Residents of a Las Vegas condominium community have successfully pushed back against a massive fee increase proposed by their homeowners association, after weeks of organizing and raising concerns about transparency and affordability.
The Richmond Park HOA, which oversees the Bavington Court condominiums and is managed by Level Community Management, announced earlier this year that monthly dues would increase by 78 percent. Starting in January, dues were set to rise from $275 to $490 per month — a jump that left many residents, especially seniors and low-income families, feeling alarmed and overwhelmed.
The proposed increase sparked frustration throughout the community, which includes a large number of elderly residents and people living on fixed incomes. For them, the added cost could have meant the difference between staying in their homes or losing them entirely. But instead of backing down, neighbors came together, citing a little-known Nevada law that allows HOA budgets to be overturned by a majority petition.
According to state rules, if more than half of homeowners in a community sign a petition rejecting an HOA’s proposed budget, the increase can be blocked. In the case of Richmond Park, that meant 137 signatures were needed. The residents exceeded that goal, gathering 151 signatures in total.
Residents of a Las Vegas condo complex are concerned that their HOA fees could increase from $275 to $490 a month. https://t.co/XEfdryF9jw
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) December 7, 2025
As a result, the original $275 monthly dues will remain in place for now, with only a smaller $22.50 increase to be voted on. The proposed hike to nearly $500 per month has officially been rejected.
The victory came as a huge relief to many, including 73-year-old resident Denise Holden, who lives on a fixed income of just over $1,200 a month and has survived two strokes. “More than a relief, it’s fantastic,” she told 8 News Now. “I thought I was going to lose my home and everything else.”
Holden and others also voiced concerns about how the HOA has been managing the community. They questioned the need for such a large increase given what they described as poor conditions and a lack of visible maintenance. Holden said the neighborhood looked more like a “junkyard,” with only $11,000 reportedly left in community reserves. “Where is our money?” she asked.
Another resident, Carole Cotero, who earns $14.50 an hour and budgets carefully just to buy groceries, expressed similar frustration. “I’m lucky if I can spend $25 or $30 on groceries per week,” she said, explaining that the fee increase would have pushed her over the edge.
Cotero also described issues like broken lights, limited pool access, and lack of security around the property. “There are no lights, we do our own landscaping, and cars are broken into,” she said. “Where’s the value?”
While residents were able to stop the operating budget increase, there is still a separate cost they can’t avoid. Under Nevada law, special assessments for major repairs or large community projects can be imposed without a resident vote. That means homeowners will still be responsible for a separate charge, no matter the outcome of the petition.
Many in the neighborhood remain cautious, knowing that fees could rise again next year. One resident, Christy Escamilla, said she’s thankful for the win but isn’t letting her guard down. “If it stops it for this next year at least, I have time to prepare for the next one,” she said. “And we know that we could do it, so hopefully it works again.”
Nevada is one of the states where HOAs have significant authority over community fees, and there’s currently no state-mandated cap on how much dues can be increased each year. That fact continues to worry residents in Richmond Park and beyond, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.
For now, the residents of Bavington Court are holding onto their victory — and their homes — but say they’ll keep paying attention to what happens next.
