supposed to protect us against," said homeowner Scott Broussard.
Some of the homeowner's took their complaints to a meeting with their HOA board. A CBS 11 crew was ordered out of the meeting and blocked from viewing through a window.
One of the board members refused to answer questions. But attorneys who have represented both sides on HOA issues say withholding dues is a bad way for a homeowner to protest.
"That's not an acceptable excuse if they're not doing what they're supposed to do. The best thing you can do is get involved, get on the board and make sure they do what they're supposed to do," said Dallas attorney Robert Miller.
That's a lesson Moreno learned too late. She has 30 days to find a new home, but will leave a lot wiser when she moves in another neighborhood.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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