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HOMEOWNERS are locked in a heated battle with their HOA after they were charged $25,000 per household over a safety issue.
The HOA has threatened steep, sweeping fees over eight “red-tagged” homes with rotting staircases, even for the residents who aren’t affected.
The property war began when city officials left red tags on the homes and deemed them unsafe, sparking the HOA to investigate.
The board conducted an independent assessment over the staircases, then charged the eight homeowners blistering $25,000 fines each.
The neighbors were stunned by the number, and some said they couldn’t afford to keep their homes if they had to pay the cost.
Now, the HOA and the residents are battling over who has to foot the bill, with the board threatening to charge a sweeping $4,000 fee to everyone in the neighborhood.
Resident Maria Rodriguez said she had no clue what the red tag even meant when she saw it slapped on her door.
“We were in shock, we were knocking at the doors of people who had red-tag,” resident Maria Rodriguez told local CBS affiliate KOVR.
However, city officials in Modesto, California, about two hours outside San Francisco, clarified the tags banned homeowners from using their own decks until they are fixed.
“The city was notified, actually, of the inspections of the properties which identified those eight balconies which were potentially unsafe,” city official Jessica Hill said.
Hill added, “We do recognize that there are significant improvements that do need to be made and have been delayed for an extended period of time.”
The Walnut Orchards Home Owners Association wants the cost to come out of the residents’ pockets.
When asked who should foot the $25,000 bills, Hill said that the city will keep a close eye on the situation and work directly with the property owners and HOA.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said that she and other residents are calling for the removal of the current HOA board members.
“They don’t respond to our calls and emails, we want other people on board who would be transparent,” Rodriguez added.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Common Interest, the HOA’s management company, for comment.
HOA crackdowns in the US
States across the country are working to restrict the power of HOAs.
- In Minnesota, lawmakers introduced a bill that would require HOA boards to create a schedule of fines and fees and distribute it to homeowners; ensure homeowners can contest an HOA fine; provide reasonable time to correct rule violations; and outlaw the practice of charging homeowners for asking questions.
- In Arizona, lawmakers are cracking down on HOA budgets. Under a newly proposed law, HOA boards would have strict guidelines for how they approve expenses.
- In Florida, a bill was passed that restricts the amount of control HOAs have over tenants’ property. It also stops HOAs from fining homeowners for leaving trash cans out and holiday lights up.
- In Atlanta, bipartisan bills were introduced to reign in overly aggressive HOAs to protect homeowners.
- In California, a new bill requires HOA elections to be monitored and the board to comply with certain homeowner requests.
- In Colorado, new HOA rules require greater transparency between HOA board members and tenants.
- And the Federal Fair Housing Act sets housing standards for all homeowners, tenants, and landlords.
But furious residents say these problems have been ignored for years.
They’re now calling the move a slap in the face, especially since many already shell out hefty monthly fees.
The complex has 160 units, and each owner currently pays more than $580 every month to the HOA.
If the special assessment is voted down by a majority of residents, the HOA has issued a stark warning.
They’ll increase monthly dues by 20% every year to cover repair costs.
That means by 2035, some homeowners could be paying more than $4,000 a month just in HOA fees.
HOA FEE HIKE
HOA fee hikes aren’t just riling up residents in California.
Across the country, homeowners are sounding the alarm over skyrocketing dues.
Back in March, a neighborhood in Maryland erupted after monthly HOA fees shot up to $845.
Residents were furious over the spike and slammed their HOA for imposing steep increases with little warning.
Over the past two years, fees there surged by 30 percent, with a 15 percent jump last year and another hike expected this year.
LaWanda Edwards, who’s lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said her fees jumped 31 percent, landing her with an $845 bill each month.
“I wasn’t surprised, just blindsided by how much it was going to be,” Edwards said.
She admitted she still loves the community but said that love comes at a price.
The HOA blamed the rising costs on House Bill 107, legislation introduced after the deadly Surfside condo collapse in Florida.
The law aims to prevent similar tragedies, but for many homeowners, it’s now sparking a financial crisis of its own.
