Homeowner joins HOA to expose HOA president for enforcing petty fines and pocketing them: '[He was] using the HOA as his personal piggy bank'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Dec 30, 2024 12:00 PM EST

Homeowner's associations and their boards can be annoying even when they're not embezzling funds and just being their regular old, nosey selves and strictly interpreting rules. You know what it's like when you live in these types of places… It's not like they have anything better to do with their time than wield their petty power with impunity.

When this homeowner, the friend of the poster of the original story, came up against the world's most shady and tyrannical HOA president, the homeowner knew that the president would need to be taken down from the inside. After joining the HOA board under false pretenses, he worked with the board member for two years before making moves against him. During an annual meeting in front of all of the neighborhood, the homeowner revealed all of the evidence he had against the board member, exposing him without a doubt in front of everyone.

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    Cheezburger Image 10448331008
    via Brock Wegner For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    The HOA President's Long Goodbye Posting on behalf of a friend who isn't on reddit. This is for you, Jake! When I moved into my suburban neighborhood, I expected peace and quiet. Instead, I walked into a petty dictatorship run by our HOA president, Todd. Todd was the worst kind of leader: the kind who loved power but hated accountability. He enforced ridiculous rules-like fining people $200 for leaving their trash cans out a minute past 9:00 AM-but blatantly ignored the rules when it suited him.
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    His own yard was a mess of unpermitted structures, and his fence was taller than allowed by city ordinances. But Todd's true sin? Using the HOA as his personal piggy bank.
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    At first, I tried reasoning with him. My fence was slightly off-color because the approved stain wasn't available, and he fined me $500. I explained, provided receipts, and asked for leniency. Todd smirked, said, "Rules are rules," and walked away. That's when I decided I would take him down ―not with screaming or public arguments, but methodically, legally, and in a way he'd never recover from.
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    Step One: Become the Inside Man Todd's first mistake was underestimating me. I volunteered for the HOA board under the guise of wanting to "get involved in the community." I played the part of the eager, naïve newbie perfectly. For two years, I attended every meeting, quietly observing how Todd operated. I learned he controlled the board by buying other members and burying them in paperwork. He'd push through votes when only his allies were present and conveniently "lose" paperwork submitted by
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    I kept my head down, took detailed notes, and waited. My goal was to outlast his term as president so I could begin making changes. Then I discovered Todd's second mistake: he wasn't just a bu y; he was a thief.
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    Step Two: Follow the Money Todd loved to brag about how he kept the HOA's finances in order. But something didn't add up. The annual HOA fees were high-much higher than in similar neighborhoods-but the common areas were falling apart. The pool was closed half the summer due to "maintenance issues," and the landscaping looked like it hadn't been touched in months.
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    I started digging. As the HOA treasurer, Todd had access to all the accounts, but he was notoriously cagey about sharing financial details. I asked for the budget during a meeting, and Todd laughed it off, saying, "Don't worry, I've got it under control." I filed a formal request for the financial records, which, under HOA rules, he was required to provide. Weeks went by with no response. That's when I started talking to neighbors.
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    Turns out, I wasn't the only one suspicious. Over a dozen homeowners had requested access to the budget over the years, only to be ignored. One neighbor claimed Todd had used HOA funds to install a new patio at his house, while another swore he'd seen Todd's kids at the community pool during its "maintenance closure." Armed with these suspicions, I filed a formal complaint with the HOA board, forcing Todd to provide the records. He stalled, but I wasn't backing down.
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    Step Three: Build the Case When Todd finally handed over the financial documents, they were a mess. Invoices were missing, payments were mislabeled, and some expenses were downright bizarre. A $15,000 "landscaping fee" paid to a company that didn't exist. Thousands spent on "administrative costs" with no explanation. I cross-referenced the HOA's bank statements with public records and found the smoking gn: Todd was funneling money to his personal accounts.
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    Even better, I discovered Todd had been inflating contractor fees, pocketing the difference, and splitting the profits with his buddy, a shady contractor who "handled" most of the HOA's maintenance. I compiled everything into a detailed report, complete with spreadsheets, photos, and notarized statements from neighbors who had seen Todd's antics firsthand.
