Last fall as a hurricane went through our area, we had more flooding, trees down, etc. Every area of Wedgefield had debris - large - huge trees down, and smaller branches, etc. As home/lot owners, we were responsible for getting the debris to the road side to be picked up by the association. You could cut up large trees yourself, and haul them to the road, or hire someone to come in and cut, put it on the road side, or pay your own hire to haul it away. It was your responsibility to get your lot cleaned up, one way or another. So it should be with grassy lots.
We are seven months past that storm, and the clearing has long been done. There are some unbuilt lots on the canals where big trees not only came down, but they fell over the canals. I've been watching a few of these lots for a number of reasons. They are both unmowed, and have trees hanging over the canals. This morning as I headed out, I went past such an area that is part of the common ground of the association. It is a pie shaped lot on the corner of Wedgefield Rd, and Governor Johnston. A big tandem trailer was parked on it, and trees that were left hanging over the canal, were being removed. Who pays? The association should because it is common grounds.
When I returned home, I noticed that same big truck was on a lot on the canals across, and crosswise, from my property, that hasn't ever been identified as common ground anywhere that I've seen. That lot also had fallen trees into the canals. It appeared to be the same contractor that was working on the common ground area. Who pays? It shouldn't be the association if it is not common ground. Yet, our board - the rule changers, depending who you are, and what you want done, have done stranger things with drainage. Some of us are required to pay, some not (Go back, and read documented articles on the blog.)
At this point we don't know about this lot, or others in similar circumstances on the canals. I could ask by writing the board, but I probably wouldn't get an answer. I could ask at the board meeting next week, but our board bully, Garrison will only do his usual and attempt to bully me. Does it bother me? No, but sometimes I ask myself if this is a day that I want bullying in my experience bank for the day. We'll see.
You may want to get to the bottom of who paid, because it is our money, and we have too much "old boys' network " operating going on by this board. Maybe the board is readying for their illegal dredge, and they have to have it done, no matter what governing documents are broken, simply because they want to. In the mean time whoever is paying, the mess on these lots has existed for too long, and all of our home values have suffered.
FOLLOWING TWO PICTURES TAKEN PRIOR TO THIS MORNING. I CALL THIS A TWOFER - OVERGROWN LOT (as they all are), AND TREES FALLEN INTO THE CANALS
HERE IS THE PICTURE FROM TODAY
Could the board and our ARC & compliance committees just do their work, according to our governing documents, and protect us from this mess, and use our funds appropriately (if we're paying for this)? Shouldn't we all be held to our covenants? Quote from the covenants follows: "It shall be the responsibility of each lot owner to prevent the development of any unclean,
unsightly or unkept conditions of buildings or grounds on such lot which shall tend to substantially
decrease the beauty of the neighborhood as a whole or the specific area."
