Ken Kalthoff

Gunfire Erupts Between Neighbors Over HOA Dues

One neighbor jailed for shooting another in dispute over HOA dues

One neighbor was in jail Monday, the other left a hospital after a shooting Sunday sparked by a long dispute over homeowners association dues.

The shooting occurred on Rawlins Drive, just inside the Pleasant Run Estates neighborhood, in Lancaster.

"My clients really, really feel that they've done everything to avoid this," said attorney Heath Harris, who represents the jailed neighbor.

Police charged Kenneth Haggerty, 59, with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, accused of shooting neighbor Belinda Tucker.

Tucker's husband is listed as the homeowners association president. Neighbors said Belinda Tucker runs a company called Professional Property Management Services that has been seeking to collect dues to the homeowners association, run by her husband.

Harris said it amounts to a conflict of interest.

"Those are the allegation these homeowners are making. More so, these homeowners believe they're being bullied into paying frivolous fines. And when they don't, they get liens against their homes," Harris said.

Harris and other neighbors who declined to be named on the record said the city of Lancaster created a Public Improvement District in 2016 that was to levy taxes to replace HOA dues.

Deputy Lancaster City Manager Rona Stringfellow said HOAs struggled to collect dues and the city council's vision was that the PID would be a more effective way to pay for neighborhood maintenance.

Stringfellow said city officials were unaware the Pleasant Run Estates HOA was operating.

"It is news to us that it was reactivated and that they were pursuing dues," Stringfellow said.

City officials declined to comment on the police investigation of Sunday's incident.

Tucker did not return messages left at her home and business Monday.

Neighbors said Haggerty blocked the street with his vehicle to confront Tucker, but that Tucker's husband fired a gun at Haggerty when the confrontation occurred.

Harris declined to discuss Sunday's incident, but said police seized video shot by neighbors that may shed more light on what happened.

The Pleasant Run Homeowners Association scheduled a meeting for Monday at 6 p.m. at the Church of Christ at Cedar Valley, 4013 Dallas Avenue in Lancaster.

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