Does the neighborhood that you live in require a yearly fee? How much?

Yes. Actually we have to pay TWO HOA (Home Owners Association) fees. There is a "Master Community" which hosts a beach,a beachclub,lakes,boats,fishing,ducks etc. All residents in the Master Community can enjoy those ammenities. Within the Master Community there are subdivisions. Ours has a racquet club,a gym,a pool,a clubhouse and is guard gated. Only residents inside our subdivision can utilize those ammenities. So for a mere $2400 a year we have the best of both worlds. It's super beautiful. Love it. I actually prefer the stipulations. They keep our community pristine.

If you signed on to a Homeowners Association, yes they can put a lien on your property. Check the agreement you signed when you bought the house. Our HOA charges close to $600 per year, but it includes all kinds of amenities. We have several pools, a gym, sports fields, parks, and all kinds of activities for kids and adults. I don't mind paying so much because I feel that we really get our money's worth in return.

Our homeowners association gets $75 per quarter from each of the 123 homeowners in our development. This covers landscaping in common areas (areas not owned by any homeowner), upkeep of the 2 lakes in our development, upkeep of the fence around the protected preserve we have, cleaning of the preserve every so many years (required by the State), cleaning and upkeep on two canals that border our property (split with adjoining developments on each side), upkeep on our swales in the front of our yards near the street (required by the state and has to be re-certified every 5 years), electricity for street lights and sign lights at front of development, upkeep and repainting the entrance signs to our development, a reserve for repairing and redoing our roads (private roads...our responsibility), and many other things I can't even think of right now. They have the right under our by-laws to place a lien on a home if the owner doesn't pay the fees or if they continue to break the by-laws after being warned, and that's been done a few times. We finally have some very good neighbors on our board and our books are open to any homeowner who wants to see them. Our President works full time, yet he still finds time to send out emails to residents about things going on in between newsletters. We pay one of the residents $250 each month to keep the books and prepare and send out the bills and newsletters each quarter. Our fee also includes the cost of the supplies and stamps needed for those things. You need to demand an accounting...you're entitled to one. If they refuse or you're just unhappy with your present board, get together and vote them out. We had to do that some years ago, and today there are no complaints, just praise for a job well done.

I am very lucky, we do not have to pay a neighborhood or association fee. I know other ppl that do and are forever complaining because they pay the fee and they never see anything get fixed or maintained. To them it is just a waste of money each year to have pay it. I would think they would have to produce paperwork on where the money is actually going that you guys have to pay. Can't you do a free consultation with an attorney to see what they have to say about it?

I don't live in one now, but I used to. Our fees were around $250 a year but we usually had a few special assessments a year when we would vote to build something or change something and we would have to pay for that also if the vote passed. We all got quarterly newsletters that included a financial accounting of all money coming in and going out. While I was there the homeowner's association put two liens on people's houses, so I guess that can be done. And I know of several people who got assessed fines for not following one or more of the association's rules.

I have never heard of paying a fee to live somewhere. Do you live in a town or city? Don't you elect people to run for city counil? If you do you should find out who the person that repersents you and call them and ask them about this so called fee.

Well, we live in a Condo, and we have a monthly Condo fee, and I wish it was only $99 a yr. We pay $207 a month, and I have tried to find out why so much? They never do much around here for the $$ we are paying in, and now counting what our Payment for our Condo, then the taxes, and the Condo fee, we could Rent for a lot cheaper now. It is getting a shame that in the Seattle area now you have to have Great incomes in order to survive if you want to own.

When we owned our townhouse, We had to pay $217 a month to the homeowners Association.

No, We do not have to. But our land and property taxes are getting to be rediculous. They started to go up after we got the rest of the township and neighboring townships to fight putting a power plant in our marsh.... Lets see building Power plants and industrial plants on places where there has been no building at all makes no sense. They are buidling all these sub divisions all over the place that no one wants to move into or live in. Instead of doing that build these plants there, or in industrial parks that are crying for service. Industrial plants belong in Industrial parks, and instead of destroying farm land, or natural land, they need to start buying up old run down houses and buildings, and restoring them for these and other good uses instead.. .. I understand communines too if done right should divide the land bills, and water expenses among everyone.... and voted on... I guess it all depends on how the association or organization is ran. I know if I lived in a community like that. I would prefer it to be ran via consensus. - DNatureofDTrain

No we don't have to here I ahve never heard of neighborhood fees we pay yearly tax fees do you have them? I would be very upset did you know about these cost when you moved in. What do they do for this $99.00 a year?

When I bought my home I looked for a location that did not have an association. I don't think I need to pay even more just to keep up the retention pond that the county requires be there whether I want it or not. So, no, I don't pay anything.

We don't have a fee in our neighborhood, but my mother in law pays 50.00 a month. They don't clean it up much and there are always pine cones on the trails. This is a liability issue. I think that this is way over priced.

It is kind of a community fee for certain areas. We live in a housing addition in our city called The Shores. You are required to pay a monthly fee of $25 and as a member you can use the neighborhood swimming pool and tennis courts, and you have to follow regulations on building on to your house or whatever. I never saw much benefit in it as I never wanted to go sit in a crowded pool with 200 other people and don't play tennis. We've lived here for 26 years and even my husband couldn't think of a benefit to it. It was just a requirement for our area. And our area is not that rich or anything. Most homes are around $90,000 in value, but when we bought ours it was for less than $50 thousand back in 1980. Nowadays, that's not a luxurious home.

No way...I don't have anything like that here. What exactly is it? Is it like a townhouse community? I pay taxes local/State etc...do you pay this on top of that?

Well no we dont pay neighbourhood fees here in india yes we do pay house tax, maybe that is what you are talking about But then you should get a proper reciept if you are paying someone any kind of money if you think it is illegal you should prolly lodge a complaint

well, i don't have to pay a yearly fee here because i rent the house... so i don't know... may be the landlord pay for it...

Annual association dues = $75. If you even think about being late on your payment, they will slap a lien on your title. Nice!

We don't have to pay a anything like that here, I have never even heard of paying a neighborhood fee until just now. What kind of neighborhood do you live in? If they are not doing anything productive with the money then I wouldn't want to pay it either, especially if they are raising the cost. Maybe you and a group of neighbors could get together and speak to whoever is in charge , though maybe you already have at the meetings. When you moved into your home did you sign anything agreeing to pay these fees? Sorry if I'm not much help, the whole idea seems a little strange to me.

Wow, I didn't know people can get charge to live in a neighborhood. That's bizzare. Thankfully, we don't have that where I live.

I don't live in a private village or condo but we have security gaurd fees here. It sucks cause the gaurds ain't doin there jobs well. All our money just goes to waste.