Maineville HOA Board Blocks Memorial Plaque for Drowned Child
The board cited consistency in shared spaces, prompting neighbors to question the rejection of a small plaque for 10-year-old Kamronbek Abdakimov.
By Ryan Davidson ·
A homeowners association in Maineville, Ohio, rejected a neighbor request to install a memorial plaque on a pond bench. The proposal sought to honor Kamronbek Abdakimov, a 10-year-old boy with autism who drowned in the community pond last month. The board denied the request this week, leaving a makeshift memorial of toys and flowers as the sole tribute.
Abdakimov, who was non-verbal, died in October in a pond located off Hammerwood Court. He would have turned 11 days before the board’s decision. After the tragedy, residents gathered at the water’s edge, leaving personal items and flowers to remember the boy. They then approached the HOA board to ask for permission to affix a small plaque with his name to an existing bench nearby.
In an email shared with residents, the community manager explained the board’s reasoning. The manager stated that the board declined the request to treat memorial proposals consistently across the community. The email noted that residents have experienced other tragic losses, and the board worried about establishing a precedent for individual memorials in shared areas.
Neighbors reacted with frustration to the rejection. Merrick Reynolds, a resident, described the decision as a complicated no when it could have been a simple yes. Reynolds said the incident shook the neighborhood and expressed pride in how residents supported the family despite language and cultural differences. "We’re all in this community, all live together, and all want to support each other however we can," Reynolds said.
Other residents used stronger terms to describe the board’s stance. One neighbor called the response despicable and callous. The neighbor added that the loss hit close to home because their own daughter is 11 years old. "Just can’t imagine what that family’s going through," the neighbor said.
As the plaque remains uninstalled, toys and flowers continue to pile up at the pond site. Neighbors are still paying their respects at the location. The HOA board has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the final decision.
The board’s email to residents emphasized the need for uniformity in how the community manages memorials in common areas. This stance has drawn attention to the process for recognizing individual losses in shared residential spaces.
