JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville social media influencer says she’s being forced out of the home her late father left her after a homeowners association in an Oakleaf 55-and-older community sued to remove her from the neighborhood and proposed charging residents a $155,000 special assessment to help pay legal fees.
Bethany Michel, 28, inherited the home in Arbor Mill after her father, a disabled veteran, died in October 2023. Michel said she moved into the home in 2020 to care for her terminally ill father during the COVID-19 pandemic after restrictions at his assisted living facility made it difficult to provide his dialysis care.
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Now, nearly three years into a legal dispute with the homeowners association, Michel says the fight has become about more than just where she lives.
“I 100% am being forced out,” Michel told News4JAX. “They’re trying to rip my office away from me, too.”
Michel, who has built a large following by posting restaurant reviews on social media, recently used her platform to bring attention to the dispute before homeowners voted on a proposed special assessment. She said the HOA wants each of the community’s approximately 155 homeowners to contribute about $1,000 toward legal costs associated with enforcing the community’s age restrictions.
According to the community’s governing documents, every occupied home must include at least one resident who is 55 or older. The declaration also prohibits anyone under 19 from living in the community and allows the HOA board to grant hardship exceptions at its discretion if the community remains compliant with federal fair housing requirements. Homeowners are also required to notify the association of changes in occupancy after events such as a death or inheritance.
The community’s declaration states the neighborhood is intended to comply with the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, which allows qualifying communities to restrict residency based on age if at least one occupant in each home is 55 or older and the community meets other federal requirements.
Michel argues her circumstances are unique.
She said the home’s builder was aware her father intended to leave the home to her and assured the family she would be “grandfathered in” after his death. She said she has never seen documentation confirming that arrangement.
“My dad’s biggest concern was something would happen to him,” Michel said. “His dying wish was that this house would be left to his daughter.”
Less than three months after her father’s death, Michel said she received notice reminding her she no longer met the community’s age requirements and was asked to move.
The dispute has since evolved into litigation.
Michel said she has lost access to neighborhood amenities, including the pool, gym and clubhouse, while the lawsuit continues. She also questions whether homeowners on fixed incomes should be required to help finance the legal battle.
“I think a lot of people would rather me stay than have to pay $1,000,” she said.
The case also raises broader questions for families who inherit homes in age-restricted communities.
Although ownership of a home may transfer through inheritance, the community’s governing documents make clear that ownership does not automatically grant the right to occupy the property if age requirements are not met. The declaration specifically states that owners under 55 may own property but cannot live there unless the occupancy requirements are satisfied.
Michel said she hopes her case encourages other residents to think about what happens when a homeowner dies.
“Everyone here is one day, one breath, one year away from that question,” she said. “People need to think about what happens to their families.”
The HOA’s lawsuit remains pending and the association told News4JAX that it will not comment on it.