When Your Homeowners Association Changes the Rules Mid-Game
All the research that I have done on Homeowners Associations state that HOAs tend to change the rules in the middle of the game. HOAs will make up new rules because they run unchecked. Look no further than the current state of affairs in U.S. politics to understand that rules are for poor people who lack power. The HOA is taking your money and they will use your money against you because they have been given the power to do so.
My roof remains tarped. My HOA story doesn’t even begin with my roof being tarped—that is merely the present situation as the HOA continues to fight me for this house. The HOA is desperate for money and/or is running a scheme in cahoots with law firms and the legal system to get homeowners out of their homes by piling on fees which lead to liens and foreclosures. This is where the research needs to be done.
This story is traumatizing as it is happening in real time. That is why it is taking me so long to tell the whole thing. I take breaks from writing and also break the story down into segments for my own sanity. I am not embarrassed by revealing these intimate details about my life. In fact, writing this is therapeutic and is cheaper than going to counseling without (or even with) insurance.
This is from an e-mail from my HOA dated October 5, 2025 (emphasis mine):
Hello,
In order to make any alteration to a home outside of an impending hurricane, the association’s governing documents require that an owner submit an ARC (Architectural Review Committee) application for approval. Since this tarp was installed well after the hurricane, during a period when no hurricane threat existed, it qualifies as an alteration to the exterior of the home and therefore requires ARC approval.
The ARC approval process ensures that the association is aware of any proposed changes, even temporary ones such as a tarp, so the modification can be monitored and properly documented. During an active hurricane threat, the State temporarily suspends certain requirements; however, when there is no impending storm, all association rules apply. In this case, no ARC application was received.
A violation letter was mailed, providing a deadline to bring the issue into compliance. Since no response was received and no one attended the committee meeting, the committee approved a fine for the unapproved tarp, which constitutes an unapproved alteration. Had you reached out or attended the meeting, we would have been able to work with you to resolve the matter.
The fine must be paid by the stated deadline to avoid the issue being forwarded to the association’s attorney for collection. Moving forward, to keep the tarp on the roof, you must submit an ARC application through the MGC portal for approval and provide proof of an active roof repair or replacement claim along with the expected date of completion.
Thanks,
Roger Kessler, LCAM
P.O. Box 2878
Riverview, FL 33568
Direct 813-413-1404
This is how my HOA changed the rules mid-game. When they initially contacted me via an e-mail that I didn’t not see on time and via U. S. mail at an address I do not reside (I live right here in the community), they told me that I had my tarp on since the hurricanes and that was too long. When I refuted that and said I could provide evidence (my tarp was installed in May of the following year), they then changed their position to what you see written above.
The HOA knows I do not have the money. We have already been to court on a separate issue. They placed a lien on my house and then proceeded to foreclose on it that same summer. Then, the roof stuff started that same summer after the foreclosure was halted through bankruptcy. They know exactly what they are doing. The game is rigged in their favor.
If you want to know more about this specific story, read the following posts on Florida Homeowners Association Terror: