'Apparently I No Longer Have A Home. They Sold It': Homeowner, Father Of Four, Has Green Valley Ranch Home Foreclosed By HOA
DENVER (CBS4) - Dozens of families in the Green Valley Ranch community of Denver have faced foreclosure at the hands of the Master Homeowners Association. According to the Denver Department of Housing Stability, the MHA was behind 50 of the 119 total HOA-related foreclosures in 2021. No other HOA in the entire city filed for more than five total foreclosures.
Gil Gonzalez Ramos is one of those who lost his home in a judicial foreclosure. Gonzales Ramos admits he failed to pay fines handed down by his HOA. However, he only expected a lien on his home. He never realized the HOA had legal power under Colorado law to push for a foreclosure.
"It is frustrating to deal with this, especially when I have to explain to my children what is going on," Gonzales Ramos told CBS4's Dillon Thomas.
"Apparently I no longer have a home. They sold it," said Ramos.
Gonzales Ramos said he purchased the house 17 years ago as affordable housing. He told CBS4 he has never missed a payment to Wells Fargo on his mortgage. However, he confessed he ignored fines he was being cited for property upkeep by his HOA.
"I am a father of four. When they decided to tell me I lost my home, that is when it hit," Gonzales Ramos said.
"I failed to do my yard in the allotted time, and the HOA decided to keep the $1,000 in earnest money," said Ramos.
Since then Gonzales Ramos said his property has been fined nearly $5,000 over the years for small infractions.
"From $50 for grass. From $50 for siding. From the trash can being out. Stuff like that. I failed to pay these fines. I hold myself accountable for that," Gonzales Ramos said.
"I didn't know I was going to get stuck with a judicial foreclosure through the HOA," Ramos added.
Gonzales Ramos claimed he asked Wells Fargo for assistance after learning the HOA was moving toward foreclosure. However, he alleges that Wells Fargo said they couldn't help him with the situation.
He said his home was sold to an investor and manager who proposed renting the home back to the Gonzales Ramos family. The family is still trying to find a way to stay in their home and maintain ownership.
Gonzales Ramos said he is one of many who have lost their home following foreclosure actions by Master Homeowners Association for Green Valley Ranch. He said he would find a way to cover his $5,000 in fines if it meant retaining his home. However, he fears it may be too late.
After 17 years of never missing a payment, Gonzales Ramos said he at minimum wants to get the equity he's paid out of the property.
"I've been in this home for 16 or 17 years. To think I lost all of that equity, it would be financially devastating," Gonzales Ramos said.
