Florida HOA hiked fees by 100% until one resident questioned where the 'Yes' votes came from
The resident claimed that the HOA failed to manage the proxy votes from those who were unable to attend the meeting
Deep in the heart of northeast Tallahassee, Florida, the 3000-acre suburban oasis of Killearn Lakes is dotted with mature, towering trees that guard a network of winding roads and a mosaic of lakes where people boat and fish. Killearn Lakes Plantation Homeowners’ Association (HOA) manages over 440 acres of green space, five lakes, and three community parks, ensuring the area maintains a consistent aesthetic and receives continual maintenance. Recently, however, the HOA became the subject of controversy after it proposed to increase its annual dues. On May 14, however, amid mixed reactions from residents to the proposed dues, the board postponed its fee increase until further notice.
100% increase in HOA dues
The plan was to raise the annual dues from $120 to $250 for regular homeowners and $268 for lakefront owners. In the letters the board sent to the homeowners, they mentioned that the increased dues would be used for enhanced code enforcement, lake and park maintenance, upkeep of the green space, control valves for the five lakes, and invisible repairs to dams and spillways. However, the proposal stirred a frenzy among the residents, and the Board of Directors said it is "deferred until further notice," according to the latest announcement.
'I do not trust them.'
One resident, in particular, said he has lost trust in the board. "I don't trust anything they do or say," homeowner Ted Phillips told WTXL ABC 27 News. "The whole board needs to go, and we need to replace them with honest people and put some people in there that are going to be transparent and are going to be frugal with our money," he added. Moreover, Phillips accused the board of mismanaging votes during a meeting and dishonestly managing the proxies on behalf of those unable to attend.
“I made an announcement and told everybody, ‘If you want to vote ‘no’ with your proxy, do not give it to these people. They're automatically counting every proxy they collect as a ‘yes’ vote... that's when the crowd got angry and loud," Phillips added.
Rising costs are valid, says HOA
Mark Reichert, the former board president who has lived in the area for 42 years, said inflation and limited revenue sources have forced the HOA to increase the dues. Otherwise, the last dues increase was in 2005, two decades ago, and since then, revenue has “remained flat.” He also said that the board can’t run an organization the size of a small city on a budget that has been flat for 21 years. “That's not sustainable, and you know, just since 2005, the consumer price increase has gone up 64%, so how have we managed over the years? We've cut services,” Reichert explained. He asserted that if the neighborhood falls apart, his property price will also decrease, which he doesn’t want.
In March 2026, Lending Tree published the results of a survey of 2,000 American residents, which found that rising HOA dues are not unusual. In fact, 82% reported an uptick in their HOA fees in the past three years. Among them, only 44% said the spike was significant. It means a majority (56%) of the homeowners, just like Phillips, felt the increased HOA fees were unfair. Similarly, another survey by Frontdoor (as cited by azcentral) found nearly 35% of American homeowners don't think the HOA fees are reasonable, and more than half (51%) reported a fee increase.
Controversy lingers
Meanwhile, the controversy over rising annual dues led the President to resign. Interim President Richard P. Massa Jr. addressed the issue and confessed that the board needs to accept its mistake and find a better way to communicate the notice to homeowners. He hopes the board will be able to regain homeowners’ trust through transparency and open dialogue. The next meeting regarding the issue will be held in June.
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