A Knoxville homeowner received a notice of lien for their property. However, they claim the homeowners association did not communicate with them before placing the lien.
Lien on Knoxville Homeowner’s Property
Sharon Hartless is a homeowner and real estate investor in Knoxville and Florida. She is familiar with HOA rules, which aim to preserve property values and curb appeal. In 1999, she and her husband bought a property in the Gallaher Station neighborhood. After living there for five years, they moved to a different home. Ever since then, they have leased their home. A medical doctor currently resides there.
According to Hartless, they knew about the HOA when they bought the property. They paid $55 per year in HOA dues because there was only an entrance to the neighborhood, no clubhouse or pool. She sent payments automatically yearly from her bank to the HOA president’s account until six years ago.
The president told Hartless they were moving and the HOA would be dissolved in 2018. No volunteers were willing to serve. In 2019 and 2020, the HOA was dissolved. However, she did not receive any notification that the HOA was reinstated. On May 29, 2024, she received an invoice from her tenant for $1,000. The HOA placed a lien on her property for non-payment of fees.
According to the invoice, two liens were placed on the property for $1,003. The real amount was $355, but she owed back over $1,000 in dues because of attorney’s fees. She wrote a check for $1,003 to remove the lien. The invoice also came with a letter from the association president indicating that she was severely delinquent in HOA dues. However, Hartless states she has not received any communication from the HOA from 2018 until 2024.
HOA Communication
According to the HOA’s lawyer, they sent the original Notice of Lien in 2018 to the Knoxville homeowner’s address in the Gallaher Station subdivision. The HOA claims to have sent it to her tenant. However, her tenant states that no notices were sent to the house. Otherwise, the tenant would have sent the letter like he did on May 29.
If there have been HOA dues since 2018, Hartless wonders why she was not sent notices of HOA meetings or minutes when late fees were discussed. She wants to see all the election ballots and minutes and determine when the HOA was reinstated. Hartless requested to see all the minutes of meetings from 2018 to 2024 but has not received them yet.
According to the Tennessee Condominium Act, associations must hold meetings once a year and send notice electronically or by mail. Hartless says she’s had the same phone number and has lived there for 20 years. She also has kept the same email for 30 years.
Meanwhile, other residents have also received late fee notices. Twenty-six other homeowners had liens placed on their homes. The Knoxville homeowner says it is an unfair abuse of power and hopes the HOA will improve communication with members to prevent unnecessary liens.
