HOAs
HOA Ownership
Covenants follow the recorded subdivision, not the marketing name.
Request
- Declaration and amendments
- Bylaws and rules
- Budget and reserves
- Minutes from the last year
- Pending assessments
- Amenity and slip policies
What associations control
A homeowners association can govern architecture, fences, outbuildings, short-term rentals, parking, boats and trailers, and the use of shared amenities, including any community docks or slips. The rules live in recorded covenants and in rules adopted by the board, which can change over time. Read both.
Money questions
Look at dues history, reserve balances, and planned capital projects. Shared docks, private roads, and amenity buildings eventually need major repairs, and associations with thin reserves sometimes fund them with special assessments. Board minutes from the past year often reveal what is coming.
Separate memberships
On the west shore, golf courses, clubs, and marinas may operate as businesses separate from the homeowners association. Membership may be optional, transferable, or unavailable. Never assume a nearby amenity comes with the house.
No association?
Some Denver properties have no association at all. That can mean more freedom, but it also means no shared maintenance and no architectural rules governing neighbors. Recorded deed restrictions may still apply even without an active association, so read the deed and plat either way.
Questions
- Can an HOA control docks or boat slips?
- Yes, where an association owns or manages shared lake facilities, its rules can govern eligibility, fees, and assignment. Individual private docks are separately governed by Duke Energy permits.
- When should I request association documents?
- As early as possible, ideally at the start of your due-diligence period, so you have time to review budgets, minutes, and rules before your deadline.