Homeowners at a California condominium complex have been presented with a bill of more than $26,000 each to fund a roof replacement project costing over $5 million, prompting residents to challenge the homeowners’ association and warn that some could be forced from their homes.
The emergency assessment affects all 198 properties at Villa Moura in San Clemente, Orange County. Residents say the demand arrived with little warning and has placed an immediate financial strain on homeowners, including retirees and people living on fixed incomes. ([abc7.com](https://abc7.com/post/san-clemente-condo-owners-stunned-sudden-26000-hoa-fee-emergency-roof-assessment/19754573/))
Beverly Albright, an 81-year-old resident, said she feared she would no longer be able to remain in the property she had worked hard to secure.
“I will have to move,” she told ABC7 Los Angeles. “And this was my… I’ve worked very hard to make it so that I could be here.”
Residents said they had been offered three ways to settle the charge: paying the full amount, dividing it into two instalments, or adding more than $2,000 to their monthly payments for six months, followed by an additional $400 a month.
They also claim they were warned that liens could be placed on properties if the assessment was not paid. One homeowner said the board had suggested residents take out loans, use the equity in their homes or draw on retirement savings to cover the cost. ([abc7.com](https://abc7.com/post/san-clemente-condo-owners-stunned-sudden-26000-hoa-fee-emergency-roof-assessment/19754573/))
Homeowners challenge Villa Moura roof assessment
The dispute centres on whether the work should have been classified as an emergency, allowing the board to impose the charge without a vote by residents. Noah Martin, a Villa Moura homeowner, said the problem amounted to deferred maintenance rather than an immediate danger.
“Clearly, it was not an emergency; it’s a deferred maintenance,” he said, arguing that members should have been allowed to vote on how the roofs were dealt with.
Residents further claim that the tile roofs are not leaking and that the project may require replacement of the underlying material rather than all of the tiles. They are seeking competing bids and questioning whether the proposed work represents the best value for homeowners.
Some residents are attempting to recall members of the HOA board and have filed a claim alleging that the assessment was imposed unlawfully. They are also considering legal action against the association.
Michael Kushner, an attorney and homeowners’ association specialist who is not involved in the dispute, said owners generally remain responsible for paying a special assessment while challenging it. “Homeowners have to pay those, even if they’re completely illegal. They have to pay them and then dispute them,” he said.
The HOA board declined to comment to ABC7, citing ongoing legal matters. Residents have also set up a fundraising page for neighbours who say they cannot afford the charge. ([abc7.com](https://abc7.com/post/san-clemente-condo-owners-stunned-sudden-26000-hoa-fee-emergency-roof-assessment/19754573/))
