A. Although the restrictions have been in place and enforced for
years, it was strictly on a complaint-driven basis. If nobody
filed a complaint, no action was taken. In order to make sure
that the rules are applied equally to everyone, and to reduce
the tensions caused by knowing a neighbor must have complained,
an outside group was contracted to look for apparent violations
and report them. The complaint mechanism is still also in place
to ensure that your concerns about problems you see will be
addressed, but the majority of issues will probably be raised by
the contractor.
Q. What in the world do these things mean? I'm not a lawyer,
and I don't understand exactly what's wrong.
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A. Here's a brief description of what the people doing the
inspections are looking for:
●
Trailers, campers, motor homes, and other things
that go beyond standard personal vehicles (cars, pickup trucks,
minivans, etc.) that are on the property. These need to be
stored elsewhere, or moved to the street.
●
Vehicles that are obviously not driveable (for
instance, on blocks or jacks, or with flat tires) or that could
not be driven legally (for example, license is expired).
●
Yard or landscaping that has not been maintained
to a reasonable level. This would include seriously overgrown
grass or weeds, trees or shrubs that are in obvious need of
pruning (like those growing over sidewalks or interfering with
line of sight at intersections), and similar problems.
●
Visible debris – trash, tree trimmings, even
things like construction materials and children's toys that
should be stored out of sight rather than left out for long
periods.
●
Obvious external repairs that are needed for
fences, gates, and so on.
●
Signs on buildings.
●
Changes that would require approval by the
Architectural Control Committee (new construction, landscaping,
etc.). Changes that have received approval are fine.
These are not all-inclusive lists; if you have questions about
whether something is allowed, check with Mike Bamer at the
M.U.D. office (bamer@ammud.org,
258-4104). By the way, we apologize for having sent out some
letters about boats on trailers, which are not an issue whether
on or off the property. These letters can be disregarded.
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Q. How do you decide when something is really a problem, not
just a matter of timing for when somebody happened to look? My
grass grows again after I mow, and I may have to fix a flat or
arrange for repair of my fence, for example.
A description of the way the process works may help here. First,
a team drives through the neighborhoods fairly early in the
month checking for apparent violations and noting anything that
is found. Towards the end of the month, anything noted so far is
checked to see if it still applies. If so, a letter is sent out.
If the issue still exists for both of the checks in the
following month, you will be notified that it is on the agenda
for a board meeting, and at that meeting a decision will be made
as to whether legal action will be taken to resolve the issue
and assess penalties. As you can see, this means that the
problem must have been noted by four consecutive inspections
over the course of two months. Chances of the timing working
against you each time are remote, and you'll be able to explain
any such situation at the board meeting.
Q. Can I get somebody to come to my property to acknowledge
that the problem has been corrected?
No, this is not part of the agreed process. But the description
above hopefully shows why it is not necessary; when the
subsequent inspections are done, the issue will be noted as
resolved and no further action will be taken.
Q. Is there some way to talk to the contractor about my
specific situation?
Yes, you can call the office (or potentially an answering
service; that number will be included in any letters sent) and
request a call back. This return call should be made within
about five working days, often sooner. See the contact
information above for Mike Bamer. Please remember that these
people are just doing what they have been contracted to do, and
don't “shoot the messenger”!
We hope this helps to clarify the situation, and we look forward
to having those perfect months! Thanks for your cooperation.
