The Wheelchair Ramp
A completely unexpected event caught Angela Holmes and her husband, Garrett, by surprise. The housing association informed them that Angela's wheelchair ramp had to be removed.
Initially, they thought there must have been a mistake. But as soon as the housing association placed a lien on their house, they knew they had to fight.
An Unexpected Letter
Angela, Garrett, and Mary, their three-year-old daughter, had lived happily in their Mt. Juliet home for a decade. They never had any problems with their neighborhood or housing association during that time.
The family was caught off guard when they received the letter on December 15, 2017. Surely, there had to be some kind of mistake.
Out Of Nowhere
During those ten years, not a single complaint was filed against their family, and no one ever mentioned Angela's wheelchair ramp.
She was well-known to most of the residents in their apartment block. Many people offered to help her despite the fact that they didn't need to. So, how did this come about?
The New HOA President
After sitting with the letter, millions of questions drifting through her mind, Angela thought of something. Recently, a new HOA president was appointed, and she had made many comments about the ramp.
Angela suspected she might be behind the complaint. At the end of the day, it didn't matter since Angela would not comply.
Caught Off Guard
As the days passed, more and more letters came pouring in, but Angela decided to ignore them. But one day, she noticed something different about one of the letters.
It wasn't another letter asking her to remove the ramp. Instead, it was a threat stating that she had to explain her actions or face the consequences. This caught Angela off guard.
She Refused
Angela went to the housing association office. When she arrived, she asked them why they wanted her ramp removed. It seemed that the board members were uncomfortable with the question.
The president, however, told Angela that they wanted it removed because it was unsightly. As a result, she refused to remove the ramp and left.
What Could She Do?
In response to Angela's refusal, the housing association placed a lien on her house. According to them, the lien would only be removed once the ramp was gone.
Rage was boiling inside Angela, but what could she do? She couldn’t just ignore the lien that had been placed on her house.
A Sad Day
With a heavy heart, Angela asked Garrett if he could bring the ramp into the house. He refused at first, stating that they didn’t have to comply with such a ridiculous request.
But once Angela informed him of the lien, his tone changed. They had effectively been blackmailed into accepting the request, and it would only get worse if they didn’t comply. But would that hold the couple back?
Options
That night, Angela and Garrett sat down to discuss their options. They had two different opinions regarding the matter, and they needed to decide which path they were going to take.
But what options did they have? And were any of those options feasible for them? Or would the HOA end up being the winner in this case?
Full Force
Garrett wanted to fight back with full force. He wanted to take the HOA on head-on, and he was even willing to go to court if he needed to.
But Angela wasn’t too sure that it was the right way to go about things. She didn’t want any more problems than she already had, especially not in the place where they were living. But she had no idea just how cruel their HOA could be.
Voicing His Opinion
Garrett voiced his opinion on the matter. He told his wife that the HOA had no grounds to do something like this. He may have been right, but Angela was scared of what the HOA could do to them if they didn’t comply.
She’d heard horror stories of just how much power they actually had. In some places, an HOA could force the occupants to move out. She was terrified of them.
Not Listening
Despite Angela’s pleas, Garrett was listening to her; he was angered by the HOA and told her he was going to try and threaten them as they had threatened her. She knew that it could only end in tragedy.
She could already tell that Garrett’s mind was made up, and there was no stopping him. She went to bed that night in a panic. She had no idea what would happen in the morning.
The Next Morning
The next morning, Angela woke up, but her husband wasn’t in bed. He didn’t normally wake up before her. She felt anxiety grip her as she propped herself onto her wheelchair and made her way through the house.
Had he already left to confront the HOA? She hoped she wasn’t too late. But once she got to the kitchen, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
A Good Dad
Angela found Garrett in the kitchen, but he wasn’t doing what she suspected. He was busy making breakfast. He had just made Mary her food and told her to come to the table; her’shers was next.
He put a plate of scrambled eggs down on her plate, but why was he going out of his way? Was he really being a good dad, or was there something else?
Compensation
“I thought I’d make breakfast before I head out,” He said after kissing her on the forehead. But alarm bells went off in her head at the mention of heading out.
