Part 7 in the HOA Compliance Series. View part 6, HOA Parking Enforcement Tips here.
Why is it that the plants you want to keep green and living always brown and wilt, while the weeds you try to kill flourish and drive you nuts? It’s a problem that plagues every yard, in every community no matter what part of the country you live in. While the problem is inevitable, there are some tricks that will help you and your community win the war on weeds and avoid unnecessary violations.
- Be a good example. If the common areas are properly weeded, homeowners will be more inclined to slip on their gardening gloves and get to weeding.
- Set up some neighborly competition! While it may seem silly, having a weekly or monthly “best yard” contest may motivate homeowners to get actively involved in killing weeds and trimming shrubs. It’s hard work maintaining a beautiful yard, and all it takes for some folks is a little recognition.
- Hire a weed management company. Depending your type of community, it may make sense to vote on briefly raising dues to hire a weed management company who sprays front yards. This strategy works best for townhome and small patio home communities.
- Send a friendly reminder to homeowners in violation. Sometimes people think they are flying under the radar because no one has talked to them. Addressing the issues directly can be one the most effective and easiest ways to resolve violations.
- Implement the community compliance policy. If all else fails and you have a homeowner who refuses to mow their weeds (and by weeds, we mean lawn), you can implement the community compliance policy with fines and potential forced enforcement, just make sure to treat everyone the same. No favors for friends.
Even though weeds are impossible to avoid, it’s possible to manage them with diligent work and clear homeowner expectations. Hopefully this article gives you some ideas on how to tackle pesky weeds and violations. For more information on HOA community management, visit our blog weekly!