In Union County, North Carolina, Breasael Management is embroiled in a dispute with True Homes over HOA fees that do not correspond to them. Residents of The Bluffs at Stonebridge, including Katrina Riffle and JR Tucker, have brought the case to WCNC. William Douglas Property Management. The case has sparked debate about housing and the U.S. Fair Housing Act.
What happened to these residents
The peculiar situation has left residents blindsided after receiving debt notices for facilities nowhere close to their homes. In Union County, North Carolina, Braesael Management Company has been demanding payments from residents even though their HOA doesn’t belong the amenities in question.
Homeowners in the Mineral Springs zone explain they have been charged hundreds for use of a private pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse – all situated a mile away in the Stonebridge community, NBC affiliate WCNC reported.
All started when Katrina Riffle and her husband moved into their home in the Bluffs at Stonebridge last December. Months later, they were stunned to get an “important” notice demanding more than $1,300.
“We’re not really in a position for stupid financial surprises,” Riffle told WCNC. “We’re not in a position to pay $1,400.”
What the notice was about
The notice accused them of not paying a $1,000 initiation fee and $39 monthly payments for amenities they never got, and never agreed to.
“They’re kind of pushing us into a corner. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, these people are crazy. We don’t want the pool!’”
The document warninformed ed that failure to pay was able to lead to attorney’s fees and court costs, all for a facility not mentioned. Riffle said no one, not the sellers, their agent, or the HOA, ever explained any “mandatory” payment.
In addition, they were never given an amenity key and also, they lived here for months. They all didn’t send to them bills. What makes it worse is that the HOA doesn’t own those skills.
The owner is True Homes, one of the community’s constructors. Another homeowner, JR Tucker, said he’s battled the same charges since 2020.
“HOA’s covenants allow the company to collect the fees,”
Tucker explained that Braesael Management told him the HOA’s covenants permit the company to gwt the fees, warning that refusal could lead to a lien on his property. However, the Stonebridge HOA do not accept this situation. In a message to residents, the board exposed those notices were not sent by the HOA or its management company, William Douglas Property Management. In addition, True homes confirmed the fees might only apply to people who truly use the pool or clubhouse.
“The facilities are privately owned and operated by True Homes,” Senior Manager and Corporate Counsel Chris Campbell said.
Campbell recognized that letters proposing debt collection through the HOA were sent “wrongly” and said the company is fixing the problem. He later called the Riffles directly to apologize for the issue and promised to explain the policy for all homeowners in the next weeks. True Homes said it is currently working with the management company to make sure future correspondence clearly separates optional facility fees from HOA dues.
HOA crackdowns in the US
States all along the country are working to restrict the power of HOAs. Here is a list of them:
- In Minnesota, lawmakers presented a bill that would need HOA boards to create a time table of fines and fees and distribute it to homeowners.
- In Arizona, lawmakers are cracking down on HOA budgets. Under a recently presented law, HOA boards might have strict guidelines for how they approve expenses.
- In Florida, a bill was passed that restricts the quantity of control HOAs have over tenants’ property.
- In Atlanta, bipartisan bills were included to reign in overly aggressive HOAs to protect homeowners.