“Where are you going?” A worried Angela asked her husband. He replied, “Don’t worry. I just want to talk to the people trying to take away your ramp. We both know it isn’t fair.”
Making Sense
As much as Angela didn’t like the idea, she knew that it made sense. What they were doing was completely unreasonable. Maybe Garrett could make them understand? She just didn’t like the implications that something bad might happen.
Still, maybe he was right. They each had their own way of dealing with conflict, and he had the right to do what he needed to.
Lie Low
Angela wanted to lie low. She wanted this whole situation to just blow over and for everyone to forget about this incident. She was sure that things would return to normal once all this calmed down.
After all, the HOA quickly moved on to other homeowners with new violations. In her mind, everything would just work out naturally.
Not Convinced
But Garrett wasn’t convinced. He was sure his wife would stay cooped up forever. Was he right? Or was he just overreacting?
Only time would tell them what decision was the right one. Either one could fail miserably and leave them in a worse off position than they were in now. But they still had to choose one. They just hoped they chose wisely.
What To Do?
The couple was unsure of how to proceed. They wanted the ramp to be put back up, but they didn’t want to go through all of the hassles with the housing association.
What was the best way for them to deal with this? Should they go with Garrett’s choice? Or was it better for them to lie low and let this blow over?
Did They Have A Choice?
Angela was convinced that they didn’t have a choice but to agree with what they were told. She was the only one affected by the ramp, so it was her decision, right?
She convinced her husband that it was the best way to go about things, even though she knew that she would suffer the consequences. But things weren’t as they seemed.
Wanting To Return To Normal
All she wanted was for things to return to normal. But she had no idea what the HOA had in store for her. They were the cold hearted people that she had heard the rumors about.
HOAs often had a bad reputation in a lot of places. Most homeowners dreaded a letter from them and now that Angela had received one, things would never be normal again.
Trapped
Even though Angela worked from home and she had gotten used to the environment, she was starting to feel trapped. In the past, she could go out if she wanted to.
But now she had to wait for someone to come home before she could go anywhere. It was torture, and she desperately wanted it to come to an end.
A Prisoner
While Angela might have gotten used to her environment, Garret on the other hand was able to move around freely. But that didn’t mean he still didn’t feel angry about everything that was going on.
He saw the sad look on his wife’s face every day before he left for work. She was like a prisoner in her own home. Something had to be done.
Weeks Went By
Weeks had gone by, and the claustrophobic feeling she had was only getting worse. Angela needed to do something to get herself out of that trap. She needed the freedom she once had.
It felt like her own home was suffocating her. And because of that, she started rolling through the halls of the building. Unfortunately, that only made matters worse.
Another Email
Angela tried complying by staying indoors, but roaming her halls presented a second problem that they didn’t appreciate. One morning, Angela got another email from them.
Anxiety flooded her system, what did they want from her? She opened the email while holding her breath. But it was just as bad as she thought it was going to be.
Continuous Harassment
The housing association hadn’t stopped harassing Angela, and now that she was moving up and down the halls, things were only getting worse.
She received letters from them daily stating that she was disrupting the peace. But she didn’t know what else to do. She could either be locked up, or she could move a little. She preferred the second option.
Couldn’t Take It
After a month of endless complaints and being cooped up in her home, Angela broke down. She simply couldn’t take it anymore.
She was done with the constant complaints. But mostly, she was fed up with having her freedom revoked because someone thought it was an eyesore. All she wanted was to put her ramp back. But would she get it?
Need To Get Out
The need to get out was gnawing at Angela like a starving dog. She was constantly anxious, and she could barely stay in one spot.
She had tried everything to get her mind off the situation she was in, and in the beginning, it worked. But that time came and went. Now getting out was all she could think about.
Going Mad
Angela felt like she was losing her mind. She had never felt this kind of anxiety in her life. She had never felt this type of urgency before, either.
The point had come for her to act. She could no longer deny that. But what could she do? Did she really have to face this problem head-on?
Neighborly Advice
Needing to break away for a little while, Angela went to go visit her next-door neighbor. She had known June since they moved in, and she knew that a chat with the older woman would break the tension.
