Predatory Wrongful Liens at Salt Lake County Recorder's Office

For many reasons, Salt Lake County is a great place to live, with its distinct seasons, great recreation, and a strong economy. In addition, Salt Lake County is consistently in the top tier in the Nation for homeownership, construction, and appreciation.

Regardless of one's stage of adulthood, if you have purchased a home, you know the excitement of beginning a new chapter in life. As a young adult, you scrimped, saved, and cultivated a high credit score. For those with growing families: enough bedrooms, bathrooms, and easy access to quality schools are must-haves. For active adults: main floor living and maintenance-free yards.

Unfortunately, for a rising number of owners in Salt Lake County, once dreamt of homeownership and a peaceful community has become a nightmare. Instead of a refuge, a safe dwelling for family and friends, home has become disrupted, tense, and at times, lost.

When it comes to nefarious actions against ones home, the Salt Lake County Recorders Office must implement checks and balances to protect you.

Nearly 750,000 Utah residents live in homes governed by a Home Owners Association (HOA’s). Ever-increasing, these HOA’s are planned communities, single-family homes, townhomes, and condos.

Life under an HOA has its advantages that often include snow removal, street maintenance, water, trash, etc. Unfortunately, with an increased number of HOA’s, comes an increased number of abuses. The abuse often starts small, with a minor misunderstanding or dispute between a homeowner and an HOA Board member. However, a small dispute, fine, or accounting error, can lead to an HOA Board referring the homeowner account to a heavy-handed management company and to what appears to be a predatory debt collection agency.

These companies quickly file a lien against ones home, leading to enormous fees, daunting litigation, and sometimes, the complete loss of one's home due to foreclosure.

In Salt Lake County, our homeowners are subjected to:
1. A $50 fee escalating to $15,000 in fines and penalties
2. A $25 check forwarding fee turns into $1,700 penalties in 3 months
3. Late fees based not on the post-marked date, but the arbitrary date determined by the management company
4. Targeted abuse of homeowners and residents based on sexual orientation
5. Arbitrary enforcement and disregard of House Rules by the HOA Board
6. Violation of State and Federal statute by the HOA Board, Management Company, and their debt collecting law firm

HOA Boards, management companies, and debt collecting law firms are using the Salt Lake County Recorders office as a predatory weapon against homeowners and residents. These predatory companies are filing liens, alleging huge fines and fees against unsuspecting, bewildered, and vulnerable.

These predatory practices must stop. Systems must be put in place to protect homeowners and residents from predatory practices. To learn more, click here…..

Sincerely,

Erin Preston
Candidate for Salt Lake County Recorder