An HOA pays for water bills meant for another neighborhood, costing the community around $10,000 over two years. A board member who reviewed the billing records closely discovered the mistake. The funds came from the HOA’s savings and won’t be refunded.
HOA Pays for Water Bills of Adjacent Neighborhood
In Steele Creek, Bennington Place II shares a border with Bennington Place I. Although the two neighborhoods are separate, they look very similar.
The HOA for Bennington Place II covers water bills for all units in the community. A new board member noticed unusual charges. After reviewing the accounts, the board found they were paying for two parcels outside their neighborhood in Bennington Place I.
The billing error went unnoticed for about two years. It totaled approximately $10,000 and came from the HOA’s savings fund. That money could have supported other neighborhood projects, but instead, residents unknowingly paid for someone else’s water use.
The board contacted Charlotte Water and city leaders. The utility updated the account to prevent future billing mistakes.
Charlotte Water has a policy of refunding payments up to three years old, depending on the situation. But in this case, no refund was confirmed. Due to privacy rules, Charlotte Water didn’t say whether Bennington Place II would get money back or whose bills were covered.
Board members say the billing has stopped but believe the HOA deserves a refund for the past payments. They stress that residents and boards should carefully review utility bills. Shared accounts or multi-building setups can make errors harder to spot.
