Unit owners of a condominium in North Carolina are stuck paying HOA fees even though their building was destroyed by fire more than a year ago. Unsurprisingly, the owners are frustrated.
Owners Stuck Paying HOA Fees in NC
A group of condo owners on Lawndale Drive has been stuck paying HOA fees despite their building being destroyed in a fire in March 2023. Among the owners, Todd and Kim Trifari’s son, Thomas, lost everything in the fire, from furniture to personal collectibles.
Since then, the rebuilding process has been painfully slow. Right now, only a concrete slab marks where the building once stood.
The Trifari family was initially told the rebuilding would take 18 months. However, as that timeline has passed, there is still no sign of a new building. Delays have been caused by the need for special inspections, with the city awaiting responses from the construction applicant.
To make matters worse, condo owners like Thomas have continued to pay thousands of dollars in HOA fees, even though they have no home to return to. The HOA board indicated no clause in the governing documents allowing for suspending these payments, even when units are unusable.
This situation has left many owners frustrated. They feel caught in a back-and-forth between the HOA, the city, and the insurance company.
After waiting so long, Thomas is reconsidering whether he even wants to move back once the building is reconstructed. Meanwhile, the family urges the parties involved to expedite the process and provide some relief for those affected.
