It began in 2009, when her home ownership was quickly followed by a divorce. Late fees for her missed assessment followed. Trouble is, the late notices were NOT sent to her—the primary person on the deed-- but her ex-husband. And the debt climbed.

Benes said: “These people just swoop in and take what people work for.”

Benes was placed on a payment plan that took months to settle-up: A plan where the HOA’s attorneys act as the debt collector, too, charging fees. Fees were issued for verifying addresses, sending demand letters, and researching owners.

Benes wonders how the research went, given that she left a forwarding address, verified by the Postal Service, but still received no notices until the threats of foreclosure.

“They’re just not willing to budge. You can tell them anything. You can provide them proof of everything that you’re saying is legitimate, and all they want is their money,” said Benes.

On Benes’ letterhead is Allen, Stein & Durbin, PC, a law firm representing close to 400 HOAs around San Antonio.

Tom Newton, who handles most of the firm’s cases, said “Everybody expects people to pay their legitimate bills. Whether its mortgages, taxes, insurance or homeowners association assessment.”

He said fail to pay that assessment, and HOAs can go for your house.

Research provided to the I-Team shows more than 1,800 homeowners were threatened with foreclosure by their HOAs since 2009, many of them through this firm. But only one in six homes actually ended up on the auction block.