FARMSTEAD COMMONS
Rules and Regulations
February 2011
General: Owners, tenants or guests may not direct or engage employees of the Condominium on private business, nor direct, supervise or attempt to assert control over or tell any Association or Management Company employee how to do his/her job.
No signs, advertising or notices of any kind, including, but not limited to, “for rent” or “for sale” signs are permitted on the window or door so it is visible from the exterior of any Unit. This does not prohibit a temporary “Open House” sign to be posted outside a unit no more than twice a year for a maximum of four (4) hours each time as appropriate.
No clothing, towels or laundry may be hung from windows, fences or railings or spread on grass in the common areas. No clotheslines may be installed without permission from the Board of Directors through the Management Company. Clothes racks may only used in the back of the units, on the patio or adjacent area and must not interfere with grounds maintenance work or the equipment used to accomplish same. Racks may not be left outside over night with or without laundry on them. Racks may not be left out during the day if they are not being used to air-dry laundry. No racks shall be mounted onto the buildings.
Each Unit Owner shall maintain his unit in good condition and repair, and in a clean and sanitary manner. All trash and garbage must be stored in the dumpsters provided for this purpose by the Association. No trash shall be left outside either the front or back of any
Unit.
No garage or yard sales are permitted without permission from the Directors and/or Manager.
Each Unit with a patio is allowed to use the 10 x 10 foot space directly adjoining the rear of the patio for a garden, a dog run or to extend the patio, providing the improvements are done in a manner authorized and approved by the Directors/Manager.
An owner shall grant right of access to his unit to the Board of Directors/Manager and to other persons authorized by the Board for the purpose of making inspections or correct any conditions originating in his unit and threatening another unit or Common Area, and for the purpose of performing installations, alterations or repairs to mechanical or electrical services in his unit that affect the Common Area or elsewhere in the building, provided that requests for entry are made in advance and for a time reasonably convenient to the Owner. Before any items of construction can be altered or demolished (except in case of emergency) judicial proceedings must be instituted. In case of emergency, right of entry shall be immediate whether the owner is present or not.
Rentals: Non-resident owners who lease their units are required to provide the Manager with the following information within 10 days of a change in occupancy: Name(s) of the adult(s) living in the unit, number and ages of children living there, information about pets, description of vehicles. Failure to provide the information may result in a $100 fine.
Owners must provide tenants with a copy of current rules and regulations and the tenant must sign an agreement to abide by the rules and regulations. Tenants will be notified of rules violations and must comply within a week or be subject to a $5.00 per day fine. The tenant's unit owner will also be notified. If the non-compliance continues after one week, the owner of the unit may be assessed $10 per day until the violation is corrected. Owners are responsible for fines not paid by their tenants.
Buildings: Without consent from the Board of Directors, no unit shall be occupied by more than five persons.
Each unit may have one outside decoration on the front door or adjacent to the front door. This does not include decorative, seasonal flags. Storm/screen doors are permitted in a style approved by the Directors. Holiday decorations, including lights, are permitted
outside units for two weeks before and one week after a holiday. Christmas decorations are allowed for one month before and one month after December 25.
No wiring for electrical or telephone use, television antenna, or other equipment which protrudes through the walls or the roof of any building or is otherwise visible on the outside of a building is allowed without permission from the Directors. When approved,
installation must be done by a professional in the field. Air conditioners are permitted when permanently installed in a manner approved by the Directors.
Pets: Two household pets per Unit of any common household variety which may ever use the Common Areas are permitted as long as they are confined to the Owners’ unit. All pets must be registered with the Association, and dogs must be leashed when outside. Owners and Tenants are responsible for removing all excrement produced by their pets in Common Areas. Dogs shall not roam free, and cannot be tied outside a Unit except in a Director/Manager-approved dog run . Any pet on common land without owner identification may be removed to the Humane Society. No livestock or farm-type animals are permitted.
