Mary had no prior experience living in an HOA, but that didn't mean that the board was willing to be lenient on fines. Before she was even done moving in to her new house, she was fined for where she parked the moving van on her property!
She thought that the fine was ridiculous and told the HOA president as much during their first meeting, but he still wouldn't budge. Instead, he included a late fee on top of the original fine! Mary knew that she needed to show this man that she wouldn't just accept his inane rules, even if it took her years to finally get justice.
Mary Had Just Moved to a New Town
Mary had just moved to a new town called Arcadia, Connecticut. For the first time in her entire life, she had to obey the local rules created by a Home Owner’s Association, otherwise known as an HOA. She thought the rules were pretty confusing but knew she needed to obey them.
She Worked on Learning the Rules
Mary started reading the long and complicated list of HOA rules, determined to learn them all and abide by her new community’s rules. There were so many rules that committing them all to memory wasn’t easy. Even other Arcadia residents thought all the HOA rules were a bit much.
Her Grand Piano
Mary had settled into her new home but still had not yet moved one special item into it: a grand piano. Mary wasn’t a professional musician but she had loved playing the piano ever since she was a kid. Her grandmother had left her a grand piano some years ago. Now Mary was finally going to acquire it.
She Rented a Truck
In order to move the grand piano, Mary had to rent a moving truck. She rented it for only a couple hours, in order to save money. So she was hoping to transport the piano, load it into her new house, and quickly return the truck so as not to be hit with any late fees.
Everything Went Well
The morning Mary picked up the truck, everything was going well. She was making great time. Her brother and his friend helped her load the piano into the truck. She raced off to her now home in Arcadia but there was an accident on the highway. She got stuck in traffic for nearly 45 minutes.
She Was Running Late
Because she was running late now due to traffic, she rushed to Arcadia and parked the truck outside her home. She and her helpers unloaded the piano as fast they could. She only had a few minutes left to return the truck to the rental agency. She couldn’t afford to pay the late fees.
She Races To Make It in Time
She drove as fast as she could to return the moving truck but was still 20 minutes late. Thankfully, the manager of the moving company took pity on her and let her off the hook. She didn’t have to pay any late fees. She was incredibly grateful for his kindness.
Money Was Tight
Mary had been struggling financially thanks to her recent move to Arcadia. Ever since her husband unexpectedly passed away a year ago, she was raising her son on a single income. It was certainly a difficult position to be in but she worked as hard as she could to make ends meet.
A Tragic Event
When her husband passed away, Mary had relied on the support of her family to get her through such a difficult period. But at a certain point, she knew she had to stand on her own two feet again. Moving to Arcadia was her way of starting a new life as a single mom. The local school district was supposed to be excellent. She thought she and her son could be happy in Arcadia.
She Arrives Home to Find a Surprise
When Mary arrived home after dropping off the rental truck, she found a surprise waiting for her at her front door: a letter. Inside the envelope was a paper declaring that Mary owed $200 to the Home Owner’s Association. She was shocked. What on earth did she owe money for?
She’s Appalled
As she reviewed the letter more closely, she realized she had been fined for parking the moving truck in the wrong spot. Of course, she’d only had the truck there for a short time while the piano was being unloaded. And she knew for sure that the truck was not blocking any traffic or driveways.
She Gets Angry
Considering she was new to the neighborhood, it seemed absurd that she should receive such a severe fine for a minor infraction. But more than just being annoying, this fine was a serious blow to her budget. She had spent virtually all the money she had in the world moving to Arcadia.
She Decides To Do Something
For Mary, $200 made a big difference. And she wasn’t prepared to pay the fine without a fight. A warning would’ve made sense but a large fine for a first time infraction? It just didn’t seem right. So she decided to talk to the HOA President to see if they could figure something out.
The HOA President
Mary believed that if she could just talk to the HOA President, he would see her point of view. Perhaps she’d been fined by someone who didn’t realize she was new to the neighborhood. In any case, she believed she could find a way to resolve this issue without breaking the bank.
She Schedules a Meeting
In between everything else going on in her life, Mary scheduled a time to meet with the HOA President. She was starting a new job and her son was starting school for the first time. Plus she was still unpacking all her belongings after the move. She was incredibly busy.
The Meeting
After a couple weeks, she finally met with the HOA President. The President seemed polite and kind, giving Mary even more hope that the fine could be waived. After exchanging some small talk with the President, Mary pleaded her case. She explained that she’d just moved her and that this was her first infraction.
The President Didn’t Seem to Care
The HOA President didn’t seem to care much about Mary’s situation. He said that rules are rules. If he makes exceptions for some people, he’ll have to make exceptions for many people. And if exceptions keep being made, then the rules cease to exist. Mary decided to tug at the President’s heartstrings a bit.
