What started as a Facebook feud on a community page has turned into a lawsuit against the Maricopa Meadows HOA. Some homeowners also suspect vandalism to their homes could be connected to the online disputes.
One woman says their home has been vandalized five times, hit with eggs, tomatoes, paintballs, and spray painted with swear words.
"I'm highly suspect as to who's behind this," said Carinda Peterson who admits she has never caught anyone in the act.
Peterson, who is a former member of the HOA board, says the vandalism seems to follow a pattern happening each time her husband would post an HOA complaint and end up tangled in a war of words with a board member.
"After every time he made a point, on a public page, a Facebook page, he was targeted," said Peterson who claims there are other homeowners with similar experiences who are afraid to speak out.
Leslie Meehan says her troubles started with a Facebook post too and her home was hit with tomatoes and then spray painted with a curse word and a Nazi symbol.
"I felt like someone's coming on my property with the intention of delivering a message to me," said Meehan who does not know who is behind the vandalism but did file a police report.
She says the messages she was receiving on Facebook from board members was inappropriate and following the HOA harassment policy, she submitted a complaint to the property management company which she says only made matters worse.
"Members of the board broke privilege and leaked the contents of the letter," said Meehan, “I was maligned, trashed, called every name."
Meehan had hired a lawyer who is in the process of filing a civil suit against the HOA for harassment, cyber bullying and defamation.
Maricopa Meadows has had three different property management companies in the last year. Vision Community Management said it hadn't received any new complaints against the board since taking over in October.
One HOA board member did file an injunction of harassment against Meehan last year but a judge threw out the case. ABC15 has reached out to the HOA board president for comment on the impending lawsuit and is waiting for a response.