Parking: Each unit has one assigned parking space and residents should park either in the marked space or in their carport, if they have one. Unmarked spaces are for visitors. Overflow parking is provided along the entrance road. No more than two (2) vehicles per unit is allowed, except with permission from the Directors/Manager. No service, repairs or other maintenance can be performed on vehicles in the Common or Limited Common areas. No oversized vehicles, unregistered, uninspected or inoperable vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, campers, trailers, motorcycles or all terrain vehicles can be parked or allowed to remain on common land except in a carport. Campers may remain in the parking lot for a maximum of 72 hours.
Noise: No nuisance or noisy, immoral, improper, offensive or unlawful use shall be made of the Condominium or any Unit or part thereof, and all valid laws, zoning ordinances and regulations of all governmental bodies having jurisdiction thereof shall be observed. No occupant of any Unit may make or permit to be made any disturbing noises, or play or suffer to be played any musical instrument, phonograph, radio or television set in his Unit or on or about the Condominium property if the same shall in any manner disturb or annoy other occupants of the Condominium This includes noise made by pets, such as excessive barking of dogs.
Common Areas: In the use of the units and the Common Area of the Condominium, Owners shall obey and bide by all valid laws, ordinances and zoning and other governmental regulations affecting the same and all valid rules and regulations adopted by the Board and the Farmstead Commons Association. The Common Area shall be used only for the furnishing of the services and facilities for which they’re reasonably suited and which are incidental to the use and occupancy of the unit.
Bicycles, furniture, toys, lawn ornaments, packages or objects of any kind can not be stored on the walkways, lawns, driveways, parking areas, against the buildings or other Common areas. Bird feeders are permitted in locations specified by the Directors/Property Manager. Items such as toys, lawn chairs, etc. used on the Common Area for short period of time must be removed after each use. Residents may not erect fences on common land.
Nothing shall be done in any unit or in, on or to the Common Area which may impair the structural integrity of the Property, or which would structurally change a building or improvements thereon except as provided in the Declaration or the Bylaws. Nothing shall be altered or constructed in or removed from the Common Area, except upon the written consent of the Board of Directors.
No activity shall be done or maintained in any unit or upon any Common Area which will increase the rate of insurance on any unit or the Common Area or result in the cancellation of insurance thereon, unless such activity is first approved in writing by the Board of Directors. No waste shall be committed in the Common Area.
Any one using the Common Areas must do so in a manner which respects the rights of other Unit Owners and their guests and must leave it in the same or better condition than before such use.
Limited Common Area: Limited common areas, including patios, decks, carports and front steps must be kept neat and not create an eyesore for neighbors. Patios and decks should be kept clear of snow to provide a second means of egress in case of an emergency. Carports should be kept neat and nothing should be kept in them except vehicles, bicycles, and large ride on toys. Furniture, tires and such should not be stored
in carports. One canoe or kayak may be stored off the paved floor in each carport if the owner provides the Association with a certificate of insurance showing liability coverage on items in the carport.
No fires of any kind are allowed, other than in a commercially-sold gas or charcoal grill. No chimineas, wood or coal burning stoves, campfires or other open fires are allowed on patios, front steps or on common areas.
Snow Removal: In order to facilitate snow removal in the parking lots, vehicles must be removed from parking spaces and the parking areas when snowplowing is being done. Each resident is responsible for moving his/her vehicle(s) when the plows are working. Vehicles that are not moved may be towed at the owner’s expense and without prior warning. Residents that will be away during an extended period when plowing might occur are encouraged to (a) leave their vehicle key with a neighbor or Director so the vehicle can be moved; (b) leave the vehicle in a parking space along the entrance road.
Basketball Court: Hours for play are 8 am until 9 pm
Enforcement: All complaints of violations should be made in writing to the Board of Directors. Residents will be notified of violations in writing and given one week to correct the situation unless advised differently by the Directors/Manager. If the violation is not corrected within a week, a fine of $5.00 per day may be imposed, in addition to all other legal remedies. Residents who repeatedly break the same rule will be subject to ever-increasing fines for the same violation. Subsequent violations will be fined $5.00 for the first offense, $10.00 for the second and so forth in $5.00 increments. Said fine may be assessed repeatedly upon failure of Owner, Tenant or Member to correct said infraction or obey rules, and shall be collected in the same manner as common expenses.