[wingercom4th]

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I just bought a house in an HOA development and I am being charged “move in fees” which were not revealed to me at closing. I asked the previous owner of the home and he concluded that the fees were new since he had not paid them when he first bought the home some 10 years ago. Can my HOA do this?? It is not a lot of money but I feel that the principle of the thing is important. I was not made aware of the fees in the first place.

[jacobfp]

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Move-in fees are pretty common among property owners’ associations and condominiums. Some people call them transfer fees. If your association didn’t charge them a decade ago, then something must have happened during those 10 years that caused them to implement the fee. Try sifting through the HOA documents you received at closing. There should be an amendment in the bylaws or declaration imposing the fee. The seller must not have been very active in the community for him not to know about this.

[timothadeus]

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If you don’t mind me asking OP how much is the move in fee?

[wingercom4th]

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About $250.

[timothadeus]

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$250 ain’t that bad for a move in fee if you ask me
I’ve seen many other HOA’s that charge $500 and up
I would just pay the fee if I were you

[wingercom4th]

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I never said I wouldn’t pay the fee. I’m just a little frustrated that it was never revealed to me that there was a move in fee in the first place.

[bluebeard1]

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A transfer fee does serve a purpose. Perhaps your HOA found that it was incurring costs every time someone new moved into the community so they decided to charge a fee. This usually covers things like printing and mailing costs for the declaration and bylaws, handbooks, etc. I understand you’re mad OP, but the fee is necessary. Someone somewhere just made a mistake about not letting you know before you purchased the home. Just be glad it’s only a one-time fee and that your HOA doesn’t charge an exorbitant amount like many others.

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