A 90-YEAR-OLD woman was left saddened after her homeowners association tore down her fence and billed her for the job.
Sylvia Hackbarth lives alone in her condo in the Kames Complex in Stow, Ohio, just outside of Akron, so to feel more secure, she had a fence installed for privacy reasons.
Sylvia Hackbarth lives alone in her condo and decided to install a fence for privacy reasonsCredit: WOIO
With the help of her neighbor, Hackbarth installed her new fence after getting approval from the city of Stow, OhioCredit: WOIO
Edward Davidian, who lives next to his Hackbarth, installed the fence for his elderly neighborCredit: WOIO
The Kames Complex homeowners associate came with saws and tore down Hackbarth’s fence after saying in a letter the project was not approvedCredit: WOIO
Edward Davidian, who lives next to his elderly neighbor, does a lot of handy work for her.
“I get her paper, I get her mail, I put the patio in, put the bushes in, I try to help her,” he told CBS affiliate WOIO.
Davidian said he and Hackbarth both applied for city permits to install the fence on their properties.
“I’m exposed here to everything that goes by. The dump truck when it comes to pick up the garbage, the people delivering orders that have come,” Hackbarth told the outlet.
Davidian said the city of Stow accepted their applications, and they fired off their plans to build the fences to the Kames Complex HOA.
However, soon, Hackbarth began receiving letters from the HOA warning her to remove her fence, or it would be torn down, and she’d be fined.
The notices said her fence was not approved, something Hackbarth was unaware of, according to WOIO.
“They sent me a letter saying your fence is approved,” Davidian said.
“I assume they sent her one, so I went down and got the city permits, and her fence came out about four feet.
“We just added six feet of fence, and while the carpenters were doing mine, I had them go ahead and do hers, and then I painted, and that was it, and then she gave me the letter that they were coming to cut it down.”
City documents reviewed by the outlet showed Stow approved Davidian and Hackbarth’s applications.
However, on October 21, the Kames Complex HOA came with saws and tore Hackbarth’s fence down but left Davidian’s intact.
‘PATHETIC’
“Then Monday came, and I heard the saws, and I came outside, and they were cutting the fence,” Davidian recalled.
“Pathetic. They have never done anything like this.”
Davidian said the HOA fined his elderly neighbor $1,000 for the work.
“They’re going to charge her $1,000. It didn’t cost me $1,000 to build it,” he fumed.
Hackbarth said she was saddened by the situation but vowed to fight.
“It’s very unsettling to feel as though you’re not in control of the property that you paid for,” she told the outlet.
“I think they think I’m not going to do anything, you know?
“I’m really saddened by all this. This is my home. I’m in my 90th year, and I really hadn’t expected to have to move again, and I hope I don’t have to.”
The Kames Complex did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The U.S. Sun.