THE GROVES townhouses
THE GROVES HOMES ASSOCIATION POST OFFICE BOX 21212 COLUMBIA, SC 29221 (803) 561-0103
Welcome to our community Information for tenants
You have chosen to rent a home in The Groves, and we are happy to have you here. This community may be a little different from other places you have lived, and we want to tell you a little about it. The Groves is an established community of 96 privately owned townhouses in 20 buildings that were built between 1971 and 1973. Some are owned by the people who live in them, and a few of those have lived here since The Groves was built. Other homes, like yours, are rented to tenants. The Groves is not an apartment complex, and we are not condominiums. We have no office and no property manager. We do have some dedicated resident homeowners and long-term tenants who are committed to keeping The Groves a great place to live.
The community includes a clubhouse with a pool, a pond and the surrounding grounds, which are owned in common by members of the neighborhood association, including your landlord. Streets within the community are Grove Park Lane and Cactus Avenue, both of which have entrances from Broad River Road; Leaf Crest Court, which is accessible from Piney Grove Road; and Palm Tree Lane, which also has an entrance from Piney Grove Road and connects to Cactus Avenue. Richland County owns the streets and is responsible for maintaining them. Both Grove Park Lane and Cactus Avenue have an “L” shape.
Country Townes, the black and white homes between Cactus Avenue and Piney Grove Road, are not part of The Groves. At one time, the land where those homes sit was an open field, which The Groves maintained and used as a playground until it was developed. We did not own the land and had no control over how it was developed. We also have no control over how that property is maintained now.
Getting in Touch
You should call your landlord if you have a problem, especially if that problem is inside. There may be times you need to talk to someone involved in operating The Groves and providing services.
Call 561-0103 and leave a message.
Since we have no office and no paid manager, we use voice-mail communication when we can. Dedicated volunteers monitor this system, and if you have a problem or complaint, you will receive a response as quickly as possible. Do please speak clearly and repeat your name and the phone number you want us to call.
Drop a note in the clubhouse door. We have a mail slot and a drop-box for that purpose. The clubhouse is checked at least once a day, usually more. Since we have 96 units and multiple owners and residents to assist, we like as much as possible to be in writing anyway. And some things, such as requested changes to the exterior of your home, are required to be in writing.
Write us a letter. We check the Post Office Box several times a week.
Just say “hello.” If you see us out and about, we’ll pause to chat if we can. You will see Board members in the neighborhood a lot, although some of us don’t live in the homes we own in The Groves. We walk our dogs, do volunteer work in garden areas, maybe even wade into the pond to fish out debris. We like to get know our neighbors and fellow owners.
The Groves regime fees
You don’t pay them, but you’ll notice if your owner doesn’t
All owners in The Groves are required to pay a regime fee to maintain the property and provide services to residents. You don’t have to pay this fee because your landlord is responsible for it. So why are we telling you? These fees affect your rent because your landlord is probably passing the cost on to you. You get the same services the owner would get by living in the home instead of renting it. You also can lose some privileges, just like your owner would, if the fees are not paid. If you lose cable TV or if you are told you can’t swim or fish, call your landlord.
These are the main things the regime covers:
Water and Sewer
Water and sewer line maintenance, repair and replacement on common grounds
Basic cable for members in good standing or their tenants
Exterior building maintenance, including roofs
Swimming pool operation, maintenance, utilities and repairs
Clubhouse maintenance and utilities
Landscaping and grounds maintenance, including grassy areas and pond
Bookkeeping and clerical services, including collection of money owed to The Groves, if such work is not available on a trusted volunteer basis
Legal services
Standard backdoor garbage pickup with one can provided per household and large trash removal once a month or by arrangement
Property taxes on common grounds
Liability insurance and damage coverage for The Groves and its common property
Corporation taxes
Groves telephone
Office supplies and postage
Asphalt and concrete repairs and necessary and affordable
An account for major maintenance projects and emergency needs
The Groves Community Standards
Rules and Regulations
Nobody likes a long list of rules and regulations but we need some to protect our common property and maintain a quality of life for us all. Repeated violations may result in a fine or other penalty.
