In an effort to qualify how much trash is throw out by homeowners, renters and their guests, I asked our guys to bag it up and set it aside. Over the course of 5 consecutive days, we picked up 5 contractor size bags of trash that our residents and guests intentionally tossed out onto our common areas. The average contractor size bag holds approximately 9 cubic feet. That means we picked up 45 cubic feet of loose paper, plastic drink cups, fast food bags, candy bar wrappers, snack packages, discarded food, and a variety of other trash that could have just as easily be thrown in the trash at the home of the originator.
To put it another way, the man-hours expended to try to keep the subdivision presentable amounts to around $30,000 per year picking up garbage from our common areas. This is money that could be better spent on other things. We sometimes have to send out two guys to pick up the grounds on Monday as the volume increases over the weekend. All of this trash has an effect on our property values, and ties up both men and money that needs to be used for repairs, painting and other projects around the 22 acre subdivision.
If things do not improve over the rest of the year, we may need to look at an increase in assessment dues next year to compensate for the money spent to pick up grounds litter that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
I agree that the littering is an eye sore and a problem, but I also highly doubt that the litter bugs are home owners, but rather renters, and I also doubt they read the GPMCHOA website. What other means, aside from posting threats on the website, are being used to communicate this problem to ALL residents, owners and renters alike?
Plus Mt. Creek is used to cut across to Warrior. It’s possible they are responsible for some of the litter getting tossed as there is always garbage along that road.
Our neighborhood sadly is no exception. I have been shocked by the amount of litter along all roads around No. Tx. Camp Wisdom work commute is a regular dumping grounds.
There is an apparent lack of social and cultural awareness re. littering. Could we attempt some educating before we automatically jump to increasing our dues?
Sheri, the phrase “we may need to look at” an increase is a statement of fact, not a threat. We have not raised dues in over 5 or 6 years, but our operating costs continue going up. I had much rather maintain the townhouses than pick up trash. It is not just an “eyesore”, it has a monetary effect as well.
To answer your question, yes, we have communicated this littering issue to everyone, owner and renter alike, in the Notices sent out to everyone since December 2014. But it seems the amount of trash tossed out is growing. I will agree that most of the problem is from renters who are not invested in keeping the place looking nice. However, we are addressing these issues with owners of rental properties. School kids are also to blame.
East Mountain Creek Drive, between Belt Line and Warrior, is and always has been Private Property. We put up speed bumps to slow traffic, but they just drive faster. We will be installing added speed bumps on this street, and marking the entrances as Private. Other than posting a 24 hour guard on this street, adding surveillance and issuing trespass warnings, or blocking one entrance entirely, policing this street is near impossible.
Thank you for your reply, “WebAdmin”.
I was interested by the comment about Notices communicating this issue since Dec. ’14. I’ve lived in the GPMCHA since Jan. ’12 first as a renter and now a homeowner. In what form do these notices get sent out? Printed letters? Emails? on the website? I don’t recall ever have received such notices. I just happened to look at the website the other day to see this comment re. the littering problem (and yes, it is more than merely an eyesore – agreed!)
Thank you for answering my questions, “WebAdmin.” (It would be nice to know who I am replying to, by the way, since we have to put our names out there. :>)
Sheri,
We started sending out the Notices shortly after I became President in April 2014 as a way to communicate with the residents and tenants here. Previously, newsletters were sent out for many years but that stopped about 8 years ago. We send these notices out in printed for, mailed to each address. Some people simply toss them into the trash, others actually read them. These periodic notices are also published to the website, under Other Documents from the menu above. I plan on sending out another Notice later this month.
Don Ryan (webadmin)
I understand that some people feel that renters are the issue. I have been a renter for the past 6 years and love living on this property. I have homeowners next door to me that litter everyday so blaming renters is wrong and I take offense to your comments. There are homeowners at the end of our street that litter everywhere. If you don’t want renters on the property and feel we are bringing down your property value then you need to change the bylaws and make it illegal to rent your property. Maybe if we didn’t worry about parking so much then we could address the trash issue. By the way this is the first notice i received as renter about the trash. Homeowners don’t always pass down information.
At least you all don’t live next to the motorcycles that run 24 hours a day, or the dogs next door that are barking day and night, or the dog poop that is never picked up and smells so bad in the summer that you can not enjoy your own patio, not to mention the kids that constantly run in and out of cars playing.
Marcy, if you want to take offense, that is your prerogative. I have personally seen numerous renters tossing paper plates, bones, half-eaten food, fast food bags, and other trash out the window of their vehicles or when they park. So, I am not making a nebulous statement. Yes, we have homeowners who are equal to, or worse, in some cases and we are aware of most of them. Whether or not they are being dealt with is something on which I cannot comment due to privacy issues.
Many homeowners do not understand what the Bylaws actually are; they are what governs the HOA, its operation and its organization. The CC&R is the governing document which lists covenants, conditions and restrictions within the HOA subdivision. By accepting a title to property within the subdivision, each and every homeowner is legally bound to adhere to these documents. The state legislature has also addressed this issue and has categorically stated it cannot be done, (see Property Code 209.016, entitled REGULATION OF RESIDENTIAL LEASES OR RENTAL AGREEMENTS). This went into effect on June 19, 2015, but, we never had any such phraseology in our documents, so it was not an issue for this HOA.
I will now address your comment about worrying more about trash than parking. When we have homeowners and renters alike parking 4 or 5 vehicles in our visitor lots, leaving nowhere to park for actual, legitimate visitors, the problem must be addressed. No owner or renter has the authority to use the visitor lots without the HOA’s permission, and we had to deal with the problems it creates. Most homeowners have 1 or 2 vehicles, but some have what might be called a used car lot going on. We cannot limit how many vehicles an owner or renter can have on property, but we can limit where they can park them. The visitor lots are private property, and always have been.
If you have problems with noise, motorcycles or dogs barking after 11PM, you need to call the Police. Those are violations of a city ordinance. The same is true of dog feces smells from a lot; that violates both our rules and City ordinance and is a health hazard. Call Animal Control and they will deal with it.
The HOA has limitations on what we can do even for violations of our own rules. We can fine someone, but they don’t always correct the violation nor do they pay the fines. The City, however, has much more power over these things.