Sentiment

The current Board's most likely ruling on common requests

Purpose

The purpose of this page is to communicate the Board's feelings about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for some more common projects. The hope is that if you have this information, you will be able to craft a request that is less likely to be rejected and save all of us time and money.

The reason it is called "sentiment" is because there will come a day when there are new Board Members in place and they may have different opinions than the ones in place today.

Our governing documents give the Board significant latitude in deciding what can be approved and rejected. It is in some cases purely subjective. This is how an HOA works — it is what you agreed to when you bought your home here at Riverland. There is good and bad.

This page reflects the current Board's sentiment. Always follow the formal approval process even if your project seems clearly acceptable based on these guidelines.

Guidelines by Category

Painting

If you are going to paint anything that someone else can see from any direction, ask for permission.

Decks

Stain the floor of your deck whatever color you want (don't be silly and paint it orange or pink or this sentiment will change in a hurry) — no permission required. You have to look at it, not us.

Structures & Installations

If you are going to build or install anything that anyone can see from any direction, ask for permission. Hot tubs come to mind.
Talk to your adjacent neighbor first for obvious reasons. Get their verbal "OK" before you come to the Board — that is the first thing the Board will do.

Lawn & Grass

If you are going to re-seed or re-sod your lawn, please use Centipede or Zoysia grass — no other kind. Zoysia seems to be the best overall in terms of performance.

Plants & Beds

You can put any plant in any existing bed you have except those prohibited by law. No need to ask for permission.
If you expand an existing bed, or create a new one, ask for permission.
Do not plant anything in a common area unless you ask permission. These requests will almost always be approved, and are much appreciated, but we do have liability, landscape, and location issues to consider.

House Plans

Use your official house plans for the base diagram of what you will do. You were given those plans at closing.
If you would be so kind, please email those base house plans to the Board and we will post them on the web so that in the future, you or the person you sell your house to, will always have them available.

Fences

Fences are allowed and generally should not extend forward, past the plane of the back of your house, towards the road. There have been exceptions for aesthetic or practical purposes, but generally the rule will be enforced. The purpose is to keep fences in the back yard and out of the front yard.
Black aluminum is HIGHLY encouraged!
Fences can be of only one type/style. You cannot have an aluminum fence and then a wooden fence and then a plastic fence, etc. NOT acceptable.