David Martin, a resident of Goodyear, Arizona, has been providing free cold water bottles to his neighbors for the past five years. However, his act of kindness has led to a series of fines from his homeowners association (HOA) in the Canyon Trails community, prompting him to take action against the association.
Martin’s initiative began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He wanted to foster a sense of unity and community during the challenging summer months, so he started offering cold water to anyone passing by his home. His gesture was aimed at everyone, from children walking their dogs in the heat to delivery drivers and couples strolling down the street.
However, in 2024, Martin’s relationship with the HOA and its management company, FS Residential, began to sour. He was fined $50 for storing the water bottles in a visible location. Martin refused to pay the fine, leading to additional $100 fines for non-compliance over the next three months.
Despite the fines, Martin remained steadfast in his commitment to providing free water to his community. He criticized the HOA for focusing on his water cooler instead of appreciating its value to the community. The HOA clarified that while they had no issue with Martin distributing water, they objected to him advertising the initiative from a cooler visible from neighboring properties.
In response to the fines, Martin devised a plan to change the HOA board. He circulated a petition in his neighborhood, aiming to gather 100 signatures to remove three board members. Martin hoped that new board members would recognize the value of his water cooler initiative and stop wasting resources on fining him.
On July 10, a special meeting was held, attended by two board members not targeted by the petition, Martin, and about 24 other people. Out of 210 ballots, 190 voted for the removal of the three board members. However, the board questioned the legality of the vote, claiming that Martin had not gathered enough signatures and that there was not a 24-hour notice for the meeting.
Despite the board’s attempts to invalidate the vote, Martin received a notice from FirstService Residential and its attorneys validating the voting process under state law. Martin is now preparing for a legal battle, determined to win not just for his water cooler initiative, but for the community as a whole.