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Fence Dispute Leads to Deadly HOA Shooting

By Andrew Lu on September 11, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A former doctor in Kentucky has been charged with murder for killing one person and critically wounding another during a HOA shooting last week.

Fifty-five-year-old Mahmoud Yousef Hindi allegedly sat in on a HOA meeting at a church for a short while before pulling out a gun and firing. Hindi allegedly killed a former HOA president and critically wounded another, reports The Associated Press.

It's not entirely clear what sparked the HOA shooting, but Hindi has had a long-lasting feud with the HOA over a fence he had on his property and some believe this may have sparked the deadly violence.

Having a dispute with an HOA is not uncommon. Homeowners' associations have power over what is most personal to you -- your home -- and they may be able to tell you what you can and cannot do in your home. As a result, disputes over seemingly innocuous issues like a fence, sign, or even paint color can quickly turn violent.

Long before the HOA shooting, Mahmoud Yousef Hindi reportedly built a fence on his property that the HOA said did not meet its height or design requirements for the upscale neighborhood, reports the AP. The dispute over the fence escalated and involved the association's attorney and Hindi trading letters, threats, and accusations.

The HOA allegedly brought zoning violation charges against Hindi to the city, and Hindi responded with letters citing the Quran, the theory of creationism, the idea that America has gone to Communism, and threats to form his own homeowners association, reports the AP.

The fence dispute was never resolved and may have been the final stroke that led to the fatal HOA shooting. If Hindi truly had problems with the HOA as reported, he could have talked to a housing attorney and considered legal action. Instead, he's now charged with murder.

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