A Texas homeowner is facing a significant financial burden after her fence was destroyed by a hurricane, and her homeowner association (HOA) refused to help with the replacement. Pauletta Aldridge, a Houston resident, has lived in her home for years, weathering powerful hurricanes like Ike and Harvey.
Each time, her HOA had stepped in to repair the fences surrounding her property, especially the one that divides her lawn from a public park that the neighborhood shares.
Aldridge always relied on the HOA for these repairs, knowing that the gate benefited the whole neighborhood. After the gates were damaged by past storms, the HOA quickly replaced them, understanding that the repairs were essential for everyone’s safety and convenience. Typically, it only took about 72 hours for the repairs to be completed.
However, when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas this past July, Aldridge’s gates were once again destroyed. This time, when she contacted her HOA for help, she was shocked to hear that they would no longer fund the repairs.
“They told me that they no longer want to have that expense,” Aldridge explained to CBS affiliate KHOU in September. “It’s your responsibility. We don’t want it. We won’t maintain it any longer.”
Now, Aldridge is stuck with the hefty cost of replacing the fence, which she feels is unfair, given that the HOA had previously maintained it for years. She is upset by the sudden change in the HOA’s policy without prior notice.
While she is working with her neighbor to repair the other fence that borders their property, Aldridge is still fighting with the HOA to take responsibility for the fence that divides her lawn from the public park. “It just upsets me for them to say that’s not my fence, that’s your fence now,” Aldridge said. “But it hasn’t been my fence.”
