I got hit with a $500 HOA surprise 3 months after closing

So I bought my first condo in Columbus back in February. I knew there were HOA fees but nobody mentioned a special assessment for roof repairs coming up. I got this letter saying I owed $500 on top of my monthly dues and I pretty much panicked. I learned you gotta ask about reserve funds and upcoming projects before you sign anything. Has anyone else had a surprise fee pop up way too fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice2691mo ago

Show them the HOA's last five years of meeting minutes before you ever make an offer.

williams.jenny1mo ago

Totally agree with @alice269, those minutes can hide all sorts of drama.

carter.laura1mo ago

Oh I saw a post on Nextdoor about this actually. Some lady bought a condo and then found out the HOA had been fighting with the builder for years over shoddy construction. All of it was buried in meeting minutes nobody read before closing. She ended up with a special assessment for like 15 grand to fix stuff. The minutes would have showed all the back and forth with the builder and the warnings from the board. Kinda makes you wonder how many people skip this step and regret it big time.