Pool Rules
The pool is for residents with valid recreation cards and their guests. Rules for its use are distributed at the opening of pool season and are posted at the pool. Recreation cards are updated or replaced at the beginning of each pool season too.. It’s important to comply with rules for safety’s sake and to be sure eligible Groves residents can use the pool. Also our insurance company or the Department of Health and Environmental Control could close us down for violations.
Fishing
Fishing is restricted to eligible Groves residents and one or two guests. A current Groves recreation permit is required.
Parking and Vehicles
Parking is provided only for regularly used, licensed transportation vehicles.Boats, recreational vehicles and trailers must be parked in the boatyard or other fenced enclosure whileon Groves property. Large trucks and truck cabs may not be parked in The Groves.
Most homes in The Groves have two parking spaces in front for residents and their guests. A few, because of where they are located clearly appear to have three. Please do not park in front of someone else’s home without permission. In fact, some owners don’t even want anyone parking in front of a place they own that is vacant.
Have your guests park in front of your home only unless you have permission for them to park somewhere else. This may mean they have to park behind your vehicles. That is allowed. Areas where there is room for additional visitor parking, if not marked, can be pointed out to you. Areas where NO PARKING is allowed are marked.
Driving and parking on the grass are not allowed except for grounds keeping or Groves maintenance purposes. For this reason you may not wash or park a car behind your home.
This is not the place to go into business washing or fixing vehicles.
Only residents’ cars may be washed on the premises. Since The Groves
pays for water, we try to keep car washing to a reasonable level.
We do not allow ongoing car repairs on our property. Changing a tire, jumping a battery, or even replacing a battery are quick fixes that we do allow.
We do not allow disabled cars to be left sitting here for long periods of time, and we do not allow extensive repairs on our property. We also do not allow unregistered or unlicensed vehicles to remain on our property.
If you get a towing notice, be aware that we have an agreement with a towing company. We don’t tow without warning but we will have vehicles towed if we need to, and we do check to see if unknown or suspicious vehicles are stolen.
Trash, Garbage and Litter
Back-door pickup of standard garbage is provided twice a week. All garbage must be bagged, and the bags must be tied, or it will not be picked up. We will not remove loose garbage from the cans.
The Groves furnishes each home with one garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. If you need more cans, you can buy them from The Groves at cost or get them from a home-supply store. They should be like the ones we are using. Do not use a neighbor’s garbage can without permission.
We do not have dumpsters or roll-carts, and there is NO curbside pickup.
As an owner you will not be charged tax millage for garbage service for this reason. Our garbage is removed under a private contract covered by regime fees.
Our garbage contractor removes large trash items once a month. Please do not leave sofas, appliances or other large items outside more than a day or two. If you can’t wait for our regular large-trash removal day, get rid of these items yourself. If you have a lot of large trash items, you may be billed for the service. That is in the discretion of the contractor, since he pays the dumping fees.
Littering is not allowed. This includes trash in the pond, pool or gardens.
No personal property should be left on the common grounds or allowed to obstruct maintenance or block sidewalks. This includes bicycles, toys, swing sets, lawn furniture, and grills, but is not limited to those items. Keep such things inside or on your patio when not in use. If left on the common grounds, they may be considered abandoned and removed without notice.
We provide an area for recycling. Please help us keep it clean. And please use it only for recycling. It is not a dump and it is not for household trash.
Maintenance
In general,The Groves is responsible for maintenance on the exterior of your townhome, and owners are responsible for interior renovation and repairs. Please tell your landlord if there are problems inside the house that need fixing, especially if there are water leaks or oother plumbing problems.
A leak or break in an interior water line can damage your house and the ones around you, and the effect on water bills is huge. The same is true of a dripping faucet or running toilet. We have the right to shut off water until that kind of repair is made. We may also charge your landlord for excess water usage caused by a repair he should have made. This could affect your rent, so help us out by reporting problems when you notice them.
Gardening and other outside activity. We encourage seasonal flower gardening in the front and rear of your home. You must water and maintain what you plant, however. Ask your owner before planting anything though. We do ask that hoses not be visible from the street. Keep them out back on a reel or rack when not in use. If you must have a hose out front, it should be a container.
Clothing, bedding and rugs cannot be aired or dried outdoors except inside the patio wall. Do not hang them on the gate or wall.
