I haven’t posted an update since our recent election, when I campaigned for Waqar to join me on the Board because I believed we needed another director who would help push forward the changes I had been working toward during my first year as Secretary.
Now that the election is behind us and the new Board is moving forward, I wanted to share what has already changed, what is getting worked on next, and where I believe Lakewood Hills is headed.
I first joined the Board as Secretary and this year became President. I am now serving my second year as President.
I originally ran because I believed the Association needed major changes in three areas: understanding and following our governing documents and Texas HOA law, improving management accountability, and reducing unnecessary spending.
I did not run because I wanted a title. I ran because I saw too many decisions being made without enough attention to what our documents actually allowed, too many operational issues sitting unresolved, and too much money being spent without enough focus on efficiency.
That is what I have been working to change.
New Legal Counsel and New Management
One of the first major actions after the recent election was changing two of the Association’s most important professional relationships.
The Board ended its relationship with our prior law firm, HOAF, and decided not to renew Essex Association Management when its contract expires August 31.
The Association has retained RMWBH Law as our new legal counsel, and Spectrum Association Management begins September 1.
These are significant changes, but changing companies alone does not solve problems. My expectation is better communication, better follow-through, more accountability, and better value for homeowners.
We are also planning a community meet-and-greet with our new manager and management team so homeowners can meet the people who will be working with Lakewood Hills going forward.
Resetting HOA Enforcement
One issue I questioned long before joining the Board was the Association’s old unrecorded Community-Wide Standards document.
I questioned whether an unrecorded standards document could be used to impose restrictions against homeowners as though those restrictions were part of our recorded governing documents.
Our new legal counsel subsequently addressed the general legal issue and pointed to Texas Property Code § 202.006, which requires dedicatory instruments to be filed in the county real property records and provides that a dedicatory instrument has no effect until it is filed.
Our actual Declaration and original Design Guidelines are recorded in Denton County and already contain numerous restrictions covering fences, landscaping, roofs, garages, exterior materials, solar panels, and other property matters.
My position is simple:
The HOA should enforce restrictions it actually has legal authority to enforce.
I do not support using an old unrecorded standards document as a backdoor method of creating additional restrictions against homeowners.
If the Association wants a new substantive restriction that is not already authorized by our recorded documents, our Declaration generally requires approval representing at least 67% of the Association’s votes, followed by recording the amendment.
Getting anywhere close to 67% participation in an HOA vote is difficult. I do not believe we should spend our time trying to recreate every restriction someone liked in the old standards, especially when another governmental authority already regulates the issue.
Yes, This Includes Trash Cans
Trash cans have probably generated more discussion about the old standards than anything else.
Ending reliance on an old unrecorded HOA standard does not mean homeowners can leave trash cans at the curb indefinitely.
The City of Lewisville already regulates this.
City ordinance provides that residential collection containers cannot be placed out more than 24 hours before collection and must be removed from the collection point within 24 hours after the collection date.
Residents can report suspected City code violations through ourLewisvilleTX, and the HOA can also refer apparent City code issues when appropriate. The City then determines what enforcement is warranted.
That makes much more sense to me:
The HOA should enforce valid HOA restrictions. The City should enforce City ordinances.
We do not need two layers of enforcement for the same issue simply because that is how things were handled before.
Bringing Common Sense Back to the ACC Process
Another major area I want to improve is architectural review.
People in this neighborhood have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their homes.
I do not believe homeowners should have to fight through unnecessary bureaucracy or face unreasonable denials for common-sense projects involving their own property.
Routine repairs, maintenance, restaining, replacement of existing features, and work that is not visible from public areas should not automatically be treated the same way as constructing a major new architectural improvement.
I support moving toward a streamlined system with three basic levels:
- Routine maintenance and work that does not require ACC approval: no unnecessary application.
- Simple projects meeting clear, objective criteria: streamlined approval.
- Material architectural changes: full ACC review when individual consideration is actually necessary.
I also support giving homeowners whose applications were previously denied an opportunity to resubmit them under the new process without prejudice.
