THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF FARNSWOOD

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE

The purpose of the Architectural control Committee (A.C.Committee) is two fold.

  1. To insure that the design standards of the community are maintained, that

improvements are suitable, and to enhance the community and will not infringe on other homeowners.

2. To provide information and assistance to the homeowner who wish to make improvements to their property.

I.         AUTHORITY:

The A.C.Committee is authorized under Article VI of the Corporation BY-LAWS and Articles IV and VII of the Declaration of the Condominium ownership for Farnswood which states:

No building, fence, decks, patios, or any other structure shall be commenced, erected, or maintained upon the common element, nor shall any exterior addition to or alteration thereof be made (including, with limitation, exterior materials, and color scheme) until the plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, height, materials, color scheme, and location of the same and approximate cost thereof and the landscape and grading plan in relation thereto shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the A.C.Committee three (3) or more members. The Board of Directors or its appointed A.C.Committee shall have the right to take it into consideration the suitability of the proposed improvements in relation to the surroundings and their effect on the outlook for the adjacent or neighboring lots.

The A.C.Committee Chairperson shall have the authority to spend up to $1,000 at any one rime for minor repairs. For large expensive emergency repairs, the Chairperson must contact at least 3 Board Members for authority.

II RULES AND ORGANIZATION:

A. The A.C.Committee shall consist of a minimum of 5 members.

  1. A quorum shall consist of 3 members for conducting the business of the

committee.

  1. The majority of the members may recommend a committee member, upon three (3) absences from A.C.Committee meeting in a year, for dismissal.

(2)

 

    1. The A.C.Committee shall meet on a regular basis at 9:00 am the second

Saturday of every month unless otherwise determined by a majority vote of the members.

    1. The elected Vice President is automatically the A.C.Committee Chairperson.
    2. No person shall be qualified to serve on the A.C.Committee unless they are resident homeowners in good standing with the Farnswood Condominium Association and are current in the payment of their monthly assessment.
    3. The rules and regulations of the A.C.Committee can be amended by a majority vote of the members and subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
    4. Vacancies on the A.C.Committee will be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors from a list of prospective members proposed by this Committee.
    5. Robert’s Rules of Order will govern all A.C.Committee meetings.

 

III. ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS:

A. GARAGE:

1.         In the winter no garage door should be left open no more than 15 minutes at any one time. Especially when it’s sub-zero weather. The reason is we all have water pipes in our garage walls and ceilings, which could freeze and cause you and your neighbor some damage.

2.         Should your Condominium be vacant in the winter for a vacation or any other reason, your main water valve should be turned off. Also you might want to turn your hot water tank off.

3.         At no time should an owner/renter have HEAT turned off in the wintertime.

4.         Accumulation of any kind of hazardous material placing the whole building in jeopardy of fire will not be permitted in any GARAGES.

5. Loose papers and plastic product or any kind of flammable material piled high will be considered as a hazardous condition.

    1. Any non-operative gasoline vehicle will also be considered a hazard.
    2. The association will replace all worn out garage doors. If the unit owner/renter, or a visitor damages them, the unit owner at the unit owner’s expense will replace the door. The door must be purchased from the association’s contractor and it will be of the same design, color and quality of the most current door.

B. FENCES:

1.         Fence material must conform to the now existing style, color, height, and wood materials.

(3)

 

  1. Posts and all other material must be pressure treated wood. Post set in with 40 pounds of cement mix per post with a minimum depth of 30 to 36 inches.
  2. The 2x4 frame holding the fence upright boards shall be mounted vertically.
  3. The upright boards size shall be 1x6 inches 6 feet long with dog-ears top cut.

 

C.   BALCONIES AND PATIOS:

  1. No owner/renter shall decorate, enclose, landscape, or alter any balcony or patio

without first submitting a home improvement application from the A.C.Committee.

All balconies and patios shall be kept clean and orderly at all times. Flowers and shrubbery shall be maintained by the unit owner/renter at all times.

  1. No balcony or stoop will have indoor/outdoor carpeting or covering on it.
  2. Should the maintenance of any balcony or patio be neglected, a warning will be given to the owner/renter to have his or her balcony or patio cleaned up within 5 days. If within the 5 days, the clean up has not been taken care of, the Association will do the cleaning up and charge the unit owner for the work.
  3. No flower pot or window type flower box will be allowed to lay or hang form any balcony railing unless it is proven to be safe from falling.
  4. No clothes, sheet, blankets or laundry of any kind or any other articles shall be permitted to hang out from any balcony or patio.
  5. Patio deck will be allowed only if the A.C.Committee PLAN is followed to the letter, with a submitted A.C.Committee application.
  6. Any item that is planed for installation that will be visible above or protrude beyond any fence or railing (balcony or patio) must be submitted on an application to the A.C. Committee.
  7. EXTERIOR seasonal decorations shall be removed no later than one (1) month after the official close of the holiday.
  8. All broken old original cement & brick patio’s are to be covered with treated wood using the approved standards of the A.C.Committee rules at the unit owner’s expense.

