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Disabled A.J. woman sues HOA over towed van

APACHE JUNCTION — An Apache Junction Homeowners Association is facing stiff penalties and a discrimination charge from the lawsuit of a local property owner who found her handicap van towed from in front of her home.

Sharon Turley claims the Arizona Goldfield Homeowners’ Association discriminated against her by not making “reasonable accommodations” for her disabilities and violated state law by not providing proper notice and opportunity to be heard before towing the van.

HOA officials first said they would respond to the situation in a meeting scheduled to be held the following month.

When the meeting never happened, Turley took the case to Pinal County under the Federal and State Housing Act.

In towing the van, the suit claims the HOA also violated the Planned Community Act, which requires that only after associations have given notice and the opportunity to be heard can associations impose monetary penalties.

Turley wants her HOA cover all expenses of returning her van to her and providing the needed exception to their parking regulations.

As of filing the complaint in late October, the van still sat in a holding lot, amassing a several hundred dollar holding fee at a rate of $15 a day.

To make matters worse, Turley soon after began receiving threats from the owner of the lot that the van will be sold if it is not soon retrieved.