A woman with multiple sclerosis in Roanoke County is suing her homeowners association twice. The first time was for blocking her request for a patio to use her yard, while the second was for preventing her from selling her home.
Living as a Woman With Multiple Sclerosis
Jeannie Brown is a woman with multiple sclerosis living in a Roanoke County neighborhood. Like many, her community is governed by a homeowners association called Hunting Hills Place HOA. Living with multiple sclerosis has affected her ability to move around in her home’s backyard.
Due to her illness, Brown requested a patio so she could walk safely around her backyard. However, the HOA denied the architectural review request, even though people knew about her mobility issues. Her request was rejected several times.
Brown knew about fair housing law and decided to sue her HOA over the rejection. She subsequently won the case and got her patio installed in her backyard.
The Second Lawsuit
Brown began to have difficulty using the stairs soon after getting her patio installed. She and her husband began looking for a different home and found a single-story house. They also found a buyer for their current home.
Unfortunately, Brown was blocked from selling her home because the Hunting Hills Place HOA issued a document stating the next homeowner could not leave anything on the patio overnight. This included everything from furniture to fire pits and flower boxes.
As a result, the buyer backed out of the sale, and Brown filed another lawsuit against her HOA. According to Brown, she had packed about 100 boxes — which took her some time to do. She was devastated and cried for days.
Currently, Brown feels stuck in a house that’s hard for her to move in. She says this lawsuit is bigger than her, and she hopes it opens eyes and changes hearts. Brown may not win, but the purpose of her lawsuit is to draw attention to the situation.