Mary Explains Her Situation
Mary then told the President about how she was on a tight budget at the moment. She explained that she had spent virtually all the money she had in the world in order to move to Arcadia. She said she’d just started a new job and hadn’t even received her first paycheck yet.
It Didn’t Work
But no matter how much Mary explained that the $200 fine was a serious setback for her, the HOA President didn’t budge or seem even sympathetic. He simply restated what he’d said before: if he made one exception, he’d have to make lots of exceptions. Mary couldn’t believe how stubborn this man was.
There Was No Convincing Him
As much as Mary tried, there was nothing she could say that would convince the HOA President to do anything. He wouldn’t eliminate the fine, reduce the fine, or even allow Mary to find some other way to pay it off. She owed $200 and that was that. Mary thought the whole thing was ridiculous and wondered if moving to Arcadia had been the right choice after all.
Mary is Laid Off
Not long after her meeting with the HOA President, Mary was hit with another devastating event. Although she’d just been hired for a new job, she found out the company she worked for was purchased by another company and would soon be laying off much of its staff. Mary couldn’t believe it.
Her Financial Struggles Get Worse
With the news that she would be laid off, Mary went into full-on panic mode. How would she pay her bills? She had a mortgage and a kid to take care of. Without steady income, she wasn’t sure if she could make ends meet. And to add insult to injury, she still owed $200 to the HOA President.
She Makes One Last Attempt
Mary decided to make one last attempt at reasoning with the HOA President. At the very least, she thought she might be able to get an extension on the payment so that she could pay it after she found a new job. But the HOA President still wouldn’t budge. Mary was furious.
She Desperately Searches for a Job
Mary dedicated herself to finding a new job. She took on part-time work at the local grocery story to at least start bringing in some income. Her background was in accounting so she searched high and low for an accounting job. But months went by without any luck. She couldn’t even think about paying the $200 even though it was now overdue.
She Finally Lucks Out
Finally, after months of searching, Mary lucked out and saw an ad for an accounting job. Not only was it a job in her field but it was actually a great opportunity. She met with the hiring manager and made what she thought was a strong case for her employment. It wasn’t long before she got notified that she’d been hired.
Mary is Thrilled
Mary was thrilled. Although being laid off was awful, she ended up with an even better job than the one she had before. She thought that finally her luck had changed and life was headed down the right path once again. Then she received a letter that ruined her good mood.
An Angry Letter
The same day she got her new job, she received an angry letter from the HOA President not only scolding Mary for being late paying her $200 fine but also adding an additional $50 onto the fee as punishment for her lateness. Mary was furious. Her part-time job paid some bills but barely covered her usual expenses. So she had to resort to desperate measures to pay this fine...
She’s Forced to Borrow the Money
Her first paycheck from her new job was still weeks away so she was forced to borrow the $250 from a friend. She felt awful borrowing money like that from a good friend but she was desperate and her friend knew she’d be paid back. With the $250 in hand, Mary marched over to the HOA President’s house.
She Pays Off The Fine
Mary rang the doorbell of the HOA President’s home. The President answered. She angrily slammed the $250 into his hand. “Here’s your ridiculous fine,” she said. Then she stormed off. Mary was usually a pretty even-tempered person but this pesky fine, which she felt was ridiculous in the first place, had driven her nuts.
She Thrives At Her New Job
As time went by, Mary began her new accounting job and thrived. Finally paychecks started coming in that allowed her to pay off her outstanding bills. She was doing okay financially for the first time in a long time. Not only that, but she loved her new company and co-workers.
She’s Promoted
After a year went by, Mary was promoted when her supervisor retired. Her salary was increased substantially. She’d never earned this much money before. She even began thinking about moving into a larger home, mostly because of a new change in her personal life.
Mary Meets Someone New
It had been over two years since Mary’s husband had unexpectedly passed away. For the first time, she finally felt like she might be open to meeting someone new. And then it happened. At a work function, she happened to strike up a conversation with someone she really liked. It wasn’t long before the two were dating.
A Special Person
Mary’s new boyfriend was in a similar situation as her. He was a single father with two girls. The more they dated, the more their kids began spending time together. Their kids really seemed to enjoy each other’s company. And Mary and her boyfriend were growing closer and closer.
He Pops the Question
After a year of dating, Mary’s boyfriend popped the question. Of course she said yes. They were both thrilled. For a while, Mary had wondered if her life would ever get back on track. It had taken a few years but finally she felt like she was thriving and happy once again. But this joy wouldn't last long.
