Common Maintenance Violations
Most of us have busy personal lifestyles filled with many commitments and activities, often leaving little free time, including work, family obligations, social engagements, hobbies, and other personal pursuits, which can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed or constantly on the go. Is it any wonder that we can sometimes lose sight of the need to take care of exterior maintenance issues around our homes.
A maintenance problem becomes a violation when it reaches a level of neglect that has a negative impact on our home’s appearance, our community’s wellbeing, property values, or safety as defined in our governing documents and association rules. Belmont has high standards. Most homeowners understand the need to conform to our architectural guidelines and are very cooperative when a maintenance issue is called to their attention.
Here is a list of some of common exterior maintenance violations that you can avoid with a little bit of effort. It’s always best to try to stay ahead of the curve by dealing with them before they become a serious problem.
- Walkways and front steps that need to be cleaned.
- Mildew on vinyl siding.
- Items improperly stored on or under your deck.
- Garbage and recycling bins that are not properly stored inside your garage.
- Unstable or leaning mailboxes posts that need to be straightened and re-set in cement.
- Mailboxes or posts that need to be repaired, cleaned, or replaced.
- Low voltage or solar landscape lights that are not properly set or “seated” in the ground.
- Fallen or damaged window shutters.
- Doors, window shutters, or house trim colors have been changed without association approval.
- Fences that need to be repaired, painted, or cleaned.
- If homeowners are required to do their own landscape work… Failure to properly mow the lawn, trim landscaping, remove weeds, or put down mulch on a timely and basis.
If you are sent a violation notice, it’s not personal. The association is doing its job to protect the community’s interests. Time frames to resolve violations are set forth on the notice. If you need a little more time to fix something, and have a valid reason for the delay, the staff may be able to work with you. If you need to speak with a staff member for any reason call (703) 723-9982.
Please Remember…
It’s a lot cheaper and less trouble to fix a simple maintenance problem than to pay fines and deal with association enforcement actions.