Thankfully, she didn’t need a ramp to roll to her front door since they were on the same elevation. But she had no idea June knew more than she was letting on.
Something To Say
Angela sat down and thanked her for letting her visit. She had a cup of tea and they spoke about her recent troubles. June’s face then turned serious. She had something to say.
But June had something to say about Angela’s situation with the housing association, and it would change everything.
Fact Or Fiction?
June informed Angela that the association had no foot to stand on. There was no way they could get through with their request, especially not if Angela decided to take them to court.
That sparked something inside Angela, and she immediately called a lawyer to find out if there was any truth to June’s statement.
Getting A Number
Angela thanked her neighbor for the advice and went on her way. After getting home, her sullen expression had turned to a sinister smile. Maybe she was going to be the one harassing the HOA?
But first, she needed some help from a professional. She made a few calls and finally got the number she was looking for.
Professional Help
All of her friends she contacted recommended this man above all others. She dialed the number and got him. The lawyer picked up the phone, and Angela explained everything to him.
He seemed shocked at what was going on and started giving her all the options she had. It seemed like things were turning out for the better.
The Lawyer
The lawyer Angela spoke to told her that there was definitely some truth to her neighbor’s words. But her neighbor was missing some important points.
In the legal world, nothing worked without proof. And if Angela really wanted to punish them for what they had done, she’d have to strike them where it hurt the most.
Would He Do It?
After having a long talk over the phone, it sounded like it was a difficult case, but there was a chance that she could make it out of this mess. But then the question lingered on her mind, would he do it?
He was the best lawyer money could buy, but would he take on the case or wash his hands of it? She was about to find out.
It Would Be Tough
The lawyer, not knowing about everything that had happened, told Angela that he was willing to take on the case. But he also warned her that it would be a tough case.
They could go against the housing association for not catering to disabled people. At least, that was something they could prove. But it wouldn’t give Angela everything she wanted.
Not So Much
That was when Angela informed the lawyer that things wouldn’t be as tough as he thought they would be. She hadn’t told him the entire story just yet. In fact, she left out a crucial piece of information.
The lawyer was intrigued. He wanted nothing more than to know what the ace was that Angela had up her sleeve.
Evidence
When Angela went to the lawyer’s office the next day, she presented him with every single letter she had received from the housing association since this incident began.
The letters complaining about her ramp. The letters stating that she was causing a disturbance by moving up and down the halls. They were all there. And it was more than the lawyer needed to nail them.
The Nail In The Coffin
The lawyer was reading through everything, trying to figure out exactly how to bring the people responsible to justice. Then, a brilliant idea came to the lawyer.
He connected the dots and managed to find a way to fix everything. It was the final nail in the coffin that would make sure the HOA couldn’t do anything. It was discimination, plain as day.
Blatant Discrimination
After going through every single letter, the lawyer told Angela that their case was very strong. The letters alone proved that she was being discriminated against. And the best part was that they weren’t even trying to hide it.
They wanted her to know what they were doing. And that was what ultimately led to their downfall.
Heading To Court
The lawyer then told Angela that her neighbor was 100% right. There was no way the housing association could force her to remove her ramp, and they couldn’t force her to remain cooped up.
Now that Angela had all the information she needed, she took the housing association to court. And the judge wasn’t happy with the situation at all. But before she made her verdict, she decided to teach the association a little lesson.
Violations
So what had actually happened in this case? Well, as many people out there know, big corporations or agencies such as malls or, in this case, a housing association need to ensure their premises are accessible to disabled people.
That’s why they have ramps and disabled parking. If they didn’t, they would be violating certain acts.
Americans with Disabilities Act
One of the most important acts that the housing association violated was the Americans with Disabilities Act. This act prohibits the discrimination of people with disabilities in everyday activities.
And the housing association did discriminate against Angela by forcing her to remove her ramp. But what would happen to them? Would they get a slap on the wrist? Or would they get a harsher punishment?
Ultimate Revenge
The judge not only ordered the association to revoke the lien they placed on Angela’s property. She also ordered them to compensate her for all the suffering they had put her through.
And Angela would use that compensation to pull the ultimate act of revenge. She used it to buy the new President’s state-of-the-art apartment.