We are angry. A lot of property owners are angry. And honestly, the Snug Harbor Board of Governors has no one to blame but itself for the frustration boiling over in this community.
Recently, the Board approved what many of us see as yet another backwards, baffling policy: forgiving interest on accounts like G34 and G35 as long as the owners agree to a payment plan and stay on it. On top of that, they’ve approved waiving interest entirely when negotiating payments for past-due assessments — all in the name of getting someone back “in good standing.”
Well, here’s a question the Board seems to have conveniently ignored:
What about the people who already pay on time?
What about the property owners who actually follow the rules?
What about the neighbors who struggle but still manage to pay their dues without begging for special deals?
Why is the Board bending over backward to accommodate people who are late, while completely disregarding the ones who show responsibility every single year?
It’s insulting. It’s discouraging. And it sure as hell feels unfair.
Interest exists for a reason.
Late fees and interest aren’t some cruel punishment — they’re accountability. They’re the consequence of paying late. They’re what every responsible homeowner understands when managing their own bills. Mortgage companies don’t forgive interest because someone promises to “do better.” Credit card companies don’t waive interest because a person agrees to a payment plan. Electric companies don’t pat you on the head and say, “You tried.”
But here?
At Snug Harbor?
Apparently the magic phrase is: “I’m late, but I’d like a deal.”
And boom — interest disappears like it never mattered.
What message does that send?
That paying on time is optional.
That responsibility is optional.
That consequences don’t apply as long as you complain loudly enough.
That the Board is more interested in being “nice” than being fair.
And let’s be honest: every time the Board waives interest, it doesn’t just vanish into thin air. It’s money the community doesn’t collect. It’s money that should have been paid but wasn’t. And who covers the gaps? Who absorbs the losses?
The rest of us. The people who do things right.
Good standing should be earned — not handed out like a coupon.
Getting “back in good standing” should require actually paying what is owed.
ALL of it.
Not just the part that’s convenient for the Board to negotiate away.
Property owners are tired of these inconsistent, feel-good financial decisions that ignore fairness and accountability. A policy that rewards lateness encourages more lateness. A policy that wipes away interest tells people, “Don’t worry, just fall behind — the Board will cut you a sweet deal when you’re ready.”
And that is absolutely unacceptable.
If the Board wants respect, it needs to stop making decisions that slap responsible homeowners in the face. It needs to stop rewarding lateness while silently penalizing responsibility. It needs to stop operating like a charity and start behaving like a governing body that understands basic financial principles.
People should pay interest when they’re late.
Period. End of sentence.
Not negotiated. Not forgiven.
Not quietly swept away to make someone’s ledger look cleaner.
A community can’t function on “exceptions.”
It functions on rules — and the Board needs to start enforcing them equally.