1. Maintenance of Structures and Landscaping

1.1 Structures to be maintained include houses, decks, porches, fences, hardscaping, and any out buildings. 

1. House is considered in need of painting when it shows peeling paint, chipped paint, exposed wood, mold showing through, or paint/stain wear. Entire house needs to be painted at one time.

2. House maintenance includes, but is not limited to, no moss on roofs; no weeds in gutters; no dirt or mold on gutters; no birds nesting in eaves/attic; no bird poop on exterior of house; no wasps nest allowed to grow under eaves; shingles, lap siding and T-11 siding, and trim to be maintained.

3. Fence maintenance: If originally painted or stained must keep stain/paint in good condition. Replace missing or broken boards and/or fence caps.

4. All out buildings (sheds, green houses, play structures, etc.) need to be behind fence and in good repair. They need to be maintained to same criteria as house exterior.

5. All house numbers must be constructed of plastic, wood, or metal and be permanently affixed to the house. All houses must have house numbers that are visible from street and not obstructed by any items.

1.2 Yard maintenance

1. Lawns shall be maintained in a neat, orderly, and healthy condition including but not limited to the following: regularly mowed during the growing season, lawn may not be more than 6 inches in height, edged and trimmed so grass is contained, fertilized as needed to maintain health, appropriately watered to keep lawn green except in times of water rationing decreed by local water utility company, and unsightly and/or large weeds must be removed.

2. Weeds shall be removed from landscaped areas including planting beds and gravel, river rock and barked areas. This includes bare or barked areas that divide properties and gravel areas between houses. It also includes weeds growing in the cracks of the sidewalk in front or side(s) of your property and your driveway.

3. Plants shall be maintained in a neat, orderly and healthy growing condition as is appropriate for the season of the year, including pruning, and appropriate watering and fertilizing as necessary. Dead plants shall be replaced or removed. Plants and vegetation, including but not limited to, trees, shrubs, and bushes shall be maintained so as to prevent encroachment on, projection across or obstruction of any sidewalk, driveway, or street. No planting of invasive plants according to the Washington State list of noxious weeds/ plants. (Ex: ivy, and morning glory) You may access the list by visiting http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_list/weed_list.htm. If an invasive plant already exists on lot, homeowner may be asked to remove said plant(s).

4. Leaves shall be removed from landscaped and paved areas following the last fall of leaves in autumn. Other plant and yard debris shall be removed from all landscaped and paved areas on a regular basis.

5. Drains on your property must be kept clear of rocks and debris.

6. No owner shall permit anything or condition to exist upon any portion of the property which shall induce, breed, or harbor infectious plant disease, or noxious insects or vermin.

2. Common Areas and Playground Use

1. No Illegal use shall be made of the individual, limited or common areas/property

2. No activity shall be conducted on the common property that interferes with the use and enjoyment of the common property by other residents.

3. In consideration of the neighbors living around the playground, no activity will be allowed within the playground from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am.

4. Littering is not permitted in common areas.

5. Personal property shall not be left or stored on the common areas. Any unauthorized equipment or material that is left or stored shall, at the owner’s expense, be discarded, removed, or stored without notice. You may also be fined until it is removed.

3. Quiet Hours

1. Every day between the hours of 10:00pm and 8:00am.

2. No noxious, offensive, or illegal activities shall be carried on, in or upon any Home, nor shall anything be done which may be or become an annoyance or nuisance to other Homeowners, Tenants, or Guests.

3. Homeowners shall exercise extreme care in the use of musical instruments, radios, televisions, and amplifiers that may disturb other Homeowners.

4. Fireworks

1. Homeowners shall comply with all Snohomish County Ordinances. Call 425-407-3999 to report non-emergency violations. (See also Snohomish County "Fireworks Safety" flyer)

2. Unless otherwise allowed by Snohomish County Ordinances, fireworks must follow normal Quiet Hours of 10:00pm and 8:00am.

3. All Homeowners must be considerate of their neighbors and clean up the firework residue within 24hrs.

5. Hazardous Substances

Homeowner shall not permit any hazardous substances to be generated, processed, stored, transported, handled, or disposed of in their home.

6. Architectural Changes

1. No structure shall be constructed in any Common or Limited Common Area unless the plans for the structure have been approved in writing by the Architectural Control Committee. This includes buildings, sheds, fences, walls, garages, play structures, decks/patios, or other exterior additions, changes, or alterations.

