Your Responsibility as a Homeowner
Assessments: Assessments are due on the 1st of every month and considered late on the 15th. You can access all of your account information, print payment coupons and sign up for e-statements on the Resident Portal*. Every year the new budget is provided to residents. You are responsible to review the budget for any changes to your regular or cost center assessment amount. If you wish to receive this and other documents via email, please complete the email consent form on the Resident Portal and send it to the office. The Assessment and Collection policy can be found on the Resident Portal.
The Governing Documents: Familiarity with the Association’s governing documents is an important part of HOA living. This includes the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), Bylaws, Rules & Regulations, and Design Guidelines. Knowing what is and is not allowed as well as what is and is not required is a key element of living in an HOA. Any actions that do not follow these documents can result in violations and unnecessary expenses. If in doubt, call the office before making any small or large decisions regarding your property.
Property Maintenance: In addition to the beautiful amenities, the number one reason residents choose to live in an HOA is the promise that all of its members will be held accountable for maintaining their property. As a homeowner, you are responsible for the maintenance of the exterior elements of your home. Any portion of the exterior of your property that is in a state of disrepair, up to and including vehicles are subject to non-compliance notices and complaints by other residents. The interior maintenance of your home and any warranty questions or issues should be directed to your Builder and/or home warranty provider. All residents care about property values. Curb appeal throughout the Community and pleasing aesthetics are what attract future homeowners to Cottonwood Canyon Hills.
Parkway/Street Trees: Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the Parkway and Parkway tree adjacent to their property. These areas were part of the approved plan and installed by the Builder. Please refer to the Parkway tree letter located on the Resident Portal for more information. (Not applicable to the Parkside Cost Center)
Improvements (also known as changes): While we want you to be proactive about property maintenance, keep in mind that any changes need approval by the Architectural Review Committee. Please visit the Home Improvements page for more information.
Contact Information: It is your responsibility to ensure we can reach you. Please update your contact information at least once a year, or more frequently if necessary including your email and any tenant information. By default, all communication is sent to the property address and made available on the Resident Portal. If you have a tenant living in your property, you will want to be contacted in the event of a non-compliance matter. Failure to respond to or correct non-compliance matters can result in fines and penalties.
*The Resident Portal is a convenient tool to access all things regarding your property. The portal includes access to governing documents, account information, open violations or architectural requests, important forms, work order submissions, etc.
**Parkside I & II residents: Front yard maintenance is included as part of your monthly Cost Center assessment. Some minor changes are allowed but must be requested in writing. If approved by the Board of Directors, changes must be completed by the HOA landscape vendor and paid for by the resident.
Assessment Fees: What Do They Cover?
As a member of the Cottonwood Canyon Hills Homeowner’s Association, you are responsible for an assessment fee of $130 per month. Homeowners Associations are non-profit organizations, which means that your assessments contribute directly to the maintenance, daily operations, and future replacement costs known as “reserves” for the Community.
The community has six “Cost-Centers” that make up a portion of the Cottonwood Canyon Hills community. These areas have additional maintenance and reserve items that are not part of the overall community therefore, they have an additional assessment.
Each year the Board of Directors prepares the budget for the following year. Additionally, a certified professional Reserve Analyst prepares the reserve study. Combined, these determine the financial needs of the HOA. As costs to operate and maintain the community increase and future replacement cost estimates go up so does the budget.
Top 5 Violations & How to Avoid Them!
The positive and negative of HOA Living is enforcement. All residents are expected to maintain their property following the guidelines provided in the governing documents. The HOA has duty to inspect the community on a regular basis. Non-Compliances are noted and an initial courtesy notice is sent. When a resident does not comply this can result in additional notices, fines and even small claims. Your HOA prefers to see their community well maintained and enjoyed by all and is here to help if you are experiencing a non-compliance issue. For more information regarding non-compliance procedures visit the Resident Portal. Here are the Top 5 MOST COMMON violations, and how to avoid them.
General Yard Maintenance: This includes maintaining a green lawn or well-manicured drought-tolerant front yard and removing dead plant material and weeds. Remember that any areas without turf (live or artificial) should have plants every three (3) feet on center. Assess your yard on a regular basis to avoid this violation. For the greenest lawn in this climate, the landscape vendor has provided a suggested watering schedule. This can be found on the Resident Portal under My Community -> Documents -> Architectural.
No Approval: Making changes to your home can be exciting, Common changes include the addition of new plant material, removing trees, installing a shed in the rear yard, installing solar panels, painting your shutters or front door a new color, etc. We encourage residents to maintain the exterior of their home and property BUT any changes require that you submit an Architectural Application prior to making a change. An example of maintenance versus change is a tree; say a tree is dying and you remove it; that is considered a change. However, if you remove the tree and replace it with the same species, that is considered maintenance. We have provided more detailed information regarding Architectural approvals on the Home Improvements page of this website.
Trees: Ensure that the trees on your property are well maintained including removing dead branches or palm fronds, ensuring a clear path for pedestrians and cars, assessing for sidewalk lifts caused by roots, and replacing dead trees. We have teamed up with Park West Landscaping to offer bi-annual tree trimming at a discounted rate, please check our calendar for the next sign-up date!
Trash Cans: Containers must be stored out of sight the day following trash pick-up and should not be placed on the curb until the day before pick-up. If you are out of town and are unable to maintain your trash schedule, talk to a neighbor about helping you out or call the office to request a variance. Neighbors don’t let neighbors get trash violations. Be sure to place your cans in front of your property on trash day, not your neighbors. For extra measure, paint your house number on your trash cans (verify with CR&R that this is acceptable).
Commercial Vehicles: Commercial vehicles are prohibited from parking within the community. Vehicles with logos, multiple toolboxes, truck beds or racks with materials, and/or heavyweight trucks are all considered commercial vehicles. Please park these types of vehicles in your garage. If parking in your garage is not possible, please contact the office.