Architectural Reviews Made Easy

By Author: Walter Rich
Total Articles: 1
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Homeowners who live in community associations have differing opinions and lifestyles, yet live in very close proximity. Like all groups that wish to live in harmony, community association boards of directors must seek to blend the individual's rights with the desires of the majority of the members. Rules and regulations preserve the beauty and architectural design of the community while allowing owners to live in the manner and lifestyle they choose. An ongoing challenge of any association is how to educate members on these guidelines. The following are suggestions on how to communicate this program with members.

An interactive web program you could call Covenants Compliance can be established that will allow owners to register their unit and view and participate in a presentation of the rules and regulations of the community. Members will be given information that asserts that the rules were not established to limit their personal tastes or decorating style but, rather, to preserve the overall architectural design and attractive appearance of the community. The board of directors should approve a resolution and subsequent ...
... addition to the rules and regulations that would make viewing this presentation a requirement of purchasing a home or for amenity privileges in the community. The program could be designed to show pictures of homes that would not be in compliance, as well as those that are. The online site could display two choices in which the owner must select the home that is in compliance in order to gain a visual interpretation of the current standards. People in general usually grasp a concept through either a visual picture or the written word, and the interactive website would provide both.

Examples of what to display could be a home that has an unapproved dog run, an improper mailbox post or a driveway that was not constructed properly. Photographs could also include items that are not allowed to be stored in certain areas of the property such as boats, playhouses or trailers.

New owners and even existing members can easily become overwhelmed by the association's governing documents, and often disregard them. Technology-based programs such as the one described above will play a large role in the near future. Upon completion of the presentation, the individual member would sign an electronic release stating s/he received a copy of the rules and regulations, architectural guidelines and governing documents. This procedure offers documentation to the board of directors should a member challenge a violation notice. The board can show it has gone to great lengths to educate the member in their continuing efforts to promote harmonious community living.

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