Homeowners and committees
A denial letter is a list of reasons, so read each one
Associations review changes to the outside of a home: what it looks like, what it’s made of, where it sits. A denial often says little, and a short one can hide a deadline or a way to ask again.
We read the request, the guidelines the committee used and the letter it sent, and tell you whether to resubmit, appeal or ask for a variance.
Whether the guidelines say what the committee says they do
Whether neighbors’ approved changes help your case
How long you have to ask for a second look
Requests
What owners ask us to review
Driveways and parking
A wider driveway, a gate, a parking pad or space for a work truck or a trailer.
Solar and energy
Panels, battery boxes and shade screens. Some states limit what an association may refuse, and the documents add their own terms.
Paint, roofs and fences
A new color, a different roofing material, a taller fence, or a gate to keep a dog in.
Yards, shade and access
Turf, a shade structure, a pool, or a ramp for someone who needs one. Fair-housing rules may require some changes to be allowed.
When a request has been refused
Can I ask the committee to reconsider?
Usually, and sooner is better. A short written request that answers each of the committee’s reasons tends to land better than a long one.
My neighbor built the same thing. Does that help?
It can. Photos, dates and any approval letters for the neighbor’s project show how the guidelines have been applied. Gather them before the next deadline.
What is a variance?
A permission to depart from a rule for one property, for a stated reason. Whether your association offers one is a question for the documents.
I already built it. Is it too late?
No, but speed matters. Don’t take it down on the first notice; first learn what the documents say about changes made without approval.
Have the denial letter in hand?
Send it with your original request and whatever guidelines you were given.