Basically, the Riverwood HOA is responsible for maintenance, repair, and replacement of the exterior of every building including the roof; all fences; all front-door walkways; driveways up to the concrete garage-floor slab; all gutters except those on patio covers; for the sewer and fresh water lines servicing each residence; and for facilitating maintenance, repair, and replacement of utility lines (gas, electric, telephone, cable) in cooperation with utility providers thereof.
The homeowner is responsible for everything within the walls of the residence, including HVAC, water heater, plumbing, lighting and electrical, appliances, floors, interior walls, ceilings, doors including the front entrance and windows. The homeowner is also responsible for everything within the fenced-in area, specifically patios, patio covers, decks, side- or back-door walkways & stepping stones, sprinkler & lighting systems.
Generally speaking, HOA responsibility concerns original construction features and materials, or such which have been replaced by HOA Maintenance in the past; and does not include features and materials optionally installed or replaced by the homeowner, even when done with permission of the appropriate HOA committee.
To these broad general statements, there are certain details and limitations:
1. HOA is responsible for fresh water plumbing up to the main shutoff valve of the residence, normally located inside the garage, including the shutoff valve itself. Any plumbing controlled by the shutoff valve is the homeowner’s responsibility, including all plumbing within the crawlspace; and any outside faucets. Homeowners are encouraged to cover their outside faucets during the winter months to prevent freezing.
2. HOA is responsible for chimneys, including water leakage around the outside into the interior; but is not responsible for chimney caps. There are at least 8 different kinds of caps on Riverwood homes, all installed by owners, often for specific purposes such as home-heating gas fireplaces and draft control.
3. HOA is responsible for sewer piping up to the residence cleanout point, normally located externally within a foot of the foundation. Sewer piping within the foundation crawlspace is homeowner responsibility.
4. HOA is not responsible for anything within the foundation crawlspace area, including plumbing, electrical, vapor barrier, pests, or critters; nor for the crawlspace vent grates. NOTE: vents which have been damaged by cable or air-conditioner installation, or by nest-searching critters, can be repaired most inexpensively by Riverwood Maintenance, via a quick but solid and effective method. Check first before calling a crawl-space/foundation specialist.
5. HOA is not responsible for electrical, gas, telephone, or Internet/TV cable or satellite dishes under any circumstances. If there is a problem within or below the residence, it is homeowner responsibility; if it is external, in the supply line or wiring leading up to the residence, it is the utility company’s responsibility. Note that the utility companies will not permit HOA to touch their lines even if we wanted to.
6. HOA is responsible for pest control external to residences: if a residence is being invaded by ants or wasps or the like that can be traced to a nest in the Common Area, the HOA is responsible for elimination of the Common Area nest. Ant, wasp, rat, bird, etc. nests within the confined area of the residence, including fenced area, crawlspace, and attached to the outside of the structure, are homeowner responsibility. However HOA maintenance can usually handle above-ground wasp nests if they are caught early enough.
7. HOA is not responsible for leaking windows or patio sliding glass doors, other than to apply caulk as appropriate. Almost every window and patio door in the community has been replaced at least once; some well, some poorly. Repair or replacement is homeowner responsibility.
NOTES:
a. Leaking windows and patio doors can cause structural rot and other damage, a serious concern to Riverwood Maintenance. Homeowners are therefore required to rapidly address instances of leakage, and to notify Maintenance immediately.
b. New window installations are required to have anti-leak flashing. Installers must be informed of this, and that an inspection will be done by Riverwood Maintenance to insure that the proper flashing is installed. Homeowner must let Maintenance know when installation is scheduled.
c. Riverwood Maintenance offers an inexpensive method of installing “eyelid” flashing on existing windows, quite effective in heading off leaks, for those buildings with lapstrake siding (D30 thru D70, and some in D10-D20) This may be an alternative to replacing a leaking window or patio door.
8. HOA is not responsible for anything in the residence’s fenced-in area external to the walls of the structure: decks, patios, patio covers, sprinkler systems, barbecues, steps, stepping stones, etc. are homeowner responsibility.
9. HOA will repair or replace broken or otherwise unsafe walkways to the front door; but only with poured concrete. If a homeowner desires tile or other special surfacing, and has permission from the Architecture Committee, the homeowner must install it or make arrangements with Maintenance to cover the extra cost.
10. HOA Maintenance normally performs all external painting, including wooden trim on newly-installed windows.
a. Upon request, homeowners in certain cases may be permitted to do their own painting using HOA-supplied paint. The HOA will not assume responsibility for any resulting physical injuries.
b. Maintenance will paint new or repaired fences on the outside, per community colour determined by the HOA; and also on the inside providing the homeowner wants the same colour. If the homeowner prefers a different colour or stain, they may paint or stain the insideof the fence whatever colour they wish.
11. The homeowner is responsible for maintenance and repair of any external lighting fixtures controlled by a switch within the home; external “security” lighting not controlled by the residence, even if attached to a residence, remains HOA responsibility.
12. Most Riverwood residences have one or more patio covers. Patio cover design and construction is strictly controlled; note that many existing covers, built decades ago, are not in conformance with current requirements and would not be permitted today. Homeowners must apply to both the Maintenance and Architecture committees before any patio cover construction, remodeling, upgrades, or visible repairs are undertaken.
14. HOA does not perform snow and ice removal of pavement or walkways. Snow and ice are relatively rare in Portland, and their effects on different driveways, residences, and residents vary widely. It is not felt cost effective to maintain the equipment and chemical, and pay for its use across the entire community in the very few instances it is required.
