Homeowner wins 3-year war with HOA and forces association to pay her $33K legal bill

As homeowners across the country find themselves locked in bitter battles with their HOAs, one Texas woman has emerged victorious — securing more than $33,000 in damages, legal fees and other awards after a nearly three-year fight with her association.Elizabeth Luna owned a rental townhome in Oaks Northwest, a tiny 11-unit community near the San Antonio Medical Center, which she purchased when there were no restrictions preventing her from renting it out, according to KSAT’s report.That changed in 2023, when HOA President Terri Thomure pushed to prohibit short-term rentals in the community.Luna alleged in her lawsuit that Thomure called a special meeting in March 2023 to approve the restriction without complying with notice requirements under Texas law — a procedural failure that Luna argued rendered the amendment void.Still, Luna tried to play by the new rules.She secured a tenant on a 12-month lease — only for another confrontation with the HOA to ignite.According to Luna, Thomure approached the tenant’s assistant in the parking lot without identifying herself and demanded personal identification and information about the visit.Days later, Luna said, the tenant backed out of the lease.The dispute then followed Luna when she decided to sell.After she listed the property, the HOA filed a legal claim against the home that prevented the sale from moving forward, Luna told KSAT.A judge later threw out the claim, clearing the way for Luna to finally sell the property in May 2024.“What was going through my head when all of this was happening is the abuse of power of the homeowners association,” Luna told KSAT.But selling the home didn’t end the fight.Luna pursued the HOA in Bexar County’s 438th District Court, and this year a judge ruled in her favor.The Oaks Northwest HOA was ordered to pay Luna $10,743.39 in damages and $10,000 in attorney’s fees, while Thomure was separately ordered to pay $12,500 for interfering with Luna’s rental contract, acc...