Homeowner, Not Hostage: How My Fresno HOA Turned My Paid-Off Condo Into a War Zone

“Homeowner, Not Hostage: How My Fresno HOA Turned My Paid-Off Condo Into a War Zone” ~by Kristen C. Snow-White 

I own my condo outright. No mortgage. No debt. Just a small space in Fresno I should be able to call home.

Instead, I’m living in a psychological war zone—one created not by criminals, but by my own HOA and their property management company, Robert L. Jensen & Associates.

On June 12th, I witnessed a demolition crew tear up the concrete foundation next to my unit. No permits. No warnings. No accountability. By Father’s Day, my home reeked of rotten eggs—likely gas or sewage, but no inspection followed. Because there never was a permit to begin with.

This wasn’t maintenance. It was retaliation.

The property manager once told police, “I can’t evict her. She owns her condo.” That statement should have ended the conversation. Instead, it started a new tactic: make it unlivable.

There’s a term for this: constructive eviction. You don’t remove the owner—you just remove habitability until they give up and walk away. Add mold, harassment, bogus fines, and falsified foreclosure documents, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for HOA abuse. It’s happening across California. I’m just the one who’s documenting it in real-time.

What legal recourse does a homeowner have when the HOA becomes the aggressor? Not enough. Non-judicial foreclosure loopholes allow them to take property without ever setting foot in a courtroom. Cities look the other way. Permits vanish. And victims are left fighting battles no one knows exist—until it’s too late.

I’ve sent evidence to Senator Shannon Grove. I’m mailing documentation to my Assemblyman, who apparently prefers to stay unreachable. But I’m not going anywhere. Because I shouldn’t have to flee my own home to stay safe.

If you think this can’t happen to you—think again. If you pay an HOA, it already can.