HOA Bylaws, Covenants, and Rules & Regulations
By acquiring a lot in Oakwood Estates you agreed to be bound by the Oakwood rules and to pay dues, fees, and other assessments. The HOA's bylaws and covenants are very lengthy and written in thick legalese -- this makes understanding them difficult, but they provide some protection of property values when actively enforced. The Bylaws, Declarations of Covenants, and Board-Approved Rules & Regulations are the official policies of the HOA, but the following rules-of-thumb are a good start to understanding them:
1) Be a good neighbor
2) Keep your house, land, and vehicles looking sharp
3) Get HOA Board approval, in advance, for changes to the exterior of your house or lot
4) Pay your dues and any assessments (monthly dues are currently $25)
5) Participate in the HOA (the Annual Meeting is in March, typically)
For more general advice, not specific to Oakwood Estates:
Community Association Primers for Homebuyers, etc.
If the above PDF does not open in a new tab or window, right-click on the link and choose open, etc.
Official Bylaws and Covenants
The official Covenants are on-file with and available from Douglas County officials. The Bylaws are stored and maintained by Oakwood Estates HOA. The following two .PDF files were attempts to create electronic versions, and their accuracy cannot be guaranteed:
Bylaws of Oakwood Estates Homeowners' Association, Inc.
In addition, two official amendments have been made:
May 12, 1992 Amendment to the Covenants
Removed the roles of the original developers.
March 15, 2022 Amendment to the Bylaws
Gave the Board a little flexibility in scheduling the HOA's Annual Meeting's date.
Board-Approved Rules & Regulations
According to the Bylaws each year's HOA Board may add, change, or rescind other rules and regulations. These Board-approved rules were disseminated via letters and newsletters to owners, but hopefully this website will become the long-term depository of such information so that it may be passed over the years to the various Boards and owners. These rules may be additions to the bylaws and covenants, or are just clarifications.
Effective March 8, 2021, regarding safe fires outdoors:
As the current Oakwood Covenants Article 11 Section 15 only pertains to a ban on burning household and building materials trash, the Oakwood Homeowners Association Board of Directors resolves that recreational residential outdoor contained burning for purposes of cooking food and small fire enjoyment be permitted in residential lots and only in the shelter grill box in the common space, with the following guidelines:
· The activity will not inconvenience or disturb neighbors with noise or smoke
· A Douglas County KS Burn Ban is not currently issued (daily update: online or 785-832-5394 after 8am)
· The fire is contained within fireproof material (grills; fire pits surrounded by stone or other
noncombustible and placed on noncombustible base material)
· The fire itself (not the surround) should be maximum size 3ft diameter by 2ft high and be placed a safe distance from any combustible structure (house siding, wooden deck, shed, etc.)
· Burn material shall be only clean burning (wood, paper, charcoal, LP gas) and not household trash or environmentally harmful (oil, tar, rubber, chemical soaked, etc.)
· The fire will be attended by a competent person, with an immediate source of extinguishing material available at all times (water bucket, hose, sand, extinguisher), until it is completely extinguished (no glowing coals).
September 23, 2006, regarding the common area and its pond:
1) Accompanied guest or guests may be allowed to use the Common Area and Facilities (pond area). Unaccompanied guest or guests are not permitted.
2) [By action of the Board on March 15, 2018, the "Catch and Release Only" fishing policy has been revoked.]
3) No ice skating and no swimming at the Common Area pond. Boat at your own risk.
September 20, 2004, regarding card advertising on the website:
Members may request that their business cards be posted on the website as a free member benefit
so long as volunteer web services are available. Cards must first be reviewed and approved for posting
by the Board.
February 16, 2004, regarding the HOA's first website:
1) The official website of Oakwood Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. is
www.oakwood-estates.org.
2) The website is a form of official communication from the Board of Directors to the HOA's members.
3) The webmaster, a non-voting position of the Homeowners Association, is hereby created, and is appointed annually by the President. The webmaster may hold another Homeowners Association position.
4) Business card advertisements, for purposes compatible with the Homeowners Association as determined by the Board of Directors, are allowed on the website at a cost per year set by the Board of Directors.
February 16, 2004, regarding term limit:
The Board rescinded a previous Board's rule that imposed a term limit on the President's
position.
July 3, 2001 and revised by a later Board, regarding dissolution of the ACC:
The Architectural Control Committee (ACC) is dissolved. As required by the Bylaws and
Declaration, the Board of Directors assumes the duties of the ACC.
February 9, 1999 and revised by a later Board, regarding commercial vehicles:
"In addition to trailers, mobile homes, boats, boat trailers, equipment, machinery,
recreational vehicles, and trucks, other than pickup trucks, it is a Rule of this Association
that 'commercial vehicles' are also prohibited to be parked in Oakwood Estates, other than
as excepted by our Covenants. A 'commercial vehicle', as defined here, is any vehicle whose
primary or obvious use is commercial. Any vehicle with painted signs, lettering, etc. of a
commercial nature is automatically included in this definition, regardless of vehicle type.
The decision of this Board of Directors will be final in terms of any determination of
commercial vehicle classification or variance. 'Commercial vehicles', as defined herein, may be parked out of sight,
inside the confines of a garage, where doors remain closed except for entry and egress."
August 3, 1999 and revised by a later Board, regarding mowing in the floodway:
"Areas exempted from regular mowing include the back of Lot 19 (roughly two acres), which is
largely marsh, and all lot properties behind the creek and tree lines on the west side of
Oakwood Estates starting with Lot 10 down to and including Lot 19."
August 3, 1999 and revised by a later Board, regarding maintaining drainage ditches:
"Ditches along roadways adjoining all yards shall be maintained so as not to appear
unsightly."
February 8, 1999 and revised by a later Board, regarding roofing materials other than wood shakes:
"No reroofing with other than wood roofing may be done on Residential Units without
review and approval in advance by the Oakwood Estates Board of Directors."
September 11, 1998 and revised by a later Board, regarding burning:
"No burning of any kind is permitted outdoors."
September 11, 1998, regarding dogs-at-large:
"Dogs must be restrained from dangerous or noxious activity."
September 11, 1998, regarding dangerous driving:
"No speeding or reckless driving is permitted."
February 24, 1998 and revised by later Boards, regarding voting:
"Only those owners whose Association dues and any other assessments are fully paid
shall be eligible to vote."
February 24, 1998 and revised by a later Board, regarding eligibility to hold HOA office or position:
"Those Lot owners whose dues and any other assessments are not current are judged to be
'not in good standing' and, as such, are not eligible to hold office or a position on
the Board in the Association, and may not utilize the common areas."
August 27, 1995, regarding ACC (now Board of Directors) guidelines for outbuildings:
"It has been decided by the ACC that freestanding storage units must meet the following requirements
and be approved by the ACC prior to construction:
1) All exterior components and color to match existing residence or ACC approved substitutes.
2) Concrete floor, or ACC approved substitute, to which the structure must be fastened.
3) Single story, maximum.
4) Gambrel roof allowed.
5) Landscape, to minimize neighbors view, must be approved by the ACC before construction.
6) Building is to be maintained in good order at all times.
7) No storage allowed on outside of structure."
(more rules may exist)
