HOA Nut House

Tom McNamara reports

Foreclosures and delinquent payments force Southwest side HOA to cut trash service, even after some residents fronted up to a year in advance dues.

"When's trash day?" Javier says, "Tomorrow." We ask, "What do you think it's going to look like up and down the street?" And, Javier responds, "Trash everywhere. Trash cans."

That's right. Wednesday was trash day at Tucson Mountain Village II, but no trucks came for all the garbage.

Instead, a letter came telling homeowners that their neighbors haven't paid more than $28,000 in back dues.

The HOA already owes Waste Management more than $11,000 dollars so they've cut off service.

Javier Castro says he's in a tough spot because he paid a year's worth of dues in advance. He says, "It makes me mad because I'm paying for a service I'm not getting now."

It's the same story for his neighbor. She tells us, "I have to pay them and now I have to also pay somebody else to take the trash now, and that's more bills, and who can afford bills now with the gas prices."

The Investigators talked with the attorney for the HOA, Tanis Duncan, who blames the mortgage crisis and foreclosures for this mess.

She says, "What's happened is because of the problems with the economy. The association has a high delinquency rate in delinquent assessments. About 40% of the homeowners are delinquent in their property assessments."

Duncan says the homeowners association isn't contractually obligated to provide trash service, and can only do it when they have the money.

It's only a small comfort as the trash builds up.

Javier adds, "That has nothing to do with me. I paid mine and I don't think that's fair."

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