January 2021 | Goodwin & Company

Goodwin & Company knows that one of the essential elements of being on the board of directors for your HOA is dealing with homeowner violations. Issues that involve the breaking of association rules and regulations are delicate and require a well-worded violation letter to ensure that steps towards proper resolution are taken.

Let’s find out why violation letters are such an important part of your responsibilities and how you and your management team can craft a violation letter that leads to successful change.

Why Do Violations Letters Matter?

The rules of your association are concrete and in place to ensure that your community remains uniform and appealing to future owners. When a current member violates one of the association bylaws, it’s paramount that your board takes action as soon as possible.

Violation letters serve as a polite way of communicating a need for change while still having concrete proof in the physical documentation. In an HOA, when conflict arises, documentation is everything. So, here are some tips for ensuring that your next violation letter is something that pushes towards positive, effective change.

There is a Clear Purpose to the Letter

Make sure that your violation letter is clear about what it is that the owner has done wrong. The easiest way to add clarity to your letter is to provide the specific part of your community covenants that relate to the violation in question.

This approach makes your letter official and more than a standard complaint that can come off as something the owner may view as an optional resolution.

Provide Evidence

If you can, provide supporting evidence that shows the issue at hand. This will further clarify your reasoning behind the violation notice and allow the owner to have zero doubt about where the issue was found on their property.

Request for Changes or Resolution

Make sure that your letter is clear about what the owner needs to do in order to bring their account back into good standing. Be specific and provide them with reasonable solutions that will successfully and quickly resolve the violation.

Give Owners a Timeline to Change

Without an official deadline to make changes, you can’t expect homeowners to act quickly. Your goal should be to resolve violations as quickly as possible. So, as you think of a deadline, consider the type of violation involved and the type of work that will need to be completed to resolve the issue.

Timelines can range from a couple of days to a month or longer. The deadline you come up with all depends on the specific situation your violation letter hones in on.

Provide Details of Potential Disciplinary Hearings

Remember, your homeowners have the right to contest a violation letter. Always give them this option and provide them with the information they will need to schedule a disciplinary hearing where their side of the violation can be heard.

You’ve Crafted the Perfect Letter. Now What?

Before sending out your letter, check your community’s governing documents regarding how to properly deliver the letter. Your community may require a standard mail delivery or an in-person delivery. Whatever the case is, follow the rules on your behalf just in case the owner checks in on how you followed procedure.

Once the letter is delivered, check in on the changes the owner has made with regard to the violation. If the deadline for change has passed with no action, it’s time to craft a follow-up warning. This letter should cover similar ground but contain a firmer tone. Again, grant them a period of time to make changes.

If a third letter is required, you will need to get your HOA management team and the association’s legal counsel involved to determine your next steps in resolving the problem.

Stay On Top of HOA Violation Letters with the Help of Goodwin & Company

Violation letters are necessary for keeping your association uniform and property values on the rise. If you are a board member or manager of a Dallas HOA, you need a HOA management team on your side that can help organize your violation letters, catch up with owners and move forward with legal proceedings when necessary.

Goodwin & Company is prepared to be your association’s behind the scenes partner. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Your homeowner’s association should be a place where owners can comfortably park their cars and have ample parking opportunities for their guests when company arises. However, without proper HOA managed rules and regulations in place, parking can easily become a hassle within an HOA community.

In order to prevent common parking issues like crowded streets and overflowing driveways, here are some regulations that association board members can implement if they aren’t already in place.

Regulate Where Owners can Park Cars

Most HOAs or condominium complexes have specific rules about where owners can park their cars. Most of the time, owners in an association use their driveways as designated parking spots, where condo owners usually have specific spots in their community’s parking lot.

When it comes to cars in the driveway, HOAs do have the ability to restrict the type of car that is parked in the driveway. Uniformity is essential, and if a car is in poor or inoperable condition, the board has every right to ask homeowners to park that vehicle inside of their garage.

HOAs that are gated communities have control over the streets within their communities. Therefore, there can be rules against how many cars can be parked on areas like curbsides. However, if your association includes public roads, your board doesn’t have jurisdiction over vehicles parked along that road and you should contact local authorities if there are any parking issues between owners, their guests, and the board.

Regulate Parking Duration

One of the most common questions homeowners may have is how long they can park their cars in designated parking before action is taken against their vehicles. When it comes to driveways, the answer is typically unlimited since the driveway is part of their property.

However, your HOA board can regulate how long owners can park along private roads near their property or in common parking spaces for the community. In some associations, homeowners can park in areas off of their property for up to 24-hours before association action is taken. Other associations have posted designated parking hours that leave a small window for parking use.

Some association owners may view parking duration regulations as an infringement of their independence in the community. However, this particular restriction is essential to keeping up the property value of the community by preventing owners from leaving abandoned cars within parking spaces throughout the neighborhood.

Prohibit Different Vehicle Types

Most associations have rules in place that prohibit certain vehicle types from being parked on an owner’s property. The main purpose of this rule is to prevent large, clunky vehicles from becoming an eyesore within the community.

Some of the most common prohibited vehicles include the following:

Boats
RVs
Commercial Vehicles
Trailers

Even if the vehicles are in pristine condition, it is still in the interest of your board to maintain the uniformity and the appeal of a community in order to continually increase property value throughout the association.

Why Do Parking Regulations Matter?

Aside from the curb appeal necessary to an association, there are several reasons why your board should consider implementing parking regulations throughout the community. Regulations and consequences that come with violations like fees and towing help prevent issues that include:

Illegal/inadequate handicap parking
Poor parking opportunities for guests
Residents parking in unauthorized areas
Inadequate resident parking

Create Helpful Parking Regulation with the Help of Goodwin & Company

If you and your homeowner’s association board are working on improving numerous regulations for your association in the new year, work with an association management team that can help push your decisions in the right direction.

Goodwin & Company is an experienced Dallas HOA and condo management team that can help your board get through the essentials of association management. From dues collection to regulatory compliance, we’re always ready to be your team behind the scenes that push your neighborhood forward.