Craig Trumbull, Sully Station Home Owners Association, Rees, Broome, And Diaz, Armstrong Managment Services ripoff fraudulent billing Centreville Virginia

Re: Sully Station Community Association, Account Number 1952834.00

We have received a number of threatening letters from agents of Rees, Broome & Diaz, for payment of association dues we do not owe. Recently we have been advised that a lien has been placed on our property for failure to pay these attorneys $1,012 in principle, and fees not owed.

This is the most horrible of home owner abuses by Associations -the collection of legal fees in the thousands of dollars. Legal fees that dwarf the size of the original dispute.

Background:

On February 11, 2002, Rory K. Nugent, acting as the agent for Rees, Broome, and Diaz sent us a letter saying that we owned $ 198.47 in principal, no interest and $ 701.00, in fees for a total outstanding amount of $ 899.47, for a home owners fee that we had paid.

In addition, Nugent reported that he sent notice of collection to major credit bureaus and threatens to use any information that he receives from us against us in further actions.

On February 27, 2002, we received a bill from Armstrong Management Services Inc. for $164.62 in general assessment fees, $20.00 in late fees, $58.15 in legal fees, and $23.85 in town home assessments for a total of $266.62, to the Sully Station Community Association.

My wife called Armstrong and spoke with a Mrs. North. They agreed that this debt would be paid in two payments: one for $135.00 and another for $131.62. Copies of payment checks are available.

In addition we arranged for Armstrong to take further fees electronically from our banking account. And that is how we have paid Association monthly fees since that time.

On July 30, 2002, we again received a threatening letter from Nugent. This time asking for $30 in principal and $707.00 in fees, for a total of $737.00 and he said that your firm continues to report this as a credit action to major credit bureaus.

On March 26, 2003, Rees, Broome & Diaz, again attempted to extort funds from us. This time we received a letter from Terri Thompson, of your firm. This time she wanted $50 in principal and $870.50 in fees for a total amount of $920.50. Again she reports that your firm is reporting this as a credit action.

And in October 29, 2003, we again received threatening letters from Rees, Broome and Diaz asking for $110 in principle, and $902. in fees for a total of $1,012, and as mentioned, we recently determined that a lien has been placed on our property.

Of course we received the same threats in 2004.

However, we do not owe Rees, Broome and Diaz, Armstrong Management Services or the Sully Station Communication Association anything. All issues concerning back payments and a method for future payments were resolved in February and March of 2002.

It is my believe that this judgment, falls within the most horrible of home owner abuses by Associations - the collection of legal fees in the thousands of dollars. Legal fees that dwarf the size of the original dispute. My research suggests, that the average HOA foreclosure involves less than $1,000 in dispute. The average legal fees awarded exceed $1,000, which is the situation we find ourselves in.

Further, cases are frequently reported in the media in which a few hundred dollars in late dues turns into thousands of dollars of legal fees and results in the loss of a home. Where these situations exist, they often result from the undemocratic actions of the Association, and their general manager.

Further, we have not had a positive experience with Fred J. Pinciaro, the Association's General Manager, and I suspect that this current problem is directly associated with his failure to properly track association payments, follow through on actions submitted to Armstrong Management Services, and clear issue in a timely manner with Rees, Broome, and Diaz.

However,if Pinciaro, does track these situations to avoid HOA abuses, I suspect that he did not do so in our case. Our history with Pinciaro goes back a few years, when we complained about the operations of an unsanctioned business in our neighborhood and further complained when he ordered the butchering of a pine tree in the area adjoining our yard, which we believe is actually on our property.

At this moment, I am greatly concerned, not only about the lien, but about what appears to be a horrendous abuse of homeowners by the Association.

Year after year I have asked the Rees, Broome, Diaz, the Sully Station Association and the Management Assocation to resolve this issue, but it is continually ignored.

All we ask is that the HOA send us a letter reporting that the fees had been paid years ago, and report the same to the Credit Bureau and Rees, Broome, Diaz, and the Management Association.

But, of course there is no incentive to resolve an issue, when home owner associations can freely conspire with attorneys to extort money from home owners.

Michael
Centreville, Virginia
U.S.A.

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