Castlegate Community

I know. I live by there. My biggest complaint is, everyone complains about the problems, but nobody gives a solution! If the solution is getting rid of Kachina and the high priced landscapers, then that is what we need to do! I want my community to look nice. I pay my dues and try to do my part in helping out. I am only one person! We pay a lot of money out for services that don't add up!

The weed issue has been brought up since 2005, when we first started this HOA. Every meeting is consumed by the weeds! I am tired of it! A great idea was brought up at the last meeting and I am putting the word out! Where are all the complainers at? All of a sudden a call for help goes out and nobody seems to want to help out the community! We know the banks that hold the foreclosed home won't fit the bill to clean them up. They lay dormant and the weds and bugs continue to grow. Property value is low enough, and I don't want them lower!

Where is the HOA? Where are the people who complain? Where are the people who want a clean community? Let's come together and fix this problem!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first thought about the plan was wondering if it is OK to go into someone else's yard even if the home is vacant.  I haven't offered to help because I am a 50 year old woman who has to work most weekends.  I also work 2nd shift and I assume this is going to be a weekend morning project.  If you want to pull weeds at midnight I am in.  If you want to spray the weeds I would most certainly donate Roundup or whatever you want to use.  It is a great idea in theory.  If the HOA won't bring in a dumpster I will donate towards getting one out here as well.  While we are on this subject there are plenty of homes that aren't vacant with a weed issue.

Yes, technically I believe that going onto someone else's property and doing something like that is *technically* illegal, BUT someone would have to press charges and frankly, especially the vacant homes, I highly doubt would even know anything was done much less who did it.  Now if someone lives there I wouldn't advise it just because they could get grouchy about it.

 Spraying would probably be faster and more efficient than pulling all of them.

On the weeds between Camden and Simonton, the easiest thing would be to TELL THE GARDENERS.  They are here daily, they do not do every portion of the subdivision daily however they are here daily they are VERY nice and friendly and I would be willing to bet if you flagged one down, took him over there and showed them they would be more than happy to clean it up.  They are human just like the rest of us, they have a TON of area to cover and maybe it's just a portion that has gotten overlooked if it is in a depression or something.  You can also write a letter to Kachina which I have to admit, Brett is pretty on top of things now, or I'm not sure if you're allowed to but call the gardening company and speak with the owner, he's one of the nicest people I have ever met and definitely wants to make his customers happy.  IMO they are well worth the money, are they perfect?  No but who is and that's all people that complain want is perfection.  I've seen a couple of trouble spots as well, my plan is to wait until the end of the week and if they are still there Monday I intend on flagging one of the guys down, pointing it out, and get it taken care of. 

On our walks in the morning I have made a note of the  signs that are in the yards with growing weed. Calling that real-estate and  letting them know that I am tired of looking at the weed infested yards.  What was interesting to find out was that if the house was in pre-forecloser it is up to the owner and sometimes the real-estate will  have someone come out and clean it up. Note you have to push this because some will not do it. But I found out if you let them know that it is so bad that if I were looking for a house to buy there house would be the last because.if the outside looks like that I would hate to see the inside and just drive by.  I was surprise to talk to a few and they said they would get on it and have it clean up. and thanked me for calling.

 Now if they are in forecloser  then call the agent that is on the sign and let them know, and have them call the bank. I found out that they have people that go around and clean up their property.   Now as for homes that are empty and have a for rent sign on it call that number allot of times it is a through a agent and they have people that come out and clean up the yard. I found out a few time that they didn't know the job was not getting done and that they pay a landscaping company to do that.

As for the ones that have people living in them, that can be a sticky  thing, But maybe if you are outside  working on your yard the neighbor is out side let say washing there car, and in hearing distance, say in a nice way boy I wish people would start cleaning up there weed as you are tired of looking at them. Not saying this will work I find out that alot of these people don' t have much between the ears and they would just look at you and smile. But they get the point and who knows maybe in time they are out cleaning up there yard, why do I say  this because we did it and now our neighbor is taking care of his yard. this is just a few things we have been doing and we have seen some improvement but there is still more to do. like many have said this is our neighborhood and we would like to see it look nice as well so when you are ready to do the clean up let us know by posting it and we will be there with tools in hand.