When looking into buying a home, you have a lot of things to take into consideration and keep in mind. This includes not only the property, its location and the area you live in, but also something called the CC&Rs.
Covenants, Conditions And Restrictions (CC&Rs) are part of any Home Owner’s Association (HOA). They are crucial to understand if you find a home you want to buy.
What do CC&Rs regulate?
Forbes discusses common CC&Rs that most homeowners will face. First of all, what are these? CC&Rs essentially tell owners what they can and cannot do with their property. This helps to give neighborhoods uniform appearances, allows the value of all properties to stay relatively similar, and keeps up the curb appeal. It also prevents homeowners from making outrageous changes to their property that could diminish the value of the home, the neighborhood, or create nuisances for the neighbors.
The most common CC&Rs will focus on things like aesthetics, pet ownership, parking, property maintenance, personal conduct and business conduct. For example, CC&Rs may state that livestock is prohibited or that certain dog breeds are not allowed. CC&Rs may also discuss where overnight guests can park and how long they can stay.
What if you violate them?
If you violate CC&Rs, you could end up facing serious penalties. This includes fines that may continue to stack until you have corrected the issue in question. If you refuse to pay the fines, you may lose your access to amenities like the use of onsite laundry or gym until you pay. The HOA can even take you to court.
Of course, there are matters where the CC&Rs are unfair to homeowners, too. If you face a potential court battle against the HOA, consider seeking legal aid to help you through.