A Scottsdale homeowner has spoken out after her Homeowners Association (HOA) threatened her with daily fines of $250 for refusing to DNA test her dog's faeces. Jaclyn Taylor, 30, said she was pressured into complying with the scheme, which she described as a solution to a non-existent problem.
Taylor, a personal brand coach, said the HOA demanded all pet owners in her condominium complex submit their dogs for DNA testing to identify owners who fail to clean up after their pets. She told Daily Mail that despite explaining her dog does not use the shared grass areas, she was still forced to pay $150 for the test and have her dog swabbed in the HOA office.
'I have never once seen any dog poop left around our complex. So it felt like a totally made-up problem,' Taylor said. She added that neighbours reported her for walking her dog without the required green tag indicating compliance, and she felt singled out as the youngest homeowner in the complex.
Taylor also recounted 'creepy' behaviour from HOA officials, including one who peered through her windows. She said she had to send an email asking them to stop. Despite paying monthly HOA fees, her father was also barred from using the gym during a visit.
There are an estimated 365,000 HOAs in the United States, housing about 30 per cent of the population. Some residents face fines for minor infractions, and there have been calls to abolish such associations.
