The Heritage Park Community Improvement Association in Friendswood has spent through its entire 2026 assessment income before October, forcing immediate cuts to neighborhood services and raising the possibility that street lights could go dark.

The association, which serves the subdivision near Bay Area Boulevard and Beamer Road, notified residents by email that its operating account is empty, ABC13 reported Sept. 16. The HOA said it has already terminated its landscaping contract, stopped mosquito spraying and halted pet-waste station service.

If the association cannot cover electricity costs, street and park lights are next.

"That's the scariest part," resident Natalie Reilly told ABC13 about the potential loss of lighting.

Board president Justin Black told the station the shortfall dates to a 1974 contract that locked annual dues at $120 per home and barred any increase for 40 years. That restriction expired in 2014, but Black said the board did not seriously explore raising fees until 2019. The current annual rate was not disclosed.

The board now hopes to increase dues to roughly $400 per year. The change requires a community vote, though no date for that vote has been announced.

Black said the association is also trying to collect more than $200,000 in unpaid dues. The total number of homes in Heritage Park was not reported, so it is unclear how many households owe money or how much each owes.

Reilly said she received no advance warning before the email arrived and told ABC13 she would support a fee increase. Black disputed the lack of notice, telling the station the board has been trying to alert residents to the financial situation for years.

The proposed dues increase and the timing of the community vote remain the next steps for Heritage Park homeowners.