Daybreak Has One Master HOA Rate. Why Do Owners Pay Such Different Amounts?

If every home in Daybreak pays the same master assessment, why can one owner's 2026 association bill be about $111 a month and another's close to $600? And why does a seller's closing statement carry a charge that has nothing to do with the master dues at all?

The answers come from how Daybreak is set up. The Daybreak Community Association states on its 2026 rate sheet that the master rate "is charged to each unit regardless of unit type or location" and that "assessment fees are non-negotiable." Because that base is the same for everyone, the differences between two Daybreak homes come from what is layered on top of it. That includes a one-time fee at sale that rests on a section of Utah law the Legislature has amended twice since 2025.

The Half Percent That Comes Due at Closing

Daybreak's official page for realtors and new owners describes a one-time community enhancement fee of "0.5% of the gross sales price of the home," paid "at closing and transfer of title." The money funds LiveDAYBREAK, a nonprofit created to run community programming. The same page lists events on its calendar such as the New Resident Social, the Summer Concert Series, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Pumpkin Regatta. The fund's own description adds that the money has also supported school projects and a public-arts program.

Here is what that looks like in dollars. In September 2026, the median sale price in Salt Lake County was $553,600, according to the Utah Association of Realtors' local market update. That was down 1.1% from a year earlier, and homes spent a median of 56 days on market. Half a percent of that price is $2,768. A Daybreak home selling for twice the county median would carry a fee of twice that amount. The fee scales with the price, while the master dues stay flat.

The official page doesn't say who pays the fee. Daybreak's own homebuyer disclosures do. A 2022 disclosure for Watermark Village says a transfer assessment of up to 0.5% of the gross sales price, for most transfers, is paid by the seller. An older 2018 disclosure for SoDa Row townhomes set different rates for different sales: 0.25% on a builder's first sale and 0.5% on later resales, with the seller paying. Both documents are dated. The association says all closing figures, including community enhancement fees, must be requested through Homewisedocs, and it treats any rate sheet with an earlier date stamp as void. For a seller setting a net-proceeds target, the parcel-specific Homewisedocs figure is the one that counts.

The Law Behind the Fee Has Changed Twice Since 2025

In Utah, a charge like this falls under Utah Code Section 57-1-46. The statute defines a "reinvestment fee" as one imposed on a buyer or a seller at transfer and dedicated to benefiting common areas. Permitted uses include community programming, open space, recreation amenities, charitable purposes and association expenses. The statute separates these from "transfer fee" covenants: a transfer-fee covenant recorded on or after March 16, 2010 is void. A reinvestment-fee covenant, by contrast, requires a separately recorded notice in the county that names the association and states the covenant's duration and purpose.

For reinvestment-fee covenants recorded on or after March 16, 2010, the statute lists transfers where the fee cannot be enforced:

• Involuntary transfers
• Transfers ordered by a court
• Qualifying transfers to family members within three degrees of consanguinity, with proof provided in advance
• Transfers related to a death
• Transfers to or from a financial institution, with a narrow exception for direct costs capped at $250

The Legislature has amended the statute twice in two sessions. H.B. 217, effective May 7, 2025, added a 0.5% cap with an exception for large master-planned developments. It also required that newly imposed fees be authorized in the governing documents and approved by a majority of voting interests. H.B. 306 was signed March 18, 2026 and took effect May 6, 2026. Under the current text, a covenant recorded on or after May 6, 2026 may not charge more than 0.5% of the property's value, or 0.25% in a "low-amenity" association. That cap does not apply to property in a large master-planned development, which the statute defines as an approved development of at least 500 acres or 500 units that commits to funding or maintaining common infrastructure. Associations outside that category must now put at least half of the fee into reserves. Associations registering with the Utah Department of Commerce must also state whether they charge a reinvestment or transfer fee.

In practice, the caps and reserve rule depend on two things: when a covenant was recorded and what kind of development it covers. Daybreak's governing-documents inventory lists a "Reinvestment Fee Covenant" dated May 2, 2013. How the newer provisions apply to a particular Daybreak parcel is a question for a real estate attorney, not a listing agent.

