CC&R Enforcement

It might surprise most Marinwood Homeowners that our homes have CC&Rs, otherwise known in legal jargon as Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. CC&Rs are limitations that govern what we can and cannot do with our houses. In some neighborhoods these can be draconion, such as not allowing Pink Flamingoes in the lawn, or restricting the paint colors we can paint our house. Marinwood'd CC&Rs are not that bad.

Did that get your attention? This means that we are all under a legal obligation to keep our houses according the the CC&R that governs our neighborhood. You may have already seen your CC&R. When you bought your house you signed one.

In Marinwood we have many different CC&Rs, depending on which neighborhood you are in.

MarinwoodCCandR 1955 Marinwood Unit 1 CC&Rs

This topic still needs some work. Here is what I hope to have up here in the future:

• Map of Marinwood Neighborhoods
• Link to CC&Rs for each neighborhood (we need somebody to type these up!)
• How to enforce the CC&Rs

This last one, how to enforce the CC&Rs is important. Neither the Marinwood Association nor the Marinwood CSD have the means or specific authority to enforce the CC&Rs. Nevertheless, over the years we have had a few neighborhood groups popup and decide to take this task on, with varying degrees of success. Ultimately we would like to have a Marinwood Association committee that handles this responsibility and helps neighbors resolve CC&R issues.

For, now, if you want to encourage a neighbor to comply with the CC&Rs, I would recommend the following action:

• Get a copy of the CC&Rs that apply to your neighborhood. Give it a read and see if the neighbor is out of compliance.
• Engage your neighbor in conversation. Don't send a note. Don't try to deliver the message anonymously. There are countless tales of neighbor disputes that start this way. You don't want to take that route. Talk to your neighbor. Tell them what is bothering you. It just might work.
• If that doesn't work, Share a copy of the CC&Rs with your neighbor.
• If that doesn't work you are left with the rough stuff. Contact the sheriff.

-- GeoffreyMack - 08 Feb 2007