Four members of a Florida homeowners association are trying to unravel a sticky situation.
A vandal filled the keyholes of the four members' apartment with a liquid adhesive last week, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Two of the members had their locks damaged a second time, police said.
"I knew right away it wasn't random," Edward Schmoll, president of the Horizon House HOA, told WFTS.
Schmoll told the Times he believes a resident upset over a proposed assessment is the culprit. Board members were pushing for a temporary $300 monthly surcharge for residents, WTVT reported.
The Horizon House complex has 126 units, but the only glued locks belong to board members, the television station reported.
One of the HOA members was locked in her apartment and was forced to exit through a fire escape, WFTS reported.
Schmoll said he noticed the glue when he left his apartment.
"(I) went to get a cup of coffee, noticed there was some substance on my hands and lips," Schmoll told WTVT. "(I) don't know where it came from. Thought it was maybe from the coffee."
Residents already pay monthly dues that range from $500 to $800, the Times reported. However, Schmoll said those fees cover utilities, air conditioning, community washers and dryers, and general maintenance on the property, the newspaper reported.
The vandalism might prove costly to residents, however, as the HOA is now considering additional fees to upgrade security, WFTS reported. Meanwhile, the Clearwater Police Department is looking for surveillance footage to help in their investigation, the television station reported.
The HOA will vote on its new budget later this month.
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