FEE FOR NON MEMBER

I HAVE LIVED IN MY HOME IN UNINCORPORATED COOK COUNTY, Illinois FOR 22 YEARS. A few years a few new young home owners built in the area and decided for a HOA. I have never been a member, and they wrote me a letter now telling me that I am a member whether I want to be or not. They say that I was automatically voted in. I then wrote them a letter telling them that I cannot be a member because I am on a very low disability income. I have gotten a copy of the HOA by laws and there are no provisions for people on disability or social security or handicaped. They are now threatening me to do a Forcible Entry and Detainer on my home. These are single family homes on an acre of land. The assocation does no common maintainence

Richard,
You have received some good advise here.

Tell us more about the history of the emergence of this HOA that I would have to assume has some legal authority from the state. You can't just decide to be one, you have to be granted authority to be one.
I have great empathy for folks that are older and have disabilities and limited income. I am 79 and fit pretty close to your other descriptions, so you are cutting close to the bone here. Maybe I am just lucky but I have also experienced a little of the other side of this coin. Not that there are no folks out there that don't seem hell bent or grabbing what they can and somehow have convinced themselves they will never get old, or sick or infirm or poor, or alone, or feel unprotected; there certainly are those kind of people around.

But, off the top of my hat, my advice would be to know your enemy. Find out about these people, meet with them, discuss your situation, if it is indded a new association forming, talk about grandfathering in those folks that have lived there prior to this change. It could be you can benefit by getting under their umbrella. If they do no maintainence how much are the dues. Would this association help your property values? Single family home one one acre in a HOA could be more attractive, than the same lot on it's lonesome. I suspect you are posting at a point well into this process and maybe the door that would have exempted you from this has closed, I don't know. But you do have a legimate concern, you just need to punch the right button to get it resolved. Certainly you can go the court route, but at this late date (if it is) this might not be a wise choice and there can still be other ways, that will require negotiating and mediation. Again the advise you have received seems sound to me.

Have you been provided water, roads, beach privileges, etc - or any other service all these years?