Charlotte HOA failing to fix massive hole in parking lot

"Huge hole in parking lot"

Charlotte HOA failing to fix massive hole in parking lot

Residents question management company employees convicted of financial crimes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (HERE News) – Townhome owners in a University City neighborhood are questioning why their HOA can’t afford to fix a massive hole in their parking lot that’s only grown larger in the two years since it first formed. WBTV’s investigation revealed that the management company hired by the Homeowner’s Association has a history of hiring employees convicted of financial crimes.

Residents at the Village at Mill Creek called WBTV after fighting to get the hole fixed but not getting any results. The townhome owners have seen their monthly assessments increase by over $50 per month since 2020.

“The rates keep going up from the homeowners, but the services seem to be stagnant or disappearing,” Cyril Dosato told WBTV.

Dosato and his wife can’t even use the parking spaces outside of their townhome because Mother Nature has taken over the parking lot crater. Bushes and tree stems are growing out of the cracked asphalt that extends across the lot’s entire bottom. Records provided by the townhome owners show the first repair ticket submitted for the hole was filed in 2022. Neighbors say it has only grown larger since then, thanks to various leaks in the water pipes beneath the surface.

Residents Demand Action

“They keep dropping the ball and telling us that they don’t have the money to fix the sinkholes, the craters,” Carolyn Green told WBTV.

An attorney communicating on behalf of The Village at Mill Creek Townhomes Association wrote in an email that “The repairs to Calpella Court are being pursued as quickly as Association funds allow” and “members tend not to support large increases in assessments, even when there are substantial repairs that need to be made.”

Records show that the residents have received repair requests from vendors but have no permanent solution. The attorney wrote, “Following damage and a leak in 2022 the Board obtained inspection by an engineer who advised on next steps. The Board will undertake all necessary work as soon as it can collect adequate assessments from the membership.”

Residents WBTV spoke to claim it’s taken too long and they haven’t been given any estimate as to how much it would cost in the first place. The HOA is claiming they will need to take out a loan to afford the repairs. Residents have only been given simplified budgets and expense sheets even though they have asked for a more detailed financial accounting of expenses from vendors and other ways their money is being spent.

Investigation into HOA Company

An attorney for The Village at Mill Creek Townhomes Association wrote in an email, “Owners are not entitled to review every record of the Association. For example, owners have no right to review individual bank statements, invoices or receipts.”

WBTV’s research into the HOA raised new questions about the company hired to help run the community. The Village at Mill Creek chose Cusick Management. A company where Alexandra Thompson worked until 2018. Court records show Thompson is currently facing charges for embezzling more than $90,000 from Cusick. The case was filed in 2019 and is still pending. She worked for Cusick after pleading guilty to stealing money from another company she worked for in 2015. Thompson has several other financial crime convictions on her record, including two separate embezzlement cases out of Catawba and Cabarrus Counties.

She’s not the only employee with a financial crime conviction on her record. In 2013, Janette Parker pleaded guilty to three counts of HUD fraud in a federal case where prosecutors accused Parker of artificially inflating home prices to drive up deposits and profit. Parker is listed as the company’s Vice President. Emails obtained by WBTV show she was directly involved in the Mill Creek community until she was promoted in 2017.

Cusick Community Management did not respond to this story despite numerous emails from WBTV requesting one. The email from the HOA attorney stated, “The comments about Cusick personnel are unwarranted. The Village at Mill Creek has received excellent, responsive, and highly ethical service from its management company.”

Legislative Action

North Carolina legislators have started acting in response to the outcry of residents like the residents at Mill Creek, who feel powerless compared to their HOA. Representative Frank Iler led a committee of lawmakers looking into HOA fixes and has proposed several amendments to current HOA laws. In their last meeting, legislators floated the possibility of the HOA committee becoming a permanent fixture because of the outstanding issues that weren’t addressed in the first round of proposed changes.

CLICK HERE to contact legislators serving on North Carolina’s House Select Committee On Homeowners’ Associations.