Living in community means agreeing on common understandings of social rules and expectations in areas where there are legitimate differences of values, lifestyles, and opinions. Each member of the community has the absolute right to know in advance what those rules are, to make an informed decision on whether or not to join. Establishing a residence is no small decision. Changing residences is not something we easily consider.
Countless social roles and expectations fall within the sense of unspoken norms, expectations that attach to maturing as responsible adults. Other more explicit rules become necessary over time as differences emerge and require negotiation, discussion, sometimes conflict, always time, skill, and energy.
Communities of homeowners face the challenge of balancing unspoken norms the need for written codes of standards and compliance.
Covenants in Glacier View Meadows
Over our fifty-year history, Glacier View Meadows has clearly shown its preference for unspoken norms. Our leaders and managers have understood from the beginning that people do not move to a remote mountain community because they wish for an active, intrusive government.
Starting with our founding Covenants, the number of explicit rules and regulations have been minimal; over time and with experience, successive Boards of Directors and management teams have allowed structure to develop when it has become obvious that more direction is needed; the guiding principle has always been simple: The less, the better.
The Association has a policy and a long tradition of intervention in covenant issues as a response to need, with no staff specifically dedicated to enforcement of the covenants in any proactive fashion. There is no active search for violations. All members of the community share responsibility for abiding by our common norms and rules, and for informing the Association in response to concerns about compliance.
The written Covenants are used as the definitive standards when concerns about compliance are reported.
The abiding assumption is that every member of the community is a responsible adult, all equally committed to the common good and respectful of everyone’s interest.
Compliance and Enforcement
Our goal as a community is to have our residents quietly comply with our Covenants, as a sacred trust between us. To that end, we engage in regular education and information efforts, live by example, and maintain healthy, friendly relationships as an organization with our members. Residents who are involved in the life of our community support our Covenants. The stronger our sense of togetherness is, the more committed our residents will be to our common goals.
To that end, our first steps in matters of potential violations of our Covenants are always educational, giving the benefit of the doubt that polite and respectful information will create the opportunity for voluntary compliance.
First steps for residents with concerns
We encourage residents with concerns to have a conversation with our Association Manager. Call the Office and arrange a time to stop in. Hearing your concerns allows the Manager to get a sense of what Covenants might be in question, and the potential need for further Association involvement.
If the Manager finds need for further assistance or action, he may arrange then to explore the situation further, perhaps with an onsite or in person visit with the neighbor in potential violation of the Covenants.
Requests for Active Enforcement
Sometimes personal visits and information prove inadequate in dealing with differences of opinion over community living–noise, parking, water usage, building practices and appearance, landscaping matters, and more. In those instances, the Association reluctantly moves to more assertive enforcement steps to find reasonable solutions, applying the written understandings in the Glacier View Meadows Covenants.
There is a standard, simple way for any resident to request this support, with the assurance that the Association Manager will be immediately available and will respond with skill and full respect for everyone involved in the matter.
How to request Covenant Enforcement
Your Association has learned over the years that these requests must be taken seriously. In the unlikely event they escalate into more formal legal matters, the process has been strictly defined for documentation.
All parties are treated with equal respect and credibility, all being members of the Association with equal rights to be heard.
How to Appeal an Enforcement Decision
If you feel an enforcement decision or process were incorrect or not arrived at in a fair way, you may appeal to the Board of Directors for a review of the action.
Followup for Filing a Formal Complaint
Privacy laws and respect for confidentiality prevent the Association from providing any further information to the resident who files a formal complaint.