New Community, Who pays for electricity?

Started by CarmineV • 13 replies • 5138 views

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CarmineV
Posts: 7

Posted:

Hello, my wife and I are waiting for our home to be built in a new community in Palm Bay FL. I am interested to know who is responsible for paying the electric bill for the street lights being installed by FPL? The communities documents are vague at best, but they do state the HOA will be required to maintain and repair any common area lighting. I can understand the reasoning in paying for the common area electric (pool, entrance lights, berm lighting etc). But does anyone know if the HOA will in fact be responsible for footing the electric bill for all the street lighting within the community?

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

Well, if the HOA is going to repair common area lights, it would follow that would include the electric bill that enables the lights to do their job. That probably doesn't include the lights on the homes themselves, but if your documents are unclear, ask the developer

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

More than likely yes it's the HOA's responsibility to pay for them from the homeowner assessments but as Shelia posted if in doubt ask. We had a poster here a few years ago that got the bill from the HOA for the streetlight that was on her property.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

DaveD3 (Michigan)
Posts: 796

Posted:

I think that question might best be directed to your local municipality, since you're asking specifically about STREET LIGHTS and not about association lighting. I would not naturally consider street lights to be HOA owned or paid-for lights.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

I'm with Dave. And, Carmine, are the streets private or public? That might matter.

CarmineV
Posts: 7

Posted:

The "street lights" I'm referring to are being installed within the community by the local utility company. At this point the community is not gated as it is still being built up. I should probably have stated they are "community" street lights being installed on community streets.. We are to maintain and repair according to our documents UNLESS they are installed by a municipality which in this case they are. So the question then remains with the municipality installing them, will the HOA have to pay the electric bill? Just looking for confirmation, but I am leaning towards yes.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Typically, the Association pays for the electricity of the street lights. The exception would be if each lot was required to have a lamp post at the end of their drive. Typically, in those situations, the lamp post and electricity is then the responsibility of the owner.

If in doubt, ask the builder or the Association.

DouglasK1 (Florida)
Posts: 2,046

Posted:

You said "at this point the community is not gated". Is is expected to be gated? Here in Orange County, non-gated subdivisions typically get their roads and infrastructure turned over to the county and the HOA doesn't pay for the lights. In gated HOAs, the county will not accept the roads under the premise that they are not publicly accessible. In this case, the HOA pays. In my HOA and other gated ones around here, the power company owns the lights and the HOA pays a monthly fee that includes rental, maintenance, and power. FWIW, the power component is less than 10% of the total lighting bill. We have 21 lights and pay about $600 per month, less than $50 is for power. We've looked into just buying lights, but there would be a huge up-front cost (probably why the developers have the power company put them in in the first place), and we would have to maintain in addition to the power bill.

Escaped former treasurer and director of a self managed association.

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

Douglas there was a story on the news page three or four years ago about a HOA in the northeast that changed their street lights out. Instead of taping into the electric, each light had a small solar panel and a small wind turbine that charged a battery during the day which powered the lamp at night. High upfront costs but the projected savings over the years was astronomical. I wish someone would do a follow up story on whether the lights worked as advertised and whether the yearly cost vs regular streetlights turned out as expected or if it was an expensive boondoggle.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

What does matter? If it is the HOA's responsibility it will be part of the dues. which you can NOT pick and choose what expenses you want to pay for. The developer should be setting up this situation in their deal with the city or county.

Former HOA President

CarmineV
Posts: 7

Posted:

Thank you for the input.....At this point our community is still under development, and I would gather upon turnover we would vote for it to become gated as that seems to be the norm.The developer is having the lights installed as we speak and we already see in our budget, amounts for electricity for common area lighting. So I assume now it is and will be our responsibility to pay. Thanks again everyone

JohnB26 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,001

Posted:

if public streets - public pays for electricity to light same

if private (gated) streets - HOA pays

translation: owner pays

actually pretty simple

KellyM3 (North Carolina)
Posts: 2,239

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnB26 on 11/08/2014 5:05 AM
if public streets - public pays for electricity to light same

if private (gated) streets - HOA pays

translation: owner pays

actually pretty simple

Correct.....and generally the power company will set a flat monthly rental fee (no metering) on private street lighting mounted to light poles. Our community features three "private" lights, on poles, in our park and is billed about $18/month per light on a flat fee. Our small sign entrance lights are connected to meters and we pay a traditional electrical bill on those.

Street lighting won't be very expensive to a community that votes to go private, gated and self-sustaining with street infrastructure.

To go "private," you better not sweat the lights and sweat the asphalt costs.

JohnB26 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,001

Posted:

asphalt = $300,000 per mile every 20-30 years

a MINIMUM of $10,000 per mile per year including maintenance

+ and they are worried about the electricity for the street lights +

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