Homeowners’ Associations are like work unions, but for folks who live in the same neighborhood. As such, they’ve done a lot of good standing up for residents’ rights. But like any organization, they can attract people with problems who are just seeking a power trip. One driver took to Reddit to share a wild story about an HOA that wasn’t willing to budge—and towed her car daily. Despite her having paid for a parking permit.

An HOA tows one girl’s car every morning, at 2 AM

Taylor said she came home to Fort Lauderdale after her semester let out. Her mom’s property manager’s office was closed. But she still paid for a parking permit online and registered her vehicle. She was worried about not having a physical permit, but was reassured. “Our property manager simply said that ‘they will know not to tow your car.’” So Taylor taped the paper permit in her window and trusted the system.

At 2 AM, Taylor’s mom woke to the car being towed. She explained to the tow truck driver there had been a mistake. But the driver wasn’t willing to listen. He demanded a $60 fee to unhook the vehicle. The woman paid, and the driver left the car alone.

The mom must have thought the parking permit just hadn’t gotten into the system. So she waited. But the next night, at exactly 2 AM, the tow truck driver came back. And again, the driver demanded $60 from Taylor’s mom to leave the car alone.

The HOA head towed one resident’s car five times

And that wasn’t the last time. The driver came back again. And again. By the fifth time, all the commotion woke Taylor up and she confronted the driver herself. She wrote on Reddit, “He says although the decal is official, the head of my HOA who lives in my neighborhood keeps reporting my car to get it towed.” And the driver wasn’t budging. “Once he gets the order I have to pay him to get my car back.”

Taylor begrudgingly paid the tow truck driver once more. At that point, she realized she and her mom had handed the jerk $300 in five nights. They were understandably upset. So Taylor went to confront the head of her HOA. Repeatedly. But she wrote he “conveniently doesn’t answer his door when I knock.”

After Taylor explained her story on Reddit, she received the good advice to take the issue to her property manager. She had, after all, paid them for a valid parking permit. She later explained, “Talked to the property manager and they said they rescinded my permit. I asked them why and they said that they aren’t doing those anymore.”

At best, this kind of mismanagement is sloppy. At worst, it’s actually nefarious. Taylor said of the HOA head, “As much as I hate to be this person, I am the only Black person in my community and he has made it clear that he doesn’t like my family living there.”

Reddit commenters band together to help Taylor out

The most upvoted comment put the blame squarely on the property manager: “They can’t rescind something you paid for without returning your payment.” Someone else agreed: “You’ve got a permit until July 1, you paid for that, and the company/HOA agreed to it… They’re free to negotiate a deal with you (i.e. cancel parking privileges in exchange for a refund), you’re free to tell them to pound sand, but they’re absolutely not free to just rescind it without notice and start towing you.”

Another commenter felt the blame extended beyond the property manager. “The HOA MUST and in writing authorize the tow of a vehicle parked on the property without permission if a sign is posted. The authorization must be made in writing. If the tow truck driver doesn’t have this on him when the car is hooked up, it is theft.” This commenter suggested calling the police and pressing charges against the individual tow truck driver—for every single instance. “Make sure he understands he is stealing the vehicle under the excuse the HOA wants it.”

Finally, the same commenter said to take the issue to the HOA’s board. And not to let them escape liability. Say: “If the head of the HOA is going to continue with his harassing or retaliatory behaviors, the HOA will be liable as he is acting as and for the HOA.” A third commenter directed Taylor to cite the Fair Housing Act (FHA), suggesting she’s being discriminated against. That’s some serious self-advocacy. You can see the original post embedded below:

Neighbor reports my car to be towed every day despite having a permit.
byu/Taylorgbb0 inlegaladvice

Taylor’s final update said, “Thank you everyone! I honestly could not have expected to get this much help! As of what happens next, we plan on taking legal action.”