Living in a PUD

One of the benefits of residing in Reflections is that it is a

Planned Unit Development (PUD). As such, it is incorporated

under the laws of the State of South Carolina. It is required to

have a homeowners association, which is governed by a set of

documents called the "Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions"

(CCRs, for short), plus the association's by-laws. The

CCRs, basically, are ROA's "constitution", setting forth the

rules of governance.

Occasionally some members will claim that the CCRs infringe

on their individual rights. ("nobody's going to tell ME what I

can or cannot do!") In these cases, the individuals apparently

have not taken the time to read and understand the CCRs.

They may not realize that acceptance of a deed constitutes a

legal contract, which binds them to comply with the

association's governing documents.

Rather than infringing on individual rights, the CCRs are

designed to PROTECT the rights of ALL residents. Thanks to

these protections, our property values do not suffer from such

sights as 18wheelers or school buses parked on our streets for

the weekend, pickups and RVs on front lawns, a brilliant blue

house next door to us, or 'For Sale' signs dotting our pristine

setting. Youdon't have to venture far from our front gate to

find all the above in neighborhoods which do not have these

restrictions.

Your board of directors has a fiduciary duty to enforce the

provisions of the CCRs so that all residents can fully enjoy the

unique lifestyle that our community provides. Each successive

board does its best to be equally fair to all in implementing the

CCRs. If you feel you are being treated unfairly, you have the

right to appeal. Write to the board, or better yet, come to a

board meeting and state your case.

Although the existing documents have served our association

well for nearly 30 years, nobody claims they are perfect. If

you think something needs to be changed, let the board know.

The guidelines for amending them are right there - in the

CCRs.

This article was written by Chuck Stephen and originally published in the June 1999 issue of the Reflections Newsletter.