Resident Says HOA Misused Funds For Private Party

A homeowner claims that their HOA misused funds to pay for a private retirement party for their long-time manager. The HOA has yet to respond to the accusation.

HOA Misused Funds for Retirement Party

Maria Ray is a resident of The Old North State Club community in New London. This gated neighborhood is a vision of lush green spaces and beautiful homes. Ray is not all too pleased with the homeowners association’s recent action.

According to Ray, the HOA board held a retirement party for their property manager in December, but not everyone in the community was invited to attend. This comes off as very unfair because all the homeowners still had to pay for the party.

Ray believes that the HOA should not have used the homeowners’ money to fund the party if they were not going to be invited to come.

Issue Addressed?

The HOA released an Annual Meeting Q&A document and sent it to homeowners. The document also addressed the private party issue.

According to the Q&A, the retiring manager was the one who created the guest list. However, the board acknowledged how the entire situation made the association look bad. The document also noted that the party cost each household less than $8.

Despite the cost, though, Ray remains steadfast. She believes it is about principle and not money alone.

Filing a Complaint

Ray wanted to submit a complaint to a state agency that governs HOAs, but North Carolina does not have one. A state agency for HOAs, though, is something that many homeowners — Ray included — have been requesting for a while now.

Homeowners can make a difference by lobbying legislators to create more regulations for HOAs. One particular bill currently in consideration is House Bill 542, which would make it more difficult for HOAs to foreclose on homes.