2. All Architectural Control requests must be routed through the property management company for presentation to the Rhody Lane Board of Directors or Architectural Control Committee. All requests must be sent via United States Postal Service or via email to the Property Manager (attn: Rhody Lane).

3. Failure to submit requests in advance may result in the Association having to require removal of the changes, the cost of which must be paid by the Homeowner.

4. The Architectural Control Committee will submit recommendations to the Board of Directors for monthly approval.

5. In general, the Board of Directors or Architectural Control Committee shall respond to all requests within 30 days after submittal of request depending on the availability of the Board of Directors or Architectural Control Committee.

7. Vehicles

7.1 General Rules

1. No motor vehicles that are illegal to operate due to licensing or physical condition shall be parked or stored on any street. Motor vehicles that are inoperable for reasons of mechanical failure shall not be parked or stored on any street.

2. Parking is restricted to the parking of operative and street legal vehicles. The vehicle must not be damaged or modified in a manner that violates any RCW that would make the vehicle illegal to operate on a public road.

3. A vehicle which is not street legal must be parked in the Unit’s garage or kept off site.

4. No motor vehicles may be parked on any surface not originally designated for parking by the builder/developer. Surfaces designated for parking include garages, driveways, and streets. Vehicles may not be parked against the curb, in the fire lane, in the private drive (the road that connects multiple driveways to the city/county road), on sidewalks, on grass, or on any yard, even if it has been altered to give access to a vehicle.

5. Vehicle parking shall not impair the use of sidewalks and handicap access ramps, nor access to driveways. Additionally, vehicles shall not obstruct access to another home.

6. Vehicles may be permitted to park on the street for up to 72hrs or at the Board’s discretion. Any vehicle parked beyond this time frame is subject to be towed at the owner’s expense.

7. Moving vans and moving trucks may be parked in the homeowner’s driveway for up to 48 hours in order to move items in or out of the Home.

8. Homeowners, renters/tenants, and guests may not park in a vacant unit's driveway. Any vehicle occupying the driveway of a vacant unit shall be towed immediately at the vehicle owner’s expense.

9. Non-complying vehicles will be subject to possible towing and/or fines in accordance with Snohomish County ordinances. Any vehicles illegally parked on city streets in the neighborhood will be referred to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for parking enforcement. If your vehicle is towed within the neighborhood all cost associated with this process will be at the Owners expense.

7.2 Unauthorized Vehicles

1. The following vehicles are not permitted in limited common areas and/or common areas unless garaged. They will be towed after a 72 hour notice at the owner's expense and the homeowner will be fined. Unauthorized vehicle list (but not limited to):

   1. Vehicles with expired license tabs

   2. Inoperable vehicles

   3. Vehicles that are not street legal (i.e. wrecked or could receive a citation by Law Enforcement if driven)

   4. Commercial Vehicles (defined as any vehicle used primarily for commercial purposes with a gross vehicle weight rating of 12,000 lbs or more, including heavy construction equipment and trailers)

   5. Vehicles primarily used for storage as viewed from the street or neighboring lots

2. The following vehicles are allowed in limited common areas for no longer than 72 hours.

   1. ATV’s, dirt bikes, and other off road motorized vehicles

   2. RV’s, campers, trailers, and boats

3. The Board of Directors shall have full authority to determine if any vehicle is obnoxious or undesirable to other Lot Owners and take appropriate steps to correct such a violation.

7.3 Vehicle Repairs

1. Minor maintenance is allowed inside the owner's garage. Minor maintenance is defined by any maintenance requiring 1 day or less to complete. Any maintenance is limited to vehicles that belong to a homeowner or tenant. Repairing vehicles from outside of the community is not authorized. Revving an engine in any of these areas is not acceptable.

2. Major repairs that must be completed outside of the garage area are permissible by Board approval only. An owner requesting permission to perform maintenance on any type of vehicle or watercraft must submit a plan to the Board that declares the duration of the project and the nature of repair and/or maintenance. The Board reserves the right to decline a requested owner’s project if it is deemed to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of the common/limited common areas, pose any type of environmental risk, or for any other reason that the Board deems as justified to refuse the request. The work must be completed during daytime hours so it does not disturb other homeowners.

7.4 Vehicle Washing

Residents may wash their vehicle in the driveway allocated to their own unit. All cleaning supplies must be removed from public view upon completion of the vehicle washing. No cleaning of engines or use of solvents is allowed. Phosphate free detergent may be used to wash a vehicle.

