HOA Uproar: Attorney being sought

*disclaimer:  some of what is about to be written came from a third party

So, earlier this year I was called an idiot for stating that HOA fees would start up in January.  Well, guess what?  We all got our bill.  Redemption!

Now, when most of us closed on our homes, there was no HOA or fees.  It was put in our contract that we owed NOTHING for HOA fees or dues at closing.  And yet, we were made to pay them.  From others I have talked too, the amounts differ, but we paid.

I had an NVR rep and my realtor at closing.  BOTH told the attorney we weren't suppose to pay.  The attorney told us to take up with the builder after closing.  We did.  Our Ryan Rep told us that we would either get a refund or have the money put in as a credit, and we'd owe nothing for a while.  Ok, great!

We never got a refund check.  So when the bill came, we weren't happy.

This is where the disclaimer above comes in:

I talked with a neighbor today.  Accord the neighbor, lots of neighbors are unhappy.  One called the management company with our same problem (paid at closing).  According to this neighbor, the one that called the company was told by the management company that what ever happened at closing wasn't their problem.  Pay or be fined.  (I did not directly to this neighbor, so this may wrong.  Again, I'm just going on the information given to me).

Seriously, WTH?!  I don't think so.  This better not be true.

So I am calling the company personally tomorrow.  I'm worried.  I have already contacted several people in the way of finding an attorney, just in case.  NO ONE is going to take money from me for an HOA that didn't exist, tell me it will go toward it when it finally does exist, and then tell me, "too bad.  That doesn't count.  Pay again".    Many of us are pissed off (from what I can gather).  Seems like stealing to me.  And if the HOA company tells me what they did the neighbor, I'll be asking who else wants to sue both RYAN and the HOA company with us.  Seems like fraud to me. 

So wish us luck.  It looks like my drama free days may be coming to an end. I hope not.  I hope my calls go well and all goes well.  But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried.  I'm a lot worried.  I hope this whole mess gets cleared up quick.  And if we could do it nicely and with no headaches, that'd be great.  Wish us luck!