Is This Really a Safety Issue?

At 4:28PM the office sent out this email,

"Dear Summit Parents,
 
"We ask that you please remind your children not to cut through homeowners’ yards or Summit-owned property on their way to and from school. While this may seem like a quicker route, it does create potential safety concerns.

"For their protection, children should always remain on the sidewalks and designated walking paths. Cutting through yards or wooded areas could put them at risk, and it also raises concerns for homeowners, as entering private property is considered trespassing.

"Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep all children in the community safe."

It must have really been a slow Friday at the HOA office. Whose idea was this?

Let's unpack this message. 

First of all, whether some student, or anyone, cuts across a homeowner's yard is none of the HOA's business. The HOA is not the homeowner's nanny. It's a private issue between the homeowner and the trespasser.

Secondly, if a student lives in The Summit and cuts across Birch Park or any other HOA park or Common Property, he is not committing any violation of the Governing Documents. 

Who is the "us" in the message? "Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep all children in the community safe." 

A student's personal safety is not a concern of the HOA. The HOA has no responsibility for the student. 

It is a parent's responsibility, not the HOA's or a school's, to see that his child is safe.

Whose brainchild was that email? I rather doubt that Teresa sent it out on her own. When an email "from the HOA" is sent out, the person authorizing it should be identified. Was the Safety Committee chairperson responsible for it? Was the Board President responsible for it? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

June 3rd BOD Meeting now Closed to Members

The HOA office sent out an email at 3:29PM that read, in part, Due to Brookland Baptist Church being unavailable to accommodate the scheduled Board of Directors meeting on June 3rd, the meeting will now be held at the Summit Association office. Please note that space is limited at this location; therefore, only Voting Members and Committee Chairs will be invited to attend in person. One would think they would splash a message on the homepage of the HOA's website and change the location in the Calendar on the website; but No to both.  This last-minute change is highly adverse to the interests of the Members of the Association. The HOA must have some deal with Brookland Baptist Church Northeast for the rental of the meeting room. The dates must be arranged for the year. The HOA makes a "donation" to the Church for the use of the room. It's actually not a "donation", because the HOA receives something of value in exchange; i.e., the use of the meeting room.  Wh...
Read more

What? No trampolines?

OK, you trampoline fans. Are your rights and privileges being tramped on by your Board of Directors? The office sent out an email just before 2:00PM threatening you with a dreaded violation notice and the possibility of fines, if you dare to put a trampoline in your yard.  This is what the email from the office said,  " Please be advised that, pursuant to Section 13, Page 22, Article XII of the covenants, no structure of a temporary nature shall be placed upon any unit or any part of the properties. This includes, but is not limited to, tents, temporary gazebos, shacks, trailers, and any other structure of a temporary nature.  "Kindly note that trampolines are classified as temporary play equipment and, as such, are not permitted within the community. We ask that you ensure there is no trampoline present on your property to avoid receiving a violation notice and subsequent fines." What do the Covenants say? "Section 13. Tents. Trailers and Temporary Structures. Exce...
Read more

What Story Do the Financials Tell?

At the May 6, 2025 Board of Directors meeting, the March Financial Operating Results were available. Did you pick up a copy? Was there any discussion of them? Usually there is not. Do board members examine them before the meeting? Does anyone on the Board really understand them?  Look at the page for the Operating Expenses - Variances. Twelve Line Items are shown. No totals are shown. Big mistake. But are the totals intentionally omitted? For these 12 Items the total of "YTD Variances" is $61,784.93. As of the end of March, the HOA has over-spent the 2025 Budget by $61,784.93. Look at the reason given for the over-spending in Line Item GL-5111 Irrigation Contract. "This is over budget and will remain over budget due to the 2025 budget is $75,000 and the monthly contracted cost is $10,140." Is this worded to intentionally confuse any reader by stating the annual amount in the budget, but the monthly amount for the contracted cost? If the yearly contract for Irrigat...
Read more