After the fire, the three town homes in the middle suffered the most damage. The problem was, all of those people had "condo" insurance. This is different from regular homeowner's insurance because in a townhome complex, normally there is an HOA that is responsible for the exterior of the homes in order that the homes remain uniform.
In this instance, however, being that it has been a "new" development for a few years, there isn't an "existing" HOA. We were told upon closing that after the developer had built up to a certain percentage (I believe 75%) that the HOA would then take effect. Unfortunately, for my neighbors, that meant they did not have coverage for the exterior of their homes. I was fortunate enough to have an insurance company (Nationwide) that asked me about HOA and informed me that I should have homeowner's insurance, "just to be safe."
My neighbors finally settled with the developer, who paid them a set amount and bought back the condos in the middle, to rebuild...himself. I've had several headaches along the way with this gentleman. (Refer to the dumpster and the hole in my attic) This brings me to my newest battle....
...the developer painted the front of my condo and not the side or back--it is darker, more brown-toned, as opposed to my lighter shade. I confronted him about it this morning and he has no intention of painting it unless I pay him. Several times he forcefully stated to me, "I AM the HOA!" I repeatedly tried to get him to understand that I don't pay HOA dues but that if, in fact there IS an HOA, it is responsible for the exterior of the home and that means the side and back. He repeated to me that he "IS the HOA!" and that he took care of the exterior to the extent that he "saw fit." I asked if I could see the HOA documents. He continued to talk over me telling me things he could cite me for, including the paint job, my fence that needs repairs, and the shingles that don't match (oh...did I mention he is the one who did the shingles in the first place?).
It ended poorly.
I am at a loss. Literally. This fire/smoke damage has done me in. My home will depreciate in value. And also. In the long run, it will be cheaper for me to pay to get my house painted than to hire a lawyer to bring this guy to justice. So I am out of pocket more money that I don't have. I've had a discouraging day. I am trying to keep my faith and remember that God is in control. Sometimes it's a struggle.
And I realize.
It is just paint, after all.
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