There you are calmly getting your mail when, SLAM, you are surprised with a letter from the ACC.

Take a deep breath and relax. The letters are part of the procedure to let residents know of issues that need to be addressed. In many cases the weeds or overgrown bushes have been resolved before the letter arrives. It is a polite way to let you know that something needs to be fixed. We are all busy and it is possible that you did not notice the maintenance issue, or forgot to let the ACC know you were getting a new roof or repainting your house, so a friendly reminder is always nice.

Just let the ACC know that you intend to fix the problem. They just want to know that you are doing something. Many times things have to be scheduled with a work crew and that can take time. Just let the ACC know that you have scheduled your roof to be cleaned, the bushes to be trimmed, the screen repaired, etc. Then they know that you are addressing the issue and they are very happy.

If you forget to let them know what you are doing they will send you a follow up letter so please take the time to respond to the first letter. Saves us postage and saves you getting upset. We are all neighbors and so we try to keep this as friendly as possible. Even Board members, myself included, have received these letters. It is nicer than an ACC member knocking on doors, probably safer, too, and makes it possible to document that problems have been resolved or followed up when needed.

Our governing HOA documents, which are deed restrictions on our properties, require us to have an ACC and spell out our exterior maintenance responsibilities. That’s why this system is in place. Sometimes, you may not have noticed a maintenance need, or maybe you were away when it occurred. A “Reminder” letter from the ACC is a part of how an HOA works.

So, be a good neighbor and help out the ACC. These volunteers take their own time to take care of this. If we have to go back to a management company we can expect our HOA fees to increase. I, for one, really appreciate the value these volunteers bring to our community.