A HOMEOWNER claims she’s been fined around $1,000 for visible trash cans and unpainted shutters in retaliation after she raised concerns about her homeowners association.

Nicole Reeves, 45, an educator from South Fulton, Georgia, in the outskirts of Atlanta, and her self-employed husband, Antwan, 48, live in a small community of 83 homes called Walton Hill.

Nicole Reeves claims her HOA is fining her $25 weekly after she raised concerns about the housing organizationCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Reeves and her husband, Antwan, own a home in the Walton Hill community in South Fulton, GeorgiaCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

The educator said the weekly fines have left her with bill of upwards of $1,000Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

The community is operated by an HOA which is controlled by a husband-and-wife team, Reeves said.

The educator began questioning the board’s practices and incurred fines and even hired a private detective in a bid to monitor the HOA, but it has only resulted in more fines of $25 a week for seemingly petty “infractions,” she claims.

Despite ongoing retaliation and unresolved fines, Reeves remains committed to fighting for homeowners’ rights and systemic change in Georgia.

“It feels like outside entities have more oversight over my home than I do,” she said.

“It makes you feel defeated.”

Reeves bought her $189,000 five-bedroom home in 2020.

She said she started to question the HOA managers after witnessing the alleged harassment of the previous HOA president in 2021 over her cars and plants.

“She had antique cars that were registered, but they told her she couldn’t have them in her driveway,” Reeves added.

“They even made her remove a flower pot from her yard, claiming it was a monument.”

Then Reeves became an advocate after speaking to a city council candidate who was experiencing similar issues with her own HOA.

Through this connection, Reeves began attending city council meetings and eventually Senate committee hearings focused on HOA reform.

“The state of Georgia started an HOA advisory board to make changes in how HOAs are governed,” Reeves said.

“That’s how I got started with this plight — trying to right the wrongs.”

Reeves began to create newsletters for her community to bring awareness, calling for greater oversight and accountability over spending and budgets, and claims this made her a target.

Last year, Reeves says she asked a nearby neighbor about their deck, suggesting it might not have a permit, so it would be subject to fines.

The neighbor allegedly said, “No one will bother me – I’m on the HOA board.”

WEEKLY FINES

However, Reeves began receiving fines of her own.

She received a warning for her deck, which said she didn’t have permits, and she viewed the move as retaliatory.

The HOA later dropped the fine, Reeves said.

Upon investigating city records, Reeves said she discovered the same neighbor also lacked permits for their construction project, which included a deck, fence, and wall, she claimed.

Additionally, she claimed another senior board member “had similar infractions” in their yard.

“But when I asked for fines to be issued to them as well, they couldn’t produce anything,” Reeves said.

Over the coming months, she racked up more fines – $25 a week for the shutters not being painted, another $25 a week for a grille in the driveway, and $25 a week for having a trash bin on the side of the house.

The financial burden grew heavier as Reeves’ fines accumulated to nearly $1,000.

FORECLOSURE FEARS

In Georgia, once fines reach $2,000, an HOA can place a lien on a homeowner’s property, which can begin foreclosure proceedings, and the threat looms over her head.

Reeves said her worries intensified when her community was converted from an HOA to a Property Owners Association (POA), which she claims grants even greater authority over residents’ properties.

This year, Reeves hired an attorney and a private investigator to force transparency regarding budgets and governance.

“When I started making inquiries about the budget,” Reeves said

“They sent me something they vaguely typed out themselves.”

The budget revealed charges such as $15,000 for lawn care in an area with minimal green space, and potential conflicts of interest involving payments to the HOA, Reeves claimed.

“We are not aware of vendors and who is being paid,” she said.

“The budget I saw had a very high lawn maintenance payment. But the HOA president’s husband is responsible for our lawn care.

Nicole Reeves said the fines have caused a financial burdenCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Reeves alleged she found a board member was using aliases and had past arrests for fraud.

She also claimed she found connections between the board members and companies specializing in foreclosure assistance – something she believes is a conflict of interest.

“They have a business that specializes in helping individuals whose homes are in foreclosure, which is a major red flag,” Reeves alleged.

Despite reaching out to senators, state representatives, and council members, Reeves found no agency willing to intervene.

“There needs to be state oversight that governs HOAs,” Reeves argued.

“If there were someone outside looking at them, they might be more responsible in how they govern and spend people’s money.”

Reeves has proposed creating an HOA database where boards must disclose their spending and financial practices — a measure she believes would prevent mismanagement and embezzlement.

She also called for stricter regulations requiring trained professionals like accountants to oversee budgets instead of untrained laypeople.

Reeves hopes Georgia lawmakers will take action to protect homeowners from abusive practices through stronger regulations and oversight mechanisms.

“We need systems where homeowners can voice concerns and have them investigated fairly,” she added.

The Walton Hill Board of Directors did not immediately respond to a request for comment.