An Arizona man has been fined after handing out water for free amid the scorching heat, which has not been taken too well by the Homeowners Association.
David Martin has reportedly been fined $100 for giving away cold water bottles to neighbors, which has led him to take action against his Homeowners Association (HOA).
Martin has been providing water in his driveway for the past five years, but the Canyon Trails HOA has not taken too kindly to the generous act.
He began doing so in 2020 and first started giving cold water to anyone walking by his home, so that he could unite his community during the hot summer months.
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“It’s for the kids, the delivery drivers, the couple holding hands walking down the street,” Martin told KPHO on July 9. “It’s for the little kid who has to walk his dog in the heat.”
The idea started when he and his wife were stuck at home (like all of us) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I figured, what better way to be an asset to the community than cold water,” Martin said in a 2024 interview.
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However, only last year did the HOA and its management company, FS Residential, take action and fined Martin $50 for storing the items in plain sight.
Because he refused to pay up, he was additionally fined $100 for non-compliance three months in a row.
“Here we are in July, the hottest day of the year, and we are still talking about a water cooler with free cold water,” said Martin. “It’s ridiculous that they are adding violations to a total that’s not going to get paid because I’m giving out free water.”
However, the HOA claimed that it doesn’t take issue with Martin handing out water, but the fact that he is advertising the free water on his lawn.
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“The Association does not object to a resident providing water bottles within the community; however, the community’s rules do not allow a resident to advertise water bottle distribution from a portable ice chest, located next to their garage that is visible from neighboring property,” the board said in a statement to the publication.
So, to combat this, Martin started a petition in his neighborhood with the aim to get 100 signatures so that he could remove three of the board members from their seats at the HOA.
To this, Martin said he hopes that three new members will be elected, and they will ‘see that wasting time and money on a water cooler that’s helping the community is just that, a waste’.
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“I stand firm on the fact that I’m not paying the fines. The cooler is not going anywhere, and I’ll fight it,” he told 12News.
On July 10, a special meeting was held, and around 24 people showed up - including two board members not targeted by the petition.
In the end, 190 out of 210 ballots voted for the removal of the three members, and the board took action the following day. However, they then questioned the legality of the petition, stating that Martin didn’t get enough signatures, as per 12News.
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The board then held an emergency meeting, stating that there wasn’t a 24-hour notice for the meeting, and also questioned whether the 210 votes were enough to speak for an entire community of over a thousand homes.
Martin shared a notice from FirstService Residential and its attorneys, which then validated the voting as per state law, telling the outlet: “It’s not just about water, it’s about the community as a whole.”
Do you think he should be able to give out free water?
Britt Jones