Top Twelve Deed Restrictions

The Reserve at Great Hills is currently composed of Great Hills section 23 and 24. The Deed Restrictions for Section 23 lists 27 limitations and restrictions on homeowners; Section 24 sets forth 34. There is a great deal of similarity between the two and their common purpose is to maintain and enhance property values and keep the Reserve a nice place to live.

Although GHRHA's Architectural Review Committee (ARC) is charged with reviewing all improvements and modifications to existing homes for conformance to all of the neighborhood's covenants, conditions, and restrictions, the ARC and the Executive Committee have picked the following twelve restrictions as our priority concerns. We believe that the majority of homeowners view these as the ones that contribute the most to the "look and feel" of the neighborhood.

Each of the following restrictions has been paraphrased from its source document to–I hope–make it more readable; however, the reference to each original detailed restriction is provided in parentheses following the text. The 3.nn references refer to Section 23's deed restrictions (Article III), and the 6.nn numbers refer to Section 24's (Article VI).

 

1. No exterior radio or television antennae or satellite dishes allowed (3.01 / 6.12).
2. No signs allowed on the property, except for realtor signs, without the approval of the ARC (3.04 / 6.06).
3. Garbage containers cannot be visible from the street, except on collection day (3.05 / 6.09).
4. No exterior speakers, horns, whistles, etc., other than for security reasons (3.06 / 6.15).
5. Construction of improvements to the property should be submitted to the ARC for approval (3.07 / 6.28).
6. Articles such as boats, trailers, campers, motorcycles, etc., must be kept in enclosed structures or screened from the view of the neighbors (3.20 / 6.08).
7. Vehicle repairs and maintenance, other than minor emergency repairs, must be done in enclosed garages (3.20 / 6.08).
8. No more than 2 automobiles may be kept un-garaged on a lot for more than 72 hours. No vehicles may be parked overnight on any roadway within the Great Hills Reserve (3.20 / 6.08).
9. Mobile homes cannot be parked on any lot at any time. Travel trailers and recreational vehicles cannot be parked on or near a lot for more than 48 hours (3.21 / 6.06).
10. Chain link fences are not allowed (3.22 / 6.06).
11. Domestic pets must be leashed when off their owner's property (3.23 / 6.10). (Also covered by the City of Austin's leash law.)
12. Lawns are to be mowed, well maintained, and free of trash (3.24 / 6.09).

    All homeowners are encouraged to request approval for improvements at least 30 days before the actual start of the improvement.

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    Architectural Review Committee

    Approval Procedure

     

    1. If you intend to make an improvement to your home or property, send your request to the Architectural Review Committee, P.O. Box 202643, Austin, Texas 78720-2643. It will be assigned to one or more committee members not living near the requesting homeowner.

        

    A letter of approval or disapproval will be sent within 30 days of the request. Disapproval will quote the deed restrictions that would be violated by the request. Two ARC members are required to sign this notification letter.

     

    2. The homeowner may appeal a disapproval to the ARC for review by the whole committee.

        

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    Architectural Review Committee

    Complaint Procedure

     

    1. If you feel someone is violating a deed restriction in a way that adversely affects you, send your written complaint to the Architectural Review Committee, P.O. Box 202643, Austin, TX 78720-2643. It will be assigned to one or more committee members not living near the homeowner presumed to be in violation. Complaints may be anonymous.

        

    The homeowner has the right to appeal to the ARC at any step in the process.

     

    2. The committee member makes a personal telephone call to the homeowner and explains the complaint. Either:

        

     

    1. The homeowner admits to being in violation and promises to amend the violation.

        

        

    2. The homeowner notified does not agree with the complaint. The committee member will ask for justification. If necessary, the homeowner will be asked to come to the next ARC meeting to present the justification to the committee, and a determination will be made.

        

     

    3. If the homeowner is found to be at fault, and has not corrected the situation within two weeks of the initial contact, a letter will be sent by the ARC. This is a friendly reminder of the violation, and the homeowner is asked to notify the ARC with a plan of action.

        

        

    4. If the homeowner has not notified the ARC within two weeks of the first letter, a second letter will be sent. Polite in nature, it will ask the homeowner to contact the ARC as soon as possible.

        

        

    5. If the homeowner still fails to respond, the GHRHA Executive Committee will be notified of the situation and, with the committee’s approval, a certified, return receipt requested letter will be sent. It will state the facts of the case and will warn the homeowner that legal action will follow.

        

    The ARC and the Executive Committee sincerely hope no complaint ever proceeds past step 2.