New Lawn Rules

On the issue of HOA personnel trespassing as it relates to the Modifications Sub-Committee.

When you submit an application for a modification, you give PERMISSION for HOA personnel to enter your property:

http://www.broadlandshoa.org/filesh...OA+Design+Guidelines/002_Application_Form.pdf

Read the paragraph immediately above the signature line.

 

CONTINUED:

PERSONALLY, If an onsite visit is needed, I will let the homeowner know that I will be roaming the property. If no one is home I go about HOA business as quickly as possible.

Note: I once visited a home and saw the owner enter the house as I was driving up. I waited a couple of minutes to let them get settled and when I rang, they did not answer, maybe thinking I was a salesperson.

How much effort should we go to notifying the homeowner when most of us Mod-Sub members are not sure when we will visit (if needed)? Remember, we all have families and we volunteer our time. I will stop at homes quite often, on my way to or home from work.

So, if you have submitted an application, PLEASE remember that sometime shortly after submittal, there MAY be a chance that some people will stop by unannouced to check your property.

Bob Tate - Modification Sub-Committee member

 

FWIW ... also check the HOA Covenants that you agreed to when you bought a house in Broadlands. If I remember right, there are clauses that allow for external inspections.

 

However, I do agree with A4GUY - I think there are some general maintenance issues with common areas that go back and forth between HOA and VM. I can call VM, but if we are changing our rules for private homeowners, then I'd like to see the HOA step up with the common area maintenance.

I understand about water restrictions, dry grass, etc. I'm talking more about piles of dirt, rocks, etc.

I'm totally okay with HOA roaming around looking for violations. We've had several issues with junky cars being left around and HOA has acted quickly to have these removed.

My patch of front lawn doesn't look the prettiest on the block, but I don't think that HOA will be fining because your lawn isn't a Jack Nicholson golf course. I'm interpreting the new rules more about general lawn maintenance of weeding, mowing, no dead plants for months, etc. Which is what I expected from before the new rules changed.

I think our section is pretty good about their lawns, for me, it more of folks not replacing their driveway lights when they are out, or not replacing their porch lights when they are out. Keeping these lights on at night is the cheapest security measure we have, especially back by us where it’s really dark.

At the end, I think our HOA is doing a pretty good job and have always been courteous when we call or e-mail them with our issues. Keep up the good work!

 

Differences...

As a homeowner with a limited size lot, it is much easier for you to take care of your property and IMO, to a higher standard.

The common areas are vast throughout the community and the work is contracted out. The contractor deals in "bulk" and cannot focus on the minor issues and effectively complete all the maintenance that needs to be done. If they were to put more focus on minor issues, I am quite certain that fees would go up significantly.

Personally, I think our common areas are pretty well maintained compared to other communities.

 

Big problem with several homeowners on Ellzey Drive is that when kids, parents, dogs walk to and from school, they also walk in the yards, ride bikes through the yards, take strollers through the yards and let the dogs do whatever and not clean up. So there is foot traffic in our yard all the time during the school year. I wonder if we'll get a notice of poor yard condition :conf3:

 

my guess is NO.

 

Thank you on behalf of all the employees of the HOA. We are not out to "get" you. As a matter of fact we are you. Five of the seven permanent employees at the HOA are Broadlands residents!
You are correct about the intention of the new regulations. No one has ever been sent a letter for a brown patch on their lawn or a bush struggling to survive. But there are residents who have let the grass and weeds grown to 36" or more and those who feel that their backyards never need be mowed. Likewise, a landscape full of dead bushes and grass 2' tall growing up the side of a house is not acceptable based on the standards of our neighborhood.
Unfortunately, we just do not have enough employees - those 7 referenced constitute the total staff - to police the entire neighborhood, so if you see a common area maintenance problem such as piles of dirt and rocks please call the association as well as VM.
Please also realize that common areas that are not irrigated will not look like a golf course. If they have been turned over to the HOA, we keep them fertilized, mowed and trimmed, but they will never look as lush as those areas that are irrigated. Given the cost of installing and maintaining an irrigation system and the cost of water, it will never be practical to irrigate all the common areas in Broadlands.

 

Thanks Mama

That makes it more clear to me. My neatly trimmed crabgrass showstopper should not be a problem

(ps. does ANYONE know how to get rid of this stuff. I feel it is time for me to rip up the whole thing and make it a garden ... and yes I will get permission first )

 

If you are planning to replace the grass with softscape...Plants, mulch, flowers...no paths, walls, etc (also known as hardscape) you don't need an application...

 

Video tape them when they trespass and put it on U-tube.

I am installing complete video surveillance around my property and we are on a corner lot with a school bus stop and have the same problem I even have caught a neighbor in way my backyard with her dog doing its business and not picking it up even. I did confront this person and she walked off in a huff, but never saw her again. Seems certain lots like corner ones people think it is public property including the kids. I have caught preteens and teens at night looking through my lower windows. Unbelievable, don't these parents teach their kids to stay off private property. According to my lawyer brother you have the right to video tape any one one your property even the HOA inspectors

 

Crabgrass is an annual that will die when it starts to frost. New plants grow from seeds in the spring. We put down an application of Corn Gluten Meal (CGM) which acts as a fertilizer and helps prevent seeds from germinating. It will also prevent grass seed from germinating so you can't plan on over seeding when using CGM.

We've been doing this for several years and feel that it really cuts down on the amount of crabgrass we have. We get the CGM from a feed store in Frederick, MD. A big plus is that it's organic and we don't have to worry about our kids running around the grass barefoot, even right after we put it down.

 

We had a landscaper kill ours (crabgrass, barn grass, etc.), then put down topsoil and reseed. As it happened, this was about a week or two before the water restrictions hit. But anyway, the landscaper also pointed to lots that border ours which are full of crab grass and other undesirable stuff and told us that try as we might to keep it out, theirs will creep into our yard, so we need to maintain realistic expectations.

 

Steve - You assume everything is negative. I like the HOA. I like the fact that someone takes the time out of their day to enforce our rules. I like the fact that there are no junkers lining our streets like other communities and that our neighborhood looks great. Also, I will complain when I see properties out of compliance with the rules.

This being said, I am not naive enough to believe that ALL of the board participate equally in the INITIAL review of properties to assess if someone is in compliance. By initial review, I mean the first review of the actual property to begin the process of creating a violation which would then be passed to the board for assessment.

I would expect the board to become involved AFTER violations are noted (either by the initial inspector or a complaint) and to apply the entire due process to the violation.

I stand by my original post that there IS an initial assessment made by just a few individuals before it gets into the board's hands and that initial assessment is NOT based on a majority input from the entire board but on just those inspectors since the entire board isn't even there.

So yes, it would make sense to become friends with the initial inspectors to keep out of trouble. I would expect a friend to tell me my trash can was left on the street too long rather than sending me a letter. My friend would tell me my basketball hoop needs to be approved before I get a letter. My friend would let me know that my yard needs to be cleaned up before sending me a letter.

Do you have any friends who are police? Guess what happens when they pull you over for speeding or another traffic violation. Do you think that you get a ticket? Do you think that they report you for the violation?

Am I glad that that cop is out there enforcing the laws...yes. Do I realize that these things occur...yes.

Use some common sense here... nobody and no process is perfect.

 

Okay you win. Do the quick dance around your house and enjoy life...