Ridgefield Homeowners Association

Community By Laws

Apr 20, 2004

RIDGEFIELD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION BY LAWS

- ADOPTED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE ASSOCIATION?’S MEMBERSHIP APRIL 26, 1960.

- AMENDED BY A MAJORITY OF THE ASSOCIATION?’S MEMBERS BY LETTER BALLOT JUNE 25, 1993.

- AMENDED BY MORE THAN A 2/3 MAJORITY OF VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT OR REPRESENTED BY LETTER BALLOT AT MEMBERSHIP MEETING JANUARY 14,2003.


RIDGEFIELD 1
HOMEOWNERS 1
ASSOCIATION 1
BY LAWS 1
BY-LAWS OF THE 4
ARTICLE I 4
TITLE 4
ARTICLE II 4
PURPOSES 4
ARTICLE III 5
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 5
SECTION I - ORGANIZATION 5
SECTION 2 ?– ADMINISTRATION 7
PRESIDENT 7
VICE-PRESIDENT 7
SECRETARY 8
TREASURER 8
SECTION 3 - DISABILITY 8
SECTION 4 - COMMITTEES 8
RECREATIONAL/SOCIAL COMMITTEE 9
MEMBERSHIP/HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE 9
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE 9
COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS COMMITTEE 10
SECTION 5 - MEETINGS 10
ARTICLE IV 11
MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATIONS 11
SECTION 1 - QUALIFICATIONS 11
SECTION 2 - DUES 11
SECTION 3 - MEMBERSHIP 11
ARTICLE V 12
ELECTIONS 12
ARTICLE VI 12
FINANCE 12
ARTICLE VII 13
AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS 13
ARTICLE VIII 13
COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS 13
ARTICLE IX 14

This document recorded September 28, 1995, Duval County Public Records, Book 8184, Pages 780 - 789

BY-LAWS OF THE RIDGEFIELD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

ARTICLE I

Title

The name of this organization shall be Ridgefield Homeowners Association, Inc., hereinafter Referred to as "the Association", and its principal office shall be located at Ridgefield Subdivision, Jacksonville, Florida, 32225.

ARTICLE II

Purposes
The above caption not included in original document .

The purposes of the Association shall be as follows:

A. Further the common good and general welfare of the people of Ridgefield Subdivision by bringing about civic betterment and social improvements.

B. Foster and encourage community interest and to promote collective community functions in accordance with the Association membership.

C. Receive, consider and act upon suggestions and recommendations from the members of the Association.

D. Obtain current factual information on the status of property development, maintenance and other matters affecting the interests of the members.

E. Represent its members and make recommendations to responsible City, County and State officials or organizations on needs pertaining to the residents of Ridgefield such as zoning and other municipal matters.

F. Encourage the residents of Ridgefield to abide by the recorded covenants and restrictions running with the land in Ridgefield Subdivision.

ARTICLE III

Organization and Administration

Section I - Organization

A. The business and affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the "Board"), to consist of Eight (8) Association members in good standing, four of these shall be elected by the members in accordance with these by-laws.

The four elected members shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The other four members who shall be chairmen of the following committees; Recreation/Social, Membership/Hospitality, Community Improvement and Covenants and Restrictions shall be appointed by the newly elected President. All chairmen must be voting members of the association.

B. The board shall control the property, both real and personal, of the Association and be responsible for over-all operation and administration. Committees shall carry out the respective responsibilities under the direction of the Board. The Board shall authorize the expenditure of all funds required for the development, maintenance and operation of all Association facilities and activities as set forth under Article VI (Finance).

C. The term of office of elected Board members will be one (1) year. Officers may be re-elected for a second term, but may not serve more than two (2) consecutive years in the same office. Board members will take office not later than July 1, with their term running through June 30.

D. Any member of the Board who shall absent himself from two (2) consecutive regular meetings of the Board, without rendering an acceptable reason to the Board for such absence, shall be deemed to have resigned from said Board.

E. Any member of the Board considered derelict by the Board in his duties, may be removed from office by the following procedure:

1. Such person shall be requested to appear before the Board, having been advised no less than ten (10) days prior to the meeting. Written notice shall include the time and place, and reasons for being considered derelict in these duties.

2. If the person fails to appear at the time and place without valid excuse, the Board may proceed and may reach its conclusion in his absence.

3. Should the person be found derelict by a quorum (5 out of 8) vote of the Board, he may be removed from office.

4. Any person so removed shall have the right of appeal to the general membership at a meeting of the Association, called in accordance with Article III, Section 5.

F. Any member of the Board considered derelict by the general membership in his duties, may be removed from office by the following procedure:

1. A general meeting shall be called in accordance with Article III, Section 5.

2. Such person shall be requested to appear before the general membership and will be provided the opportunity to speak in his/her behalf.

