Talk of The Villages Florida - Are amenity fees going up??

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HIgolfers (Post 2055240)

Will be interested in what you find out Goldwingnut.

We bought new construction and closed on March 28, 2017. Looking back at my bills, my amenity fee has increased each year on Jan 1. Went from 145 in 2017, 148.19 in 2018, 151.42 in 2019, 154.53 in 2020, 156.35 in 2021, 167 in 2022.

dittos here

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 2055789)

It's my understanding Elvis performed at Brownwood last night.

Damn! Missed him again!

I got a response from the Director of Finance this morning, but I had to get additional clarifications so I am not ready to put out the answer yet.

My monthly Villages CCD Utilities bill arrived today. Quick scan indicates a 7% increase over prior months. Increase was for Amenity Fee going from $156 to $168. Of course, no explanation. Anyone else spot this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassfish (Post 2065336)

Read back through the posts in this thread to educate yourself. That increase is your normal annual increase, based on the increase of the Consumer Price Index. Expect it every year at this time.

Amenities went up $12 a month

I live in the Village of Largo. We have been here for 15 years. We just got our new amenity fee. It went from $160 to $172 a month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassfish (Post 2065336)

There's an explanation and it was given to you when you purchased your home and you agreed to it. It is very clear, there is a CPI adjustment annually, it is spelled out in the deed restrictions. If you didn't read everything before you signed on the dotted line whose fault is that?

If you cant afford a minor increase in amenities fees...u dont deserve to live here.
Cheapest millionaires are in TV

The nice lady at The Villages Headquarters told me that every three years based on your purchase date you can expect a raise in your amenity fee. Why not?

Every other thing is going up. Just paid $48 to fill my neighbor's Compact Car for them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nucky (Post 2065444)

The nice lady at The Villages Headquarters told me that every three years based on your purchase date you can expect a raise in your amenity fee.

I thought it was every year - not three years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassfish (Post 2065336)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut (Post 2065440)

Nice - very helpful. November is not far away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut (Post 2055456)

I went checking my email from the District Staff, they provide the CPI adjustments to us (District Supervisors) every month. Most homes have a CPI adjustment every year and apparently some have it based on the 3 year rolling CPI (I'm checking on this also this morning). Here's the body of several of the emails I've received on CPI adjustments:

Jan 21,2022
The following is being forwarded to you at the request of Anne Hochsprung…
Please note the change in the Consumer Price Index – All Urban Consumers, Not Seasonally Adjusted, US City Average, All items is as follows:
For the one year period December 2020 – December 2021, CPI increased by 7.036%.
The three year CPI increase from December 2018 – December 2021 was 10.973%
This increase will be used to adjust Amenity Fees for those properties with an February 2022 anniversary date.
Please let me know if you would like any additional information.

Excerpts from other similar emails:

For the one year period October 2020 – October 2021, CPI increased by 6.222%.
The three year CPI increase from October 2018 – October 2021 was 9.373%

For the one year period September 2020 – September 2021, CPI increased by 5.390%.
The three year CPI increase from September 2018 – September 2021 was 8.664%

For the one year period August 2020 – August 2021, CPI increased by 5.251%.
The three year CPI increase from August 2018 – August 2021 was 8.495%

For the one year period July 2020 – July 2021, CPI increased by 5.365%.
The three year CPI increase from July 2018 – July 2021 was 8.332%

For the one year period June 2020 – June 2021, CPI increased by 5.391%.
The three year CPI increase from June 2018 – June 2021 was 7.821%

For the one year period May 2020 – May 2021, CPI increased by 4.993%.
The three year CPI increase from May 2018 – May 2021 was 6.998%

I have many more months of these numbers, but these are a good example of how the rolling 12 month average CPI is changing.

Not knowing your exact address, it is impossible to say what CPI was applied to your previous Amenity Fee amount was. As the adjustments are made at an accuracy of 5 decimal places (% + 3 decimal places) I find it absolutely amazing that your previous Fee was exactly $155.00, the odds on such a round number occurring must be so astronomically small. Stranger things have happened...

I don't understand this sentence: "Most homes have a CPI adjustment every year and apparently some have it based on the 3 year rolling CPI "

Who decides which one it is?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2048619)

Does that mean that it will not go up to $179 for those of us who currently own?

It will not go up for any home you currently own. But if you currently own, and then buy another home, then that newly-purchased home will have that $179 amenity fee responsibility.

We received advance notice that the amenity fee was going to go up, months ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HIgolfers (Post 2065485)

I don't understand this sentence: "Most homes have a CPI adjustment every year and apparently some have it based on the 3 year rolling CPI "

Who decides which one it is?

Sorry I forgot to get back on this thread about the amenity fee adjustment date.

Here are excerpts from email responses I received from the director of finance Anne Hochsprung:

The 12-month rolling average CPI is applied one month in arrears to the anniversary date of the land sale. (January 31 CPI is applied to March anniversaries.)

The 3-year average is used for specific units/lots in the VCSA service area. If you would like the specific information, we would be happy to provide it to you.

and

The specific language that is provided to a resident is as follows:

“ All documents have an anniversary date which is – in almost all cases – the month that the original contract for sale (not closing date) to the first buyer occurred. Therefore, these anniversary dates vary based on the month of contract signing.”

This can mean the date a contract is signed for the purchase of the lot by a homeowner or by the developer to build as a spec home.

The VCSA is the Village Center Service Area approximately 17,948 residents in District #1, Lady Lake and Lake County - some of the original sections have the 3 year adjustment while the rest of the residents are on a 1-year rolling average adjustment cycle. Either way, 1 or 3 year, the math works out about the same over time.

Based on the date information provided it is the date of the original contract signing for the lot sale or build contract and not the sale/closing date of the property - new or resale. This could, in some cases, lead to what appears as an unjust hit for an increase based on timing - buy a resale in January and pay the new higher prevailing rate and then have an anniversary date shortly thereafter resulting in an increase based on the CPI adjustment. It might seem unjust but where do you draw the line? If one were to say have no increase in the first year after a resale purchase then a favorable anniversary date could have the rate go unadjusted for up to 23 months; how would this be just to the rest of the residents?

It's not a perfect system but in the end, it works out relatively equal for all the homeowners over time.

So everyone has a CPI increase annually. Most are based on a 1 year rolling CPI, SOME (and it seems to be original lots) have a 3 year rolling CPI increase.

The increase is on the date of the original sale - probably the settlement date. It has nothing to do when you bought your lot if it was a resale.