TX: Homeowners in El Paso blindsided by unexpected HOA fees

By Harrison (Source: KFOX14/CBS4)

EL PASO, Texas — Residents of the Paseo del Este housing development in far east El Paso are expressing frustration after discovering they are part of a homeowner’s association (HOA) they claim they were not informed about.

Briana Quinonez, who purchased her home in 2023, said, “We don’t know anything about this is the first ever letter in the past two years that we’ve gotten it, because we got it in early August, so at that point, we’re already two years in.”

Deborah Venegas, another resident who bought her home the same year, shared a similar experience. “We had asked on four different occasions. We had asked are we in a HOA zone the builder told us no. The mortgage company also stated we were not the title company stated that we were not,” she said.

Both women reported that they only became aware of the HOA’s existence when they received bills in 2025. Quinonez recounted, “Our very first introduction was when they sent someone with a certified letter with a citation for our trash can,” followed by a bill of over $2,200.

Documents provided by the homeowners either explicitly state or fail to mention an HOA. Venegas’ closing contract does not mention an HOA, while Quinonez received conflicting information from PNC Bank and Hunt Companies, the developer.

In response to the residents’ concerns, Hunt Companies stated, “After reviewing resident concerns with FirstService Residential the HOA is reducing assessments for 2025 and waiving late and delinquency charges for residents through March 1, 2026, when the pool and amenity center are expected to open. Any fines from 2025 will also be waived.”

First Residential, the company managing the HOA, did not respond in time for this report.