Days Since the HOA Has Not Paid

On September 11, 2025, Judge Christine Copeland entered a judgment for $563.75 in my favor against the Association over a completely avoidable account error that the Board refused to correct or even meaningfully discuss. 

When the Board stays silent, owners pay—in dollars, time, and trust. Because I know the Board won't discuss this with anyone but themselves, I'm here to demonstrate trust, transparency and what this judgment means for all of us.

• Case: Michalek v Willow Glen Creek Homeowners Association; 25SC095480
• Court: Superior Court of Santa Clara County
• Date of Judgment: September 11, 2025
• Amount Awarded: $563.75 (principal + costs)
• Status: Judgment entered in favor of Plaintiff (Daniel Michalek)

Key line from the judgment:
“Plaintiff had proof he tried to do ADR as required by HOW rules but Def. ignored his efforts. There is no proof to support Def's $370 plumbing charges. Def. owes reimbursement.”

• Transparency: The Board has declined to discuss this matter with members. So I’m publishing the primary documents and a clean timeline. Facts, not spin.
• Accountability: Board members are elected to manage owner accounts accurately and communicate. When they don’t, we all pay—through dues, lost confidence, and unnecessary disputes.
• Fix the process: This was preventable. A basic email response and a short IDR/meet‑and‑confer could have resolved it. Instead, it escalated to court.

1) An avoidable account error

I asked the Association (by email) to explain and correct a $370 charge.

2) Silence instead of service

Despite multiple attempts, the Association did not provide a clear response or correction.  In fact, as many of us have experienced, I received a litany of excuses about why the Association Manager was too busy to address the issue.

3) Formal meet‑and‑confer request (IDR)

I invoked the informal dispute resolution process as required by law and asked to meet. The Association failed to resolve the issue - violating the CC&Rs, violating the law, and violating my rights as a Homeowner.

4) Small-claims filing

With no meaningful progress, I filed in small claims.

5) Judgment entered on September 11, 2025

The court ruled in my favor for $563.75. 

The court found the Association liable for the disputed amount and related costs.

The court’s decision reflects that I attempted to resolve the issue before filing—via email and an IDR/meet‑and‑confer request.

Bottom line: The Association was wrong. And beacuse of the Board's failure to communicate and basic account stewardship, they are now costing each and every Owner.

• Money: Judgments, time, and management hours ultimately come from Owner assessments. Every dollar spent cleaning up avoidable mistakes is a dollar not spent on maintenance, reserves, and improvements.
  
• Trust: When the Board ignores Owner questions and skips process, it erodes confidence in our governance.
  
• Risk: Patterns like this invite more disputes and higher costs over time.

• This was preventable. A timely response, a short IDR meeting, and a written correction could have avoided court entirely.

Read the judgment and the timeline above.

Attend the next meeting and ask the Board the hard questions. The Board does not like to be challenged - they prefer that you avoid Board meetings and live in ignorance.

Be aware. If this has happened to you, use what I've done as a template for going after the HOA.

Sign up for updates on this site. If I am elected to the Board in the upcoming election, I will use this site to provide the honesty, transparency and accountability Owners deserve.

Share this page with neighbors who care about good governance and an HOA Board that plays fair.

Isn’t this making the Association look bad?
No. Avoidable mistakes and silence are what make any organization look bad. Publishing primary documents with facts is transparency, not disparagement. 

Is this defamation?
No. This page relies on verifiable documents and first‑hand correspondence. Where opinion appears, it’s labeled as such.

Will this raise our dues?
Poor processes already raise costs. Water running into the street because the Board isn't monitoring the landscape vendor is raising costs. Keeping two pools and hot tubs open for less than 1% of the membership to use is raising costs. Allowing Board members to retn less than 100% of their units to people who take up parking, contribute to water usage is driving up costs. Fixing how the Board manages accounts and communications is the best way to reduce unnecessary spending.

Why post at all?
Because Owners fund the Association. We deserve to see what happened and consider how it will be prevented in the future.