A Goodyear, Arizona man, David Martin, has been recently hit with fines by his homeowner association for distributing free water bottles from a cooler in his driveway, a service he has provided for the past four years. According to 12 News, Martin began the initiative in May 2020 to be an asset to his community during the peak of the pandemic and has continued to do so, despite recently accruing fines for the act.
This May, Martin reportedly started to receive fines from FS Residential, the company managing Canyon Trails HOA. These fines began at $50 and have increased to $100 every subsequent month. Martin made it clear in his stance, stating to Moneywise, "It’s absolutely asinine, I don’t understand,” Martin told Arizona’s Family. “I don’t feel like I am doing anything wrong. … I think I am doing what we’re supposed to do, which is taking care of the people around us."
Despite the fines and the potential for them to continue to increase, Martin refuses to end his free water distribution. His neighborhood appears to support him, with neighbor Larry Marks, a frequent beneficiary of Martin's water, telling Moneywise, "I think it's fantastic." Marks visits the water stand a few times a month for himself and his dog and strongly disagrees with the HOA's penalizing actions.
The HOA has released an official statement, obtained by 12 News, stating, “The Association does not object to a resident providing free water bottles to the community; however, the community’s rules do not allow a resident to advertise water bottle distribution from a portable ice chest, located next to their garage that is visible from neighboring property.” The statement further explained that the addition of signage advertising the water distribution violated the community's rules. Martin's response to the fines and the HOA's stance has been unequivocal: "They won't be paid."
Martin has also indicated to his supporters who've offered to help with the fines that he would rather have donations of water or funds that can to go purchasing more water for the community. As the situation unfolds, David Martin's dispute with his HOA over his philanthropic gesture continues to draw both local and broader interest, with clear lines drawn between community service and community rules.
