High HOA Fees Continue To Plague La Bota Ranch

Residents are continuing to pay high HOA fees to a homeowners association in Laredo, TX, despite having won a lawsuit a year prior. Even after a lengthy legal battle, problems still seem to persist.

The Lawsuit That Started It All

Residents of La Bota Ranch filed a lawsuit against their homeowners association in 2017. This came after the HOA raised its fees by nearly 70%.

“If you don’t pay your dues, homeowner associations are one of the entities, other than government, that can foreclose on your home,” District 7 councilmember Vanessa Perez said at the time. “One of the issues for us was that they set the amount and they doubled it, or they tripled it, or whatever amount they tell you that you have to pay, without actually soliciting any feedback or including you in any kind of representation and then if you don’t pay, they’ll just start the lien procedure.”

In March of 2022, residents celebrated as jurors declared victory, and the ranch owners were ordered removed from the board. Despite the win, though, nothing has changed in the La Bota community.

An Attorney Brings New Hope

Neighbors have long complained about their board, who they described as self-serving. The residents look forward to changing nearly a year after winning the lawsuit. The association recently held a meeting to appoint a new attorney. This attorney, Attorney Derly Uribe, will be responsible for establishing new board members.

Residents feel hopeful that the new board will put the community’s best interests above their own. Because even after having won the case, they continue to pay their fees every month.

The association is now transitioning from the old board to the new one. And residents are anxious to see the state of the association’s finances during this time. They just hope the Muller Family or any of their relatives make it on the new board.