Homeowners forced to fork out $1,4K HOA fee for luxury amenities that aren’t even in their neighborhood
North Carolina residents were left dumbfounded after they received a $1,400 homeowners association fee for luxury amenities that aren’t even within walking distance of their homes.
Braesael Management Company charged residents for off-site amenities such as a private pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse – all located about a mile away – whether they use them or not, a WCNC investigation revealed.
Stonebridge residents Katrina Riffle and her husband moved into their home last December, and were blindsided months later after they received a debt 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.’
The notice said the couple never paid a $1,000 initiation fee along with $39 monthly payments for the facilities.
‘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 Riffles moved into their Stonebridge home last December, and were blindsided months later after they received a debt notice demanding more than $1,300
Braesael Management Company charged residents for amenities such as a private pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse- all located about a mile away
The collections notice also warned the Riffles that were will be additional attorney’s fees and court costs if they didn’t immediately pay their balance.
Riffle also noted that the $1,000 fee was not disclosed to them and the luxury amenities were offered as ‘optional.’
‘The people living here [prior] didn’t know about it. The agent didn’t know about it,’ she told WCNC about the fee.
‘We moved in, and nobody ever contacted us about this $39 a month. We were never given an amenity key. We lived here for months. Y’all didn’t send us bills.’
Other residents are outraged about the fees – homeowner JR Tucker has combated the charges since he moved in 2020.
Tucker believes he shouldn’t be forced to pay – despite his protests, he said the company raised the monthly rate by another $3.
When he confronted Braesael Management about his concerns they said the HOA’s agreement allows them to collect the ‘dues.’
‘Failure to pay may result in a lien being placed on your property as set forth in your governing documents,’ a company representative told Tucker in an email earlier this year.
Katrina Riffle (pictured) explaining the initiation fee was not disclosed to her and her husband
JR Tucker (pictured) who bought his Stonebridge home in 2020, has combated the fees since 2020
The collections document that charges residents with the Stonebridge luxury amenities
The Stonebridge HOA pushed back on the claims, telling residents the notices were not sent by them or its management company.
True homes – the community builder that actually owns the luxury facilities – confirmed the charges should only apply to residents who actually utilize the amenities.
‘The facilities are privately owned and operated by True Homes,’ True Homes Senior Manager Chris Campbell said.
‘The Stonebridge associations do not own these facilities, and they do not currently charge the homeowners for the use of the facilities.’
‘An outside management company collects facility-use fees on True Homes’ behalf,’ he added.
Campbell added there was mix-up with the debt notices being ‘mistakenly’ sent to residents for ‘collection of unpaid facility fees through a homeowners’ association.’
He said the company is working on a solution, and directly apologized to the Riffles for the mistake in a phone call.
True homes said they are working diligently with the property management company ‘to ensure future correspondence clearly reflects the separate facility-fee structure.’