8. Animals

8.1 General Rules

1. Homeowners may keep dogs, cats, and other indoor household pets, but the following must be adhered to:

2. All animals should be registered. In addition, it is strongly advised that your pets are micro-chipped.

3. All animals shall be kept solely as domestic pets and must live inside the home.

4. No animals shall be kept in number and bred or maintained for commercial purposes.

5. When not restricted to Homeowners unit or limited common areas, pets within Rhody Lane shall be leashed and accompanied by a person responsible for cleaning up any animal waste. Additionally, any person found not cleaning and removing animal waste will be fined.

6. No animal shall be allowed to make an unreasonable amount of noise or become a nuisance inside or outside the Homeowners unit or limited common area.

7. All animals must comply with Snohomish County ordinances regarding pets. This includes, but is not limited to, licensing and leash laws.

8. The Board of Directors has the authority to have an animal removed if it deems that the animal is a nuisance or safety hazard.

8.2 Liability

The homeowner is financially responsible for any damage a renter’s pet causes to common and/or limited common areas. The homeowner and/or renter/pet owner is liable for any injuries a renters pet may cause others while on Rhody Lane property, be in common or limited common area. The homeowner and/or renter/pet owner is responsible for any attorney fees incurred by the HOA in regards to the Owners personal pets and the pets of their renters/tenants. 

9. Garbage and Trash Yard Waste Containers

1. All waste and other waste materials must be kept in appropriate sanitary containers located in the appropriate areas and concealed from view of the street.

2. Containers may be put out within 24 hours of waste pickup and must be removed from the curb within 24 hours of garbage pickup.

3. All garbage (including trashcans, recycle cans, and compost cans) and items to be discarded shall immediately be removed by the homeowner/tenant from all common areas or limited common areas. They may not be placed there even temporarily.

4. Any garbage that is opened by animals, or for any other reason, is left on the ground is the sole responsibility of the homeowner (where the garbage originated). The homeowner may be charged for the cleanup and will be fined after a 2nd violation.

10. Holiday Displays

1. If you are inclined to decorate for a holiday and the decorations (i.e lawn or house decorations) are seen from any common or limited common area, the following decoration schedule applies:

   1. Halloween decorations may be shown as soon as Oct 1 and must be removed by Nov 15.

   2. Thanksgiving decorations may be shown as soon as Nov 1 and must be removed by Dec 15.

   3. December holiday decorations can be put up as early as Thanksgiving and must be removed no later than January 31st.

   4. Any other holiday: Decorations may be shown as soon as 1 week (7 days) prior to the holiday and must be removed by 1 week (7 days) after the holiday.

2. Any seasonal or year round exterior decorations, displays, or adornments that appear out of character with the general aesthetics and quality of the community are prohibited unless approved by the Board of Directors.

11. Exterior Appearance

11.1 General Rules

1. Homeowners shall not hang garments, rugs, etc from the exterior of their Home.

2. No signs of any kind shall be displayed for public view from any Home, Limited Common Area, or Common Area without prior consent from the Board of Directors. Signs necessary or appropriate for the sale of Units are allowed.

3. Real estate or rental signs may be displayed in one window and shall not exceed 3 x 2 feet. “A-frame/sandwich board” open house signs may be used on the day of an open house in the grassy area in front of the house for sale or to be rented. Distributing of any flyers to other units, vehicles, or pedestrians is NOT allowed. A “No Soliciting” or “No Solicitors” sign no more than 8” x 2” may be placed on the front door only.

11.2 Patios and Decks

Patio furniture, barbecues, and other items consistent with patios shall be allowed. Healthy deck plants and shrubs are allowed. No patio shall, at any time, be used as a storage area. Residents may not allow any litter or waste to remain in the common and/or limited common areas. No linens, garments, or other items be left to air or dry in such areas.

11.3 Fences

As visible from other lots, items may not be hung, nailed, or attached in any way to any of the fences. This includes, but is not limited to, rugs, hammocks, towels, pillows, hoses, cushions, ect. All fences shall be constructed of wood. No fences shall be constructed without the written approval of design and materials by the Architectural Control Committee. Failure to receive Architectural Control Committee approval prior to installation may result in the removal of the structure at the homeowner’s expense. 

