If you are one of the board members or perhaps a member of the management team for a homeowner’s association in Missouri, you know that there are some people who may not be as willing as others to abide by the rules of the HOA. When and if this happens, you may be faced with deciding how to proceed. One of the issues commonly experienced is the failure to pay HOA dues.
As explained by The Washington Post, one concern you should have is with setting precedence. If the HOA fails to take prompt action against one homeowner for not paying association dues, then another homeowner may feel less bound by the responsibility knowing that there may be no consequences. However, while your HOA may be legally allowed at some point to place a lien on a property if dues remain unpaid, this may not be your first course of action.
Quicken Loans notes that it may be customary for homeowners to first receive notifications of late or missed payments. An association may also opt to assess a late fee or penalty as well as interest on the amount still outstanding until it is paid. A clear process is best when it comes to handling payments of HOA dues.
If you would like to learn more about how to most effectively address the nonpayment of dues by owners of properties in a homeowners association, please feel free to visit the homeowner’s financial responsibilities page of our Missouri HOA and real estate law website.