ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- Residents of Lakewood Park Condos in Altamonte Springs called WESH 2 Investigates after getting the stunning news from their homeowners association of a nearly 100% hike in fees.

A Monday night meeting of the HOA was packed, with the overflow spilling outside, trying to listen on a conference call line as the Board was about to vote. “It’s ridiculous,” said Hannah Lucero, an owner who talked with WESH 2 Investigates. She said her HOA fee is set to nearly double, from $404.12 per month to $782.12. According to the fee schedule obtained by WESH 2 Investigates, every owner is facing a hike of 93.53%. There are six different condo sizes. If the fee hike is implemented, an owner of the smallest unit at 649 square feet will pay $712.93 per month. An owner of the largest unit, at 926 square feet, will pay $1,017.19 per month.

Lucero added, “It's shocking! It makes me mad. I just don't understand, how, if there was mismanagement of funds, I feel like they should have seen this coming, and I feel like now it's being put on residents for us to cover for their mistakes.”

WESH 2 Investigates also talked with renters who are worried the fee hike will either be passed on to them in higher leases, or owners might sell, forcing renters to move.

Renter Mario Catalfamo said, “So there's a lot of concerns. There are a lot of people here that may not be able to afford this increase, and it's going to be a struggle for a lot of people in this economy.”

People we talked with here say they understand that fees have to be assessed to, for example, maintain buildings. We saw the façade on one condo unit being replaced, old stairs being replaced, just some of the kinds of things that are paid for from HOA budgets.

Folks at Lakewood Park are not alone in facing fee increases. Insurance premiums, larger required reserves for repairs, and more frequent inspections are required, following the passage of a new Florida law in the wake of the Miami Surfside condo collapse in 2021.

Before the Lakewood Park Board voted 4-1 to approve the fee hike Monday night, frustrated owners who never got in the door, never got to weigh in with their opinions, were left disappointed and not knowing how long they may be able to continue to live in the complex, just south of the Altamonte Mall and State Road 436.

WESH 2 News reached out to Sentry Management, which runs the property for the HOA. We'll update our story when we hear back.