Lakeville Residents Voice Concerns About HOA Roof Repair; Board President Responds

Lakeville Residents Voice Concerns About HOA Roof Repair; Board President Responds

Glasswort Drive, in the Avonlea Townhome neighborhood in Lakeville, was busy with dozens of roofing crews Friday.

Jared Herndon wasn’t too happy about it.

“With it being rushed and without us having much input as residents, it seems a little fishy to me,” he says. “For a supposed hailstorm two years ago, that none of us have had any issues with since.”

Herndon is echoing concerns of his neighbors, each billed $17,000 for roof repairs at their townhomes.

All of a sudden, in the middle of last week, there was an impromptu meeting that was called,” he notes. “They said we’re going to replace the roofs, we’re starting on Friday, and here’s what you owe.”

One week ago, the townhome association sent a letter to residents, saying that after a settlement with their insurance company, estimated damages from a July 2023 wind/hailstorm would total $2.5 million.

The repair job would include full roof replacement for 26 buildings and partial replacement for six others.

The letter also says the cost would be divided among all 147 units in the association.

KSTP asked Association Board President Utilis Vinson if he sees why people are upset.

“No, I feel it’s the homeowners’ responsibility to ensure they have insurance and participate in the association,” he declared.

Several residents have previously told KSTP the board has not shared photos or documentation of damage, or information about the bidding process for repair crews.

“That’s possible, because that’s handled by the board,” Vinson says. “What the board has done is based on information we’ve received for our public adjuster, Gavnat, as well as First Service.”

First Service is the management company for the Avonlea Townhome Association.

One homeowner shared with us documents about the damage on the association’s online portal.

A timestamp shows they were newly uploaded on Friday.

The homeowner says in previous meetings, the board said they would provide a report that showed specific damage for each building, justifying the work.

Instead, a 12-page report released Friday shows close-up photos of an unidentified building, with a caption marked July 11, 2023.

“There are some gut-wrenching stories, it’s a huge impact for people,” declares Dan Wolter, a Lakeville City Council member who visited residents to hear their concerns. “It sounds like some of the transparency issues have been lacking a little bit, so it’s been a big surprise for people.”

But Vinson says the board has been transparent about the process.

“We’ve had between three and five different informational meetings concerning the roof,” he says. “We sent out several email blasts covering what was transpiring.”

Several homeowners say they have contacted the State Attorney General’s Office with complaints or have reached out to personal attorneys to discuss the situation.

Rep. Jeff Witte, R-Lakeville, came to the neighborhood Friday to hear what residents have to say.

“I’m worried that some people aren’t going to be able to pay that $17,000 bill if their insurance denies them,” he notes. “And some people could lose their homes.”

Witte says Minnesota lawmakers just approved a plan for a Commerce Department ombudsman to address those concerns.

The position will not have any legal authority in disputes, but will be able to mediate and offer advice to lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the re-roofing work continued throughout the day.

“Obviously, we can’t do anything to stop it, but we can work on ways to improve the process,” Witte says. “Figure out what is transparency, figure out a way to handle these things.”

Vinson says there will be an association meeting on June 23, where residents can discuss the situation.

Herndon says he just wants answers. “It doesn’t seem as if we have enough information to determine that all the roofs need to be replaced,” he declares. “But they’re choosing to replace them all. The email just basically says, under Minnesota law, we can do this, and you have to pay.”

SOURCE: abcKSTP.COM