Man loses home over $580

TAMPA, Fla., June 2 (UPI) -- A Florida man who fell behind on dues to his homeowners association because of illness lost his house in foreclosure over a debt of $580.

Gregory Green said the board of directors of The Glen at River Ridge near Tampa showed little compassion when they voted to foreclose on his property, the Tampa Tribune reported Monday.

While Green's case appears extreme, attorneys say many Florida homeowners are losing their homes over a few hundred dollars in delinquent homeowner assessments.

Attorney Bob Tankel, who represents homeowner and condo associations, says he's advising his clients to foreclose quickly before the lender does.

Tankel says a homeowners association lien is considered inferior to a claim brought by a lender so if a bank files first, the association may not be able to collect.

"We're always in a race to the courthouse steps," Tankel says.

Based on his firm's caseload, Tankel estimates that the number of foreclosures by condo and homeowners association in Florida has increased tenfold in the past four years.