A communitywe introduced you to earlier this month, drowning in projected water system repair costs, are hopeful relief is coming soon.
I went back to Renaissance Townhomes to find out the latest.
According to a letter sent to residents from Colonial Property Management, the company over the HOA for this community, it states they received a quote for the total cost of a project to fix the community's water system.
The projected cost of the project is $1,367,168, but the HOA can't cover the cost, so homeowners have to.
Here's what residents said when I first visited the community to hear their concerns.
Here's a breakdown of the costs, according to the letter:
- The total cost per homeowner will be $16,879 in the form of a special assessment.
- This would have to be paid in four installments at $4,220 each.
- It states there will be a several-month period for people to plan out their finances, but all payments will have to be made within a four-month time period in order to schedule the project and complete it.
“I’m sorry; I can’t come up with that kind of money that fast without really going into my retirement savings," said 80-year-old Renaissance Townhomes resident Aldona Leskys.
However, relief could be on the horizon soon.
Residents tell me is an HOA board meeting this Thursday, April 17, at 6 p.m. at the Colonial Property Management location off of Eastern Avenue.
This meeting is for residents only, and many hope the entire Renaissance community comes out to support. I plan to be there.
Residents tell me the current board is expected to officially step down at this meeting, plus ballots are expected to go out for everyone to vote on a new board to step in. Some residents suggest this voting process will last 10 days.
Leskys hopes relief comes soon. She tells me she's lived in her home since 2005.
“When I moved here in 2005, the Homeowners Association was $86 a month; 20 years later, when that is all happening now, it’s $450 a month," Leskys said. “So everybody has been paying more and more, and we don’t know where it’s been going.”
Residents tell me crews are constantly fixing leaks, but more construction is still needed.
“It’s been like every couple of months there has been a major leak," Leskys said.
As for help with a fix, the City of Henderson tells me they do have legal limitations on being able to step in to help with the construction project. The community would have to be at risk of displacement, have obvious life-threatening hazards and be an emergency.
This was constant at Somerset Park. The city stepped in last year to fix that community's failing water system. Residents do have to pay the city back through individual tax liens on each property, but the problem was solved and at a cheaper price than the HOA first proposed.
I spoke with Somerset Park residents after the city's announcement to hear their thoughts.
Water was flowing down the streets of Somerset Park, sinkholes formed, and water was going to be shut off, making the units unlivable, before the city stepped in.
This is not the situation at Renaissance Townhomes, however, residents still believe it is an emergency situation.
AB10, the state bill aimed at lowering the requirement for local municipalities to step in for emergency water and sewer system repairs, received its first vote in the legislative session.
During an Assembly of Government Affairs Work Session on April 8, the bill was passed unanimously, which now sends it to the Assembly floor, then to the Senate before reaching the governor's office for a signature.
Anjali Patel breaks down some of the details of AB 10 and its potential impact on valley residents.
Leskys says as for now, she just hopes for help and more clarity soon.
“You know more information needs to be given other than the cost," Leskys said.
In the letter, there is no clear direction on the amount of time they have until payments would start if this quote is accepted, what happens if payments are not made by the deadline, who will do the work, when the project will start, what water shutoff cycle will occur, the sections they will focus on first, road closure information along with many other questions residents have.
I have reached out to Colonial Property Management for a statement on this community, they declined to comment.
It's also unclear if this quote will even be considered or if another one will be sought out for with a new HOA board.
Residents tell me they just hope the new board can come together to bring relief soon and offer alternative plans to keep more money in everyone's pockets.
