I called code compliance, 311, about a neighbor who has allowed his grass grow over the curb for over a year and a half.  It took awhile, but e-mails to the management company weren't even acknowledged.  I also called 311 about the mess in the lot for sale at the entrance to Towne Lake.  That was cleared in less than 2 weeks.  I know a call to 311 will not work miracles, but it is worth trying.  I've also used it to report a street light that was not working, but after it was fixed it went out again.

Also the police number, 207-7273,  resulted in a quick response last week when I noticed a group congregating in the big park.   I was told two people were arrested.

I have no magic answers.  Our neighborhood is deteriorating.  The unkempt lawns certainly don't help our property values.  I wish I could walk to the mailbox ONCE without picking up trash.  What can we do?  (1) Attend the next BOD meeting and state your concerns briefly and to the point.  (2)  E-mail the management company and save a copy of the e-mail to send certified mail to the BOD if you do not receive action. (3) Read your Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Regulations and cite the article you are addressing in your correspondence.  (4)  Become familiar with the Texas Property Code and the Articles of Incorporation for Towne Lake Garden Association.  The referenced documents are all on the internet.   They are our governing documents; a Board cannot ignore these documents without risking a lawsuit.  (5) Forget the current By-laws as these contain paragraphs in conflict with the Declaration and many sections are invalid. (6)  E-mail or call the management company and ask for financial reports, annual audits (required by state law), and/or minutes of meetings.    

...and it all starts again...

Did you call the police?

I, too, am disgusted with the lack of response to complaints.  A teenager should not, and is not, responsible for ridding his/her neighborhood of vandals and worse.  Lake Sunset is not the only area that is under seige, e.g. Herron Court.

Our governing legal documents are public records available on the web at www.countyclerk.bexar.landata.com/.   Towne Lake Garden Association liens are on line.  This site pinpoints part of our problem.  Any potential landlord can cruise Towne Lake and see infractions, go to the record of liens, and find that we rarely file against an owner.  Conclusion--my tenants can do anything and I'm safe.  Result:  semi-civilized tenants. 

All owners of property are listed along with the names of their grantee (mortgage holder).  If I were the grantee of a loan to someone who was trashing or allowing a tenant to trash his/her property and decreasing its value, I would want to know about it.  Tenants are our secondary problem; the responsible party is the owner.

I called the police several years ago about a situation on Lake Path Drive and was put through the wringer by the female who took my complaint.  I was told nothing could be done, but several weeks later the police did respond.  This, along with complaints to the owner of the property by several neighbors, caused the tenants to move.  This was their third house (that I know of)  here. 

The Board is not charged with being friendly to all comers, granting special privileges to those who didn't bother to read their legal documents, delegating safety to elderly women and teenagers, or ignoring situations that require legal filings.