The final categories and procedures still need to be properly reviewed and implemented, but the goal I am working toward is straightforward:
Return common sense, predictability, power, and reasonable freedom to homeowners.
The ACC exists to protect legitimate architectural standards and the community, not to create unnecessary obstacles between homeowners and their own property.
If something truly requires approval, homeowners should receive a timely decision with a clear reason based on an actual governing-document requirement, not someone’s personal preference.
Protect the community where protection is actually needed. Give homeowners freedom everywhere else.
Cutting Costs and Working Toward Lower HOA Assessments
The second major reason I originally ran was management and spending.
I saw poor follow-through, problems that remained unresolved for too long, unnecessary expenses, and situations where the Association was paying professionals to manage matters that Board members still had to step in and resolve.
I do not believe an HOA should simply accept increasing expenses every year and automatically pass those costs on to homeowners.
During my time on the Board, I have been reviewing contracts, vendors, professional services, and recurring expenses.
The question should always be:
Are homeowners getting real value for what they are paying?
We have already cut costs in multiple areas, and I continue looking for additional savings that do not sacrifice services the community actually needs.
And I have a larger goal.
I want to eventually reduce the HOA assessment paid by every homeowner.
That cannot be done irresponsibly. I am not talking about draining reserves, neglecting maintenance, or randomly eliminating necessary services just so we can claim assessments went down.
I am talking about calculated savings.
Negotiate better contracts. Eliminate waste. Improve efficiency. Stop paying unnecessary fees. Make vendors accountable. Spend Association money where it actually benefits the community.
Every recurring expense we eliminate or reduce gets us another step closer.
I believe an HOA Board should constantly be looking for responsible ways to reduce the financial burden on homeowners, not automatically looking for ways to collect more money from them.
Getting Problems Resolved
The recent pool and fire inspection situation is a good example of the approach I believe we need.
There were multiple City inspection visits while outstanding issues were being addressed.
With Essex’s contract ending August 31 and Spectrum beginning September 1, I did not want an unresolved issue simply handed to our incoming management company.
The board became directly involved.
I met directly with the Lewisville fire inspector so we could understand what needed to be corrected rather than continue passing information through multiple people.
I also personally sourced the bids needed to address the pool gate issues after repeated requests to our outgoing management company did not result in the Board receiving the quotes needed to move forward. I coordinated directly with the locksmith, met him at the pool to address the faulty keypad and locking hardware, and when replacement door handles were needed, I purchased them myself so the work could be completed.
This is exactly the kind of situation I want to change. The Association pays a management company to manage these issues. Board members should not have to repeatedly request bids and then ultimately source vendors, coordinate the work, and obtain necessary materials themselves just to get a problem resolved.
With the management transition approaching, however, I was not willing to let the issue continue sitting unresolved. So I got it done.
The fire extinguisher also needed certification. Waiting for someone to come service it was going to take more than a week, so I found a company that could handle it sooner, drove the Association’s extinguisher to Richardson myself, had it serviced and certified, and brought it back.
Apparently, being HOA President sometimes includes transporting fire extinguishers across DFW.
But the important part is that the issues were corrected and the inspection was cleared.
That is the approach I believe Association leadership should take.
Identify the problem. Figure out what is needed. Get it fixed. Close it out.
September 1 Starts the Next Chapter
Spectrum Association Management officially begins September 1.
There will naturally be a transition period involving Association records, finances, vendors, access information, open projects, and other ongoing business.
I am looking forward to working with the new management team and continuing the changes that started when I first joined the Board.
A lot has already changed:
New legal counsel. New management. A different approach to enforcement. A push for a more homeowner-friendly ACC process. Lower expenses. More accountability. And a long-term goal of reducing HOA assessments.
There is still plenty of work ahead, and not every change can happen overnight.
But my philosophy remains pretty simple:
Know what the governing documents actually say. Know what the law allows. Spend homeowners’ money carefully. Eliminate waste. Protect homeowners from unnecessary HOA overreach. And when something needs to get done, get it done.
That is why I originally ran.
That is why I campaigned for another director who would help move these changes forward.
And now, in my second year as President, that is still the goal.