What is a Homeowners' Association?
What is my HOA dues used for?
I received a Letter concerning a violation. What do I do?

What is a Homeowners' Association? 

The Gideon Square Homeowners' Association are 5 homeowners that are elected to maintain and govern Gideon Square.  Gideon Square is a privately-owned community that is responsible for maintaining its roads, streetlights, sidewalks and common areas and for trash and snow removal.  In additional to maintenance, the HOA enforces rules and regulations to ensure that homes are maintained in compliance with covenants and other building restrictions.  Although police still enforce violations of State Law and County Ordinances, the HOA enforces violations of Gideon Square rules and regulations.

What is my HOA dues used for?

Each quarter, homeowner's pay $124, or $496 per year.  This money is collected by the HOA and used to pay for street repairs, snow plowing, trash removal, common area grass cutting, landscaping, sidewalk repairs, and management activities such as billing, book keeping and auditing, HOA taxes, and legal actions. On average, the HOA collects $50000 in dues annually.

The pie chart illustrates how our dues are used over time.  On average, of your $124 dues payment, is spent as follows:

$   19.84 Road and Sidewalk Repairs
     32.24 Landscaping
     29.76 Trash Removal
     19.84 Management
       7.44 Snow Removal
       7.44 Utilities
       7.44 Other                                        
$124.00 Total

I received a Letter concerning a violation.  What do I do?

Periodically, Board members and our Management Company's staff walk through the neighborhood to check for violations of the Covenants and rules and regulations. If they identify a violation, they may issue a letter to the homeowner that the home is in violation. If you receive such a letter, you should evaluate the claimed violation.  Are you in violation?, If you agree that you are, make the required changes within 30 days.  If the repairs is expected to take longer, call the management company which is identified in the letter, or e-mail us and we will usually give you more time to comply.

If you dispute or disagree with the claimed violation, contact the management company and request a hearing before the Board. You can even bring a lawyer if you want, but this is typically not required. At your hearing, which is rather informal and held during regular Board Meetings, you can state why you think you are not in violation.  The Board will explain the applicable rules and discuss the claimed violation with you.  The Board will then vote whether to affirm the claimed violation or to dismiss it. If it is dismissed, you need to do nothing further.  If it affirms the claimed violation, you will be given addition time to comply.

If you refuse to comply, the Board may take a few actions.  It may vote to issue a special assessment against the homeowner for noncompliance with the letter.  Special assessment could amount to as much as $50 per day of violation not to exceed $800 per month.  The Board may make the required correction itself and charge the homeowner a special assessment which will include the cost of repairs. The Board may take legal action to enforce the violation which will result in court action and a lien being placed on the property.  In additional to legal fees that the homeowner will be required to pay, you cannot sell your home or obtain a home equity loan until the lien is removed which will require compliance with the violation letter.