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    Step Four: The Coup I waited for the annual HOA meeting, which was typically a snooze fest attended by only a handful of homeowners. But this time, I made sure people showed up. I spent weeks knocking on doors, explaining what Todd had been up to. I didn't share everything-just enough to get people angry and curious. On the night of the meeting, the room was packed.
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    Todd started the meeting like usual, droning on about how "difficult" it was to manage the HOA and how much he'd sacrificed for the community. That's when I stood up. I calmly asked if he could explain some discrepancies in the budget. Todd laughed nervously and said, "I don't think this is the time or place." I replied, "Actually, Todd, it's the perfect time."
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    I handed out copies of my report to everyone in the room. The mood shifted instantly. People started reading, whispering, and then shouting. Todd tried to regain control, but it was too late. I called for a vote to remove him as president. By the end of the night, Todd was out.
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    Step Five: The Final Blow After Todd was removed, we hired an independent auditor to go through the HOA's finances. They confirmed everything: Todd had embezzled over $50,000, mismanaged tens of thousands more, and committed multiple counts of fraud. We reported him to the police and filed a civil lawsuit to recover the stolen funds.
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    But it didn't end there. Todd's shady contractor buddy was also exposed and banned from doing business in the county. Todd had to sell his house to pay restitution and legal fees. His name became a running joke in the neighborhood, and no one would touch him professionally.
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    With Todd gone, we restructured the HOA to prevent another dictator from taking over. We implemented term limits, required multiple board members to approve financial decisions, and created an online portal so all homeowners could access budgets and meeting minutes.
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  • 18
    The Aftermath Every time I walk past Todd's old house, now owned by a lovely family, I smile. The pool is open, the landscaping is beautiful, and the HOA fees are lower than ever. Todd, meanwhile, moved to a neighboring town, where he reportedly tried to join another HOA board-only to be laughed out of the room when someone Googled his name. Justice wasn't just served; it was plated, garnished, and savored.
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    imsowhiteandne... • 5h ago • How did Todd end up avoiding prison? The fact that he was free to move to another community and tried to join another HOA board just screams of injustice.
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    Zakal74 • 5h ago Justice wasn't just served; it was plated, garnished, and savored. Wow, I gotta remember that line. Nicely done!
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    . Major-Check-19... 5h ago Good. The best revenge is turning out the opposite of those who performed the injury. I'm glad to hear that positive changes were made.
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    Re... • 5h ago 5h ago Edited 5h ago • This is as professional and well- executed as it gets, dude really deserved to be taken down hard Can't be president of the HOA if you lose your house, can you Todd?
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    SamsonAtReddit 5h ago . • I really REALLY hope this is true. Honestly. As someone who ran an Coop Board managing 350 units. Nothing was more exhausting for me than board members who did selfish things. Not theft but completely self serving decisions. It was so exhausting, I sold my unit and left. So I want to believe someone got this sort of revenge.
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    I want to say, we're not all bad on the board. I tried my best to make good decisions, out of hard, HARD choices. Do you fix the not to code elevators? Or fix the roofs. Eventually what happens is the best ppl to run such a large complex become exhausted and quit (like I did and several friends) and then the lunatics have full reign. Crazy (and/or selfish) ppl wear you out.
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    hit_that_hole_h... . 5h ago You're a lawyer, correct?
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    CinemaDork • 4h ago Two crazy points that stood out to me: • Todd saying "This isn't the time or place" when confronted about the shady financials. Isn't an HOA meeting the time and place for that, categorically?
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    • The fact that the criminal contractor didn't have his business dissolved for that. Like, it's insane that he can still do work anywhere outside the county. Some great justice system we have.
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    SuckAFattyRedd... • 5h ago. My friend is a super charming guy. He lived in a community that had an HOA. Charmed his way into becoming the president, basically gutted all the bulls rules and moved across the country all within two years. LL F HOAs.
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    HippoHeero 5h ago . I'm savoring so hard right now
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