HOMEOWNERS have been billed nearly $17,000 each by their HOA to pay for an issue – even though they didn’t cause any of the damage.
Residents fear they’ll have to work for decades to pay off the steep fines imposed by their board.
Debbie Grim said her HOA is charging nearly $17,000 per homeowner to fix a water issueCredit: KTNV
Her neighborhood has had flooding issues on the streetsCredit: KTNV
Lance Oslund said temporary fixes have been made over the yearsCredit: KTNV
The eye-watering fee stems from a failing water system under a gated community in Henderson, Nevada, 16 miles from Las Vegas.
Residents at Renaissance Townhomes say the problem has been building for years, but now they are being told they have to pay up.
A letter from their HOA board states the cost to replace 73 lateral waterlines is over $1.3 million.
That breaks down to $16,879 per home, with payments split into four $4,220 installments, reported ABC local affiliate KTNV.
The HOA says the money is needed to replace the aging pipes and stop worsening leaks underground.
But residents say they are stunned and can’t afford it.
“I’m certainly not,” said Debbie Grim, who’s lived there for 8 years.
“I was looking into a HELOC, which is basically telling me that I’m going to be working until I’m 85.”
Grim shared photos showing a gushing water leak outside her driveway shortly after she moved in.
She said it was practically a sinkhole and she almost drove into it.
Neighbor Lance Oslund said the ground is literally shifting under his feet.
“Five years ago, this was not like this. It’s sinking down in here somewhere,” he said.
Residents say temporary fixes have been made over the years but the full replacement was never tackled.
Now the HOA board says it doesn’t have enough in reserves to cover the cost so the bill is being passed on to homeowners.
That’s on top of a $450 monthly HOA fee, which Oslund says has jumped by $200 since he moved in five years ago.
Oslund said that landscaping has deteriorated, houses have not been painted, and other repairs have not been made.
The special assessment would only go into effect if approved by a majority homeowner vote, according to the March 28 letter.
Residents said the entire HOA board planned to step down at an April 17 meeting, leaving the future of the fee unclear.
Many of the homeowners are elderly or disabled and fear they simply won’t be able to cover the cost.
“We have people who’ve lived here 30 years and they were counting on this being their home,” Grim said.
Colonial Property Management didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.
The charge stems from a failing water system in Henderson, NevadaCredit: KTNV
The HOA board claims it doesn’t have enough in reserves to cover the cost so the bill is being passed onCredit: KTNVPUSH FOR BILL
A similar situation unfolded six miles away at Somerset Park, where leaking pipes and sinkholes put residents at risk of losing their homes.
In that case, the City of Henderson stepped in and helped repair the water system at a lower cost, now being repaid through a tax lien.
But officials say the Renaissance case doesn’t meet the same threshold.
“The City has limitations when it comes to intervening in matters related to private infrastructure,” Mayor Michelle Romero said in a statement.
Lawmakers are now working on bills that could help future communities avoid this kind of financial blow.
One, AB10, would allow local governments to intervene earlier in private utility failures.
State Senator Carrie Ann Buck is also backing three bills to improve HOA accountability and homeowner rights.
But even if passed, they likely won’t come soon enough for Renaissance Townhomes.
