Architectural & Maintenance Standards and Enforcement

Shed Standards effective February 10, 2011

Exterior Alteration form click here

 Revised
Architectural & Maintenance Standards

effective July 12, 2007

REPORT A VIOLATION

Violations
A violation is any condition that is below the Little Rocky Run standards or is prohibited. One of the most common violations is failure to apply.  It is a violation of the Association's guidelines to make an exterior alteration without submitting an application and obtaining the appropriate approvals.

Reporting Violations
The Association relies on residents to report violations on private property.  Reports are kept confidential.  The name and/or address of any homeowner reporting a violation is never revealed to the owner of the property where the violation exists.  Violations include (but are not limited too):  yard unkempt, paint chipping, siding in disrepair or dirty, changes in trim or door color, and commercial or recreational vehicles parked in the driveway Use this form to submit a violation ARB VIOLATION

Enforcement
Upon receipt of a violation notice from a LRR homeowner, a member of the staff makes a visit to the property. It is imperative that a staff member observe the violation to ensure objectivity.  The staff then notifies the owner of the property where the violation exists and requests that the violation be corrected. 

The Enforcement Process follows these guidelines:
Letter to owner - depending on the violation, the owner is given 15 - 30 days to correct the violation.  Other exceptions apply such as, in the case of paint chipping, if the violation is noted in November, the owner would likely be given until April 1 to comply due to weather restrictions related to exterior painting.

If the violation is not corrected in a timely manner and the owner has not contacted the HOA staff to make arrangements, the homeowner is notified in writing that a hearing date has been set to review the case with the Board of Trustees. The purpose of the hearing is to give the owner an opportunity to dispute or explain the violation. 

At the hearing representatives from the ARB, the HOA staff and the homeowner are given an equal opportunity to present their position regarding the violation.

If the hearing results in the Board of Trustees finding the resident in violation of the Associations Architectural & Maintenance Standards of Covenants and Bylaws, the homeowner may incur a levy a monetary fine or the Association may correct the violation and bill the homeowner for the cost of the repair (depending on the violation).

For more information about enforcement procedures, please contact the HOA office.

How To File An Application for An Exterior Alteration

When is an application needed?

An application is needed whenever a proposed alteration to the exterior of the property or home will change the way the property or home looks.   Exceptions to this guideline are any alterations where "Authorized Alteration" is indicated. 

Correctly Filed Application

Applications are available online and at the HOA Office.  Since most applications require samples to be attached, applications cannot be submitted on-line at this time.   You may request to have an application mailed to you by calling or contacting the HOA Office Front Desk by clicking on the icon shown here or calling 703-830-0411.

Correctly filed application means and refers to an Exterior Alteration Application that is provided by the Association and completed by the property owner that contains the following information, as applicable:

1. Complete name and address of the homeowner.
2. Property address, lot number and section number.
3. Phone number(s) of the property owner.
4. Written description of the proposed alteration to include information about color, style, location, sizes and materials to be used.
5. Sketches, scale drawings, photos, catalog illustrations, architectural plans as necessary to completely describe the proposed alteration.
6. For paint color changes, a name of the color and a sample color palate from the manufacturer. In some cases, a larger sample (12" square) of each proposed color may be required to aid in the approval process. 
7. A copy of the plat for the lot indicating the proposed location of the alteration.
8. Estimated start and completion dates of the project.
9. Signature of four lot owners who are affected by the proposed alteration or whose property is adjacent. In the event there are no affected or adjacent property owners, the signature of other residents may be provided.
10. Signature of all owners of the lot for which the application is being submitted.
11. Consideration will be given to the size, proportion, and scale of the proposed alteration. Detailed information must be provided to include: height, width, and length of proposed alteration, size of area where alteration will be located, and dimensions of house and lot. The applicant must also indicate the proportional dimensions of the proposed alteration as it relates to the original design of the structure and/or property. SCALE DRAWINGS, WHEN USED TO FULFILL THIS REQUIREMENT, SHOULD USE NO LESS THAN ¼ INCH EQUALS 1 FOOT FOR THE PROPOSED alteration.

Appealing an ARB Decision

Request for Review by Board of Trustees

Property owners will be notified in writing within 10 business days of the Architectural Review Board decision regarding an Exterior Alteration Application. If the application is disapproved, the applicant is advised of his/her Right of Appeal to the Little Rocky Run Board of Trustees. To initiate the appeal process, the applicant must take the following action.

Within 10 working days of receiving the Architectural Review Board Decision of Disapproval - Applicant must submit a written request for an "Appeal Before the LRR Board of Trustees" to the ARB Administrator. The request must indicate whether:

A) Proper procedures were not followed during the administration and review process,
B) The applicant was not given a fair hearing, or
C) The Architectural Review Board decision was arbitrary had no rational basis.

Appeal Hearing

Upon receipt of a request for an "Appeal Before the LRR Board of Trustees", an Appeal Hearing will be scheduled. At the hearing, the President of Little Rocky Run Homeowners Association will read the hearing rules according to the Virginia Property Owners Association Act and outline the procedures and time constraints.

Each Appeal Hearing is scheduled for a maximum of 20 minutes, exclusive of questions from the Board of Trustees.

1. Presentation by the Architectural Review Board on the decision of disapproval - 5 minutes.
2. Presentation by the Applicant - 5 minutes.

The applicant is entitled to be represented by their own legal counsel. If the applicant will be represented by legal counsel, the applicant is required to notify the LRR ARB Administrator and Community Manager no later than 3 business days before the scheduled Appeal Hearing. Advance notice is required to permit LRR Homeowners Association legal counsel to be present.

3. Rebuttal by Architectural Review Board - 5 minutes.
4. Rebuttal by applicant - 5 minutes.
5. Questions from Board of Trustees.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board of Trustees will continue with the Open Session of the regularly scheduled meeting. At the end of Open Session, the President will convene the Board of Trustees in Executive Session to discuss the hearing. After Executive Session, the Board of Trustees will again convene in Open Session to vote on the hearing. Each applicant is welcome to wait for the decision, however, the process could last several hours. The Applicant will be notified in writing of the Board of Trustees decision within 3 business days.

Monetary Charge Hearing

The policy adopted by the Little Rocky Run Homeowners Association establishes procedures for the Architectural Review Board and the Board of Trustees where action is required to address compliance with the provisions of the Property Owners’ Association Act, the Governing Documents and/or the Architectural Standards.

This process is a last attempt to achieve compliance before additional legal actions through the Fairfax County Court system.

"Pursuant to Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act, provisions are granted to homeowner associations for conducting monetary charge hearings before their respective homeowner associations’ governing officials.  A Due Process Hearing, which follows the stated due process requirements, will be scheduled before the Little Rocky Run Board of Trustees to address and consider the imposition of additional monetary charges for Architectural Review and Maintenance Violations, as outlined in the Little Rocky Run Homeowners Association’s Policy for Monetary Charges."