They Made Plans
The biggest issue facing the newly engaged couple was what to do about their living situation. Neither Mary nor her new fiancé had homes big enough to fit all three of their kids. They knew that they would need to both move into a bigger home together. So they started house hunting.
Looking For a New House
As Mary and her fiancé began house hunting, they quickly realized the real estate market was very competitive. Most of the houses they looked at went off the market within weeks, if not days. It seemed like every house they wanted to look at was sold before they even had a chance to schedule a viewing appointment.
Mary’s Fiancé Finds the Perfect House
One day, Mary’s fiancé announced he’d found the perfect house. And it was in Mary’s community. She was delighted. But her heart sank when she saw the listing. It was her HOA President’s house. There’s no way we’ll get that house, she told her fiancé. “The HOA President hates my guts.”
Her Fiancé Has an Idea
Mary’s fiancé had an idea. He thought they should go look at the house anyway. It had been a long time since the whole truck parking fine. Maybe the President didn’t know or care about the incident anymore. Maybe he’d let bygones be bygones. Mary doubted it but was willing to look at the house, just in case.
They Try to Tour the House
Mary and her fiancé showed up for their scheduled appointment. As soon as the HOA President opened the door, he saw Mary standing there. “Absolutely not,” he declared, and shut the door in her face. Even Mary was a little surprised at how angry the President had been to see her at his doorstep.
Mary’s Fiancé Develops a New Plan
Mary’s fiancé had a bit of a harebrained scheme. He didn’t think the HOA President had even looked at him when he slammed the door in Mary’s face. So he wondered if maybe he scheduled an appointment to view the home by himself, he could get inside. Mary didn’t think this plan would work but told her fiancé to give it a shot.
The Fiancé Succeeds
The fiancé succeeded in scheduling an appointment. Not only did the HOA President not recognize him, but he was very kind and seemed to want him to make an offer on the house. The fiancé took videos of the entire home to show Mary later that day.
Mary Looks at the Videos
Mary watched all the videos her fiancé had taken of his house tour. The house was perfect. It had the perfect amount of space and rooms so that everyone could be comfortable. And best of all, it was right in the middle of their price range. There was no doubt about it, the house was perfect.
They Made An Offer
Mary’s fiancé figured that if the HOA President knew that Mary would live in his house, he’d never sell it. So Mary’s fiancé had all the paperwork done up in his name. He made a competitive offer above the asking price. The HOA President didn’t suspect a thing and agreed to sell his house to Mary’s fiancé.
Mary Is Elated
Mary was elated at the news. The home was perfect. The price was fair. The house was in a neighborhood she already knew and loved. And she’d be lying if she said there wasn’t something appealing about buying the HOA President’s house. It seemed like the perfect little act of revenge after he’d been so unforgiving about the truck fine years ago.
Mary Had Come So Far
As Mary’s fiancé finished all the paperwork, Mary couldn’t help but think of how far she’d come in life. She’d moved to Arcadia as a single mom who soon lost her new job. She didn’t know how or if she’d ever get back on her feet. Now she was thriving at work and engaged to a man she adored. She thanked God for giving her this second chance at life.
They Schedule a Move-In Date
After all the paperwork was finalized, Mary and her fiancé scheduled their move-in date. The HOA President was apparently leaving Arcadia and retiring to Florida. So he would probably never know that it was Mary who was moving into his old house. To be honest, she was a little disappointed by that.
She Wanted Revenge
Mary had to be honest with herself: she wanted revenge. So she strolled over to the HOA President’s house one evening with a secret scheme in mind. Was it a little bit petty? Sure, it was. But Mary wanted her small act of revenge against someone who had kicked her while she was down years ago.
She Comes by the House
She came by the HOA President’s house one night with some measuring tape in her hand. The HOA President answered the door. He looked shocked and annoyed to see Mary standing on his doorstep. “What do you want?” he barked at her. She held up the measuring tape. “I was wondering if I could measure the drapes so I can have them replaced once I move in,” she said with a wicked smile.
The HOA President is Flabbergasted
“What on earth are you talking about?” the HOA President replied, dumbfounded. “Oh, don’t you know? My fiancé is the one who bought your house. We’re moving in soon. I always did think your drapes were so ugly. But no worries, I’ll measure them later when the house is mine. Goodnight!” With that, Mary let out a laugh and sauntered back to her house.
The HOA President is Furious
As Mary sauntered away, she could hear the HOA President angrily yelling inside his house. She’d gotten her revenge. Was it petty? Sure. Did she need to rub it in like she did? Definitely not. But whenever she thought about that truck parking fine, it made her angry all over again. Now she’d gotten her small act of revenge and life was grander than her piano.
The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.