The proposed fee would total $90,000 a year per household. Residents told local television station WSOC-TV that they cannot afford the increase, which is expected to take effect at the start of the year. The subdivision has 23 homeowners, according to resident Diana Brokaw.

“Who has $90,000 extra a year to pay for fees that you’re just told are going to happen,” Brokaw said.

Jill Menson said she and her husband bought their home believing it would be their last. She said their HOA fee was $158 a month five years ago, rose to more than $1,200 this summer, and came with a $10,000 assessment. The couple now faces the proposed $7,500 monthly charge.

“We are going to be forced out with nowhere to go, because no one is going to get a dime for their houses even if we put them on the market,” Menson said.

In an email, the Magnolia Cove HOA board said the increase is mainly tied to legal and collection costs arising from unpaid owner accounts. The board said owners who pay on time help reduce those costs over time.

Residents also say the developer owns most of the homes and controls the HOA. The board meeting was planned for Zoom; homeowners could submit questions in advance, but the deadline was Friday, residents said.

The North Carolina Attorney General’s office told WSOC-TV that state law does not cap HOA fees, though associations must follow their governing documents. Homeowners worried about disputes with their boards were advised to organize with neighbors, approach the board as a group and consider voting in new board members when elections occur.