Summary

Violations must be reported in writing by a property owner using the Board’s prescribed form. After the Board verifies the complaint, the alleged violator receives written notice and a warning. The owner has the right to appeal in writing through API, which triggers a hearing at the next Board meeting. Fines escalate with repeat violations and must be paid within 30 days of notice. The Board may also pursue legal remedies, with all legal costs charged back to the offending owner.

Fine Schedule

ViolationFine
First violation (no same violation within last year)$50.00
Same violation repeated within last year$75.00
Third and subsequent violations$100.00 each
Continuing/daily violationUp to $25.00/day
Maximum continuing violation fine$500.00
Payment deadline30 days from notice

Applicable Rules

RuleSourceSection
Complaints must be submitted in writing by a property ownerR&Rs 2013/20219
Board verifies complaint before issuing notice to alleged violatorR&Rs 2013/20219
Owner responsible for conduct of all residents and guestsR&Rs 2013/20219
Violator given written notice and warning before fineR&Rs 2013/20219
Right to appeal — written response to API to schedule hearingR&Rs 2013/20219
Hearings proceed with or without accused owner if notice was sentR&Rs 2013/20219
Open hearings require at least 2 weeks’ advance notice to homeownersR&Rs 2013/20219
Fine charged to owner of home where guilty person residesR&Rs 2013/20219
Board may pursue legal remedies; costs assessed to offending ownerR&Rs 2013/20219
Exterior maintenance required: rotting trim boards, flaking paint, or algae growth on siding must be repaired and/or cleanedSummer 2026 newsletter (citing R&Rs)R&Rs (property maintenance standards)
Garbage can storage and timing rules — see garbage-disposal for full rule textR&Rs 2013/20213.6

Process Flow

  1. Property owner submits written complaint on Board-prescribed form
  2. Board/Committee verifies validity of complaint
  3. Alleged violator receives written notice and warning
  4. Owner may appeal in writing to API → hearing placed on next Board meeting agenda
  5. Hearing proceeds (open or closed); Board weighs evidence and renders finding
  6. If guilty: written notice sent; fine charged to owner; payment due within 30 days

History

DateEvent
2024-07-11[Address redacted] — Unapproved fence: Homeowner installed unapproved fence. After Board discussion, homeowner agreed to move the front of the fence back 10 feet from the front of the house as remediation. Source: minutes-2024-07-11
2024-07-11[Address redacted] — Improper fence maintenance: Reported to City of West Chicago code enforcement. API sent initial warning letter. Source: minutes-2024-07-11
2025-10-30Ed Bryson suggested skipping the standard warning step and going directly to fines for violations. Rationale: homeowners should know the rules. No formal motion; informal Board discussion only. Source: minutes-2025-10-30
2026-05-07Garbage can violations: Board approved (MH motion, MC second) directing API to send fines to homeowners for garbage cans left in driveways. Source: minutes-2026-05-07
2026-05-07 (newsletter)Garbage can specific timing published in Spring 2026 HOA Newsletter: cans may be placed at the curb no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before pickup; must be returned to the garage by midnight the day of pickup; garbage cans may not be stored outside in plain sight at any other time. Source: Spring 2026 Newsletter
2026-05-07General maintenance enforcement discussion: homeowners raised concern at forum that API was not acting on reported violations (fences braced with props, falling mailboxes, garbage cans in driveways). Board acknowledged; MKH to publish newsletter article on maintenance standards. Source: minutes-2026-05-07
2026-05-13Summer 2026 newsletter published maintenance standards article. Confirmed garbage pickup day: Wednesday (cans may go to curb after 6:00 PM Wednesday; must be stored out of sight by midnight). Published maintenance standards: grass 8 inches; yards debris-free; landscaping not overhanging sidewalks; fences in good condition (no propped/braced sections); garbage cans stored out of sight; rotting trim boards, flaking paint, or algae growth on siding must be repaired/cleaned. Fines may be levied for violations. Source: Summer 2026 newsletter
2026-07-14Large enforcement sweep — 31 first-warning violation notices issued by API (Jennifer Nissen), covering conduct observed between 6/22/2026 and 6/30/2026. This is the first major wave of enforcement following the Board’s May 7, 2026 direction to begin fining garbage-can violators. Breakdown: 18 garbage-can/trash-only violations; 11 combined maintenance violations (most also citing garbage cans stored outside, plus a second issue — fence in disrepair, overgrown weeds/yard, mailbox in disrepair, basketball hoop, or miscellaneous items such as bikes/tools/tarps/lawnmowers left outside); 2 parking violations (one non-operative vehicle, one RV parked over 72 hours). All notices were Level 1st Warning (no monetary fine); homeowners have 10 days to correct or request a hearing. Names and addresses not recorded per Hard Rule 11. Source: board-packet-2026-07-16
2026-07-14Escalation example: one garbage-can violation first issued April 15, 2026 escalated to a 2nd Fine (“Third Notice — Second Fine,” $75.00 fine + $25.00 fee) as of this date, having previously been re-noticed as a 1st Fine on May 22, 2026. This is the clearest confirmed example in the ingested record of the fine schedule’s escalation ladder (warning → 1st fine → 2nd fine) actually being applied. Address/name not recorded per Hard Rule 11. Source: board-packet-2026-07-16
2026-07-14Hearing request filed contesting one of the July 14, 2026 garbage-can violation notices; scheduled for executive session at the July 16, 2026 board meeting. Address/name not recorded per Hard Rule 11. Source: board-packet-2026-07-16
2026-07-16Enforcement gap flagged: MC noted at the Board meeting that the July 14, 2026 citation sweep should have included fines, not just warnings — the notices as issued were all Level 1st Warning with no monetary fine. No formal motion recorded to correct the already-issued notices. Source: minutes-2026-07-16
2026-07-16[Address redacted] — Trash can vs. rain barrel dispute, resolved: Homeowner contested a trash-can-storage citation, stating the item cited is a rain barrel under a tree, not a trash can. EB confirmed post-meeting it is a rain barrel — the citation is to be removed. Source: minutes-2026-07-16
2026-07-16Excessive animals — homeowner not identified: Board directed a citation be sent to a homeowner reported to be keeping a large number of animals, allowing the homeowner to respond. No address given in the source; none recorded here regardless, per Hard Rule 11. Source: minutes-2026-07-16

Open Questions

  • The R&Rs do not specify what happens if a fine goes unpaid past the 30-day deadline — the assessment collection policy (Section 10) likely applies. See assessment-collection-policy.
  • “Immediate fine” is referenced for A&A violations (working without prior approval) in Sections 3.4 and 3.5 — it is unclear whether this bypasses the standard warning step in Section 9 or whether it means the first fine is assessed without the usual warning period.