HOA Meeting Melee Caught On Tape
All the board members were voted out and told to immediately turn over all records and any other property belonging to the Catalina Square Improvement Committee. "Our president came towards him to try to shut him down and told him he couldn't do that," homeowner Pat Martin said. Suddenly the meeting turns violent...Harris seems glad he's no longer in charge of the HOA, but probably not as glad as all of these homeowners. Both sides can probably agree on one thing, they were part of an HOA meeting no one will ever forget.

FOX News
HOA Meeting Melee Caught On Tape

RANDY WALLACE Investigative Reporter   View News Report

HOUSTON - Bet you've never seen a Homeowner Association Meeting like this one. This homeowner says he's speaking for the majority of residents who live in the Catalina Square Subdivision.

All the board members were voted out and told to immediately turn over all records and any other property belonging to the Catalina Square Improvement Committee.

"Our president came towards him to try to shut him down and told him he couldn't do that," homeowner Pat Martin said.

Suddenly the meeting turns violent.

"They got physical, our president (William Harris) swung at one of the homeowners," Martin said

"Maybe there's something there that they don't want us to see I'm kind of thinking," homeowner Logan Martin said.

Fearing this kind of reaction, homeowners hired an off-duty cop to be at the meeting. That cop arrested the ousted president but released him later with no criminal charges.

"They wanted to gain power,” Harris told FOX 26 Investigates.

"There's a proper way to do it and an improper way and they went the improper method," Harris said.

"Everybody said vote them out and that's what we did," Pat Martin said.

Ousted treasurer Bill Jameson refused repeated demands to turn over everything that belongs to the homeowners association.

FOX 26 Investigates met with about 50 homeowners who shared one HOA horror story after another.

"I'm just not going to have it and I don't think anyone of us is going to have it," homeowner Yvonne Young said.

The old board, residents said, wanted to adopt new rules.

One rule would have prohibited homeowners from letting anyone live in their home unless it was a spouse or blood relative.

"We felt that even after the fact that perhaps that was not one we need to continue on but they were not going to listen to us," Harris said.

Another proposed rule change was to force homeowners to buy flood insurance.

"Can a Homeowners Association make people do that?" we asked Harris.

"No we're not making, we're just trying to bring these things up to their attention. Flood insurance, I can't force you to buy flood insurance," Harris said.

"In just 2 days they placed liens on 61 homeowners," Martin said.

"I was very angry because I figured if they could do that to x amount of people they could certainly do that to me," homeowner Connie Watts said.

Harris admits 61 liens were filed against homeowners.
"Those are proper actions for a subdivision to take to obtain the monies that was owed to the subdivision," Harris said.

"I just found out through a neighbor," Young said.

Some homeowners say the HOA didn't notify them about the liens and wouldn't work with them on payment plans.

"A lot of these folks are not only paying their delinquency for this year but the prior owners’ delinquency which to me is absurd," Watts said

Ken Chin bought a home in the Catalina Square subdivision in a foreclosure sale. He said ex-treasurer Bill Jameson filed a lien after the sale which Chin said can't be done.

"They said I must pay," Chin said.

The Chins said Jameson refused to talk to them so they are suing him in small claims court.

"We tried to give him letters we tried to call him and he basically ignored all of that," Chin's son Knim Chin said.

"We'd like to hear your side of this," FOX 26 Investigates asked Jameson.

"No you don't," Jameson said.

“Yes I do, Mr. Jameson. We wouldn't be standing here if we didn't want to hear your side. That's why we're here right now," we said.

"Good day,' Jameson replied.

"Perhaps we were not the best at what we were trying to do," Harris said. "I'm not saying I'm perfect but we were open for ideas and suggestions and some people, they just didn't want to work with us."

Harris seems glad he's no longer in charge of the HOA, but probably not as glad as all of these homeowners. Both sides can probably agree on one thing, they were part of an HOA meeting no one will ever forget.
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