Val Vista Villas

CC&R's Revisited

Apr 23, 1999

Here are the violations that occur most often, and the text of our CC&R's for clarification from Kevin Hearty.
Managers Corner

CC&Rs Review: Section 15 - Page 18 Garbage
"No owner shall place or permit any personal property, garbage, debris or refuse to be placed or to accumulate on any portion of the common areas adjacent to any lot. All garbage, debris and refuse shall be kept in suitable containers which must be stored within an area which is not visible from any other lot or the Common Areas." Val Vista trash pickup days are Saturday - trash / Wednesday - recycle. Trash containers may be placed out after 6:00 p.m. the day before and must be returned to their concealed placement area, the day of pickup.

Section 8 Page 12 - Landscaping
"Each owner shall at all times maintain such Owners Lot, all improvements constructed thereon, all appurtenances thereto and all landscaping planted thereon in good order and repair and in a neat, clean and orderly condition. Any landscaping installed by an Owner upon his lot shall be kept adequately weeded and watered and neatly trimmed by such owner."
The weather is warming up and with the rain we've been having the weeds are beginning to pop up. Please make every effort to maintain a weed-free yard.

Now is the time to prepare your Bermuda grass for warm weather. De-thatching or scalping the mat of old leaves left over from last summers growth will make for a healthier lawn. Power raking or verticutting machines do the best job on hybrid Bermudas, but scalping (mowing to one-half inch) is generally acceptable for common Bermuda grass. If not thinned out, the turf may become thin and result in unsightly brown patches. After de-thatching, water deeply, but do not fertilize until the grass has recovered around the first of May. De-thatching should be done around mid-to-late April, when the weather is warm enough for active growth and quick recovery.

Keep your plants on a regular pruning schedule and renovation every 2-3 years. It is too late in the season to do this now, but come February or March of next year; your shrubs will benefit greatly. Fertilizing on a regular basis will help too.

Trees, especially palms, need trimming and skinning once a year. Other hardwoods will need to be thinned and trimmed, and if the tree is young, it may need staking.

Recently, you received a flyer provided by the City of Mesa, which includes irrigation controller schedules. Please make every effort to follow this schedule, as excessive watering seems to be a problem at Val Vista Villas.

PARKING

Recently a notice was posted on the mailboxes notifying all homeowners of the present towing policy. Please make sure that guests have a visitor's tag in the window where it can CLEARLY be seen. All Valley Impound will be patrolling the streets for anyone parking in unauthorized areas. Remember, residents can park along the block wall on the Southern boundary of the neighborhood, or along the block wall along the Western boundary of the neighborhood. Otherwise your car must be in your driveway or garage.

Time to think about Improvements

It doesn't seem possible, but some of the homes in Val Vista Villas are more than ten years old. With that in mind it may be time to review our properties for some routine maintenance. On the average, houses are recommended to be painted every 5-8 years, however, depending on the quality of the paint this may be extended by 2-3 years. Since most homes are stucco, paint life is usually extended to the latter. If the home has wooden trim, the paint life on the trim is at most 5 years. So, the trim will need a coat of fresh paint sooner then the stucco part of the house. The board is considering incorporated a policy where each home must be painted every 5 years. If you have painted your home and or trim within the last year, please notify Kevin at City Property Management at 496-4444. The Management Company will keep record of each home painting schedule. Be advised that if your home is not attended to within the time frame allocated, fines will be levied against your assessment account. This information also becomes a part of the disclosure package provided to a new buyer.

When considering repainting your home, Architectural approval is not required if the paint is the same color or as close to the same color as the current color. Architectural approval is required if the paint color is noticeably different then the existing color. Home Depot has a folder on file with the paint codes for our trim and house. If you ask someone in the paint department for the Val Vista Villas paint folder, they can mix the right color paint for your trim or house.

Wooden gates will also need refinishing or painting every 4-5 years depending on sun exposure.

Front doors need to be refinished every 5-10 years, there again, depending upon the sun exposure. By keeping up with maintenance, the door will remain in good condition and total replacement of the door can be avoided.

Sun Screens that were installed approximately 10 years ago are now showing signs of fading, again depending on sun exposure. Some are also torn and must be replaced.

Lastly, when reviewing routine house maintenance, don't forget the driveways. The CC&Rs state, each owner shall at all times maintain such Owners Lot and keep in good order, and repair in a neat, clean and orderly condition. Driveways and sidewalks should be kept clean of oil stains. The Architectural Committee must approve any driveway additions.

The Board encourages residents to review individual properties especially if you have been a resident for more than five years. If you have any questions or require an Architectural application, please contact Kevin Hearty, City Property Management, 496-4444. Most general information can be found in the CC&Rs and Architectural Guidelines. Lets all take an active interest in community pride and keep Val Vista Villas looking great!!