KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Tammy Mariano said she moved to Kellswater Bridge in Kannapolis and then found out she had to pay Hotwire for TV and internet, even if she used a different company’s services.
“You can use Spectrum, but you still have to pay a $71 fee to the HOA or to Hawthorne Management [for Hotwire] … whether you want it or not,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.
Mariano prefers Spectrum but had to drop it because even with the Hotwire discount, she couldn’t afford both.
“I was upset because I have always used Spectrum,” she said.
Other neighbors complained, including one who emailed Action 9.
“A lot of people here … are not happy about this,” that resident said.
Stoogenke looked into the situation and found out a prior HOA signed a 7-year contract with Hotwire. Residents get a discount. The HOA wouldn’t say how much, but one insider told said it’s usually about 30%-50% off.
The HOA said it’s concerned that some homeowners may refuse to pay and is urging them not to do that. It says the neighborhood will still owe Hotwire and that, “If the owners do not pay for the service, Hotwire could very well drive the HOA into financial ruin if it is unable to pay Hotwire’s bills.”
If you’re in a situation like this, there’s not much you can do, Stooganek says. If your HOA signs a contract, you usually have to wait until the contract is up to make a change.
Stoogenke covered a similar situation before, involving renters, not homeowners.
In that case, an apartment complex in south Charlotte was charging renters for Spectrum. They could use another company, but they’d have to pay for both, like in this case.
And, recently, a Shelby woman emailed Action 9, saying her landlord is trying to do the same thing to her and her neighbors. Stoogenke is looking into that as well.
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