Fairland Towns Homeowner Association
 
PO Box 1376
Annandale, VA   22003
December 2024
 
Dear Neighbor,
 
I hope the anticipation of the holiday season has you looking forward to some quality time and eggnog with family and friends.   Some important changes and improvements are coming to our community in the new year, so we ask that you read these next few newsletters carefully to keep you in the know.
 
No Grinches Here. 
Our November Garden of the Month honors go to the Constantino family at 4717 Minor Court.  They were the first ones to get us in the season’s mood with a bit of holiday décor.  Check out their efforts in-person or on our website at www.fairlandtownshoa.com .  Also, nicely done to all neighbors who made our neighborhood merry and bright with holidays lights and decorations.  Good to see the pride in our little community. 
 
Bylaw and ARB Amendments.  
On 6 November, at an open HOA meeting, the required quorum of homeowners voted to unanimously approve proposed updates to our FTHOA Bylaws and Architectural Guidelines.  Changes will go into effect 01 January, as I previously advised. You can find the full updated documents here  www.fairlandtownshoa.com under the DOCUMENTS tab.  They are worth a few minutes of your time to read.  Significant changes – including those with financial implications – include:
 
-       Homeowners with persistent ARB infractions that have not corrected them or provided the ARB officer (Hector) with a reasonable plan to do so, within 30 days of notifications of said infractions, will be assessed $150 per month or fraction of a month, until infractions are repaired and inspected by the ARB. There are over 30 homes with long-outstanding issues that need attention.  
-       FTHOA will move to digital venues for all future communication, including HOA dues, ARB infractions, etc.  This includes a push to get everyone to be familiar with, and check, our FTHOA website as the center of community news, events, and pop-up notifications.  As such, we need to ensure we have your current email address.  If you are reading this letter, you are good.  If you know of a new neighbor, perhaps a renter/tenant who may not be on our list, please ask them to contact us. 
 
Dues News You Can Use.  
Our Treasurer, Neil, has work diligently to respond to your requests to expand options for homeowners to pay their dues, to include PayPal, VENMO, and in the future, bank transfers.  Of course we will continue to accept checks for those who prefer.  Look for an information sheet on this in your January dues mailer, which will be the final postal mailing per our move to digital platforms as mentioned above.
 
T'is the Season for Tree Trimming.  
No, not just your Christmas trees, but those in your yard, too. Individual home’s trees and shrubs should not protrude across your property lines. This is a perfect time of year, when trees are bare, to inspect and trim trees on your own property.  We have had several complaints registered with the board recently and ask that homeowners take individual responsibility for their trees, vines and shrubs before they become a nuisance.  The HOA has a tree service, Fito and Sons, that does exceptional work for a reasonable price.  Just ask us.
 
Stix Pix.  
With the wintry and windy weather here, there are lots of fallen branches and twigs about. Please take a few minutes now and then to walk around your property, including outside fences, and collect the twigs, sticks and dead shrubbery that accumulate.  This is especially needed around end-unit homes and outside fence lines that border our common areas along Little River, Braddock and Minor Lane.  If you bundle the sticks in reasonable-sized lengths, they will be picked up during our scheduled trash collections.  KINDLY DO YOUR BIT to make our community shine.
 
Making a Winter Safety List and Checking It Twice.  
With the busyness of the season, it is easy to overlook the safety of our homes and neighbors’ homes.  Ensure holiday lights both inside and out are properly installed and outlets protected.  If you have a natural tree, make sure it stays “well-hydrated.”  Winter time is fireplace time - consider having your chimney checked and swept - I use a service that I can highly recommend. 1 January is a good date to inspect all smoke/fire/CO2 detectors and change the batteries.  Do keep your sidewalks snow and ice-free when required, to keep others safe. Sidewalks and drives are individual homeowners’ responsibility. Finally, our kiddos are on break, so continue to drive safely through our neighborhood.
 
Slip Sliding Away.  
To remind, the HOA board will side with caution when scheduling road treatment and snow removal services this winter, as you asked us to do at board meetings.  We will use best judgment when wintery conditions are forecast.
 
Staying Off the Naughty List.  
If you are planning ANY alterations to your property, major or minor, you must seek approval from the ARB in advance.  Alterations in structure, color, material, etc., all have HOA standards.  We are pleased that more homeowners are making the ARB their first stop before any changes.  Please review the ARB guidelines; if in doubt, give the Board/Hector a shout FIRST.
 
Your FTHOA Team wishes each and every neighbor a peace-filled and joyful holiday season.  See you in the New Year! 
 
Spread kindness!
 
Cheers,
Kevin (703-772-6216), Ronda, Neil, Jeff and Hector