Sherrian, Bruce and readers,
I'm hearing that Junipine's HOA lost its state license for non-enforcement of its ccnr's.

Am I hearing a vicious rumor, or is it true?

Word is, the board wasn't fullfilling its fiduciary duties to the general members, and the state yanked their articles of incorporation after a member complained to the state's AG.

I dearly want our POA to succeed here at Four Hills Ranch. Without regular road maintenance and an ethical approach to enforcing our ccnr's, our charter's first item, boosting property values, will be DOA.*

Is Junipine's POA the canary in the coal mine?
Cheers,
-Steve

* In August of 2008 Coconino County's assessor drastically depreciated our township. It appears we may be doing something wrong.

Hmm. More like Chicken Little. The sky is falling on property values ALL OVER the COUNTRY. The high valuations for a couple of years were false valuations. In Maricopa County (Phoenix, AZ) the Assessor even refused to up the value on anything but actual sales because the feeling was that the prices would tumble shortly. Which, of course, they did, eventually resulting in the current flood of foreclosures. You can't force real estate sales when people are out of jobs.

Hey, Red!

That's too bad about Junipine, huh? Now their fire department has to rely on bake sales, individual contributions, and munipal "matching funds" to operate, instead of their POA's reliable annual dues and special assessments. And I hear they've scaled back they're service area to cover only the confines of Junipine Estates itself - used to be they'd come down Espee Road if we called.

It's hard when a POA's cash-cow runs dry, ain't it?

RE Junipine's ccnr enforcement - I don't understand why 4hrpoa's members are worrying about enforcement. Our ccnr's contain a code governing variance-requests (well-intentioned violators can request a waiver for their violation from the POA board*) as well as a covenant laying out the process for amending unpopular ccnr's.

Given this, there's just no reason for our POA's general members, even intentional violators, to fear ccnr enforcement, and no reason for the board not be busily conducting it.

I say, let's do what we can to avoid Junipine's fate.
Cheers,
-Steve
* I availed myself of this variance-request code in October 2002 and with good results. I urge other folks to consider taking it for a test-drive, too. It's easy, and Thad Johnson's board is receptive, I think.

I like the idea that land prices have fallen, I do not want high Property Taxes, especially as I age and my income does not follow price of living. The only ones that should want land to go up is people that want to sell out and move. I have said; this many of times, like that resort action, all it does is create low paying jobs and conjestion. I was raised in Bueba Park and Anaheim, CA. from the 50's to 2000+. Things are worse, crime/drugs etc.

On cc&rs , If something is wrong the board should find out why. I have had problems with my projects with the County. They have helped us and explained the codes are differant. California is heavy into earthquake codes, some apply in Arizona some do not, thats why we have County to help us!! It does take longer but it helps us build properly. The " Board" can also help as people do not understand everything in the cc&r's. My neighbor did not know alot of them as we talked. I think most people mean well and our trying to keep 4 Hills clean. I wish we had entry gates to keep un-ethical people out. We would have less chance of Fires---Theft. and Roads torn up !!!

Entry gates is a dumb idea, was a dumb idea, will always be a dumb idea. If you put up gates, you also have to surround the entire ranch with fencing and then maintain both the fencing and gates, which would cost millions.

And even if a financial and sanity miracle happened and everyone voted to have their yearly dues rise 1,000% to cover the cost of the dumb gates and fencing, the fencing would also keep out the wildlife, which is why a lot of people bought land in the area.