Residents dispute Colorado HOA's $13,000 roof assessments, want more communication
Homeowners in one Colorado community say they were shocked to receive a bill for over $13,000 from their HOA. The HOA says it's for new roofs due to hail damage, but some homeowners say their homes aren't damaged and they paid for a roof replacement just five years ago.
In Castle Rock, the Castlewood Ranch Paired Owners Association comprises 218 homeowners. Because the paired homes share a wall, homeowners have HO-6 insurance policies, which typically cover walls, while the HOA has an external policy. The HOA board tells CBS Colorado their insurance requires that if a certain percentage of roofs are damaged, all 218 must be replaced.
In late May, Renee Griffith received a letter from her HOA.
"It said that we owed $13,240 and it was due in July," said Griffith.
The letter stated the money was part of a loss assessment related to hail damage. Every home in the association would need to pay the $13,000, which would go to the association's insurance deductible.
"I was shocked. It was a very high number. They didn't even look at our roofs," Griffith said.
Griffith and her neighbors felt blindsided.
"We don't know what all this money is going to cover," said homeowner Deanna G.
They say their roofs were all replaced in 2019.
"This will be my third roof in 10 years," Deanna said.
"I feel like I don't need a new roof. We're not having any leaks; we're not having any issues," Griffith said.
The letter states homeowners can submit the claim to their personal HO-6 insurance, but some neighbors say that, upon doing so, they were denied.
"A lot of the insurances are denying it because they want a breakdown per house or some are denying it because they won't pay for another area's deductible," said Deanna.
Homeowners say they've received little response from the HOA, but the HOA told CBS News Colorado it's held regular meetings and all residents are invited to attend.
"We just want communication. We want a special meeting so that they can explain things better to the homeowners," Griffith said.
That's why Griffith and her neighbors are collecting signatures asking for more details and more transparency.
"It's not that we're not going to pay, but we want a breakdown because $13,000 is a lot of money for someone to come up with," Deanna said.
They also want an oversight board made up of non-board members to be involved in the decision.
They've collected 30 signatures so far.
"We need 45, so we're going to have to do some door-knocking," Griffith said.
The president of the HOA's management company told CBS News Colorado homes had been appraised but couldn't confirm how many. He says they are waiting for more information from their insurance carrier and plan to update homeowners at the end of July. He also says they are pausing payments until they know more, so homeowners no longer have to pay the $13,000 by July 1.
See the full statement from the HOA here:
