Association Management
ACC Related Questions
Question: What requires ACC approval?
Answer: Any change, replacement or construction to the exterior of your home or property including but not limited to roofs, fences, gates, removing or adding trees, major landscape changes, grass removal, landscape borders, pools, patios, patio covers, pergolas, paving, concrete, sidewalks and pathways, garage doors, gutters, shutters, changing paint colors, exterior doors, sheds, solar panels, solar screens, window film, replacement windows, changing mailboxes, additions to homes, and generators.
Question: What does NOT require ACC approval?
Answer: Repainting ALL paintable surfaces the same previously approved color. Replacing your annual plants in your landscape beds. Replacing the mulch in your landscape beds will mulch in approved colors. Replacing the mulch in your landscape beds with river rock in approved sizes and colors. Replacing sod with Bermuda, St. Augustine or Zoysia sod. Replacing foundational shrubs with similar evergreen shrubs that will completely cover your foundation at mature size. Repainting your black mailbox, black.
Question: Do I need ACC approval to touch up my paint?
Answer: No, you do not need ACC approval to repaint your home’s trim, the same color it is currently painted if your paint is currently approved. When painting, all trim on the same side of the home and if any can be seen from the road then all areas that can be seen from the road must be repainted at the same time.
Question: What color shingles can I choose for my roof?
Answer: The only color of shingles for roofs in Hulen Heights are Weathered Wood. If the brand you are using does not have a shingle named Weathered Wood, you will need to submit a sample of the shingle color that is closest to Weathered Wood. All other shingle colors, black, dark grey, orange, brown, etc are not allowed.
Question: What happens if I do not receive approval prior to completing a project?
Answer: You can apply for approval after the fact, but if your project does not meet the requirements, you may be subject to fines, be required to remove the addition, redo the project to meet the requirements.
Question: How do I apply for ACC Approval?
Answer: You apply in the Homeowner portal. You will need to complete the forms AND
provide photos of your home and property as it is currently,
property plat with the project area clearly marked and all distances indicated, detailed plans
descriptions of your proposed project in detail. I’m painting my door red is not in detail. “I would like to paint current my front door Sherwin Williams Candy Apple Red. We will not be changing any of the hardware.”, is a detailed description.
examples and colors of all materials to be used.
If the project requires a permit from the city, you will be required to submit copy of the permit. It is your responsibility to know which projects require permits.
Several ACC applications also require a checklist. You can see those on the ACC page of this website.
Failure to include each of these items will cause your ACC request to be delayed while you upload all of the required documentation. The ACC request will not be reviewed until all documentation is received. The ACC has 30 days to review once all documentation has been received.
Assessments
Question: What is an Assessment?
Answer: Homeowner associations can compel homeowners to pay a share of common expenses, usually per-unit or based on square footage. These expenses generally arise from common property, which varies dramatically depending on the type of association. Some associations are, quite literally, towns, complete with private roads, services, utilities, amenities, community buildings, pools, and even schools. Many condominium associations consider the roofs and exteriors of the structures as the responsibility of the association. Other associations have no common property, but may charge for services or other matters.
Question: Are 'Dues' different than 'Assessments?'
Answer: A predetermined set of fees usually referred to as 'Dues' are collected by HOAs, Community Associations, or divisions of property management for the upkeep of said organizations or neighborhoods in general. These fees are billed at intervals, sometimes by month, quarter, or annually.
Association Types
Question: What is a Homeowners Association (HOA)?
Answer: A Homeowners' Association (HOA) is a legal entity created by a real estate developer for the purpose of developing, managing and selling a community of homes. It is given the authority to enforce the covenants, conditions & restrictions (CC&Rs)/Community Policies and to manage the common amenities of the development. It allows a developer to end their responsibility over the community, typically by transferring ownership of the association to the homeowners after selling. Generally accepted as a voluntary association of homeowners gathered together to protect their property values and to improve the neighborhood, a large percentage of U.S neighborhoods where free standing homes exist have an HOA. Most homeowners' associations are non profit organizations and are subject to state statutes that govern non-profit corporations and homeowners' associations.
Board Of Directors
Question: What is a Board of Directors?
Answer: In relation to an HOA, Community or other formal organization, a director is an officer charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. The directors collectively are referred to as a board of directors, and are generally elected or appointed. Sometimes the board will appoint one of its members to be the chair, making this person the President of the Board of Directors or Chairman.
Question: How do I contact my Board of Directors?
Answer: Email board hulenheightsboard@hulenheights.com to contact the Hulen Heights Board of Directors.
General Terms
Question: What is a 'Common Area?'
Answer: Any area of improved real property intended for shared use by the members of an association.
Question: What are Ordinances?
Answer: An Ordinance is an individual or set of laws adopted by local government at the county and city level.
Legal Documents
Question: What are CC&Rs?
Answer: The term CC&R refers to 'Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions.' A real covenant is a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller of a home and or property upon the buyer of the real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently 'run with the land' and are enforceable on future buyers of the property. Examples might be to maintain a property in a reasonable state of repair, to preserve a sight-line for a neighboring property, not to run a business from a residence, or not to build on certain parts of the property. Many covenants are very simple and are meant only to protect a neighborhood from homeowners destroying trees or historic things or otherwise directly harming property values. Some can be more specific and strict, outlining everything a homeowner can do to the exterior of their home, including the number of non-familial tenants one may have, acceptable colors to re-paint the home, exactly when holiday decorations are allowed up, automobile placement or repair on property, satellite placement, etc
Question: What Are 'ByLaws?'
Answer: A set of rules or guidelines regarding the operation of a non-profit corporation such as a Board. Bylaws generally set forth definitions of offices and committees involved with the Board of Directors. They can include voting rights, meetings, notices, and other areas involved with the successful operation of the Association.
Question: What are Governing Documents?
Answer: The declaration, bylaws, operating rules, articles of incorporation or any other documents which govern the normal operating procedures of an association.
Question: What is a Lien?
Answer: A monetary claim levied against a property for unpaid mortgage, taxes, contractor work, or other charges. A lien is attached to the property, not the owner, but legally must be recorded in the property records of the county of residence. If a Lien is in place, the property owner has very limited ability to do anything involving the property until the Lien is satisfied or removed.
Question: What is the 'Declaration?'
Answer: The Declaration is sometimes referred to as the 'master deed,' 'documents,' or 'declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions' [CC&Rs]. It describes an owner's responsibilities to the association which can include payment of dues and assessments as well as the association’s various duties to the owners. It is common viewed as somewhat of a 'constitution' of the association. The person or group of persons who either signs the original declaration governing the development and association or acquires the original developer's rights is referred to as the 'Declarant.'
Question: What is an Estoppel letter?
Answer: An estoppel letter is used in a transfer or conveyance of real property prior to the Closing transaction. The document is sent to a bank (or other lender), to an HOA (or Condo Association), to a city/municipality, or a tenant requesting payoff of a mortgage, assessments or taxes due, or rental amounts due on a lease, to incorporate these amounts into the Settlement Statement for the buyer and seller of the real estate. Assessments and payments due must be incorporated into the amounts due at Closing and paid at the time of the Closing. Some amounts may be pro-rated, but all must be included in the Settlement Statement. The estoppel letter is the document that facilitates this process.
Question: What is an 'Easement?'
Answer: An interest or a right in real property which grants the ability to a landowner to use the land of another for a special purpose or endeavor. An association may for example have an easement for slope maintenance or other repair purposes. A public utility may also have an easement for maintenance or repair work to be executed at a future date.
Question: What is a 'Notice of Noncompliance?'
Answer: Similar in essence to a lien, the Notice of Noncompliance is a document sometimes authorized under the CC&Rs and may be recorded in the county property records. It's essential purpose is to notify prospective buyers that the property is in violation of the documents.
Management Questions
Question: What is Association Management?
Answer: Association management is a distinct field of management because of the unique environment of associations. Associations are unique in that the 'owners' are dues-paying members. Members also govern their association through an elected board or other governing body, along with association committees, commissions, task forces, councils and other units. Typically, the board selects, retains and evaluates a chief executive officer or an executive director who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the association and paid staff. Managers within the association environment are responsible for many of the same tasks that are found in other organizational contexts. These include human resource management, financial management, meeting management, IT management, and project management. Other aspects of management are unique for association managers. These include: membership recruitment and retention; tax-exempt accounting and financial management; development of non-dues revenue and fundraising. Association managers must also be familiar with laws and regulations that pertain only to associations. To attain the knowledge needed to effectively operate in association management, its practitioners may choose to pursue the Certified Association Executive designation.
Question: What is an Association Management Company and what do they do?
Answer: A property management entity contracted by a Board of Directors or community to provide a variety of services including but not limited to collecting assessments, sub-contractor endeavors, financial advisement and statement/reports preparation and analysis, general maintenance and problem resolution, and advisement on legal and other property related matters. Some of these companies manage hundreds of properties simultaneously, while others focus on individual properties.
Question: Does my community have an Association Management Company?
Answer: Yes we do. The Board of Directors of Hulen Heights HOA has employed FirstService Residential to act as our Association Management Company. FirstService Residential may be contacted by calling (877) 378-2388 or at www.fsresidential.com.
Question: Does my community have an Property Manager?
Answer: Yes we do. The Board of Directors of Hulen Heights HOA has employed FirstService Residential to act as our Association Management Company. FirstService Residential has assigned Brenda Waters to serve as the Property Manager for Hulen Heights HOA. To contact Abbie, email Brenda.Waters@fsresidential.com. Direct phone number is .
The property manager, an associate of the property management company, works closely with the association, Board members and/or developer to oversee the management, maintenance, upkeep and repairs of the common areas, working either on-site or from an office location. The property manager’s duties include a combination of business and property-related responsibilities, including managing the budget, hiring and managing vendors and staff, scheduling and overseeing maintenance and repairs, managing renovations and large-scale projects, inspecting the property, attending association meetings, working with homeowners to handle requests and resolve issues, and more under direction of the association and in compliance with governances and regulations.
Question: What is a “Proxy”?
Answer: An individual appointed to act or vote on behalf of another person by representing them at a meeting of the association. The title can also refer to the written piece of paper granting that power.
Question: What is a 'Quorom?'
Answer: A Quorom is defined as the minimum number of owners required to hold an official meeting of the association. The number of owners required can vary greatly according to the corresponding association's governing documents.
Pool Questions
Question: How do we access the Pool?
Answer: Pool Agreement 2023 must be completed before anyone in the household can access the pool. Access is granted to Property Owners/Residents in good standing with the HOA. That means you must be up to date on your HOA dues and other fees to use this homeowner association amenity.
The Pool Agreement is the first of the two part process of accessing the pool. Once you’ve completed the pool agreement with the names and email addresses of everyone in your household, email reservations.tx@fsresidential.com to request your ProDataKey activation code for each email. It’s easiest if you cc: each email that needs the code. You will initially get an auto reply from that email then they will send you an email from ProDataKey. If you don’t activate the ProDataKey within 24 hours, you will need to request another activation code. The property owner must request the access for residents who rent or lease their homes.
Please remember that you may only get access for people who are legitimately living in your home. Allowing non-residents access to the pool by giving them your ProdataKey or requesting an access code for them, will violate the community policies and your household will lose access to the pool.
Access will be turned off for homeowners who do not pay their bi-annual HOA dues on time this summer. Failure to abide by Pool Rules or to follow the directions of Pool Security will result in loss of access to the pool.
Question: If we completed the Pool Agreement in the past, do we need to do it again this year?
Answer: The Pool Agreement must completed each year before your household may enter the swim center.
Question: Can we bring guests to the pool?
Answer: Each family can bring 4 guests to the pool for no additional fee. Additional guests are charged at $3 per guests.
Question: Can we share our access app with houseguests or family members who do not live in our home?
Answer: An adult resident of the home must be present in order to use the swim center. If you have a caregiver for your children who may bring them to the pool this summer, please reach out to Brenda.Waters@fsresidential.com. Allowing non-residents access to the swim center without a resident present is a violation of the pool agreement and will result in loss of access to pool.
Question: Can we reserve the pool for a party?
Answer: You may not reserve the pool for a private party, but you may have a party at the pool during regular operating hours.
Property Owners/Residents in good standing may make a reservation for the pool for a 3 hour block of time for the express purpose of hosting a party. A $150 deposit is required to confirm the reservation and is fully refundable assuming no damages are caused by party guests and the grounds are returned to an acceptable level of cleanliness. All trash must be taken with you. Guests will be charged to you at $3 per guest. (First 4 guests are free). This fee will apply to ANY attendee who enters the pool premises. It is essential that a balance be maintained between residents who wish to host a party and those seeking a relaxing day at the pool. It is the responsibility of the owners to ensure that their guests abide by all pool rules and policies. No area of the pool will be reserved for your guests.
Pool reservations are made in the Resident Portal by clicking the Amenities button (it shows a pool icon). Once the reservation information is filled out, which includes all the information about the deposit and payment for additional guests, and then submitted, then you will receive a confirmation email with a link to ClickPay to pay the $150 deposit.
Additional deposit payment options: You may pay your deposit by mailing a check to FSR if your party is more than 10 days away OR you may physically deliver a check to the FSR offices if less than 10 days. Hulen Heights HOA c/o FirstService Residential 9800 Hillwood parkway, Ste 210 Fort Worth, TX 76177.
After the party, your guest fees, and charges for damages and cleaning if incured, will be deducted from your ClickPay deposit and the remainder will be refunded to your credit card. If you pay by check, you can pay your guest fees by ClickPay or an additional check before your deposit check is returned to or the deposit check will be deposited and guest fees, and charges for damages and cleaning will be deducted from it and the remainder refunded.
