§ 6824 Hoa Damage Repair Liens

• •If you or your guest damage shared areas (like a pool or park) in your neighborhood, the homeowners association (HOA) can make you pay for repairs. If you don’t pay, they can put a lien on your home and even force a sale to get the money—*but only if the HOA rules say they can do this*.
• •The HOA can’t use the same trick (like forcing a sale) for fines. If you break a rule (like not mowing your lawn), they can fine you, but they can’t turn that fine into a lien on your home.
• •Late fees for HOA payments are different—they *can* become a lien, but regular fines for breaking rules cannot.

You throw a big party at your house, and your friend crashes his car into the neighborhood’s shared fence. The HOA fixes the fence and sends you a bill for $2,000.

If you don’t pay the $2,000, the HOA can put a lien on your house and even force a sale to get the money back—*but only if their rules say they can do this for damages*. However, if the HOA fines you $500 for not taking out your trash on time, they can’t turn that fine into a lien or force a sale of your home.