3. If the person fails to appear at the time and place without valid excuse, the general membership may proceed and may reach its conclusion in his/her absence.

4. If there is a 2/3 vote, of the membership present, for (in favor of) his/her removal, providing there is a quorum, he/she shall be removed from office.

G. It shall be the policy of the Association that all committeemen, both members of the Board and members of other committees hereinafter designated, will serve without salaries and that elected Board members may not serve the same elected office more than two (2) consecutive years.

H. Necessary expenses incurred from the conduct of Association business and committee duties may be reimbursed, subject to the approval of the Board. These said expenses shall be enumerated in detail in an annual report to the Association membership.

I. The election of officers shall be in accordance with Article V, and the duties of officers in accordance with Section 2, below.

J. The Board shall meet, independent of the general
association quarterly meeting, at least once per quarter.

Section 2 ?– Administration
The above caption not included in original document but referred to in Section I, Paragraph I

President

A. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the Association.

B. He/She shall preside at all meetings of the Association membership and the Board.

C. He/She shall, with one other Board member, sign all obligations and contracts subject to the prior approval of the majority of the Board members.

D. The President shall, at the quarterly meetings of the Association, submit a report upon the affairs of the Association, with such suggestions as he may deem necessary and proper. This report shall be submitted to the Board for its approval prior to the date of this meeting.

E. The President or his/her designees shall be responsible for attending civic functions related to the Association needs and purpose (such as the Greater Arlington Civic Council meeting, etc.)

Vice-President

A. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the powers and duties of the President.
Secretary

A. The secretary shall give notice of all meetings of the Association, and be responsible for keeping the minutes of all such meetings.

B. He/She shall be responsible for conducting the correspondence of the Association and keeping of its records.

Treasurer

A. The Treasurer shall, under the direction of the Board, collect and disburse the funds of the Association. He shall report, at each regular meeting of the membership and Board, the financial condition of the Association. At the quarterly meeting, he/she shall prepare statements which present clearly, and exhibit in detail, the receipts and expenditures of the preceding quarter-year.

He/She shall report the balance of money on hand, status of approved budgets, and the existing debts of the association. The fiscal year shall be July 1 through June 30.

Section 3 - Disability

A. During any temporary absence or disability of the Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer, the President (or officer pro tem) may designate and appoint any member of the Board to serve a Acting Vice-President, Acting Secretary or Acting Treasurer during such temporary absence of disability.

B. Such person, so designated and appointed, shall have full power and authority to perform all of the duties of the Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer.

Section 4 - Committees

A. Annually, in July, the President of the Association shall appoint the Chairman of the following standing committees and of such committees as may be necessary or desirable.

B. In the interim, other committees may be established by the Association membership or appointed by the Board as deemed necessary. The chairperson of any committee that is established by the Board shall be a voting member of the Board. This amendment was approved by a majority of the Association?’s members by letter ballot June 25, 1993.

C. The standing committees shall each consist of not less than three members (including the Chairmen), the number to be fixed by the Board.

Recreational/Social Committee

This committee shall be responsible for the planning, development and operation of all recreational activities; and shall be responsible for planning all social activities sponsored by and for the Association.

Membership/Hospitality Committee

This committee shall be responsible for the coordination and implementation of the following activities:

1. Welcoming new residents.

2. Conveying community information to new residents.

3. Promoting Association membership of all Ridgefield residents.

4. Inviting new residents to the next meeting of the Association and introducing them at such meeting.

5. Maintaining a neighbor assistance program, part of which would be to maintain current information on all neighbors for use in publishing a neighborhood directory.

Community Improvement Committee

This committee shall be responsible for coordination and implementation of the following activities:

1. Improving the appearance of the community by plantings or other projects of an aesthetic nature.

2. Insuring the safety and best interest of Ridgefield residents, in cooperation with authorities of Jacksonville and agencies who may have jurisdiction or helpful information regarding maintenance and improvement of facilities in the subdivision.
3. Obtaining and disseminating information about surrounding area zoning and land use and the proper maintenance of homes and grounds which may be of general interest to members of the Association, especially in response to queries from members, including the Covenants and Restrictions Committee.

Covenants and Restrictions Committee

Convey covenant and restriction information to new residents. This committee shall be responsible for pursuing to a satisfactory conclusion all legitimate complaints of Covenant violations as may be brought to the committee's attention. Any enforcement by this
committee shall be brought before the Board for approval.

It shall also be the committee responsible for processing requested residential improvements for subsequent approval by the Board.

Section 5 - Meetings

A. Quarterly meetings of the Association membership shall be held in the second week in the months of October, January, April and July unless another date is designated by the Board.

B. The secretary shall send written notice to each Association member of the time and place of meeting and slate of candidates at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

C. Meeting of the Association membership shall be conducted in accordance with parliamentary procedure, as specified in "Roberts Rules of Order. Newly Revised."

