Welcome to the our new neighbors that have found, or are finding their way, into our beautiful community — Buckhead of Tallahassee.
The Board of the Buckhead HOA would like to take a moment to remind everyone of the value and importance of the Covenants that govern our community and of the role you, as a lot owner, play in the process. Adherence to our Covenants is critical to preserving the beauty of our neighborhood, as well as protecting our property values.
In response to a number of recent inquiries about our process for compliance (or lack thereof) of certain conditions on one or more of our lots, we wanted to let everyone know what we are hearing, what our Covenants say about these conditions, what the HOA is doing to uphold the standards of our community, and what you can do to help.
What our Committee members observe or hear the most about from your neighbors:
- Garbage cans left out / unscreened
- AC/Heating units un-screened,
- Trailers/Boats parked on a Lot
- Multiple cars parked in driveways, (rather than in the garage),
- Fences in disrepair
What our Covenants say about these conditions:
- Garbage cans– all equipment for storage of trash, garbage, etc., must be kept in a clean and sanitary condition and shall not be visible from the street or from any private or common driveway except for those times designated for collection by appropriate waste management and collection authorities.
- AC/Heating unitsmust be shielded and hidden so that such equipment is not readily visible from any roadway or any other Lot.
- Trailers/Boats– No boat, trailer, motorcycle, motor home, camper, van, plane or recreational vehicle may be parked or stored on any street or on any Lot except entirely within an enclosed garage.
- Cars in Driveways– the Covenants require that each dwelling have a functioning attached garage with capacity for no less than two automobiles and no more than four. Further, the Covenants expressly state that Lot Owners “are required to make all reasonable effort to keep the garage door closed at all times except when entering or exiting the garage”. In keeping with the spirit and intent of the Covenants, it is strongly encouraged that everyone utilize the garage to park their vehicles. However, the HOA has no authority to require such.
- Fences in Disrepair– Walls, Fences and Gateposts are subject to ACC approval. Specifically the ACC may refuse to approve any plan for any wall, fence or gatepost that is not in harmony with the existing or proposed structure, landscaping or general characteristics of the Lots and surrounding Properties. All fences must be continuously maintained in good condition by the Lot Owner. If an “improvement” e.g., a fence, which at one time received ACC approval, is subsequently altered, whether by nature or by man such that it ceases to exist in the state and condition of which it was originally improved; the Owner is required to “cause such improvement to be removed, remodeled or restored in order to fully comply” with the standards of the Covenant and related requirement for ACC approval.
What we are doing and what YOU can do to help.
Please inspect your property and remedy any conditions are not in compliance. We typically mail “Courtesy Reminder” letters to the Owner of a lot when we become aware of a violation. However, a “Courtesy Reminder” letter is not required by our enforcement procedure but we view it as an easy step toward communicating the need to address one of these issues before more formal non-compliance notices are required. Some of you may have received such a letter. Some of you may receive one in the future. This process is ongoing. If you receive any communication from the Covenants Enforcement Committee (CEC) about a potential violation, we ask that you be responsive, either by taking prompt corrective action – or contacting a CEC member if you have questions or concerns about the assessment or condition.
We will continue to do our best to inspect all known instances of potential non-compliance. That said, we cannot be everywhere on every street at all times. We ask that you inspect your Lot today to determine if any of these conditions exists and if so, we ask that you take prompt correction action. We also ask that you continue to report any conditions that you believe to be out of compliance.
*Please contact a member of the Board to report any covenants compliance questions or concerns. And please note that it is NOT our policy to disclose the identity of a neighbor that reports a potential Covenants violation. We see no value in doing so. A member of the CEC will inspect any report of a suspected violation and will make an independent judgment about its compliance with applicable Covenants. If appropriate, the CEC will communicate accordingly with the Lot Owner.
If you’d like to know more about these Committees, please check out the BOARDS and COMMITTEES section on this website.
Our Covenants provide if any construction or improvement is made upon a lot without prior written approval of the ACC, that the owner of such construction or improvement is responsible for bringing such construction or improvement into compliance and to secure ACC approval; and that such Owner is liable for all costs (including attorney’s fees) associated with the necessary removal or restoration to ensure compliance. In addition, Florida law permits HOAs to assess fines for a continued state of non-compliance with its Covenants as well as file property liens where fines are unpaid.