11.4 Alterations

Individual alterations or additions to the common landscape such as vegetation, stepping stones, concrete work, fences, etc. are not permitted without prior written approval by the Board. Failure to receive Board approval prior to installation may result in removal at the homeowner’s expense and the homeowner will be subject to a fine.

12. Business Use

Low-impact business activities such as home-offices,  home-occupations (such as day care, preschool, music lessons, learning groups), as well as business and commercial uses allowed by zoning laws are permitted per sections 7.2.2 and 7.6 of the CCR&Rs. The Board may prohibit a business if it determines it is offensive to HOA members.

13. Rental Property

1. All tenants must follow the Declarations, Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations established by Rhody Lane Homeowners Associations.

2. All leases and rental agreements must be in writing.

3. The Homeowner is responsible for all assessments, fines, or fees.

4. Copies of all leases and rental agreements must be delivered to the Association before the tenancy commences.

5. The minimum initial term of any lease must be six months.

6. In the event that a Homeowner’s account is delinquent, the Board of Directors may file rent intercept.

7. Advise the Property Management Company, in writing/email, when a home is rented and provide them with the names, mailing addresses, and phone numbers of the renters/tenants.

8. Homeowners shall provide the Property Management Company with a copy of the lease, contact information to include owner's new physical address, mailing address, phone number, and email address.

9. The Property Management Company will be the main storage location for these documents for the Board’s inspection and use. The Board may also store these documents.

10. If a tenant is the source of disruption and destroys the peace and quiet of neighbors or damages the common or limited common areas, the Board may fine the homeowner or require the homeowner to evict the tenant.

11. The owner has 5 business days from the date of demand from the Board or the Property Management Company to produce the lease and contact information. Failure to comply will result in a $100 fine each month the requested information is withheld from the Property Management Company.

12. Renters/tenants/guests/house-sitters/non-owners with owner permission to use an owner's unit may not attend HOA meetings. Only homeowners may attend HOA meetings.

13. The Board shall have the right, in the exercise of discretion, to permit exceptions to the leasing limitations in connection with hardship cases. The Board may adopt Rules and Regulations in furtherance of the administration of this Section, which Rules and Regulations shall be effective upon publication of the Association and its members.

14. Attorney Fees

The rules contained herein are for the benefit of all Unit owners and the Association. Failure of a Unit owner to comply with the foregoing shall be grounds for an action for damages or injunctive relief, including the recovery of attorney’s fees and costs by the Association or the Board on behalf of the Association.

15. Appeals

A homeowner may appeal in writing, a formal or informal notice of violation to the HOA by contacting the property management company. Request needs to be sent certified with return receipt. The Property Manager or Board will respond to the request within 10 business days of receipt, with a date and time for a formal appeal hearing. The Board may reduce or retract the fines, if the Board finds that such fines are not necessary to obtain compliance with the rules and requirements of the HOA.

16. Expense to Homeowners

In addition to Dues, Fines, and Administrative costs, the Lot owner is responsible for any added costs incurred by the HOA where the homeowner is determined to be at fault, incurred by homeowner, or an atypical request. This would include but not limited too returned checks, Loan Questionnaires (usually for loan refinancing), Lien and Lien release fees, legal costs, cost to bring homeowner into compliance, and requests to Property Management that creates an added cost. Costs for general operation and activity of the HOA are not considered an expense but part of the dues or special assessment.

17. Monthly Assessments

1. This section is meant as a summary of the Rhody Lane Collection Policy. For additional information please see that document, especially for rules pertaining to chronically late payments and accounts sent to collections.

2. Assessments are due no later than March 25th annually.

3. Assessments not paid when due shall be delinquent and assessed a late charge of $25 and interest at the rate of one percent per month on the outstanding balance.

4. Homeowners, whose assessments are more than 30 days late, will be sent a reminder letter including late fees and interest.

5. Homeowners, whose assessments are more than 60 days late, will be sent a second reminder letter including late fees and interest.

6. Assessments delinquent for 90 or more days will be turned over to an attorney for collection and the mortgagee of the Home will be notified of the delinquency.

18. Contact Process

The Property Manager is the primary point of contact for Association members to send correspondence, to appeal, or to make requests to the Board of Directors or the Architectural Control Committee. If there is no property management company then send correspondence, appeal, or request to the email or address as noted in the Contact Information addendum.

Contact Information

(See Contact page on Rhody Lane HOA website: https://rhodylanehoa.org/contact)