HOA fees out of control

[apollo13]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ

I am a high school teacher that was laid off due to budget cuts in education in NJ. I live in a condo, where we already pay a tremendous maintenance fees per month ($379). Today all condo owners got a letter saying the HOA needs to up our fee $50/month due to some unexpected expenses. They did not specify what the additional fee was for. Is there any way I can dispute this fee? I have a hard time finding money to pay the initial fee and now this extra one. If I don't pay it, what can HOA do?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[justalayman]

well, since you are temporarily unemployed, you should have plenty of time to read the bylaws of your association to determine if the upcharge is legal and enforceable. It should also outline the rules to follow to object to such a fee.

as to failure to pay: eventually they could put a lien on your property and actually foreclose.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ

I am a high school teacher that was laid off due to budget cuts in education in NJ. I live in a condo, where we already pay a tremendous maintenance fees per month ($379). Today all condo owners got a letter saying the HOA needs to up our fee $50/month due to some unexpected expenses. They did not specify what the additional fee was for. Is there any way I can dispute this fee? I have a hard time finding money to pay the initial fee and now this extra one. If I don't pay it, what can HOA do?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

**A: of course you can dispute the fees. But after you read the condo docs, you may have a different mindset altogether. Since you have time, read your reserve study. After that you may realize that $50 is low.