Guide
What happens if HOA fees go unpaid in Tulum?
The short answer
Unpaid fees earn interest, the owner loses their vote at owners' meetings, and the debt stays with the unit until it is paid, even if the unit is sold. Once an owner owes three regular fees, the building can go to court, so the time to agree a payment plan is before that point.
I’m behind on my fees and I live abroad. What should I do?
- Ask the administrator for a written statement of what you owe.
- Agree in writing what each payment covers. A partial payment goes to fines and interest first, and can leave the fees themselves still owing.
- Propose a plan you can keep, in writing, before you owe three fees.
- If the unit costs more than it earns, renting it out or selling it are both options, and we help with both.
Renting out a Tulum property → · Selling a Tulum property →
What can the building do?
Under Quintana Roo’s condominium law, the building can charge interest at the rate its own rules set, plus fines, and suspend the owner’s vote at owners’ meetings until the account is paid. Once the owner owes three regular fees or one special assessment, it can go to court.
The building’s own rules may also stop an owner who is behind from using the amenities, such as the pool or the gym, until the account is paid. Ask the administrator what yours say.
Do unpaid fees ever expire?
No. The unit guarantees the debt, even after it changes hands. When a unit is sold, the notary must ask for a letter from the administrator saying the fees are paid, so an owner who plans to sell will settle them first.
How does a building collect?
To go to court, the building needs an account statement signed by the administrator and the president of its oversight committee, the unpaid receipts, and a notarized copy of the minutes or rules that set the fees. Put these in order before an account reaches three unpaid fees.
Where does Front Door Realty come in?
HOA Recovery & Resolution is a service we offer to Tulum buildings. We work through the arrears with the administrator, contact owners in Spanish and English, agree payment plans owners can meet, and coordinate any formal process with the building’s own lawyer.
We are paid only out of what we recover. In the judicial phase, the building pays the legal fees. The rates are on the service page.