Annual dues for thousands of property owners in Wonder Lake may rise sharply, with a proposal that would raise the charge from $44 a year to nearly $1,000 per lot.
That prospect has drawn particularly strong objections from people who live away from the shoreline and argue they cannot even use the lake, according to CBS News.
Here's what to know
Wonder Lake's Master Property Owners Association, which oversees all 5,500 lots in the village and maintains the private lake and its dam, is considering a significant dues increase.
Under the plan, the current $44 annual MPOA assessment would rise to nearly $1,000 per lot, and the association will vote on the measure.
Because the charge is tied to each lot, some locals feel the burden falls unevenly.
Sue Rose, who lives several blocks from the lake, said she would be billed twice because she owns two parcels of land.
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"And I have two lots, so it's per lot. So it would cost me $2,000 for the privilege of being on a lake that I have no access to," Rose commented.
Another resident who does not live on the waterfront, Melinda Boyle, said the proposal is serious enough that her family might leave Wonder Lake.
"It would cause us probably to move," Boyle conceded.
More background
According to MPOA official Ann Freeman, the proposed hike is intended to make up for years of inadequate funding.
She claims the added revenue would help pay for work including dredging and, eventually, replacing the 97-year-old dam, which the association says is expected to last 50 to 100 years.
Freeman blamed a large mismatch between available savings and the cost of a major fix.
The MPOA has just $60,000 in reserves, while replacing the dam could run about $90 million.
"And shame on us, with the MPOA, with charging $44 all these years and not saying, 'you know, that's a mistake,'" Freeman added.
Questions about the pricing structure are not limited to residents without lake access or views.
David Crook, who lives on the lake, could pay the proposed amount but believes homeowners without a lake view should pay less.
What can be done?
The MPOA is expected to decide whether to adopt the fee increase to nearly $1,000 per lot.
Residents remain split over cost, fairness, and whether the same per-lot fee should apply to both waterfront and non-waterfront properties.
HOAs across the country have drawn criticism for preventing residents from making money-saving upgrades, such as adding rooftop solar panels or installing native-plant lawns.
People facing those restrictions can learn more about working with HOAs and changing bylaws.
Some community members are urging the association to consider another way to assess fees, while others are questioning whether they can afford to stay.
The debate has centered on whether the increase is necessary upkeep or an unsustainable expense.
"We want them to understand that they live on a private lake in a beautiful area of Illinois and they haven't been paying anything for it," Freeman told CBS News.
Where can I learn more?
Residents elsewhere are also pushing back on steep water bills and HOA-related costs. These articles cover a major Illinois water-rate fight, HOA project liability, and other costly homeowner rules.
• In Illinois, residents facing a major water hike fear their bills could triple.
• One neighborhood racked up over $20,000 in HOA fees after a lawn miscommunication.
• During a drought, one HOA kept forcing residents to waste money on lawn irrigation.
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