 

D.   STORM DOORS AND WINDOWS:

  1. All units will have a storm door. Those who do not will be responsible for repairs to the doorframe.
  2. All unit owners replacing storm doors must purchase ones with a half window and brown in color only.
  3. Maintenance of the storm doors will be the owner’s responsibility.

(4)

    1.  All windows, screens & patio doors are the responsibility of the unit owner.
    2. No exterior plastic covering to any windows will be allowed on the outside of the UNIT.

 

E.    MAIL BOXES AND HOUSE NUMBERS:

           

    1. Replacing any house numbers shall be the Association’s responsibility.
    2. Any mailbox to be replaced must be black.
    3. Mail slots installed in garage door will void the warranty.
    4. Existing mailboxes must not be removed because of the mail slot.

 

F.    AIR CONDITIONERS:

           

    1. Window air conditioner or window fan units will not be allowed.
    2. Unit owners shall be responsible to maintain or replace their own central air conditioning equipment or servicing.
    3. BEFORE a new air conditioner is installed, the unit owner must first request an application from the A.C.Committee, which will then grant an easement Common Element as to the location where the unit will set. Also an approved A.C.Committee PLAN will be supplied to the unit owner as to how this new air conditioner unit is to be installed and wired which must be followed to the letter to get final approval.
    4. All new air conditioner installation must conform to the City of Aurora Electrical and Building Codes.

 

G.   PARKING AREAS:                                                                 

    1. The parking areas, including both the garage parking space and directly outside the garage shall be part of the Common Element.
    2. The exclusive use of and right to park in these two spaces are given to the owner/renter of that specified unit.
    3. Owner/renter will have to park their commercial vehicles, camper, camping trailers, boats and any other recreational vehicles outside the confines of the Farnswood Community.
    4. At no time will a JUNK car or truck be allowed within the parking areas.
    5. Parking is prohibited in between units B & C; this includes all motorized vehicles.

(5)

    1. Violators of these rules will receive a warning letter. If the problem isn’t

corrected within 15 days, there will be a $25 fine. If the violation still isn’t corrected at the end of another 15 days, a $50 fine will go to the unit owner. After the second fine, the vehicle will be towed. These fines and or towing charges will be added to that unit’s monthly assessment.

    1. No parking on any grassy area.

H. LANDSCAPING ON THE COMMON ELEMENT:                                                                                                                                                                  1. Additions or removal of trees and or shrubbery shall require a prior approval               by the A.C.Committee.

            2. Maintenance of approved owner installed trees and/or shrubbery shall be borne

by the Association after one year.

    1. Minor flower plantings in good taste shall be left to the owner’s discretion.
    2. It shall be the responsibility of the homeowner to locate and avoid interference with the underground utilities and T.V. cable when landscaping.
    3. Owner/renter shall not be permitted at anytime to place on the outside walls of any of the building FOR RENT or FOR SALE signs, awnings, canopies, radio or television antennas to be affixed to or placed upon the exterior walls or roofs or any part thereof.
    4. Nothing shall be done at any unit or to the Common Element that will impair the structural integrity of any of the buildings.
    5. Plastic refuse bags and/or containers should not be placed outside earlier than dusk of the night prior to the pickup. The containers must be removed on the day of the pickup.
    6. Any child’s above ground swimming pool should be placed on patios or on driveways in front of garages, not on grassy areas.

I.     UTILITY EASEMENTS:

           

    1. The City of Aurora, Il, Ameritech, Commonwealth Edison, Nicor Gas, ATT      

Cable, and all other public utilities serving the complex are hereby granted the right to lay, construct, renew, alter, remove, operate and maintain conduits, cables, pipes, wires, transformers, switching apparatus, meters and any other equipment into and through the Common Element for the purpose of providing utility services to the property. Perpetual easement for the installation, operation and maintenance of sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water main are hereby declared and granted for the benefit of the property to the City of Aurora Il, into and through the Common Element.

