Common Knowledge for Our HOA Members
We are passionate about empowering our Milwaukee Ridge HOA members with the knowledge to understand how our community operates, appropriate expectations and homeowner rights. We’ve broken down some basic questions one might have as they navigate deciding if they want to live in our community.
What is an HOA?
A homeowners’ association or HOA is an organization composed of property owners that makes and enforces rules for the properties and residents within its jurisdiction. Property owners may be required to be members of the HOA and pay certain dues, assessments, or other fees. Typically, an HOA is run by a governing board, elected by the HOA members. While commonly referred to as “HOAs”, Texas law uses the term “property owners’ associations.”
From <https://www.hoa.texas.gov/>
What is the purpose of our Milwaukee Ridge HOA?
Our purpose is (1) encouraging community engagement through communications and events and (2) maintaining property values of our community homesites and common areas through compliance of our CCRs and ARC design guidelines.
Are HOAs held accountable?
The Bylaws within our CCRs regulate how our Board of Directors operates and does business. We are also held accountable by Texas statutes, which you can find out more at the following website – General Information – Property Owners’ Associations – Guides at Texas State Law Library.
Are HOAs allowed to change CCRs and Bylaws?
Yes, but this is no small feat. Our Board of Directors will periodically review the CCRs to ensure they are compliant with state law and city codes. It is possible that homeowners can submit an amendment proposal, and based on sound judgement and rational thinking, our Board of Directors can submit the proposal for review, schedule and hold a discussion at an official and scheduled board meeting and allow homeowner input. After review, the entire membership will vote either for or against the amendment. The votes would be counted, and a majority vote from memberships would be required to approve the amendment. Majority would include 75% of our membership of 477 lots. Concluding an approval, changes to the CCRs would be recorded to the county recorder’s office. Homeowners’ Association rules and Design Guidelines are handled much like CCRs, except that although there can be input from homeowners, there is no vote from the members. Only our Board of Directors vote.
What documents are important in an HOA, and what should I know about them?
There are many documents that are important to the operation of our Milwaukee Ridge HOA community. They all serve different functions and purposes. This list may help you understand what documents you should look at to find out specific kinds of information. These documents are accessible under the CCRs Resources section of our website.
- Articles of Incorporation (also called a Certificate of Formation): paperwork filed with the Secretary of State to formally establish the property owners’ association as a legal entity. Most are incorporated as nonprofit corporations; our Milwaukee Ridge Homeowners’ Assocation also operates as a non-profit corporation. The Articles of Incorporation will contain basic information about the association, including the initial Board of Directors. Our original Articles of Incorporation were filed January 26, 2006, amended January 18, 2010 and later amended again December 5, 2010.
- Subdivision Plats: establishes the location of lots, common areas, and easements. Our Milwaukee Ridge Homeowners’ Association Addition currently consists of lots 1-477, the common areas (park, pool, courts, etc.), the divider running parallel through Quincy Street, and the strip of land running alongside the railroad. See the Platmap of Milwaukee Ridge. The formation of five sections of the Addition can be seen throughout the Deeds and Restriction documents of lot sections (Lots 1-192, 193-211, 212-245, 246-366, 367-477). Any lots higher than 477 are not a part of our Milwaukee Ridge Homeowners’ Association, which do not share membership responsibilities or community amenities.
- Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCRs): a list of rights and responsibilities that the homeowners and the property owners’ association owe to each other. This document will include limitations on how property is to be used, built, maintained, etc.
- Bylaws: instructions for how the property owners’ association is to be run and managed. The Bylaws will contain information regarding meetings, elections, governance by the Board of Directors, and more. Our Bylaws are contained within our CCRs. An amendment to our Bylaws was made on January 15, 2010.
- ARC Design Guidelines: a set of standards for architectural or exterior property modifications or improvements that homeowners must follow.
If you have any additional questions, please Contact Us today!