HOAs across Florida have been under fire for abusing their power.
Stories of petty fines and power-hungry board members are nothing new.
But one Florida woman's HOA fight just made her a fugitive living in her car.
Ying Pang came to America more than 30 years ago from China chasing the American Dream.
The licensed medical technologist bought a home in Wesley Chapel, Florida in 2010 in a community of 850 houses where the median list price is $580,000.¹
She thought she'd secured her piece of the dream.
Instead, her homeowners association turned her life into a nightmare that forced her to flee the state.
HOA Harassment Campaign Spans Seven Years
The trouble started in 2018 when the Northwood of Pasco Homeowners Association began hitting Pang with violation after violation.
Parking violations, holiday lights up too long, garbage containers left out, paint discoloration on her house.
"It's 100 violations or about that for last seven years," Pang said. "Every time I have to do whatever they ask."²
https://twitter.com/realtordotcom/status/2006462870511386843?s=20
She repeatedly pressure-washed her house, repainted it multiple times, and did everything the HOA demanded.
The violations kept coming.
Pang was renting her home to tenants at the time.
Neighbor Jen Lavelle claimed Pang's renters and their guests caused problems in the quiet suburban neighborhood.
But Pang insists her tenants were "really good and quiet" and had lived there for several years.
The HOA sued Pang in 2023 over $534.98 in fines that had piled up.³
She agreed to settle the case in March 2024 and pay the HOA's attorney fees of $5,500.⁴
That should have been the end of it.
$6,000 Settlement Turns Into Arrest Warrant
Pang never paid the settlement or the legal fees.
She fired her attorney and countersued the HOA, alleging "a pattern of unfair and unlawful conduct" including "harassment, discriminatory enforcement and abuse of legal process."⁵
The judge ruled in the HOA's favor after Pang failed to attend court hearings and mediations.
She also refused to fill out a required "fact information sheet" — a standard legal document used to gather financial data from debtors.
The judge found her in contempt of court and signed an arrest warrant in late June.⁶
Deputies showed up at her house to arrest her.
But Pang wasn't home.
And she hasn't been back since.
"I was homeless. For several months," Pang said through tears. "I cannot [go back]. I'm really scared."⁷
She's been living as a fugitive for six months, hiding in another state, driving around in a borrowed SUV that's served as her home.
"I'm very scared. I drive very slowly," Pang said.⁸
The Escape Clause She Won't Use
Pang can make the entire arrest warrant disappear by simply filling out and returning the fact information sheet.⁹
That's it.
One form and she could go home.
But Pang refuses.
"I don't want to give them my Social Security number and my bank information, because I do not trust them," Pang said.¹⁰
"They have absolute power. They control everything."¹¹
Her fear of what the HOA will do with her personal information has her choosing homelessness over compliance.
Meanwhile, her house in Wesley Chapel sits vacant and deteriorating.
The pool has turned green and swamp-like without power or maintenance.
"It's because no power, no one lives there. And I have run out of the money to take care of that," Pang said.¹²
https://twitter.com/KathyRealtorFL/status/2006415959851237381?s=20
She's now considering selling the home before the HOA forecloses on it over the unpaid fines and legal fees.
The American Dream she worked 30 years to build is rotting away while she hides out of state.
This Isn't an Isolated Case
Pang's case mirrors another HOA arrest that gained national attention last July.
Riverview, Florida woman Irena Green was arrested after missing a court hearing to prove she replaced dead grass in her front yard.
"I sat in there for seven days. Seven days in the jailhouse. Like a criminal," Green said.¹³
Stetson Law School Professor Paul Boudreaux said contempt orders are not common in civil cases.¹⁴
But Florida HOAs are pushing the boundaries of their authority.
Florida has more than the national share of people living in HOAs — some 50% compared to 25% nationwide.¹⁵
State Representative Juan Carlos Porras filed sweeping HOA reform legislation in December after months of homeowner protests outside the Florida Capitol.
"This is going to be one of the largest HOA reform packages in our state's history," Porras said. "We're completely reinventing the wheel when it comes to HOA and condominium disputes."¹⁶
Porras has called HOAs a "failed experiment."¹⁷
His bill would create a new community association court system and give homeowners a legal pathway to dissolve their HOA entirely.
If passed, 20% of homeowners could petition for dissolution, then two-thirds would need to vote to approve it.¹⁸
https://twitter.com/JuanPorrasFL/status/1998093049264480396?s=20
But that legislation won't help Ying Pang.
She's already a fugitive.
Her neighbors — the very people the HOA claims to represent — are supporting her arrest.
When asked about the arrest warrant for Pang, neighbor Lavelle said "I'm not a judge or anything, but I would be in agreement with any legal entity that thought someone should be arrested."¹⁹
This is what happens when mini-tyrants get drunk on power.
An immigrant who came to America for freedom is now fleeing across state lines to avoid jail time over $6,000 in HOA fines and legal fees.
She's living in a car.
Her house is falling apart.
And she'd rather be homeless than hand over her personal information to an organization she no longer trusts.
The HOA got their pound of flesh alright.
They destroyed a woman's life over parking violations and holiday lights.
¹ Scripps News, "Elderly Florida woman becomes fugitive over HOA violations, fears jail time," December 30, 2025.
² – ⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Realtor.com, "Elderly Florida Woman Faces Arrest After Refusing To Pay HOA Fines," December 31, 2025.
¹¹ Tampa Bay 28, "Elderly Pasco County woman becomes fugitive over HOA violations, fears jail time," December 30, 2025.
¹² Scripps News, "Elderly Florida woman becomes fugitive over HOA violations, fears jail time," December 30, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Villages News, "Power-hungry HOAs making life miserable for Florida homeowners," January 2, 2026.
¹⁶ WFLX, "Florida lawmaker files sweeping HOA reform bill after months of homeowner protests," December 9, 2025.
¹⁷ Villages News, "Power-hungry HOAs making life miserable for Florida homeowners," January 2, 2026.
¹⁸ News4JAX, "New proposal lets Florida homeowners abolish their HOAs. Here's how it would work," December 10, 2025.
¹⁹ Scripps News, "Elderly Florida woman becomes fugitive over HOA violations, fears jail time," December 30, 2025.
