|
Article Courtesy of Channe 6
News Orlando
By Erika Briguglio
Published October 23, 2026
|
WATCH VIDEO |
|
ORANGE COUNTY – Several homeowners are suing their homeowners association (HOA)
and its property management company over a communitywide roofing project they
say was approved improperly — and paid for before a public vote.
|
The Vistas at Phillips Commons is a
160-unit townhome community in the Dr. Phillips area.
Several months ago, homeowners were told they each had to
pay a more than $13,000 special assessment to fund the
roofing project.
Resident Kenneth Yuret, who has lived in his townhome for
nearly 20 years, said he does not believe his unit needs a
new roof and expected any replacement would be years away.
“Mine is in great condition,” he told News 6.
According to a meeting notice Yuret provided, if approved by
the board, the total amount of the special assessment to be
levied is approximately $2,105,237.34, resulting in an
assessment of $13,157.73 per unit.
|
|
|
The HOA board held what was described as a public meeting June 22 to discuss and
vote on the special assessment, the roofing project and the contractor.
“It was a large group of residents,” said Yuret. “It was 100 people there or
more.”
That night, the board voted on a contractor to do the work, but according to
Yuret, HOA records he requested tell a different story.
“I found this huge discrepancy in our financials,” he told News 6.
In a lawsuit filed in Orange County, Yuret and other homeowners allege the June
22 meeting was a “sham” — claiming those HOA records show a $232,000 deposit
check was issued to the contractor on June 10, 12 days before the public meeting
took place.
“This is the smoking gun,” Yuret said in reference to the check. “It was
shocking.”
The lawsuit alleges the HOA and Beacon Community Management Inc. violated
Florida law by executing a roofing contract and disbursing association funds
without a properly noticed, open board meeting and lawful vote.
Florida Statute 720.303 generally requires HOA board meetings to be open to
members and extends those requirements to committees or similar bodies when they
make the final decision regarding the expenditure of association funds. The law
also establishes notice requirements for meetings at which special assessments
will be considered.
Yuret said in his situation, rules for HOAs need to be enforced.
“I like HOAs, that’s why I moved here,” he said. “It’s a sense of security when
everything is in order, but when it falls in the wrong hands, that is when we
can have a problem and we do.”
Homeowners also allege in the lawsuit that the HOA board and Beacon Community
Management Inc. are under criminal investigation in a separate case for
financial irregularities and fraud.
Orlando police confirmed there is an active criminal investigation but declined
to provide details.
When contacted, the HOA board president referred questions to the association’s
attorney, who had not responded to our multiple requests for comment. Beacon
Community Management Inc. also did not respond to our call and email for
comment.
Yuret said he plans to keep fighting both the assessment and the project.
“I’m going to fight til the end,” he said. “I’m not going to let a company bully
me out of my own home.”
|