“An HOA really should not have this much power,” one person fumed online after learning how a homeowner’s financial troubles spiraled into a fight over the home he thought would be his for years.
Toby Newton says everything changed after he lost his job and was diagnosed with diabetes, leaving him struggling to keep up with his HOA payments.
But what started as a relatively small unpaid balance soon turned into a foreclosure battle, while his longtime partner, Sherrie, was dealing with a devastating health crisis of her own.
The homeowners association reportedly foreclosed on a man’s home in Mesa, Arizona, before buying it at auction themselves
Toby purchased the four-bedroom home in Mesa, Arizona, in 2022 for around $450,000, according to The Mesa Tribune.
For the couple, it was supposed to be a place they could call home for years.
But in 2024, Newton’s circumstances changed dramatically.
“I bought the house, and then I got sick,” Newton told the outlet. “I got diabetes, and I was out of work.”
During that period, he fell behind on his quarterly HOA assessments, which were around $170.
According to the couple, the unpaid amount eventually reached $977 in fees and interest.
However, Toby says he tried to address the problem rather than let the debt grow.
Reportedly, Newton contacted the HOA and offered to pay $50 toward the account, but he was told the account had already been sent to an attorney.
He later tried again, offering $133.70 a month and eventually $200 a month, according to the couple’s account.
They say they did not accept those payment proposals either.
“I just don’t understand how an HOA that’s supposed to be there for the community doesn’t work with the community at all,” Toby said, according to reports.
Toby Newton said losing his job and being diagnosed with diabetes left him struggling to keep up with his HOA payments
The situation escalated after the HOA pursued foreclosure proceedings against the property.
By July 2025, court filings reportedly showed $1,311 in missed assessments, along with $1,042.09 in plaintiff’s fees and $3,345 in attorney fees.
The total amount at issue had therefore grown substantially from the original balance that Newton said he had been trying to repay.
The property was eventually put up for public auction in October 2025.
The Superstition Springs Community Master Association became the buyer, acquiring the home for $8,172, according to reporting by Realtor.com.
That outcome became one of the story’s most controversial parts because Toby originally purchased the home for roughly $450,000.
Online commenters quickly questioned how the situation had reached that point.
Sherrie was diagnosed with breast cancer while the couple was already fighting to save their home
“Some HOA member or family purchased the property. The only money the HOA is entitled to is the $977. The rest of the money goes to the Homeowner,” one person wrote.
Another commenter added, “I feel like this is fake or something odd. Who owns the home? Does he have a mortgage on it? If so the bank would want to recoup as much as possible. Something shady is going on or is being left out of the story.”
Another comment read, “An HOA really should not have this much power. It exceeds what the true purpose of what its existence is for This is going too far!”
“This sounds like someone in the HOA a**sing the system to steal a house for themselves.”
After the property was sold, Newton reportedly had a redemption period during which he could attempt to get the house back.
But while the couple was dealing with the aftermath of the foreclosure, Sherrie was diagnosed with breast cancer in both breasts.
“In the middle of all of this, I was diagnosed with breast cancer… I began treatment, and I am doing well today, but the emotional and financial toll has been overwhelming,” she said in a statement.
According to her, the couple was forced to navigate the medical and financial consequences of her treatment while also trying to find a way to keep their home.
The HOA later offered an extension on the redemption period, but the amount needed to reclaim the property had increased to $10,484, according to Realtor.com.
Toby then filed an emergency request to stop the sale, while the couple continued trying to recover the property.
Furious commenters say the couple’s ordeal shows why they believe HOAs have far too much power
The timing also mattered because Arizona later changed its HOA foreclosure laws.
Senate Bill 1494 increased the threshold for certain HOA foreclosures and added additional protections for homeowners.
Those changes came after the events surrounding Newton’s foreclosure, so the new requirements did not apply when his case began.
As of this writing, Sherrie and Toby have turned to the public for help through a GoFundMe titled “Help Sherrie and Toby Save Their Home.”
In the fundraiser, Sherrie explained that the couple was asking for help with the urgent costs associated with their legal fight and their immediate needs while they tried to recover their home.
“My name is Sherrie, and I am asking for help for myself and Toby as we fight to recover from one heartbreaking setback after another,” she wrote.
“We are asking for support to help us with the urgent costs of this fight… during this incredibly difficult time.”
The fundraiser has so far raised $25,798 toward its $30,000 goal.
“This is so messed up! These associations should be illegal. Nothing good ever comes of them,” one commenter fumed
