What's wrong with this fence?

 

Photo 4/2/2024

If you stood across the street from 204 Barony Place Drive in The Lakes at Barony Place, you'd see this fence.

What's wrong with it?

Aside from the fact that it's a nice wooden fence, there is only one thing wrong with it.

That bare plot of ground is owned by the HOA. Notice the poor condition of the grass and the lack of landscaping and upkeep? It is Parcel R23107-10-10, a/k/a 200 Barony Place. The HOA became the owner of it in October 2018.

However, the photo shows only the east end of the parcel - just a small portion of an irregularly-shaped parcel that extends westward between the backs of houses on Barony Place Drive and Lakemont Drive.

Behind the fence is the rest of Parcel R23107-10-10, a large parcel of rough ground and wild grass. For the HOA, it is "out-of-sight, out-of-mind". The Developer was allowed to deed it to the HOA without improving it, to the ire of about 21 homeowners whose homes border the wild grass.

So, again, what's wrong with the fence? 

There should be an opening in the fence. That long parcel is Common Property of the HOA. It should be open to residents and to the landscaping crew (and for emergency access). A narrow slice of ground between three houses (204 Barony Place Drive, 434 Lakemont Drive, and 432 Lakemont Drive) connects the east end with the large western portion.

The BOD and the HOA office were informed of this fence in about April 2021, when 2-3 days of protests occurred. Some board members at that time didn't even know that the HOA owned that parcel. 

There are about 80 homes in The Lakes at Barony Place Neighborhood that pay $40,800/year dues to the HOA.

Somebody's private fence blocks off access to the Common Property. Previous BODs played the Three Blind Mice routine. It's time for this BOD to take action. Stop kicking the can down the road.

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