Got served for unpaid HOA fees

[franken55406]

My condo association served me via mail to appear in court on Sept 30 for unpaid condo fees from Feb. 2009 to May 2009. They are seeking payment including accelerated assessments for the remaining balance of 2009.

My condo association is worse than the CC. When I first moved in, the late fee for unpaid fees was $20 after 30 days, which I accepted They tightened it up last year to $50 if not paid by the 15th day each month and goes to automatic collection after 45 days including current month with additional 10% lawyer fee. Perfectly legal, but did not sign up for this. If not paid in full, Foreclosure would be next if I do not pay for full calendar year by Sept 30.

I have not paid my mortgage since March and most likely will move out in August. I will call Wells Fargo later this month to seek a financial settlement to move early.

Never again, will I be part of a HOA.

[albacore44]

I'd never live anywhere with an association. none of anyones business what color i paint my house or plant in my yard.

[franken55406]

Can you imagine that if you had a lot of equity in your unit and your financial circumstances changed, the HOA could liquidate your unit and keep the windfall.

If the HOA was flexible, like waiving the late fees, I would of been only two months behind. These $50 fees are counter productive and made me decide to stick it to them..

[Ifonly]

My HOA bills for the homes annually (meaning you pay ahead for the coming year). In February, I called them and asked if I could pay just the first quarter at that time and then see where I was when the second quarter rolled around. I explained that the house would eventually be foreclosed upon and that we were filing BK. I told them that I wished to be a "stand up" community member but I didn't want to (or have the resources to) pay the entire year, especially since I wouldn't be living there past May or June. Their answer was that I could pay any portion I wished but as long as there was a balance, they would charge me the $25/monthly late fee plus 17% interest.


I thought about that and said, "I have a better idea. Since you've been so cooperative, I'll pay nothing and include the entire debt in my CH13. Have a nice day."

HOA fees are generally a waste. Mine went from $800/annually to over $1,400/annually in less than 5 years. Meanwhile, there aren't enough dumpsters for your trash, the road is peppered with pot holes and the security gate is like playing a round of Where's Waldo with an Alzheimer's Patient. Never again.

[splinter]

I'm renting but where I live (Los Angeles County) the HOA fees are $300 a month for condo units. Last year it was going up to $340 a month, but we got a new HOA board and they said no. Apparently there was a lot of waste and it appears some skimming by the management company. But the current $300 a month is still a lot.

[franken55406]

I hear ya..

Last calendar year, the board assessed $435 in special asessements to cover the $1800 elavator contract because the Treasuer for got to pay for it and to get caught up on bills. The other board members discover that she was paying out vendor bills 30-90 days out. She did not think she was doing anything run.. Well she was trying to run the association on the cheap because she got married and purchased a house and did not want to price her unit out of the market with high HOA fees. Also, we owe the reserve fund $5000 in payments or 14 months worth because she did not think that she as a short tem owner and others hsould have to pay for it..What a moron..

The $435 could be paid in monthly installments that have to be paid by the 15 of each month or a $50 late fee would be assessed. I incurred $260 late fees on top of it last year..Screw this..

I can rent for half.. Condos are a scam..