Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Provo homeowners face a $2.8 million HOA fee increase for defective decks.
- Each homeowner, including those without decks, must pay $17,550 per unit.
- Developer Georgetown Development refuses to cover costs, citing compliance with building codes.
PROVO — People living in the Independence Avenue community are preparing for a big increase in their homeowners association fees to fix a slew of defective decks.
Each homeowner in the Provo neighborhood has to pay up — even if their house isn't part of the problem.
"I feel frustrated and upset," said Megan Miller, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 11 years. "I don't know how I'm going to pay it."
The $2.8 million increase will be used to fix decks across the community, which is located near Independence Avenue and 820 North. According to the HOA, the problem lies with support beams, which weren't built properly and let water inside, rotting the wood and putting the decks at risk of collapse.
The cost per unit is $17,550, the HOA said. Every homeowner — including Kumen Johnson, who doesn't have a deck — is required to pay, per the HOA rules and regulations.
"That is a huge amount of money," Johnson said. "To just conjure that out of nowhere, I don't know how I'm going to do that. I don't know how other homeowners are going to do that."
Johnson would like the original developer to help cover the costs. But Provo-based Georgetown Development has refused, writing in a letter to the HOA board that the decks met "all relevant building codes and standards at the time of development."
"Our ability to offer further assistance is constrained by legal and practical considerations," the developer added.
KSL requested an interview with Georgetown Development on Tuesday but did not hear back.
"It's easy to wash your hands and just say … this isn't my problem," Johnson said, "but there's also such a thing as goodwill."
Now homeowners face a choice: pay the entire cost up front, or over 15 years — but with interest.
"I've considered selling," Johnson said. "But I feel trapped."
Miller, who also doesn't have a deck on her home, feels the same way.
"Whether I sell or rent, I still have to pay that amount of money, and it's crazy," she said.
An Independence Avenue Owners Association representative did not respond to a message Tuesday seeking comment.