(6)

 J. ALL OUTSIDE LIGHT FIXTURES

    1. All outside light fixtures above the garage doors are the associations

responsibility. Owners may at anytime request for that fixture to be replaced or repaired at the association’s expense. At no time is the owner/renter to remove, replace, or repair said fixture without the A.C.Committee’s approval.

    1. All light fixtures by the front doors are the association’s responsibility.

It applies to these fixtures as listed in paragraph (1) referring to the garage light fixture. The owner/renter must apply for A.C.Committee approval for any alteration.

    1. All burnt out light bulbs in the outside fixtures will be replaced by the unit owner or renter.

 

K. SATELLITE RECEPTION DISHES:

    1. The owner/renter must request an application from the A.C.Committee before

installing a satellite for T.V. reception for easement allocation.

    1. The dish shall be located only at specified locations designated by the

A.C.Committee. A 1 ¼ inch steel pipe is to be installed in cement in the ground alongside said building at a height no more that 24 to 28 inches high from the ground level. Balconies facing west may install by securing the satellite dish to one of the wood posts. The A.C.Committee will approve the location. The A.C.Committee and the Board of Directors will make the final approval.

    1. All satellite dishes must be professionally installed in the ground and on the

balconies.

IV.            RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH UNIT OWNER         

1.      Any chutes, flues, ducts, conduits, wires, pipes, bearing walls, bearing

columns, or any other apparatus lies partially within and partially outside

of the designated boundaries of a unit, any portions thereof SERVING only that unit shall be deemed a part of that unit, while any portions thereof SERVING more than one unit or any portion of the Common Element shall be deemed a part of the Common Element.

  1. STRUCTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE PROCEDURES:
    1. The A.C.Committee Chairperson shall insure that activities which are the

responsibility of the A.C.Committee will be actively monitored and followed to their conclusion. A current list of Committee member’s assignments shall be maintained as part of the A.C.Committee records. All work orders submitted to the A.C.Committee for work or repairs to be done for the Farnswood Condominium Association shall be monitored and checked by the A.C.Committee member assigned that responsibility. NO, ABSOLUTELY NO compensation is to be made by the Treasurer until such monitoring and check has been made and SIGNED OFF as completed by the responsible Committee Member.

    1. The Association BY-LAW requires that all homeowners receive an

A.C.Committee approval before making any external improvement, modification, additions, alterations, ect. An application for such approval shall be made in writing with a minimum of information and a PLAN requested on the A.C.Committee application form for approval. A sufficient supply of A.C.Committee application forms shall be maintained at the clubhouse office and made available to the homeowner on request from any A.C.Committee member. All applications submitted, unless all applicable information is provided, will not be considered or approved.

    1. The A.C.Committee will meet at 9:00am the second Saturday of the

month (unless otherwise changed by a majority vote of the A.C.Committee members). This will be the monthly meeting to consider all applications and all business to be concerned with the A.C.Committee. When an application is approved, a member of the A.C.Committee will contact the homeowner in person, supply the homeowner with the approved PLANS and application setting forth all conditions imposed by the A.C.Committee and are all met. All applications approved by the A.C.Committee will remain in an open file until such time as a member of the A.C.Committee has inspected the project and certified compliance by signing the application completed and provide copies for the Association file and the homeowner.

    1. Whenever any improvement, modification, addition, alteration, etc., requiring

an A.C.Committee application under the A.C.Committee RULES and the

ASSOCIATION BY-LAWS is made to any unit without the A.C.Committee

approval, the following actions shall be taken upon the majority vote of the

A.C.Committee members present when the matter is considered.

VI.            PENALTY OF VIOLATIONS OF THESE RULES:

1.      The unit owner will be contacted in person or by letter and given five (5) days to conform with all the A.C.Committee RULES as set forth.

2.      If after five (5) days, the unit owner still has not complied with this matter. Again the unit owner will be contacted in person or by letter, and will again be given another five (5) days to comply. If after these ten (10) days have passed and still no action, a notice will be given to this unit owner that a $10 a day fine will be imposed to the units monthly assessment until such time that this matter is resolved.

3.      After thirty (30) days, legal action will be taken against this unit and the owner will be advised in person or by letter that he or she will be responsible for all legal expenses that this matter may incur.

4.      All these penalties set forth will apply to all the violations of all the A.C.Committee RULES set forth.

The A.C.Committee wishes to remind the unit owners of their obligations towards the appearance of the Community. With this in mind, we remind the unit owners that all MODIFICATIONS will be in keeping with the character of the Community and the approval of the A.C.Committee.

THE A.C. COMMITTEE THANKS YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION

 

 

revised: March 2000

 

Back to Farnswood