What's Behind the $26,000 HOA Bill at a San Clemente Condo?

Owners at the 198-unit Vilamoura at Rancho San Clemente condominium complex in California have each been billed roughly $26,000 under a special assessment the homeowners association says is needed for emergency roof replacement, according to the New York Post, which cites reporting from ABC7 and the Los Angeles Times. Several residents are challenging both the cost and the HOA's decision to label the work an emergency, a classification that let the board impose the charge without a homeowner vote.

What did the HOA bill each owner?

The association set the per-unit assessment at more than $26,000, payable in one of three ways: a lump-sum payment, a two-installment split, or a payment plan that initially adds more than $2,000 a month to a resident's costs, the Post reported, citing ABC7. That is on top of regular HOA dues, which resident Megan Blanda, 42, said already run more than $500 a month, according to the Post.

Data box

• Special assessment per unit: more than $26,000
• Initial monthly payment-plan increase: more than $2,000
• Existing monthly HOA dues cited by one resident: more than $500
• Units in the complex: 198

Why does the assessment affect Beverly Albright, 81?

Albright, who lives on a fixed income, told the Los Angeles Times that her children have already helped her financially and that she is weighing whether to borrow money to cover the bill, according to the Post. "Retired, single, what, lose my house? I wouldn't qualify for a loan to refinance. So where do you go?" Albright told ABC7. She added that she expects to have to leave the home where she has lived for years: "I will have to move. I've worked very hard to make it so that I could be here," she told ABC7.

Why do residents dispute the emergency label?

Homeowners say the roofs were a known maintenance issue long before the board invoked emergency authority, which under association bylaws can bypass a homeowner vote. "It was not an emergency; it's deferred maintenance," homeowner Noah Martin told ABC7, according to the Post. "And so, then we as members should have a vote on how we want to take care of the roofs." Blanda made a similar argument to the Times: "They can't throw a $26,000 bill at us because the roof has been neglected all these years." Some residents also say the roofs are not currently leaking and are asking the association to solicit multiple competitive bids before moving forward with the project, per the Post's reporting.

What does the HOA say justifies the work?

The association's attorney, James R. McCormick, told the Los Angeles Times that an independent expert found deteriorated waterproofing and problems with the original tile installation, and warned that delaying replacement could lead to serious interior damage. The HOA's position, as relayed through McCormick, is that the roof work is necessary now to prevent that damage rather than optional deferred maintenance that could wait for a standard vote.

Timeline of the dispute

• Owners across the 198-unit complex receive notice of the special assessment for roof replacement, billed at more than $26,000 per unit.
• Residents are presented with payment options: a lump sum, a two-part split, or a monthly plan starting above $2,000 in additional costs.
• Homeowners including Noah Martin and Megan Blanda push back publicly, arguing the roof issues are long-known maintenance items that should require a vote rather than an emergency designation.
• The HOA's attorney, James R. McCormick, cites an independent expert's findings on deteriorated waterproofing and tile installation problems to defend the emergency classification.
• Albright and other residents on fixed incomes weigh borrowing money or selling as the payment deadlines approach.

What to watch

• Whether residents pursue a legal or procedural challenge to the HOA's emergency classification, which determines whether a homeowner vote is required.
• Whether the association agrees to seek additional competitive bids before finalizing the roofing contract.
• How many owners, including Albright, ultimately choose the lump-sum, split, or monthly payment plan — or decide to sell.
• Whether the independent expert's waterproofing findings are made public or disputed by an outside inspector hired by residents.

The dispute turns on a common flashpoint in condominium governance: HOA boards in many states can invoke emergency powers to impose large assessments without a membership vote when a licensed professional certifies an urgent safety or structural risk, while owners retain the right to challenge that certification through the association's internal process or in court. Neither side disputes that the roofs need attention eventually; the disagreement is over timing, cost control, and who gets a vote before the work begins.

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