A man bought his first house at 23 with Pokemon card money, and now he’s selling more to pay a fine he says is mostly made up

Carter Eck, a 26-year-old homeowner, is working to protect his home from an $11,000 fine issued by his homeowners association. Eck first purchased the property at age 23 after selling his childhood Pokemon card collection, and he is now selling more of that collection to cover the legal costs of the dispute.

As reported by Dexerto, Eck claims the vast majority of the $11,000 the association says he owes is not tied to his standard dues. He says only about $840 of the total consists of actual dues, with the remaining balance made up of various fines that accumulated over time. The homeowners association has not commented publicly on Eck’s claims, and its side of the dispute has not been made available.

Eck shared his experience on the r/FckHOA subreddit, describing the situation as a “full circle” moment given that he is once again selling cards to keep the same property he originally bought with them. Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify Eck’s account of the dispute, as much of it originates from his own subreddit posts.

North Carolina law requires a hearing before fines can be imposed

Eck says he has struggled to get clear information about his account, claiming the property management company was unable to assist him and instead directed him to contact their attorney, an instruction he says he has in writing. He also says he has received multiple fines with no notice or warning, leaving him little time to resolve issues before they escalated.

Under North Carolina law, which governs planned communities created on or after January 1, 1999, associations must provide written notice of an alleged violation and hold a hearing before a fine can be imposed. Homeowners are entitled to be heard and present evidence during that process, and fines issued without following these steps can be challenged legally.

The state also caps most fines at $100 per violation, with continuing violations allowed to accrue up to $100 per day starting five days after a hearing decision. North Carolina does not currently have a state-level regulator or ombudsman for HOA disputes, so homeowners generally rely on these statutory protections and the court system to resolve conflicts. Elsewhere in trending consumer stories this week, a Reese’s pricing complaint also drew attention after a shopper reacted to Halloween candy costs.

Unpaid assessments in North Carolina can lead to a lien on a property, and while the state generally permits non-judicial foreclosures for certain debts, liens made up solely of fines, fine interest, or related attorney fees require a judicial foreclosure process instead. That route allows a homeowner to contest the underlying fines in front of a judge rather than losing the property through a faster non-judicial sale.

Eck is preparing for a hearing scheduled for November 23, 2026, and says he believes the process is moving in the right direction despite the work still ahead. Amid a broader run of viral online stories this week, a Kentucky Buc-ee’s discovery also picked up traction after a shopper noticed a missing soda fountain flavor.

Lawmakers have proposed measures such as House Bill 444 to further tighten HOA fine rules and limit foreclosure circumstances, though the bill is not currently law.