Community associations are created to provide exclusive benefits to the owners within a development. The responsibilities may vary with each community, and are in accordance with the desires of the association members and their elected Board of Directors.
Conditions & Restrictions (also called a Declaration; Covenants; CC&Rs; or Master Deed); The specific duties and responsibilities of a community association are found within our set of governing documents. These governing documents typically consist of: - Creates the community association, contains the deed restrictions, establishes mandatory membership and payment of assessments.
In general, the duties and responsibilities of a community association consist of any combination of the following six areas:
Common Areas Community common areas can be as little as a sign and median strip at the front entrance to a small single-family home community, to as large as a planned community of 25,000 homes which contains extensive greenspace (parks, trails), recreational facilities (marinas, clubhouses, pools, tennis courts), streets and parking areas.
Maintenance and repair responsibilities coordinated by the association provide consistent appearance and quality of work throughout the community, as well as the time-saving benefit for the members. The collective group purchasing power provides for economical services for the common enjoyment of all residents.
Protection of Property Values: Although usually not specifically listed within the governing documents, one of the primary purposes of an association is to protect property values. Whenever someone allows the appearance of their yard and home to seriously deteriorate, it often negatively impacts their neighbors and their property values.
Compliance with common standards helps to ensure the pleasing appearance of the community, the marketability of homes, and maximizes - if not enhances - their collective property values.
Deed Restrictions Deed restrictions are designed to provide a common standard of conduct for the community, and may define rules concerning the size and number of pets, limitations on parking and types of vehicles, renting of the home, age restriction of residents, business use of the home, and maintaining the appearance of the property.
Architectural control provides the mechanism to ensure that the character and aesthetic harmony of the community is maintained in subsequent years, and protected from a gradual deterioration of standards. Prior to purchasing a home in a community association, a prospective buyer should review the architectural restrictions to ensure agreement with standards.