We do not allow slingshots, air rifles, pellet guns, BB guns, firearms or other weapons of any type to be discharged on our common grounds except for grounds-keeping purposes, such as killing vermin.
Please teach your children to respect the neighborhood here. Little things can make a big difference.
Swinging on tree limbs breaks them, and sooner or later, the trees look bad and give less shade.
Gardens are there for the neighborhood to enjoy. They’re not playgrounds, and the flowers are not to be picked without permission.
Throwing trash on the ground makes a less pleasant place for us all to live.
Climbing on pool or patio walls weakens brick, and somebody could get hurt.
Broken windows have to be fixed. (Windows and other things do get broken or someone gets hurt when rocks are thrown, too.)
We’d like the kids to learn these things because they’re the right thing to do. But, if nothing else, keep in mind that what costs The Groves extra money could end up raising your rent.
Wildlife and other animals
We insist on respect for wildlife. Teasing and other mistreatment is not allowed.
We expect parents to teach their children how to treat animals.
Since we have a pond, we have some wildlife you might not see in most neighborhoods. Please respect these creatures. Teach your children to leave them and their nests alone, especially during nesting season and when they are are raising their babies. The best policy is to watch but not try to touch.
Ask a child, “How would you like it if someone came into your house and threw things at you? What if they chased you and scared you? What if they hurt you?” The pond is home to these wild creatures. We are in their home when we go near the pond. Tell your children:
A broken egg cannot become a baby duck. Stay away from the nests and do not touch the eggs. This is true for other kinds of birds’ nests too.
Do not throw rocks or anything else at the ducks and geese. A mama that gets hurt cannot take care of her family. The ducks and geese will try to
protect their eggs and also the babies that hatch.
Do not chase the ducks and geese. The big geese can be scary. Just don’t walk too close to them or frighten them them.
If you see other children doing these things, tell them to stop. Then tell a grownup. It’s OK to tell when someone is hurting an animal. It’s important to make them stop.
It is OK to feed the ducks and geese small pieces of bread or dried corn. You can get bags of waterfowl feed at pet stores too. Juist scatter the feed and watch them eat but do not try to touch or catch them.
Sometimes baby ducks fall into the storm drains. If you see this happens or if you hear baby ducks crying in the drain or see their mother quacking beside the drain, tell a grownup. Some of us have been in the storm drains many times to rescue baby ducks. We do not want a child to try this.
Other creatures at the pond
Turtles
Some of our turtles are snapping turtles, and they bite. Just leave them alone, and you won’t get hurt. Sometimes children are tempted to catch the smaller turles and take them home. Please make sure they know that animals that live at the pond need to be in their home.
If a turtle is turned over on its back, it will need help to turn back over. Then it is all right to touch a turle, but children should not try this. That’s another time to tell a grownup.
Sometimes children think it is OK to throw rocks at a turtle because it has a hard shell. This is not true. A crack or break in the shell is an injury that can kill a turtle.
Unfortunately, some of the larger turtles in the pond eat baby ducks. That’s their nature. However, if you see a huge turtle, let us know. We would like to relocate some of the really big ones to bigger ponds if we can. The problem is that we have too many big ones for a pond the size of ours.
Snakes
Around any pond there are bound to be snakes. Most of the time, you won’t see them at all. If a snake sees you first, you will not see the snake and will not even know it’s there. If you do see a snake, just stand still. Remember that it is probably not poisonous and it will crawl off on its own. While there may be some poisonous snakes in the woods, we have not seen any poisonous snakes around the pond. Snakes eat mice, and that’s not bad around houses. The same rule applies to snakes as other wildlife. The best thing to do is leave them alone.
Waterfowl
We have mallard ducks and Canada geese year-round except that the geese may leave if a winter is really, really cold. At various times we also have white and blue herons, snowy egrets, wood ducks and tufted ducks. We have owls in the woods (which we do not own) and occasionally see various types of hawks and birds of prey. This is because we live so close to three rivers.
Shellfish
We have some shrimp, crabs and crawfish.
Fish
There are fish in the pond and fishing is allowed with a valid recreational card.
Domestic animals
Dogs cannot be allowed to run loose. They must be walked on a leash and you are required to pick up their poop to be disposed of at home.