In 2018, the leaders of the Killearn Lakes HOA realized our community was at a critical point and we had to begin an effort to improve the appearance of the community to retain our status of one of the most desirable places to raise a family in Tallahassee.
To begin the journey, surveys were taken so residents could voice their opinion of what we should do to improve the community. In other words, how we should shape our future. The survey results were tabulated and used to develop the following vision statement to guide community leaders in making decisions in the upcoming years.
Killearn Lakes Plantation is safe, clean, peaceful, and naturally beautiful; a friendly and lively community where everyone is welcome to learn, work, and play; to grow up and grow old. Investments here grow in value. Members are fortunate to have a resourceful and helpful homeowner’s association.
Since that time, much work has been done to move us in the direction of realizing that vision. A volunteer Maintenance Committee was created which has planned and managed many community projects resulting in improved maintenance of our lakes and greenspaces, and most noticeable the improvements made in Tekesta Park.
Our vision statement is not far removed from the vision that the original developers had over 40 years ago when they wrote the Covenants and Restrictions (C&Rs) which protect the “look” and preserve the value of properties in the community. Every member of the community has agreed to abide by the C&Rs when purchasing their property and “investing” in Killearn Lakes.
The number one concern of members in the community revealed in the survey was the apparent lack of enforcement of the C&Rs by the Association. When C&Rs are not enforced, the clean, natural, look of the community erodes over time resulting in a negative impact to the value of our homes.
Our HOA has the responsibility to enforce the C&Rs and they do that through two avenues. When members make changes to the appearance of their property, they must submit the change request to the Architectural Control Committee (ACC), a review board consisting of community volunteers. The ACC reviews the request for compliance to the requirements of the C&Rs and published KL building standards. Once the ACC is satisfied the standards are met, the change request is approved, and the project can be completed. This process ensures all significant changes made to individual properties maintain the natural beauty of the community and therefore the value of our homes. The second avenue the HOA uses to enforce the C&Rs is to notify members when their property fails to meet the requirements specified in the C&Rs. Homeowners are asked to correct the problem and if the request is ignored, the homeowner can be fined, or a lien placed upon the property. This is a process specified by statute and used by communities throughout Florida.
The Killearn Lakes Board of Directors have decided it is time for the HOA to enact a more proactive enforcement process which will gradually bring the community back to conformance to the C&Rs and restore the clean, natural beauty of the community. Details of the Proactive Enforcement process can be found on the KLHOA website.
Enforcement of the C&Rs as laid out below will begin in April 2021. Each unit will be systematically screened for violations which can be easily remedied and will have the greatest impact on appearance of the community. When violations are discovered, the member will be notified and given a grace period to correct the issue. If the member fails to correct the violation within the grace period, they may be fined $100 per day and up to a total of $1,000 per violation as allowed by Florida statute. Typical violations are shown in the table below. This table is posted on the KLHOA website and may be updated by the Board of Directors as needed at any time.
As stated above, the Architectural Control Committee must review plans for any exterior additions or alterations to properties before changes are made. This includes the removal of trees. Many members have ignored this requirement and have made changes without the review and approval of the ACC. When the HOA becomes aware of members ignoring this requirement, they will address the issue using the same process as any other violation of the C&Rs. (see fining schedule).
Implementation of this enforcement process will be gradual due to resource limitations but over time we will notice improvement in the appearance of Killearn Lakes. We know some residents will not support this change in policy, but we are confident that most of our members know the importance of C&R enforcement and are in favor of the change.