D. A quorum for meeting of the Association shall be 10% (one tenth) of the voting membership in good standing.

E. If a quorum fails to attend at the time and place of the meeting, those who do attend may adjourn until the time at which a meeting can be regularly constituted; as soon as possible.

F. Members of the Association are entitled to one (1) non-divisible vote for each lot owned by them. Any member may exercise this right to vote by written proxy in a form complying with Florida Statutes. This amendment approved by more than a 2/3 majority of voting members present or represented by letter ballot at membership meeting January 14, 2003
G. Other special meetings of the Association membership may be called after seven (7) days notice, as deemed necessary by the Board, or by request in writing of ten (10) percent of the membership to the secretary.

H. All objectives and purposes of such meeting shall be stated in the notice of time and place of meeting, sent to each member. New business may be brought up and discussed, but not disposed of until proper notification of all members.

1. Meetings of the Board shall be held whenever deemed necessary by the President or a majority of the Board members. There shall be a minimum of four (4) Board meetings per year.

J. A quorum for Board meetings shall be five (5) members of the Board.

ARTICLE IV

Membership Privileges and Obligations

Section 1 - Qualifications

Membership in the Ridgefield Homeowners Association, Inc. is limited to the Ridgefield subdivision (as described on the Ridgefield Subdivision recorded plats of Phases I, II and III) residents only. Membership shall be automatic and is restricted to all adult property owners or lessors and their spouses.

Section 2 - Dues

A. All members will pay their dues as recommended by the Board and approved by the membership. In order to encourage new residents to become members of the Association after the fiscal year is underway, dues will be prorated from date of occupancy.

B. All membership dues are payable on or before the October meeting of each year.

Section 3 - Membership
This amendment approved by more than a 2/3 majority of voting members present or represented by letter ballot at membership meeting January 14, 2003
A. Membership shall be automatic upon purchase of a lot in
Ridgefield Subdivision.
B. Membership shall terminate automatically upon sale of a
lot in Ridgefield Subdivision. Upon written request within the fiscal year, dues and maintenance fees shall be prorated upon termination of membership.

ARTICLE V

Elections

A. Once each year in March, a nominating committee of five (5) will be appointed by the President.

B. The newly elected nominating committee will submit a slate of candidates to the full membership of the Association, said slate to include at least one (1) candidate for each position on the Board.

C. No person may be submitted as a candidate without his of her prior consent.

D. Each elected Board position will be filed by a simple
majority of the voting membership present at the April meeting or any subsequent meeting duly called by the Board of Directors. This amendment approved by more than a 2/3 majority of voting members present or represented by letter ballot at membership meeting January 14, 2003

E. The order of election will be President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

F. In the event that a vacancy occurs on the Board between annual election, the Board will appoint a member of the Association to serve the unexpired term of office.

ARTICLE VI

Finance

A. The funds of the Association shall be deposited in such
bank or depository as the Board shall designate and shall be withdrawn only upon the check or order of the Association, countersigned by the Treasurer and either the President or Secretary.

B. The President, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Association shall be properly bonded when deemed appropriate by the Board or the membership. Premiums for such bonds to be paid by the Association.

C. At the annual meeting, a budget for the coming fiscal year will be presented by the Board for the approval of the Association.

D. The financial books of the Association shall be audited at the discretion of the Board and at least once a year.

ARTICLE VII

Amendments to By-Laws

A. These By-Laws may be amended by a 2/3 majority affirmative ballot by the voting members, who are represented in person and/or with written proxy, at any meeting of the Association at which there is a quorum present; provided that a copy of the proposed amendment shall have been delivered to each member not less than thirty (30) days prior to said meeting, and that his vote thereon, to be cast in person or by written proxy, shall have been requested.

B. Upon adoption of said amendment, the Secretary shall furnish to each member a copy of the adopted amendment which shall also indicate the date of adoption.

ARTICLE VIII

Covenants and Restrictions

Each member authorizes and directs the Association and its officers and directors to act as his or her agent in enforcing and requiring compliance by all property owners with the Covenants and Restrictions adopted by the developer and recorded at the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Duval County, Florida and in the Official Records of Duval, County, Florida. Such authorization does not, in any way, limit a member's individual right as a property owner to enforce said Covenants and Restrictions in his person capacity, nor does it compel the Association to legally enforce said Covenants and Restrictions; unless directed by a 75% vote of the full membership of the Association, except for the offending party or parties. The Association shall use all reasonable means available for enforcing said Covenants and Restrictions, including the initiation of a suit for temporary and/or permanent injunction and restraining order in necessary to compel compliance, or any other legal remedy which it may have.

ARTICLE IX

The use of the male gender in these By-Laws shall pertain to and have equal meaning for both the male and female gender.