A NEIGHBORHOOD in Maryland is in uproar as homeowners association fees have skyrocketed to a whopping $845.

Residents have blasted their HOA for imposing the massive hikes, but a little-known law means the fines are staying for good.

Residents in Maryland are in uproar after homeowners association fees skyrocketed to $845Credit: WMAR

The HOA fee hikes were imposed at the Park View subdivision in Baltimore CountyCredit: WMAR

The hikes are tied to a bill that allows the HOA to charge for necessary upkeepCredit: WMAR

For 36 years, Dorthea Stierhoff has lived in the community, but now, with the new fees, it no longer feels like home.

Over the past two years, her fees have surged by 30 percent, with a 15 percent hike being imposed last year and another expected increase of the same amount incoming this year.

“I never anticipated such a jump,” Stierhoff told ABC local affiliate WMAR.

LaWanda Edwards, a 25-year resident, saw her HOA fees jump 31 percent, and now she’s shelling out $845.

“I wasn’t surprised, just blindsided by how much it was going to be,” Edwards said.

She stressed that she loved her neighborhood, but the beauty comes at a steep cost.

“It’s a beautiful place, but it comes at a price,” Edwards said.

The HOA fee hikes are tied to House Bill 107, which was introduced after the deadly Surfside condo collapse in Florida.

More than three years after the deadly Surfside condo collapse, the impact is still being felt across Florida.

In 2023, federal investigators released a report pointing to major construction flaws on the building’s pool deck as a key factor in the disaster that 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed 98 people. The findings reinforced the need for stronger oversight of condo maintenance and structural integrity.

That report helped drive the strict new state laws now reshaping condo living in Florida.

With mandatory inspections and reserve funds for repairs, many associations have been forced to sharply increase HOA fees, leaving residents struggling to keep up with the cost of safety.

To meet these rules, many associations have sharply increased fees to catch up.

These changes followed the 2021 Surfside condo collapse, which tragically claimed 98 lives.

Edwards and Stierhoff agree that reserve funds are important, but they think the increases are too high and too fast.

“A little more incrementally, so it doesn’t hurt people,” Stierhoff suggested.

“Maybe a little more staggered over time,” Edwards said, advocating for a more gradual approach.

Residents are now hoping a bill under review in the Maryland Senate will provide some relief.

The bill proposes spreading out these financial burdens over several years, easing the pain for homeowners.

The community is now in a waiting game, hoping for a solution that ensures future upkeep without leaving homeowners financially strained.

Coldspring community association didn’t immediately respond to the request for a comment by The U.S. Sun.

The bill requires associations to set aside funds for future maintenance and repairsCredit: WMAR