CLERMONT, Fla. \u2013 Homeowners at Legends Golf and Country Club in Clermont say they have been left asking two questions: Where is our money? and Where is our management?<\/p>\n
After months of complaints from residents, Florida\u2019s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has launched a formal investigation into the community\u2019s homeowners association. But as the investigation continues, residents say they are still paying higher HOA dues while watching their neighborhood decline.<\/p>\n
Residents describe dead landscaping, broken amenities, trash at the community entrance and facilities in disrepair \u2014 conditions they say don\u2019t reflect the \u201cpremier\u201d community they were promised.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re being told that we\u2019re getting an assessment and we don\u2019t know where the money is,\u201d homeowner Jennifer Rivers said.<\/p>\n
Residents question rising fees, missing financial records<\/p>\n
Legends Golf and Country Club, which is managed by ICON Management Services<\/a>, a division of Troon<\/a>, has increased HOA costs through both higher monthly dues and a special assessment.<\/p>\n Special assessments are an additional fee charged to homeowners by their association to cover major projects or unexpected emergencies that exceed the HOA\u2019s regular budget and reserve funds<\/p>\n Rivers said residents were first told in February that a budgeting error required homeowners to pay an additional $290 \u2014 roughly equal to one month\u2019s HOA dues.<\/p>\n Weeks later, she said, the association cited damage from Central Florida\u2019s record winter freeze and increased the assessment to $860.<\/p>\n Then, residents say the HOA retracted that and changed the price a third time, causing major confusion and raising red flags about how much money was needed, how record-keeping was being managed, and where their dues were being used.<\/p>\n At the same time, residents say they requested financial records to better understand the spending but received only partial documentation, which they stated violated Florida law.<\/p>\n Under Florida Statute \u00a7720.303(5), the HOA must keep financial and accounting records according to good accounting practices, which must include:<\/p>\n Accurate, itemized, and detailed records of all receipts and expenditures.<\/p>\n A current account and periodic statement for each member detailing assessments paid, due dates, and balances.<\/p>\n All tax returns, financial statements, financial reports, and bank statements.<\/p>\n All current contracts and any bids received by the association for work to be performed.<\/p>\n \u201cI started going to board meetings and asking questions, and I realized that people who asked questions were attacked or shamed,\u201d resident Kristin Shirley said.<\/p>\n Residents say neighborhood conditions have deteriorated<\/p>\n Homeowners say the financial concerns have coincided with visible declines throughout the community.<\/p>\n Among the issues they pointed to:<\/p>\n Dead trees, bushes and landscaping <\/p>\n Trash left at the community entrance <\/p>\n Fitness equipment left broken for months<\/p>\n Broken lights <\/p>\n Dried up ponds and fountains<\/p>\n Residents also raised concerns over the HOA\u2019s reserve account.<\/p>\n According to financial documents reviewed by News 6, homeowners say the reserve fund dropped from approximately $1.5 million in early 2025 to roughly $376,000 about a year later.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s $1.1 million that we don\u2019t see a paper trail for,\u201d one resident said.<\/p>\n Residents hire attorney as investigation moves forward<\/p>\n