Is that really a good idea?

I have to agree with LT. It may not be wise (and in this day and age, perhaps not even safe) for neighbors to attempt to personally enforce the covenants. That really should be the role of the Association officials. Leaving such confrontations up to the Association helps prevent feuds and keeps the issue a business matter. And if covenants are not business matters about keeping up property values, what are they?

Not everybody is skilled or comfortable with this kind of confrontation, nor can individuals be sure that even friendly reminders will not be received with anger and hostility. Note the earlier item in which a responder claimed a constitutional right to do with his/her property as he wished--clearly a failure to understand that he implicitly agreed to deed restrictions when he bought (or rented) the property. If I had tried to bring a violation to that individual?’s attention, do you really think the encounter would have been productive? People can get pretty hostile when told they can't do something they want to do. Even when they know they are breaking the rules.)

Therefore, it would make better sense for the Association to make the initial approach with a courteous and informative business letter accompanied by a copy of the covenants.

In fairness to "violators", there have been a lot of homes sold lately. New residents in the neighborhood may not realize they are violating a covenant. As was earlier noted, the full body of the covenant document is not available on this Web site. (Suggestion: can the board put the full document instead of just highlights on this site?) The previous owner (or landlord for renters) may not have given a copy of the covenants to the new resident. Perhaps (since there are no association dues) the poor newcomer wasn?’t even told s/he was moving into a community with these kinds of restrictions. If that person only finds out a covenant forbids something s/he planned to do when the property was purchased, that is going to be a source of seriously negative feelings. Who else are they going to direct their anger toward except the bearer of the bad news? So, no. I don?’t think it is a good idea for individuals to try and get neighbors to obey the covenants themselves.

By marydennis

PAYING ATTENTION

I would pay attention to this if there was more participation. I have left messages with the nieghborhood contact..no response. I have numerous questions chiefly amoung them, how or if the covenants are inforced? e.g.; lawns that are allowed to die in summer, how do we protect our property values if this is not enforced?

Re: Are residents really read...

I just recently learned of this site, but from now on, I will be checking it frequently. I have lived in Cottonwood since '91. I have one concern about the neighborhood. And it's concerning a certain member of the board? A certain member that lives at the end of Ponderosa Ave, who constantly harrasses the neighborhood teens. The issue has come up to him many times, and he continues to harrass them. I recently learned of an incident where he called one of the teens a ''retard'' because he was smoking *legally* but would not show the board member his ID. This is very unprofessional and just plain rude. I don't think he would like it if someone called his child a retard. This post is not meant to be defamatory. Just to hopefully let this individual know that people are watching when he doesn't realize it. Respect your neighbors, and they will respect you!

By Concerned resident.

First time visitor

I just found neighborhoodlink.com this afternoon, and wondered whether the Travois community in Parker ought to get its own website going. I'd be interested to know whether anyone in Cottonwoood is using the website as a vehicle for presenting/sharing community issues (like the probable impacts of Aurora's new commercial development east of Parker Road. tp.

By Tony Phipps