Note From The President

          As our Burnt Hickory Lakes Neighborhood matures it becomes important for all homeowners to maintain their properties. Constant upkeep is required to keep the structures and yards looking good. Together, we can collectively insure our neighborhood continues to be a desirable place to live and competitive in the home sales market.

          In 2005 the BHL Neighborhood Board hired All-in- One Management (AIO) to handle the routine business affairs of our neighborhood. One of their responsibilities is to insure that our Neighborhood Covenants/ACC Design Standards are followed. By having an outside entity enforce the Covenants/ACC Design Standards, it can be done on an impartial basis without pitting neighbor against neighbor. AIO is required to drive through the neighborhood on a monthly basis and report any discrepancies to the BHL Board. They also automatically send a “violation” letter to the homeowner. This is an informative letter only, to bring to your attention an issue at your residence that is outside the Covenants/ACC Design Standards so you can address it at your earliest convenience, hopefully before the next monthly inspection. It should not be taken as any type of “condemnation”. I actually have received a few of these letters myself in the past few years!

ONE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT ANY AND ALL EXTERNAL MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR HOME MUST HAVE WRITTEN APPROVAL.

          This includes but is not limited to, fences, house painting, shrubbery/tree installations and removals, roofing, flagpoles, statues, gazebos or other structures, flower boxes etc. If it is outside, it needs to be approved!

          AIO is very good about getting back quickly to the homeowner with approval when the modification falls under the BHL Covenants/ACC Design Standards. You can find the form to fill out for your modification on the AIO website. The only time that AIO will need to bring any modification request to the BHL/ACC Board's attention is if your modification is outside the rules listed in the Covenants/ACC Design Standards. This is done at our Monthly Board Meeting. If your modification is clearly against the BHL Covenants/ACC Design Standards it will be disapproved by the Board. If your modification is in a “gray area” the Board will evaluate each request case by case based on the intent of the BHL Covenants/ACC Design Standards, how the modification will affect your immediate neighbors and what type of precedent approval will set for other modifications. We must consider the whole concept of the ACC in assisting homeowners toward fair and reasonable solutions, while ensuring the architectural and aesthetic integrity of our neighborhood is upheld.

          When I was in the military we had a saying, that it is easier to “receive forgiveness” than to “receive permission”. I ask you not to use this approach as the Neighborhood Board and AIO's job is to insure that our rules and Covenants/ACC Design Standards are followed, and we take that job seriously, to equally protect all of our neighbors. Making modifications without obtaining approval can lead to hard feelings as you may be; forced to make costly changes to or remove a project after installation, or be levied fines, which no one wants.

          As warm weather returns and you start considering your outdoors “honey-do” list, please respect your neighbors and make sure one of your first steps is filling out and submitting the BHL ACC Modification form for your project.