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Papers = Trash

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For how many weeks should papers accumulate in the driveway of a home? This particular house is vacant (unrented) and the owner doesn't seem to show up very often. Other houses have 1-2-3 papers in their driveways, even though people live there.  Is it really that hard to bend over and pick up a paper once a week and throw it away? Or to get the phone number from the HOA office and call to request that delivery stop? The delivery man is not a mind-reader; he doesn't know that you don't want the paper. Should the Neighborhood Representative tour the neighborhood periodically and look for this type of problem (and then do something about it)? Does Barony Place even have a Neighborhood Representative/Voting Member (except on paper)?

Success! Sod laid in Barony Place II

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March 3, 2021 The homeowner at 18 Barony Place Circle, in Barony Place II, will be delighted today, because sod was finally laid by the Columbia (City) Water Division. The owner had reported a water leak in July 2020, and it took the Columbia Water Division a month to come out and fix it. They left the yard a mess and also left a mess in the street. It took the involvement of recently-elected Richland County Councilman (District 8) Overture Walker to achieve this conclusion. His office contacted Richland County Administrator, which contacted the City, and an Assistant City Manager contacted the Water Division. The target date was last Friday, and that was missed. The Assistant City Manager jumped back on the Water Division, and work was completed today. Many thanks to Overture Walker and his staff, and to the Richland County Government staff and the Columbia (City) Assistant Manager and his staff. And thanks to the Water Division for completing the work. I lost track of the number of ...

Webinar 3/5/2021: HOAs and the Law

The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs will host a one-hour Zoom webinar titled "HOAs and the Law" on Friday, Mar 5, 2021 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST To register, click on this link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3677704079672177675

Brick walls need power-washing

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On March 2nd I sent an email to the HOA about these brick walls along Barony Place Drive, west from Barony Place Circle. Numerous panels of the bricks are quite stained and in need of power-washing. Back in November I emailed the office about missing bricks at the top of one column of this wall. Two bricks are missing near the west end of the wall. Maybe they will be replaced one of these days.

Completion expected at 18 Barony Place Circle

Back in July the owner of 18 Barony Place Circle reported a water leak to the Columbia Water Department, which was responsible for repairing the leak in a pipe under the grass between the curb and the sidewalk. The leak was finally repaired about August 26, 2020, but the street was left dirty and no new sod was put down after the hole was filled in with ugly dirt. I walk by there daily with my dog, and I decided to help out and began contacting the Columbia Water Department. I lost track of the number of calls. In November I suggested to the HOA office that it might offer help to the homeowner. In January or February I asked the Board to get involved. Still nothing happened. Then I asked recently-elected County Councilman Overture Walker to help. That got the ball rolling a lot faster. An Assistant County Administrator grabbed the ball and got in touch with an Assistant City Manager (for Columbia). Sod has been ordered again and the front yard (parkway) is to be restored by the end of ...

Referendum - Sheds

How did you vote in the recent Referendum? Did you even vote? Did you vote to approve sheds in back yards? In one neighborhood of The Summit, only 10% of the homeowners voted. How many homeowners in Barony Place I and Barony Place II actually voted? Do you know how votes are counted? Your vote should have been delivered to the Neighborhood Representative, who is Billie Jones in Barony Place I. There are 78 homes in the Neighborhood of "Barony Place", which is the combined homes in Barony Place I and in Barony Place II. Billie gets to cast 78 votes. She counts your vote(s) (how many? 5? 10?) and then she gets to cast the balance of the 78.  How did the majority in Barony Place I & II vote? How did Billie vote? You'll never know, but that is never reported to homeowners. The Board should report how each Neighborhood voted and how many homeowners in each neighborhood actually voted. But that would be too much information that might cause undue concern among homeowners. O...