It is a non-profit corporation registered with the State and managed by a duly elected Board of Directors. Its purpose is to maintain all common areas and to govern the community in accordance with the provisions outlined in the legal governing documents: CC&R’s, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation. The corporation is financially supported by all members of the community association. By purchasing a home in your neighborhood, you automatically become a member of the association. Membership is mandatory as long as you own your home. As a member of the association, owners are required to comply with all issues outlined in the association’s governing documents. In addition, members are required to pay assessments to support the responsibilities of the association.

The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions are the legal governing documents that set up the guidelines for the operation of the planned community as a non-profit corporation. The CC&R’s were recorded by the county recorder’s office of the county in which the property is located and are included in your title to your property. Failure to comply by the CC&R’s may result in action against a homeowner by the association.

The Bylaws are the guidelines for the operation of the non-profit corporation. The Bylaws define the duties of the various offices of the Board of Directors, the terms of office, the membership’s voting rights, required meetings and notices of such meetings, quorum requirements as well as other specific items that are necessary to run the association as a business.

Centerpoint can provide documents to homeowners upon request. They are also available through the association’s website portal by logging in with your username and password.

The Board of Directors is elected by the homeowners, or as is otherwise specified in the Bylaws, to govern the association and oversee the business operations. If you are living in an association that is still being developed, the members of the Board may be appointed by the developer (Declarant) until such time as the control of the association is transitioned to the homeowners. The limitation and restrictions of the powers of the Board of Directors is outlined in the association governing documents. The duties of the Board include: set and collect annual assessments; to use and expend the assessments collected to operate, maintain, repair, replace, modify, care for, manage and preserve the common areas; to procure, maintain and pay premiums for insurance; contract for and discharge management of the association; purchase equipment, and various other responsibilities.

A professional management company is contracted by the Board of Directors to properly maintain the common areas and conduct the business affairs of the association. The management company provides a multitude of services to the community – please refer to the “Our Services” section for a detailed description of Centerpoint services. Centerpoint can provide full-time professional expertise to the community and relieve the time burden often facing volunteer Board members. The Board and Centerpoint work together to develop a strategic plan and Centerpoint completes the action items under the direction of the Board. Centerpoint also serves as a professional consultant to the Board for the various aspects of community association management.

Assessments are a periodic amount due from each homeowner to cover the operating expenses of the association. These fees can cover exterior maintenance, landscaping, trash pickup, utilities, insurance, security, recreation facilities and more. They also provide for reserve funds for the replacement of common facilities like roofs and repaving in future years. The expenses for each association are outlined in the annual budget. Working directly with your Board, Centerpoint’s approach is to provide the highest level of service in the most cost-effective manner. Utilizing proven strategies we can maintain homeowner assessments at a reasonable level without sacrificing the aesthetic integrity of the neighborhood.

The maintenance and management services incurred by the association are dependent upon timely receipt of the assessments due from each homeowner. It is important for all homeowners to pay their assessments so that the association can avoid financial difficulties and perhaps suspension of various vendor services to the association. Homeowners should view the validity of an association assessment invoice much like they do their own utility and mortgage bills. In addition, the CC&R’s generally contain provisions that allow associations to charge late fees and/or interest and pursue further legal action for nonpayment of assessments.

A man’s home is his castle. Yes, but… Community association governance often involves striking a balance between the wishes of an individual homeowner and the best interests of the community as a whole. Community associations have well-established rules and regulations that provide a framework within each homeowner can express individual tastes and preferences. These rules and regulations offer a basis for treating all homeowners fairly and reasonably. Every homeowner agrees to abide by these standards when they purchase their home.

Associations utilize a committee to review and render decisions regarding all architectural improvement submissions. Proper paperwork regarding the project must be submitted by the homeowner for consideration. Please refer to our downloadable forms for the specific forms and instructions. Please note that in some communities it can take up to 30 days for a committee to render a decision. Please do not assume your project is approved without the appropriate documented clearance. Projects that do not meet the community standards as outlined in the CC&R’s and subsequent architectural guidelines may be at risk of required removal or adaptations.

Community associations have well-established rules and restrictions, codes that homeowners – explicitly or implicitly – agree to abide by when they purchase their home. These covenants found in the association CC&R’s detail the community standards for a variety of situations such as architectural guidelines, home maintenance, mailbox conformity, pet issues, parking rules, trashcans and debris, lawn maintenance and more. If you believe a neighbor is in violation of one of these rules, it is important to verify it with your documents. Make sure it is truly a violation. Being part of a community means having relationships with the families we share the community with – our neighbors. If you are comfortable, try discussing the concern with your neighbor. Most likely, they do not even realize they are in violation of the community standards and would appreciate your honesty and willingness to work through the issue. As another option, you may contact Centerpoint to report the violation. This can be accomplished through the Centerpoint Client Connect system found on the Home page or the Contact Us tab. Centerpoint will verify the violation and send an official notification to the homeowner. Following your community’s covenant enforcement procedures, we may send additional letters and under the direction of the Board may pursue further legal action to obtain compliance.