Arizona Man Faces Repeated HOA Fines for Offering Free Cold Water to Neighbors — Now He’s Fighting Back
David Martin, a resident of the Canyon Trails community in Goodyear, Arizona, has been handing out free bottled water to neighbors from his driveway since 2020 — and the local homeowners association (HOA) hasn’t been happy about it.
Located just 20 miles west of downtown Phoenix and nestled between the Sierra Estrella and White Tank Mountains, Goodyear is a rapidly growing suburb where Martin and his wife began this simple act of kindness during the scorching summers of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal? To bring neighbors together and offer relief from the relentless Arizona heat.
“I thought, what better way to help the community than by offering cold water,” Martin shared with 12News in August 2024.
But instead of gratitude, Martin has faced repeated $100 fines from the HOA for his free water giveaway — a dispute that has now sparked a larger fight over community spirit and common sense.
Over the past year, tensions between Martin and the HOA have only intensified. What began as a $50 fine for leaving water bottles and storage containers visible from the street quickly escalated. Despite Martin’s ongoing goodwill, the fines doubled to $100 each—and kept coming.
Refusing to pay, Martin found himself slapped with $100 fines every month for three straight months due to what the HOA called “non-compliance.”
“Here we are in July, the hottest day of the year, and they’re still hassling me over a water cooler filled with free, cold water,” Martin said in disbelief. “It’s ridiculous. They keep piling on fines for something I’m doing to help my neighbors.”
The HOA clarified it has no objection to Martin handing out water. Their issue? The visible ice chest on his lawn, which they say violates community rules banning such displays. The HOA board issued a statement emphasizing that while kindness is welcome, visible advertising of giveaways is not allowed in the neighborhood.
Fed up with the relentless fines, Martin decided to take matters into his own hands — launching a petition to oust three HOA board members who opposed his water giveaway. His mission? To replace them with neighbors who support his community spirit.
“I’m not paying the fines, and the cooler isn’t going anywhere,” Martin told 12News, standing firm in his stance.
On July 10, a special meeting brought together Martin, two remaining board members, and around two dozen residents. The stakes were high.
When the ballots were counted, an overwhelming 190 out of 210 residents voted to remove the three board members — a decisive supermajority that the board itself acknowledged, according to the New York Post.
But the ousted board members fought back, challenging the legitimacy of Martin’s petition. They argued that he hadn’t collected enough valid signatures and held an emergency meeting to overturn the vote, citing improper notice and questioning whether 210 ballots met the quorum for a community of over 1,000 homes.
Unfazed, Martin shared a letter from FirstService Residential and their attorneys affirming that the vote was conducted in full compliance with state law. Now, he’s gearing up for a legal showdown — confident that justice is on his side.