Florida influencer inherits father's house, told to leave because she's 28; HOA asks neighbours to pay $155,000 legal bill

A Florida influencer, who inherited her father's house after his death, was told to vacate it since she is too young to live there. The 28-year-old influencer, Bethany Michel, said the Freedom at Arbor Mill 55-plus community also asked other residents of the 55-plus community to pay $155,000 to fight the legal case against her.

Due to Covid restrictions, Michel moved into the Arbor Mill home in 2020 to care for her terminally ill father. Her father, a disabled veteran, passed away in October 2023. Less than three months following her father's death, she received notice regarding her age noncompliance. Arbor Mill Homeowners Association (HOA) highlighted the distinction between ownership and occupancy and said that as per rules individuals younger than 55 to own property, but cannot live there. The HOA insisted that at least one occupant in each home must be 55 or older.

According to Michel, her father had signed an addendum that included an exemption to the community's age policy. However, it was not clear whether it allows Michel to live in the property or solely addresses her status as an owner.


In July 2026, the HOA voted to approve a special assessment of $155,000 to cover legal costs associated with their ongoing litigation against Michel. This translates to approximately $1,000 for each of the roughly 155 homes in the community. Notices sent to homeowners clarified that the $1,000 could either be paid in full by the end of August 2026 or added to regular monthly assessments for ten months starting August 1.

“There is a 55-plus community that is so eager to get rid of one of their non-55 residents, myself, that on Wednesday, in order to sue me out of my own home, they’re asking 155 residents on fixed incomes to do a mandatory $1,000 assessment,” she said in a video shared on Instagram.

As reported by The Sun, amid the court battle, Michel also lost access to the neighborhood’s pool, gym, and clubhouse.

What the law says about 55-plus age community

The federal Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) permits qualifying communities to impose age restrictions without violating the Fair Housing Act's familial status discrimination prohibitions. HOPA mandates that at least 80% of occupied units must have at least one occupant aged 55 or older, although communities can impose stricter rules, as seen in Arbor Mill’s governance, which requires at least one resident in every occupied home to be aged 55 or older.

There is no latest information available on the status of the case. But the dispute highlights an important issue for anyone buying a home in a 55+ community: inheriting the property does not necessarily mean there will be no restrictions on who can live there.