Remember that thought you had when you first drove through this neighborhood looking for a place to live? That thought of “wow, this neighborhood looks great. I’d love to live here with my family.” Lawns that are well cared for, trash cans that are out of site, and cars that are well maintained and in their place in the garage. It lets people know that our area cares about the neighborhood – and their neighbors – and takes time and effort to keep appearances maintained. It is important to understand that the “rules” that keep the neighborhood looking as impressive as the day you first drove through it are the HOA Deed Restrictions. That is why you agreed to them when you first moved in. It’s your word as a contract you have with your neighbors to maintain that same look for your – and their – benefit.
The Reserve at Great Hills is currently composed of Great Hills Sections 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 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 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)
- No exterior radio or television antennae or satellite dishes allowed (3.01 / 6.12).
- No signs allowed on the property, except for realtor signs, without the approval of the ARC (3.04 / 6.06).
- Garbage containers cannot be visible from the street, except on collection day (3.05 / 6.09).
- No exterior speakers, horns, whistles, etc., other than for security reasons (3.06 / 6.15).
- Construction of improvements to the property should be submitted to the ARC for approval (3.07 / 6.28).
- 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).
- Vehicle repairs and maintenance, other than minor emergency repairs, must be done in enclosed garages (3.20 / 6.08).
- 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).
- 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).
- Chain link fences are not allowed (3.22 / 6.06).
- 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.)
- 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.