Yorkville tells Cannonball Estates residents they’ll pay more if city takes over neighborhood’s maintenance

Following the disbandment of the Cannonball Estates homeowners association, the city of Yorkville is begrudgingly taking over the subdivision’s maintenance, warning residents they will face higher fees until they take back the responsibilities.

The city has projected a total annual maintenance cost of $72, 766, including a tacked on 15% management fee of $9,491, to be divided between the subdivision’s 111 lots. The cost per home is estimated at $656 annually.

The maintenance includes landscaping, such as mowing, edging, mulching, and tree services, including tree trimming and replacement. It also includes pond maintenance responsibilities.

The city expects the annual fees to drop between $500 and $400 after a few years once the maintenance projects that have been deferred are taken care of.

“The City does not wish to be responsible for common area maintenance of any subdivision,” City Administrator Bart Olson said in city documents. “We wish to communicate with the residents a last chance notice to reform their HOA and take on responsibility of common area maintenance, which allows them to control and plan their own dues.”

Olson warns if it remains left to the city, the subdivision’s residents will have no control over the maintenance or dues.

After disbanding the HOA, the Cannonball Estates subdivision currently does not collect dues from its residents, resulting in maintenance of the common areas ceasing for several months.

The city intends to send a letter to residents of the subdivision informing them if they don’t take over the responsibilities a tax levy will be implemented for the them at the end of the calendar year.

Maintenance work by the city will take place in the meantime before the tax levy is implemented.