GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A Clay County nurse, who is fighting on the front lines against COVID-19, is now also battling her homeowners association.
She said she brought her family’s recreational vehicle into her driveway in case she needed to self-quarantine, but got threatened with up to $1,000 in fines.
Sarah Lynch, a clinical nurse coordinator for an area hospital group who lives in the Magnolia Point Golf and Country Club in Green Cove Springs, said the HOA board is being unfair to her current situation.
“We figured the HOA would be more lenient as the community is all pulling together,” Lynch said.
She thought it was a good idea to park her family’s RV in their circular driveway, just in case someone needed to isolate because of the new coronavirus.
Lynch is working from home, triaging calls and managing staff and patients, but said she anticipates being called into the hospital soon to help with coronavirus treatment.
Days after moving the motor home from a storage lot to her driveway, she and her husband, a Department of Defense employee who works at an area base, noticed a note from the Magnolia Point homeowners association taped to the camper. Lynch told News4Jax the note said she must remove the vehicle immediately or face hefty fines.
“They had a big argument, discussion via the board without speaking to us and decided that we needed to remove our RV or we would be charged $100 a day, up to $1,000, if we left it here,” Lynch said.
Lynch, who has a special needs daughter at home, said she felt it was unnecessary given the difficult times.
“The time will come when I will probably need to isolate myself,” she added.
The 34-foot RV was a great choice for her because it has a bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. But the HOA board deemed it a nuisance and the president refused to negotiate with her, Lynch said.
She said she wants leniency during a time when everyone is told to adapt.
“It didn’t seem they were concerned about our health concerns or our jobs as essential personnel,” she said.
News4Jax reached out to the homeowner association’s main number, the president and via email on its website for comment, but has not heard back.
Lynch said she is currently keeping her RV off-site at a storage facility to avoid fines.