Neucort Lakes Homeowners Association

What is the association responsible for?
In addition to establishing and enforcing the rules and regulations in the covenants and other documents, the association is responsible for:

• maintaining, landscaping, and insuring common areas
• maintaining trees in the parkways
• maintaining the 6’ fence bordering Cortland Center Road
• planning for future improvements and maintenance needs

What are the common areas the association is responsible for?
The association is responsible for the retention pond (the pond with water in it), the land around the retention pond and extending east to Cardinal, the detention pond (the pond that is usually a dry field), and the land around the detention pond including a large area south of the pond. These common areas are maintained and landscaped by the association.

What is the association not responsible for?
Some items that residents often believe the association is responsible for include Suppeland Park (the park west of the neighborhood), the parking spots along Meadow and Pampas, maintenance and plowing of the roads, and vehicles parked on the streets. These are the responsibility of the Town of Cortland.

My neighbor drives a monster truck that wakes my baby, his vicious dogs poop on my sidewalk and bark all day/night, he drives his dirt bike down the sidewalk, and he leaves his boat in the street all summer long. Can the association help me?
The association has rules that can potentially be applied in some of these situations, but the Cortland Police Department is best equipped to handle these situations if they can’t be resolved by a conversation.

Where do I find the rules for the association?
There are basically two sets of rules you must adhere to. The first is established in the Declarations of the Covenants, and the second is a separate rules document. The latter document can make rules that are stricter than the covenants, but it cannot make rules that are less strict or undo rules from the covenants.

How do we change the rules?
The first step is to come to Board meetings and get involved. The rules document can be amended by the Board, but changes to the covenants require approval of 2/3 of the homeowners in the neighborhood.

I want to become involved in the association. What should I do?
The most important thing to do is to come to Board meetings, drag your neighbors to Board meetings, keep an eye on what the Board is up to, and be active on local social media groups. You can also run for the association Board and become involved with committees from time to time.

What happened to the jogging path?
The neighborhood was supposed to have a jogging path that extends around and between both ponds, but it was never created due to the bankruptcy of Neumann Homes. When the town took over, they were unable or unwilling to complete the path. The association attempted to create a portion of the jogging path in 2019-2020 and contracted a company to provide an engineering assessment. Unfortunately, the bids came in several times the expected cost and the funds are not available for such a project.

Who is Townsend Management and how to they relate to the HOA?
The Neucort Lakes Homeowners Association is a non-profit organization set up to aid in the common good of the neighborhood. Townsend Management is a property management company contracted by the HOA to handle day to day operations and legal matters. While Townsend Management does advise the HOA Board, they do not create or alter rules governing the neighborhood or decide which rules to enforce. They simply adhere to the documents established and amended by the HOA and provide services at the direction of the Board.

Townsend Management is responsible for spotting most violation notices. Do they get a cut of the fines?
No. Money collected from fines (if any) is used by the board to help pay for operating expenses and improvements.

What should I do if I get a violation notice?
If you are able to resolve the issue during the warning period, please do so (no other action necessary). Most violations are simple and easy to resolve. If you feel the violation is in error or if there are extenuating circumstances that will prevent you from resolving the issue right away, please contact Townsend immediately. The Board is happy to make arrangements with homeowners dealing with health, financial, or other difficulties.

I got a violation notice. Which one of my neighbors dimed me out?
The association cannot provide this information. However, we can tell you that the vast majority of violation notices originate from routine walk-throughs of the neighborhood conducted by Townsend Management and not from your neighbors.

I got a violation notice. Who do I complain to?
Remember, the violation you received is based on rules you agreed to when you bought your home. If you feel that the violation notice was in error, please contact Townsend Management via phone or in writing to make your case. If you don’t like the rule that you violated, try to change it—come to Board meetings, rally your neighbors, etc. Simply ignoring fines without communicating to the board or management company is not a course of action likely to work in your favor.

My neighbor keeps breaking a rule. Why haven’t they gotten a notice?
Your neighbor has probably received a violation notice and is continuing to violate it. Feel free to contact Townsend about the issue, but chances are it’s on the radar.

How often is the neighborhood monitored for violations?
Townsend Management drives through the neighborhood twice a month to keep an eye out for violations. Residents of the neighborhood can also call or write to Townsend Management about violations at any time.