What is the name of your state? KANSAS. My wife and I live in a subdivision managed by a HOA. A neighbor sent an email to the Chair of the Architectural Review Committee complaining that we planted too many trees in our front yard. We planted 5 trees giving us a total of 15, deciduous and evergreen, including Northern Red Oaks, Brackens Brown Beauty Magnolias, Austrian Pines, Eastern White Pines, River Birch, Crab, and Maples. The purpose of the trees is to provide shade as well as provide privacy and enhancement of property value.
The "Landscaping and Lawns" section of the HOA Declaration of Restrictions document states "the owner of each lot shall keep the lawn uniformly mowed and clipped with a length of grass not to exceed four inches and shall properly maintain and replace all trees and landscaping." There are no other stipulations or requirements relating to plantings. There are no numerical requirements or guidelines for the addition of plants to a front yard. There are no requirements to request approval for landscape acitivities from the Architectural Review Committee.
We are being asked to appear before the Board. It is unclear to us what the basis is for demanding that we undergo some kind of review that we believe that few, if any, have had to undergo. We do not want to be held to a different standard compared the remainder of the HOA community. We deserve equal treatment. Few, if any, homeowners submit yard projects for "architectural review." How do we stop this from progressing, and how do we convince the Board to cancel the need for us to appear? Thank you.
The "Landscaping and Lawns" section of the HOA Declaration of Restrictions document states "the owner of each lot shall keep the lawn uniformly mowed and clipped with a length of grass not to exceed four inches and shall properly maintain and replace all trees and landscaping." There are no other stipulations or requirements relating to plantings. There are no numerical requirements or guidelines for the addition of plants to a front yard. There are no requirements to request approval for landscape acitivities from the Architectural Review Committee.
We are being asked to appear before the Board. It is unclear to us what the basis is for demanding that we undergo some kind of review that we believe that few, if any, have had to undergo. We do not want to be held to a different standard compared the remainder of the HOA community. We deserve equal treatment. Few, if any, homeowners submit yard projects for "architectural review." How do we stop this from progressing, and how do we convince the Board to cancel the need for us to appear? Thank you.