Homeowners could be at risk financially in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The shooting happened Feb. 26 at the Retreat at Twin Lakes development in Sanford, Fla. George Zimmerman, who shot Martin, was the point man for the subdivision’s Neighborhood Watch. If he is charged with and convicted of killing Trayvon, the community’s homeowner association and property-management company will likely be sued by the victim’s family regarding the way the watch program was established and operated, said Donna Berger, a lawyer who specializes in homeowner-association law.
“They may wind up getting sued and getting hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and damages,” said Berger. “Who will pay is every member of the association, and they will have to make special assessments.().It’s a cautionary tale for other associations.” Located about six miles west of downtown Sanford, the 6-year-old Retreat at Twin Lakes contains about 200 two-story town homes.