The HOA Board and PAMCO Management Company have the ability to issue warning letters, impose fines, work with an attorney to place liens on properties, and to foreclose on properties as a last resort.
These processes take time to research, vote on, and bring to resolution. If you have an immediate safety concern, you must contact the appropriate City of Pflugerville department to get a quick resolution. Several helpful departments include Police, Fire, and Code Enforcement. If you are not sure which department can help you, contact the Citizens Communication Line at 512-251-4004.
Q: What is an HOA?
HOA stands for Home Owners Association. Many home owners are concerned with protecting their property values when they purchase a home. They want to ensure that the community they buy into will maintain certain standards for safety and beauty for as long as they live there, and that the home and community will be attractive to a prospective home buyer should they ever choose to sell. Without an HOA, a community can begin to look "run-down" after only a few years due to things like non-working cars up on blocks in driveways, houses painted in non-complimentary colors, broken garage doors, trashcans "living" in the street full time, couches used as seating in the front yard, etc. For this reason, rather than relying on inconsistent city enforcement (and the sometimes lenient requirements of the city), many homeowners have chosen to take the matter into their own hands and form an HOA. Some builders even require it when they plan a community. Though there will always be some who dispute the value of having an HOA, many others have seen what NOT having an HOA can do to the value of a community. HOA's are made up of home owners and are for the home owners.
Q: How can I tell if I belong to Springbrook HOA, or a different subdivision?
There are several subdivisions in Texas with "Springbrook" in the title. Please use this guide: Are you my HOA?
Q: What can Springbrook HOA actually do to protect our property values?
Enforce deed restrictions through the levying of fines, sending accounts to collections, placing liens on properties, and ultimately foreclosure in the event of total non-compliance.
Maintenance and improvement of the Association's parks and common areas.
Provide residents with a voice in their community.
Assist in community projects and events.
Q: Why do I have to pay dues?
There are many costs incurred to carrying out the items listed above. Some examples of costs include: postage, paper, printer ink, legal fees, collections agency fees, property management fees, landscaping costs, utility bills (water & power for community areas), loans for improvements, etc. To see a full breakdown, please contact our property management group and request a copy of the current budget and financials. Springbrook HOA is non-profit and all dues go back into the community.
Q: Why are some houses not in the HOA? Can I be removed from the HOA?
When Springbrook HOA was originally created there were 40 homes that opted not to join. As each of those properties has sold they have been incorporated into the HOA. There are currently still 10 or 11 homes not in the association. Additionally there is a section of the neighborhood (need to define Wilbarger section) controlled by a now defunct association. Many residents confuse that section with Springbrook HOA but it is not under our umbrella. All of the homeowners currently part of Springbrook HOA opted in at some point (either in the beginning, or as a condition of the purchase of their home), and legally they can not simply opt back out. This would not be fair to the homeowners who want to be part of an HOA. While no individual can exclude themselves from the HOA, it is possible for the homeowners to vote to disolve the HOA. To determine the legal and tax ramifications of this, and find out the percentage of homeowners who need to agree in order to make this happen, contact the City of Pflugerville.
Q: Are the HOA rules set in stone, or can they be changed?
Almost any rule can be changed, but it is a complicated and cumbersome process. The HOA Board, in most cases, can't just decide to change something in the CC&R's. It's up to the homeowners. Legally, there must be a consensus by 67% of the homeowners before a change can be considerred. Then the change must be formally voted on during the annual meeting. Lastly, the official documents that are filled with the city must be updated. In the past, we have rarely been able to get past the first hurdle due to home owner non-involvement. In 2012, we only had about a 3% turn-out at the annual meeting. If there is a change you would like to see in the neighborhood, you should form a committee and get some volunteers to help you. Then you can do research, canvas the neighborhood to gage support of the issue, and rally the homeowners to come to the annual meeting to vote on the topic. This is your community, so the direction it goes in is up to you.
Q: What rights do residents of the HOA have if they feel that the HOA is not doing its job of enforcing deed restrictions and allowing property value to decline?
Join the board! Join a committee! This is your neighborhood too, volunteer to help! The board consists of 5 members and we do our best to monitor conditions in the neighborhood, which include but are not limited to maintenance of the existing park and entrances, monitoring and enforcement of violations, improvements, zoning issues, etc. The HOA encourages all residents to express their opinions and to volunteer for the various committees to help to improve the neighborhood. The best way to get things accomplished is to have a high level of resident participation and compliance. We encourage you to address your concerns with us and with the property management group that runs the day to day operations on behalf of the board and the community.
Q: What is the exact status of the association with regards to who is controlling the financials, and what steps are in place to ensure the integrity of the finances?
The control of the finances is the responsibility of the Association's Board of Directors. However, the board is made up of home owners, not legal, financial, or tax experts. For this reason, we have contracted a property management company to help us handle many details of the HOA. We ensure the integrity of the financials by having 2 board members signing ALL checks, and we have receipts prior to the issue of any checks. At no time may ANY board members EVER write a check to themselves. Should a re-imbursement be needed, 2 "other" board members MUST sign and issue the check. Please contact PAMCO, our management company, for more info and to request a copy of the budget and financials or dispute any items listed.
Q: What are the business hours and location of the records of the association? How can I get a copy of the Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CCR's), the Financials, and the Budget? How does the HOA spend its money?
Please contact PAMCO, our management company.
Springbrook Owners' Association
PO Box 200145
Austin, TX78720
Phone: 512-918-8100
Fax: 512-918-8121
Q: Where can I find an electronic copy of the HOA Manual?
Each section of the HOA Manual can be found in the links below.
Articles of Incorporation
Annexation Declaration- Springbrook One, Sections 3 and 4
SOA By-Laws Adopted 03.12.2001
SOA By-Laws Revision Draft - Was possibly approved at 2002 annual meeting
Architectural Committee Rules
Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&R's) - Sections One & Two
Exhibit A to Declarations of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions
Exhibit B to Declarations of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions