HOA fees still due despite pool closures, unclear timetables for reopening

Now that it's May, area pools would soon be packed under normal circumstances.

But circumstances aren't normal, and public swimming pools like those in neighborhoods could be shut down for weeks to come.

Homeowners associations charge dues in part to maintain the pools, but if there is nobody in the water, should these fees be waived?

Even if those dues are being paid, the pools may remain out of use for the weeks to come.

"We're paying for what we're not getting," said a woman named Charlotte, who declined to give her last name. She pays $165 per month in HOA dues in her Apex neighborhood. "So to not get a break even on the pool for a couple months, or even during the virus, is kind of unfair."

Town Properties is the company that manages the neighborhood's HOA and plans to keep dues intact.

"Everybody needs a break during this time," Charlotte said. The company did not respond to request for comment.

In Chapel Hill, one subdivision's pool looks like something out of a resort. The Briar Chapel community association sent a letter to homeowners, saying that despite the restricted use of amenities, "there are no meaningful financial savings," asking that all homeowners continue to pay their monthly dues in a timely manner.

Another homeowner in Charlotte's neighborhood disagreed that payments of the dues should be cut or suspended.

"They still keep it clean," John Malik said. "They cut the grass and they do everything, still doing it."

Pools and spas could re-open under phase two of Governor Cooper's plan to re-open aspects of the economy. Phase two would come two to three weeks after phase one, which might begin next week.