HOA Orders Mom to Remove Son’s Wheelchair Ramp, She Makes an Unexpected Discovery

While Homeowners Associations (HOAs) help maintain community standards and property values, they often overstep the boundaries of their authority. Between the extreme rules and regulations, and the power-hungry board members, they can turn into a real nightmare..

When single mom Patricia Simmons received a letter that her HOA appointed a new president, she hoped things would change for the good. But after her HOA started making outrageous demands, she felt like she had nowhere to turn. Little did they know that Patricia was about to make a discovery that would change everything.

Meet Patrician Simmons

Fifty-six-year-old Patricia Simmons was born in East Bakersfield, California. These days, she lived in a suburb of Bakersfield with her 15-year-old son Matthew. Patricia worked part-time as a secretary at an architecture firm.

Her life wasn’t easy, but she was a positive person and always worked hard to get along with everyone and look on the bright side. She had no idea that a total stranger was about to try and make things even harder for her.

Single Mom

Patricia had been a single mom since Matthew was eight years old. He was born with a genetic condition called muscular dystrophy which caused his muscles to gradually weaken until he was totally wheelchair bound.

Unable to cope with the work it took to manage Matthew’s condition, Patricia’s husband abandoned them. Patricia loved her son fiercely. Now that it was just the two of them, he was her whole world. She knew most people didn’t understand his condition and she vowed to always protect him. However, Patricia didn’t know she would soon be laying everything on the line just to keep her family safe.

Doing Her Best

Being a single parent was hard enough, and Matthew’s condition made things even more challenging, but Patricia did her best. Even with child support payments and her secretarial salary, she struggled to make ends meet.

She always made sure Matthew had everything he needed and tried to ensure he had all the opportunities that other kids his age had but it was tough. Their neighborhood wasn’t so progressive so there weren’t many services in place for disabled teens. She knew Matthew needed more, but she was already stretched so thin. But she never thought someone would try and deliberately limit his life even more.

Accessible Home

Patricia and Matthew had lived in their home for the past five years. They moved there as Matthew’s condition declined as it was already modified to be accessible which made life much easier for both of them.

The home had a ramp leading to the front door and other modifications such as wide doorways, lowered countertops, and an open floor plan. They’d been shocked to find such a home and it was out of Patricia’s price range, but she’d worked hard to keep up with the mortgage payments. She was thrilled they finally had a home that served their needs and she thought no one could take it away from them.

New HOA President

One day, Patricia received a note in the mail letting her know that the neighborhood had a new HOA president named Jeantique Allard. The former HOA president hadn’t really done much so Patricia hoped this new one would be a little more proactive about directing funds into youth services in the community.

However, because she needed to get on with other things, Patricia didn’t think too much more about the change in leadership. She had no idea Jeantique Allard had very different ideas about what would add value to the neighborhood.

The Letter

A few weeks later, Patricia received another letter. The envelope had an HOA stamp on it so she assumed it was just another update about changes. She opened the envelope absent-mindedly and scanned it through.

However, her blood ran cold as she read the second sentence. The letter fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and read it again, more carefully this time. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing could be real. Why would anyone have a problem with something so inoffensive, and, what was more, something so essential?

Take Down the Ramp

“Dear Patricia, As you know, the HOA leadership has recently changed hands and as such, we’re making some important improvements to the neighborhood. As such, we kindly ask you to remove the unsightly ramp leading to your property,” the letter began.

“It doesn’t match the aesthetic standards we are striving to maintain throughout the community. Please have it dismantled by the end of the month to avoid any penalties. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Jeantique Allard, HOA President,” it continued.

Patricia’s Shock

Patricia was horrified. A wheelchair ramp didn’t “match the aesthetic standards” of the neighborhood? This was preposterous. She could only assume that since Jeantique was new to the neighborhood, she wasn’t aware that the purpose of the ramp was so Matthew could get in and out of his home independently.

Perhaps she thought it was just for bicycles or a stroller. Even then, the request seemed extreme, but Patricia decided to give the new HOA president the benefit of the doubt.

Sending a Reply

That evening after Matthew had gone to bed, Patricia sat down to craft a reply. She knew she would need to word it carefully to keep things civil.

In the end, she wrote a heartfelt letter explaining Matthew’s muscular dystrophy and its impact on his mobility, her status as a single mother, and the fact that they had chosen the home because it met their accessibility needs. As she sealed the envelope and headed out to the post box, she felt much better.

Case Closed

Patricia hadn’t bothered to tell Matthew about the ramp saga because she was sure the HOA president would be appeased by her letter and she didn’t want to cause him any unnecessary stress.

As one week went by and then another, she felt more and more sure that the issue had been resolved and that she had been right in thinking Jeantique hadn’t understood the purpose of the ramp. No reasonable person could possibly object to a wheelchair ramp for a teenager. Could they?

President’s Visit

A few days later, there was a pounding at the door when Patricia and Matthew were finishing their dinner. Confused, Patricia got up to answer it. On the doorstep stood a well-dressed woman with a falsely friendly expression on her face.

“Good evening, ma’am, I am Jeantique Allard, your new HOA president and I’m just stopping by to make sure you will be dealing with that little issue we wrote to you about. You remember how we asked you to have it sorted before the end of the month?” she said in a cloyingly sweet voice. Patricia stared at her in disbelief.

Full of Rage

“Good evening, Ms. Allard, did you not receive my reply explaining why we cannot remove the ramp?” Patricia asked, trying to stay polite although her heart was pounding.

Jeantique’s friendly mask immediately slipped. “That’s got to go! It’s an eyesore and it’s disturbing the aesthetics of the street,” she snapped, pointing at the ramp. “But my son needs that ramp—he can’t get in and out of our home without it,” Patricia replied, her voice starting to tremble now. She was still in shock.

Making Threats

The HOA president smiled at her pityingly. “I’m sorry, Ms. Simmons, but the neighborhood can’t make exceptions just to accommodate one person. I’m sure you understand. We’ll be coming by to remove the ramp first thing tomorrow and if you don’t cooperate, we will be issuing a substantial fine. If you and your son aren’t prepared to meet the high standards of this community, then maybe you should think about moving elsewhere,” Jeantique went on.

Patricia spluttered at her, so taken aback by the injustice of the situation that she couldn’t come up with a coherent reply. Jeantique Allard turned and left, her heels clacking smartly all the way down the drive.

Completely Devastated

As Patricia shut the door with shaking hands, she turned to see Matthew. He had come through when he heard the raised voices and had overheard the whole conversation. He looked utterly broken.

Patricia was devastated. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t afford to pay a fine, let alone, move house again. She hated that Matthew felt responsible, and assured him over and over again that it had nothing to do with him, but she could tell he wasn’t convinced.