Homeowner dues costs rise

Foreclosures have already pushed record numbers of homeowners into apartments, leaving a trail of brown lawns, overgrown hedges and cracked paint in suburbs from Palmdale to Pacoima.Jerry Berrios in the Daily News.

Now, homeowners associations are feeling the pain of the bursting housing bubble, dealing with a huge spike in delinquent monthly fee payments that keep pools warm, gates painted and flowers potted.

In some cases, foreclosures at condominium and town-house complexes have left fewer association members to cover operating budgets. In others, homeowners struggling to avoid foreclosure have simply decided they can't afford the association fees.