Recently letters were sent out regarding covenants. It was meant as a reminder that our covenants are subject to being followed. Violation letters will be sent out to homeowners directly when a violation occurs. Please contact the HOA board via email at mycountrywalkhoa@gmail.com for any questions.
Fine Schedule Release
The HOA Board of Directors is ready to announce the first ever fine schedule for covenant violations. Before you get too concerned, please let me explain the goal of this schedule and the discussion and care that was given in crafting the policy.
The intent of this schedule is not to be overly punitive. It is intended to remind the owners of the obligations they agreed to when they purchased property in the HOA to follow the covenants to protect not only their financial investment but also that of their neighbors. We are a community that relies on mutual adherence to the covenants to help sustain our property values. The goal of the fines is not to punish but to dissuaded violations and allow for the HOA to address reoccurring problems.
The schedule is broken into three different classifications of fees. Each classification has several violations attached. The first step in any enforcement action is a warning. One warning will be given within any 12 months. The next step is escalating fines based on the number of violations within those 12 months. The ultimate goal of this schedule is for the Board to address violations and work with the members to resolve the issues.
The Board is providing a three-month implementation process where all violations from 7/1/19 to 10/1/19 will be given warnings. After 10/1/19, the first violation will result in a warning with a second violation or subsequent violations receiving a fine by the schedule.
The Board will rely on the members to police themselves. We will not be seeking out violators. We have in the past paid for patrols, but we believe this is not the best use of our money. We have since suspended that operation and are trying this new approach to see its effectiveness. Once a complaint is received by the Board, a Board member will be assigned to confirm the violation. If the complaint is confirmed, a letter will be sent to the member in violation.
The member has 15 days to respond to the Board about the steps being taken to alleviate the violation so the Board can work directly with the members to resolve the issue. Again the goal is not punishment but to resolve the issues and maintain adherence to the covenants.
This topic has been discussed at length at the last three Board Meetings. I invite you to attend the meetings and to familiarize yourself with the covenants. All of the meeting dates were mailed to the members at the beginning of the year and are located on our new website. The covenants are also listed on the website.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at mycountrywalkhoa@gmail.com or check out our website at www.countrywalkthirdestates.org.
Matthew Vogt
Board President
Grass clipping complaints
The HOA has received a number of complaints about large amounts of grass clipping being left on public sidewalks or city streets. While this is not covered in the covenants it is a matter of being a considerate and kind neighbor. Please clean up your large amounts of grass clippings so they don’t make a mess for the many residents that walk through the neighborhood or cause a foul odor develop for your neighbors. Help keep our neighborhood clean and well maintained.
Feral Cat Program
The City of Mulvane has a feral cat program for city residents. The process requires the home owner to check out a pet trap from the Police Department and set it up on their property. Once a cat is trapped the resident needs to contact the Police Department at 316-777-1111. The Police Department will then pickup the cat and take them to the vet for spaying or neutering and then return the cat to the area it was caught from.
All feral cats will have a mark on their ear to indicate they have already been fixed.