Posted on 09/15/2026 4:37:09 PM PDT by Libloather
An Arizona man lost the home he bought for nearly half a million dollars after falling just $977 behind on homeowners association fees — with the property ultimately selling back to the HOA for a mere $8,172.
Toby Newton purchased the four-bedroom Mesa home for $475,000 in 2022, but ran into financial trouble two years later after losing his job and being diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Mesa Tribune.
Newton fell behind on his quarterly HOA assessments, which were around $170, eventually owing $977 in fees and interest.
“I bought the house and then I got sick,” Newton told the outlet. “I got diabetes and I was out of work.”
Newton said he contacted the Superstition Springs Community Master Association in an attempt to work out a payment plan.
He initially offered to pay $50 per month toward his debt while keeping up with his regular assessments. After that was rejected, he increased his proposed payments — eventually offering $200 a month — but said the HOA rejected those offers as well.
By November 2024, the association had initiated foreclosure proceedings.
As the case dragged on, the relatively modest HOA debt ballooned.
Court filings showed that by July 2025, Newton owed $1,311 in missed assessments and late charges, along with $1,042.09 in plaintiff’s fees and $3,345 in attorney fees.
The home was ultimately sold at public auction in October 2025 to the Superstition Springs Community Master Association for just $8,172. Newton’s total debt stood at $6,579 by then.
The case unfolded as Arizona lawmakers moved to give homeowners greater protections against HOA foreclosures.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Some connected person bought it with the intent of selling it for a huge profit. That was probably in the mix from the beginning. We’ll take his property and then sell it for big bucks. Somebody is getting rich or the HOA is using the money to pay for the new swimming pool.
“Yes they do with the guise of maintaining property values.”
I live in a modest neighborhood in a Cleveland suburb. I also happen to be our HOA Treasurer. We have 2 retention basins in the neighborhood and some signs and entrances that we maintain. Fees are $100 per year, and have only been raised a couple of times in 25 years.
Foreclosure over that trifling amount is criminal!
Hate HOA would never buy in a development that has one.
“Most HOAs allow payment by credit card. “
My HOA only accepts checks mailed to their lockbox.
This is the sort of thing where the HOA aggressor ends up meeting the wrong end of a revolver.
Thanks.
I don’t think we’re being told the whole story ... only time will tell ...
All are things being equal. I would’ve been more than happy to give him $977.
Guy must have really annoyed his neighbors too.
This kind of &@/( is how “penny auctions” in the depression got rolling.
Unless he was the sort of guy who everyone was dying to get out of there someone coulda bid a buck more or “encouraged” the HOA peeps to settle.
Or these days going over the top hideous and then setting up a gunner donation acct seems to be the new way to fast money.
Thank you autocorrect. “Go Fund Me” was intended there.
“Well, if it sold for $8,000 - it wasn’t a $450,000 house”
my guest is there was a mortgage. Otherwise it makes no sense, unless the unit was used as a crack den and needed 440,000 of reparis.
SOme lady called me one day and told me she wanted to start a HOA in our neighborhood. She wanted me to be on the board.
When I gave her an unequivocal NO, she started yelling at me.
I think it was because everyone she called had the same answer.
A 450K home For $8,172.? Public auction my butt.! The man was robbed.
It wouldn’t be my house that burned.
exactly.
this low life was almost certainly buying $10 coffees and new Iphones.
he deserves to lose his home.
It comes from apathy - as HOAs are replaced or “evolve” they can modify the Declaration of Condos and By Laws and far too many owners just send in blank proxies so the HOA gets to vote its insane rules into effect.
So, the HOA president should be exterminated
I don’t understand how you “start an HOA in the neighborhood.” My understanding is that the HOA is established before the neighborhood is even built, and is written into the titles of each property in the subdivision process.
That was part of my objection. The other part is that I completely disagree with the entire concept. Part three is I’m not a communist.
“People sign papers to have this nonsense, no?”
I would be surprised if this was the case. When I lived in a HOA community, the only “punishment” for failure to pay was that you were barred from the swim/tennis amenities until you paid. If someone managed to take my house over a debt I was trying to pay, but was struggling, let’s just say I wouldn’t take it lightly.
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