Article
Courtesy of The Daily Business Review By Laura
Manning-Hudson Published
September 1, 2019
Disputes over property improvements made by owners
of single-family homes in communities governed by homeowner’s associations are
somewhat common. In fact, architectural review/control committees are among the
most frequently utilized committees in many HOAs, as they are charged with
reviewing and approving all types of exterior improvements independently of the
board of directors.
However, despite such matters being standard operating procedure in most HOAs, a
dispute over the installation of a backyard playset, spa pool, barbecue and
other amenities in a Georgia community has escalated into a federal lawsuit
alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act due to discriminatory housing
practices.
As was chronicled in a recent article in the Gainesville Times newspaper, Martin
Moreira and his wife Zulema filed suit against the Pointe West Homeowner’s
Association after their plans for a backyard makeover were nixed by the
association. They filed the discrimination complaint in federal court in April
after the HOA had issued fines and placed a lien against their home in the
community located in Oakwood, in northern Georgia.
The dispute arose in the spring 2017 when the Moreiras submitted plans to the
HOA to install a play area for their grandchildren as well as a barbecue, spa
pool, fireplace, gazebo and other amenities in their backyard. The architectural
control committee for the association rejected the project and requested
additional information on several items for continued consideration.
The committee continued to reject the project after the supplemental information
was submitted, but the complaint alleges that its members then went further than
ever before. It states: “In deviation from established practice, ACC members
went to the Hall County Building Department and demanded all information
regarding Moreira’s application. Hall County Building Department staff later
confided with Moreira’s architect, Jack Bailey, that ACC members were looking
for something to kill the project.”
The suit also claims: “Similarly situated backyard projects of other homeowners
(of different race and national origin) were treated differently and approved
because of intentional discrimination based on different race and national
origin.
“For example, the ACC required an engineer stamp on-site plans submitted by
Moreira and refused to review the application without the stamp. Moreira
objected stating that no such stamp requirement exists in the covenants or
rules.
“As another example, Moreira has identified seven properties inside the Pointe
West subdivision where retaining walls had been built in the same relative
location with respect to the property lines that were approved while Moreira’s
similar project was not approved. Moreira has also identified three other
properties in the subdivision where similar play structures were actually
visible from the street and not landscaped as the ACC required of Moreira.
“Moreira’s play ground project will not be visible from the street. His
immediate neighbors on either side have agreed that the project can be built in
the intended location. Both neighbors are in favor of the project design. The
neighbor impacted by the proposed retaining wall on the property line has also
expressed his approval.”
The lawsuit continues to allege that a member of the committee became
belligerent toward Moreira:
“… On March 16, 2017, Moreira attended an in-person meeting with [ACC member]
Robocinski and the president of the Pointe West Homeowner’s Association, Mason
Karimzedah. At that meeting, Robocinski, became loud and demonstrated a
demeaning and hostile attitude toward Moreira because of his race, national
origin and/or religion.
“The tone of the meeting became so toxic that Moreira asked to be excused and
left the meeting due to this discriminatory treatment. The next day Mrs. Bruce,
who was not even at the meeting, called Moreira ‘presumptuous, narcissistic and
deeming [sic].’”
The complaint’s allegations conclude: “Moreira ultimately attended five meetings
regarding his project where he supplied drawings showing the retaining wall on
the property line. No objections were raised in those meetings to the location
of the retaining wall on the property line. Hall County Building Department
approved the project with the retaining wall on the property line, and his
adjoining neighbors also consented. Moreira spent thousands of dollars for
additional drawings and layouts premised on the location of the retaining wall.
“ … The HOA has aggressively opposed Moreira’s plans for improvements to his
Pointe West home. They have strictly applied and misapplied the architectural
guidelines and HOA rules to prevent Plaintiffs from completing their project,
while approving similarly situated projects.”
The suit claims that the Moreiras have spent more than $100,000 to date on the
equipment as well as architectural drawings and applications to meet the HOA’s
guidelines.
“I invested a great deal of money thinking there would not be any issue to build
a playground for my grandchildren. It is sitting in storage at the moment,”
Moreira states in the newspaper article, which includes a photo of the equipment
still in boxes and shipment wrapping in the couple’s garage.
The article also states: “Moreira and his wife said they have received explicit
and hostile phone calls late at night from HOA representatives since the dispute
began and plan to introduce phone records in court supporting this claim.”
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on protected
statuses, such as race, nation of origin and religion. The Moreiras are
Hispanic; he was born in Cuba and she in Argentina. If the allegations in their
lawsuit and the claim of hostile late-night calls hold up in court, the Pointe
West HOA could be forced to pay significant compensatory damages, as well as
punitive damages, in addition to legal costs, all of which will be borne by its
unit owners.
As with all matters involving homeowner requests seeking approval, associations
must always maintain uniformity and consistency in their actions and decisions.
They must apply the same standards used for similar requests and avoid any
impartial treatment or extra scrutiny. Needless to say, an association’s actions
must always be completely free of any nefarious or illegal discriminatory
practices.
By focusing solely on whether owners’ proposals meet all the applicable rules
and covenants, and consistently applying the same requirements and
considerations for all similar requests as equitably as possible, associations
can avoid the potential for a dispute that could lead to significant legal and
financial liabilities. |