| HOME OWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS Contact me for all of your Tucson Real Estate needs.Julie Nellis, Long Realty, 520-918-3843 When you move into a community that has a Home Owner's Association you automatically become a member of this association. The Decloarations of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions attached to the property require every owner of the property to be a memer of the community and abide by the associations documents. These documents consist not only of the CC&R's but also the articles of incorporation, by-laws, rules and regulations and the architectural or design guidelines established by the association. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR A BUYER TO READ ALL DOCUMENTATION IN REGARDS TO RESTRICTIONS, RULES, REGULATIONS, AND BY-LAWS. The purpose of the association is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community and it's members. To maintain or increase property values of it's members and to protect the assets of the association. The association, through it's board, is responsible for enforcement of the "Deed Restrictions" which include the association documents. The board of the association is elected annually by it's members. (the exception is during the initial development time in which the developer is usually in control of the board). Members can control how the association operates by electing those individuals to the board who have their same interests on how the community is to be maintained. WHAT CAN I OR CAN'T I DO TO MY PROPERTY? First and foremost you need to read the association documents. Even if it appears to be a tedious boring task, it is critical to do so. Although the CC&R's are the foundation in which the association operates, the architectural and design guidelines usually control the esthetics of the community and what you can or cannot do to your home or lot. Before you can change anything on the exterior of your home or lot you must (in almost all cases) submit your plans and/or specifications for architectural approval prior to making changes. This includes changing the paint color on your home. Although slightly more restrictive, this is equivalent to submitting plans to a city for a "building permit". Usually this is the most controversial subject when living in a community. When you purchase a home or lot within a community association you should expect that the esthetics of the community would stay the same or improve. You would not expect it to deteriorate and cause a lose of value to the community as a whole. In order to live in this type of community there needs to be a sense of cooperation among all the members of the community. You need to make your voice heard, attend regular board meetings, present positive ideas to the board or management company, volunteer for a committee, help research information for the board, present solutions rather than criticisms, or volunteer to run for the board. If you are not happy living in a community association, you need to first re-examine why you purchased in the community. If it is not what you expected see if you can help change the way the association operates. This can only be done by taking an active role in your community. If you leave it up to others, then you must live with the results, good or bad. If you feel the board or management company is abusing or operating outside the scope of their authority, then you can turn to the BBCAM for assistance. (BBCAM-Bureau for Better Community Associations and Management, 4646 E. Greenway Rd, Suite 112, Phoenix, AZ 85032, 602-840-6327 If all else fails and you are still unhappy with the association, maybe it is not for you. Not everyone wants to live in a community with rules and regulations or guidelines. Maybe it is time for you to move on to an environment more to your liking. MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF YOUR NEXT PROPERTY. CONTACT ME Contact me for all of your Tucson Real Estate needs. Julie Nellis, ABR, ASR, GRI, e-Pro Associate Broker Long Realty 1890 E. River Rd Tucson, AZ 85718 520-918-3843 |