MILFORD, Del.- Three months ago, condo and villa owners in Hearthstone Manor received an email saying that they will have to pay out of pocket for balcony repairs.
Country Life Homes, the builder of the properties, conducted an inspection that uncovered inefficient beams in some balconies.
The email said they will have to pay $90 a month to cover the repair fees. Some locals, like Laurie Hurley who has been living in Hearthstone Manor for six years, says it is not her responsibility to pay.
"Our agreement when we bought the condominium is that we're responsible for wall to wall work on the inside, not outside," Hurley said. "So these assessment fees, we should not be paying for - they didn't do right."
The home builder says the repairs were up for a vote in a June meeting that all owners were invited to attend. The builder said the vote passed, but homeowners say not enough people were present for the vote to happen.
Homeowners are now seeking legal representation to see if state law was violated. The representative for the area Bryan Shupe is assisting the legal process.
"Residents in Hearthstone Manor have come to me with some concerns. They do have places to go," Shupe said. "They have the attorney general's office, which will look into those allegations and if they are founded, then they will have legal actions."
The builder says homeowners will pay for these repairs until they are completed this year. On average, it will cost them $1,100 each.