One Master Rate, Very Different Monthly Bills

For homes with an added layer, the master dues are often the smaller part of the bill. In 2026 they are $334.50 a quarter plus $99 for Quantum Fiber internet, for a total of $433.50, or $144.50 a month. That total is $6 a quarter higher than last year. Homes in Founders Village Phase 1 don't pay the internet charge and choose their own provider, so they pay $334.50 a quarter, or $111.50 a month. Outside Founders Village Phase 1, that rate bundles internet. Every home's master dues also include five pools, the community center gym, Oquirrh Lake, the Water Course, watercraft rentals and more than 50 miles of trails.

Here is what owners pay each month once the next layer is added, from the association's 2026 rate sheet:

Over a year, the gap between the top and bottom of that table is about $5,760. That's roughly twice the 0.5% fee on a median-priced sale. Two homes at the same list price can have very different carrying costs.

The Island assessment fell by $212.25 a quarter for 2026, and the Axis at North Station service-area charge dropped $8.13. The Boat House charge rose $3. Each layer is priced against the budget for its own amenity or buildings. So last year's number tells you less about next year's than the condition of the things that layer pays for.

Three Kinds of Layer, Three Ways of Paying

The rate sheet sorts these charges into three kinds of layer. Benefited areas pay for a specific amenity or service, such as the Island or the snow pushing in Cottage Courts. Service areas cover limited exterior maintenance, landscaping, building insurance and a reserve contribution. Sub-associations have their own boards, governing documents, budgets and payment accounts.

Sub-association dues are charged on top of the master rate. In 2026 they include Creekside Townhomes at $239 a month, Highland Park Townhomes at $214, Lake Village Townhomes at $292, North Shore Townhomes at $275, SoDa Row Townhomes at $233 and South Station Townhomes at $213. SoDa Row adds a $25 monthly garbage charge on 20 lots. SpringHouse pairs a $224.50 assessment with a $27 monthly insurance charge on 36 units. A Creekside townhome owner, for example, pays $383.50 a month once the master dues are included.

How you pay changes too. The association says master and sub-association payments must be made separately and that it cannot move money between those accounts. Garden Park condo owners make three separate assessment payments. Five communities, Carriage Home Condos, Eastlake Village Condos, Lake Village Condos, Tempo Condos and Townhome 1, are run by outside managers, and the master rate sheet sends owners there for their sub-association dues. For homes in those communities, the master rate sheet won't show the full monthly cost.

When the Sub-Association's Bill Comes Due

The layers matter most when a sub-association has major repairs to pay for. In November 2024, KSL reported that owners of nearly 400 units in the Daybreak Townhomes 1 Owners Association would pay $240 more a month starting that January to fund repairs. According to KSL, the increase would run for 20 years, with a one-time payment of nearly $31,000 offered as an alternative. In the board's letter to owners, as quoted by KSL, it said "we did not make this decision lightly." KSL reported that combined master and sub-association dues for one owner would rise from about $440 to nearly $700 a month. That is KSL's account as of late 2024. A current buyer would get today's terms from the outside manager that runs Townhome 1.

This kind of assessment doesn't show up in the master rate or the list price. It sits in a sub-association's budget, reserves and meeting history, which the managing association can provide for a specific home.

A Few Direct Questions

Does every Daybreak home pay the 0.5% fee when it sells? The official owner page describes it as a fee on the gross sales price paid at closing. Utah law lists some transfers, such as court-ordered and qualifying family transfers, where a reinvestment fee covenant recorded on or after March 16, 2010 cannot be enforced. The figure for a specific home comes from Homewisedocs.

Is the 0.5% fee part of the HOA dues? No. LiveDAYBREAK describes it as funding its nonprofit programs, and it is separate from the master association's quarterly assessments.

Can the extra layer on a home change after I buy? Yes. The 2026 sheet shows some charges going up and others going down. The association says its rates can change without notice.

This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm the fees and obligations for any specific property with Homewisedocs, the managing association, and a qualified attorney or tax professional.

At Kingswell Estates, we price the layers before we price the house. For a seller, that means estimating the enhancement fee before setting a net target. For a buyer comparing two Daybreak addresses, it means a full monthly cost for each, from the master dues through the sub-association. If you'd like that worked out for a specific Daybreak home, Let's Connect.