A Maryland homeowners association is suing Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson for roughly $1,500 in fees the association says Johnson hasn't paid.

Johnson says he is up to date on his payments, and has hired a lawyer to defend him in court.

The Kettering Community Association says Johnson and his wife, Leslie, haven't paid a $150 annual fee for years on a property the couple owns in Upper Marlboro.

The Johnsons rent out their four-bedroom house on the 10800 block of Bennington Drive but are still responsible for annual dues to the Kettering homeowners association.

The association collects money from member properties for the maintenance and "beautification" of public areas including parks and playgrounds and for "the promotion of the recreation, health, safety and welfare of the residents," according to a contract between Kettering and its members.

The association says the Johnsons have "failed to remit payment for the assessments due, despite repeated requests to do so," according to court documents. Johnson said he has never been late on a payment in the 30 years he has owned the house.

Johnson is term-limited and in his last year in office. His wife is running for County Council in District 6, which includes Kettering.

County residents are used to problems with their homeowners associations, according to Phil Lee, president of the Kettering Civic Federation, which oversees the area's eight associations.

"This [homeowners association] is no different than most," Lee said. "More often than not the [homeowners association] is wrong and it's because of the changing of management."

Lee said the companies that manage homeowners associations -- in this case, Waldorf-based Maredith Management -- are poorly managed and do not process payments in a timely, efficient manner. Phone calls to Maredith and its attorney were not returned.

Lee said he also is being pursued his homeowners association for a payment he says he paid.

"They didn't post my money in the right account and they don't know I paid," he said. "And you don't find out until an attorney gets a hold of it."

Lee said the federation has worked with the county government to try to regulate the associations.

"We have tried desperately hard," he said. "It's a racket. There is no oversight or regulation."