You can't be serious. Sounds like we have some overzealous covenants member who has run amok. Perhaps he/she has too much time on their hands? Or is this an Armstrong employee driving around the neighborhoods conducting inspections on a whim? Whatever the case, it appears that somebody or some group is on a power trip. Where is the oversight on this sort of thing? Who decides whether this is a legitimate violation or not? Where is the common sense? It looks like whoever did this wasted no time in posting the violation. Get a life buddy.

Unbelievable! You get a notice for your trash can that, ironically, was being used to assist you in IMPROVING your yard. On our cul de sac there is a house with an inflatible pool in the front yard that is filled with stagnant water. That is not only an asthetic issue but a safety issue as well (mosquitos and drownings!). The same house also has a slide in the front yard. To the best of my knowledge, nothing has been said by MPOA. Neighbors' suggestions are being ignored. Any possibility someone on the committee has a personal issue with you or your house?

It is sad that someone has that much time on his/her hands.

I used to feel the exact same way.. until I stepped back and looked at the entire situation. I have spoken my mind several times and usually just blurt out what comes without thinking of the consequences. I used to think that is the reason I get violations, that it had to be something personal, especially when you see the neighbors in very close proximity of me that claim they didn't receive violations. The way I now view the violations has evolved. If/when I get a violation, I correct it. Plain and simple. Correct it, then call the office and ask to have it placed on the agenda for re-inspection so that it can be closed out as soon as possible. Maybe it even helps the inspectors better plan their routes so that they can get on to the homes that are in serious need of review. As long as it gets corrected in a timely manner, no one really gives it a 2nd thought. Even when I asked for an extension to address concrete steps issues that were difficult to correct due to the large amounts of weekend rain, the director was more than happy to extend the time needed to perform repairs. They don't provide ANY input or suggestions as to how to correct it and they tend to use MISC. a lot (which leaves some things open to interpretation). But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that the violation is corrected. If you get in front of the violation, the office will definitely work with you, at least that has been my experience. If there are any questions about the violation, just call up there and ask to have it explained. Most of the violations are pretty straight forward. A Trash Can that was not placed behind the house is just low hanging fruit. If the person that is charged with performing inspections can go out, grab 10 pictures of trash cans that have not been put away (NOTE: perception here...No one was around the trash can;it appeared to be a violation) and then come back to the office and upload 10 violations, then their job has been justified. They have performed the duties that have been assigned to them. Place the trash can behind the house, call the office and ask for a re-inspection. They may not even send someone out to check. They may just close out the ticket (I know I would, if I were the director). Case closed. Less stress. Laugh about it even. This works for me.

Personally, I was furious when I saw the violation that I received 2 years ago. It was a picture of a piece of homework paper in my backyard. The picture was taken with a camera that was angled just right to photograph between the wooden slats that made up my fence. Do I believe for one second that EVERYONE that owns a fence gets inspected by the inspectors looking through the small space between the wooden fence slats? No. That appeared to be completely personal. The piece of paper had the little girls name on it from next door. Most likely it floated down off of their deck in to my backyard. It just happened around inspection time. After I calmed down and walked to the back yard, picked up the piece of paper and threw it away... violation cleared. End of story. Oh how I wanted to call up there and give them a piece of my mind. Really?? Improper storage of trash?? One sheet of paper in the corner of my back yard? But again, LOW HANGING FRUIT. Facts: Was there "trash" in the back yard in the corner? YES. If so, that is a violation. Had that piece of paper not been brought to my attention, it might have been there for at least 2 or 3 days before it was cleaned up. And this was a piece of paper that you could only see if you were standing on my deck or the deck to the LEFT of my house. Or, if you were close to the fence and looking between the slats, like the inspector. But really, it was just an easy thing to place on the violation list. It is very difficult to accept the simple facts. Espeically for those of us who go the extra mile and attempt to enhance our property with landscaping and other actions. For me, it was "all this work and this is the thanks that I get!" That point of view has evolved. I now thank the inspectors for bringing any violations to my attention. If I knew what day they were going to inspect.. I might even place something out there for them to justify their jobs.. only to clean it up the next day.