Tackling the $78,000 in delinquent dues
Hello, we heard there are questions about the dues letters we recently mailed. Below is added context regarding the letters and why we sent them.
We previously sent several dues notices out through the website’s email notification. Out of concern that some of these emailed notices may have gotten stuck as email spam, and because of the number that are years past due, we decided to mail letters and give people plenty of time to take care of the delinquent dues before interest/fees start accruing.
As a result of the Board meeting on 15 April 2023, we shared the plan to start charging interest and administrative fees on 1 July 2023 if dues are still unpaid. As long as folks get their delinquent dues paid in the next two months, then they will not incur added expenses.
The Board regrets having to go this route, but per the By-Laws, we needed to take these actions to recoup $78,000 in delinquent dues from more than 100 property owners. This is a lot of money and is needed for budgetary requirements, so we are trying our best to get these past dues paid.
You probably also noticed that in the last few years, the Board has been emailing dues notices instead of mailing them. The previous Board paused on mailing dues notices because of the pandemic and to save money. While this made sense then, it has become apparent that we need to return to mailing dues notices in addition to sending the emails, so we will be doing that in the future as well.
We appreciate your patience with this evolving process. As always, please let the Board know if you have any questions or comments.
Thanks much,
Hilary Collins
AWPOA Secretary
9 Responses
Thank you, Hilary, and to all volunteers on the board. We were grateful for the letter as we simply overlooked the email and sometimes life gets in the way.
WOW! $78,000.00 from 100 delinquent lots? That ‘s almost 25% of the approximate 362 lots in the POA not paying dues. Maybe the $100.00 dues increase wouldn’t be necessary if those 100 lots were held accountable.
That is indeed a lot of money past due. Are there any legal remedies? It seems some owners are not worried about the consequences of non-payment.
It seems clear to me that the dues paying owners are heavily subsidizing the HOA services provided to the delinquent owners. It seems obvious that a smaller increase in HOA dues would be in order if the latter owners were paid up. That is just math. So if they continue to dodge their dues, the fully paid up owners will continue to subsidize them. Aren’t we all conservative Republicans here? This sounds like socialism!
Here’s a fact. I receive all notices from the forum if a new post is created. I receive all private emails sent to me from other owners who got my email from this site. I even sent a welcome email to the current president BEFORE he was president, welcoming him and asking to arrange a face-to-face because he’s actually my neighbor. He received it, and we exchanged several emails before we finally met.
The tone of the letter I received was completely unnecessary. You will need to forgive me if I seem angry, but I am. I’m easy to contact. Seriously. Give it a try.
Tom Craigo
Lot 320-321.
Hi All, from my understanding POA dues have been increasing since AW was first established. This is understandable based on inflation and additional needs required by the community. This may be a factor for some residents unable to pay the dues on time since like another resident mentioned life sometimes gets in the way. Additionally, technology while awesome isnt always the best means to get in contact and concur that urgent notices should prob mailed.
Would like to offer a suggestion for future consideration. Could residents opt into a payment plan to pay 2x per year or quarterly? Maybe this is something to consider for the in person board meeting in October.
Finally, would like to know if in the future the possibility of dues being reduced?
The smiley faces I added to my last comment on ‘socialism ‘ didn’t get through. No offense intended, just humor.
Hi Bern. In the near 15 years my wife and I have owned here, the dues only increased this year to $600 from 5.
I’m no real estate expert, or historian on AW. From observation, AW was subdivided and sold at the top of the market, before the market crash in roughly 2005, give or take. Original owners paid top dollar for lots, the market crashed, and people were stuck. My wife and I purchased our first lot as a foreclosure at around half price of original price.
I sort of think, total speculation, that any longtime delinquent dues are probably from folks who bought high, got stuck with the property underwater, and since they weren’t using the land decided they wouldn’t pay dues **.
**This is pure speculation. I have no evidence it’s true**
Thank you Ms. Collins! I appreciate you. Rose