Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions that come up most often here, drawn from the community's recorded governing documents. Each answer notes where it comes from so you can check it yourself.
Making changes to your property
Covers most of what people ask before they pick up a paintbrush or call a contractor.
- Do I need approval before I build, add, or change something outside?
Yes. No exterior structure, addition, or alteration may be started until the Architectural Control Committee has approved your plans in writing.
Include with your request:
- A sketch or photo showing where the change sits on the lot
- Materials and colors, with samples or a paint chip where relevant
- A rough timeline for the work
Submit requests through the Architectural Guidelines process described in Documents.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 3
- What about changes inside my unit?
Interior work needs no board approval. You're still responsible for any damage it causes to a neighboring unit or a common element.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 4
- What color and height can my privacy fence be?
Any neutral or earth-tone color, up to six feet. Bright or reflective finishes are not approved. See the Architectural Guidelines in Documents before you order materials.
Architectural Guidelines (rev. 2025)
- Can I put up a shed or other outbuilding?
Only with prior written approval, and only a style matching the community's approved shed design. Temporary structures — tents, trailers, portable storage pods left longer than 72 hours — are not permitted without board sign-off.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
- Can I put up a sign or satellite dish?
Satellite dishes must be screened from the street. Signs are limited to a single "for sale" or "for rent" sign per unit, no larger than what's described in the Architectural Guidelines.
Architectural Guidelines (rev. 2025)
Pets
- What pets am I allowed to have?
Common household pets — dogs, cats, and caged birds. No pet may be kept, bred, or raised for commercial purposes, and a pet that becomes a nuisance to neighbors may be required to be removed from the property.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
- Does my dog have to be on a leash?
Yes, everywhere outside your own patio or fenced yard. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pet and for any damage a pet causes to the common areas.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
Who fixes what
The line between owner and association responsibility, in plain terms.
- What am I responsible for maintaining?
Everything inside your unit's walls — plumbing, wiring, appliances, interior finishes — at your own cost.
Windows, screens, and exterior doors, including storm doors, are also the owner's responsibility.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 4
- What does the association maintain?
Common-area landscaping, community mailboxes, and the exterior building envelope — siding, roofing, gutters, and downspouts — apart from windows, screens, and doors.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 4
- What if damage is caused by me or my guest?
The owner is responsible for the cost of repair, less whatever the association's insurance covers.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 4
Parking and storage
- Can I keep a boat, camper, or trailer here?
No, boats, trailers, campers, and RVs may not be stored on the property.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
- Can I leave things in the common areas?
No. Bikes, toys, furniture, and similar items left in a common area may be removed by the association without notice.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
- How does visitor parking work?
Visitor spaces are first-come, first-served and limited to 72 consecutive hours per vehicle. Owner parking is one assigned space per unit plus the driveway apron.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
Dues and assessments
- When are my dues due?
Quarterly, on the first of January, April, July, and October. The board circulates the annual budget to every owner before the fiscal year starts.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
- What happens if I pay late?
A quarterly assessment not paid within ten days of the due date is considered past due. The account is flagged and a notice goes out; continued non-payment can lead to a lien against the unit.
You can see the current status of any account on the Delinquency Report in Documents.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
- Can I withhold dues if I disagree with something?
No. Assessments are owed regardless of whether you use the common elements, and must be paid in full while any dispute is worked out with the board.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article V
- What is a special assessment?
A one-time assessment the board can call for a major repair or capital project — repaving the parking area, for example — outside the reserve fund's normal coverage.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 1
Voting and meetings
- How many votes do I get?
One vote per unit you own. A unit owned by more than one person still casts a single vote.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article I
- Can I vote if I'm behind on dues?
No. An account more than 30 days past due is not eligible to vote until it's brought current.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article I
- What counts as a quorum?
Units representing at least a third of the votes must be represented, in person or by ballot, for a vote to be valid.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article I
- When is the annual meeting?
The board sets the date each year and posts it under Announcements at least three weeks ahead. It's when directors are elected and the year's finances are reviewed.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article IV
- Can owners call a special meeting?
Yes. Owners representing at least fifteen percent of units can petition the board in writing, stating the purpose. Only that stated business may be taken up at the meeting.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article IV
- Who can serve on the board?
The board is three directors, elected to staggered one-year terms. Any owner in good standing may run.
Bylaws of Maple Ridge Townhomes Association, Article III
Living here
- Can I run a business from my unit?
Light home-office use is fine — calls, records, a laptop — as long as it doesn't bring regular customer traffic or signage to the property, and it complies with local zoning.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
- Can I hang laundry outside?
No, laundry and similar items may not be hung or displayed anywhere visible from the street or a common area.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
- What are the rules about noise and nuisance?
Nothing that's unlawful or a nuisance to neighbors, and no unreasonable noise, particularly between 9pm and 8am.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
- How should trash be handled?
Bins go out the evening before pickup and come back in the same day. Loose trash left in a common area may be removed and billed back to the unit.
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Section 2
Not answered here?
The governing documents cover more than this page does, and some questions they don't address at all. Read the full documents, or reach the board directly and someone will follow up.