Frequently Asked Questions

Proposed Amended and Restated Austin’s Colony Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions

Q: What are the proposed changes/amendments?
A: The proposed CC&Rs are a complete overhaul of your phase’s current CC&Rs with the intent being to have one, consistent set of CC&Rs for all of Austin’s Colony phases. Please read the proposed CC&Rs and compare to your phase’s current CC&Rs. Both can be found on the Austin’s Colony HOA website (https://www.austinscolony.org/).

Q: The HOA Member Dues are high; do the proposed rules fix this?
A: The HOA member dues are current set at $165/per lot annually. The proposed CC&Rs maintain the dues at $165 and grant the HOA Board the authority to raise dues by up to 10% per year without a vote by membership. This does not mean the HOA Board will increase dues every year by 10%, but rather, the HOA Board has the ability to do so without a vote of homeowners.

Q: What if my home does not comply with changes in the CC&Rs?
A: The proposed CC&Rs are meant to have one set of rules for the entire neighborhood. Primarily, only new homes need to adhere to foundational rules such as square footage minimums, roof colors, landscaping requirements, and/or mailbox requirements. If you have the ability and financial means to update your home to be in compliance with the new rules, the HOA Board will ask that you meet the proposed CC&R requirements. For example, if you decide to replace your roof the HOA will require that roof to be in compliance with the new proposed CC&Rs.
If you have specific concerns about your home being in compliance with the proposed CC&Rs, please reach out to the HOA Board to inquire. We will be happy to discuss in more detail.

Q: Why did the previous CC&R vote fail?
A: The previous CC&R vote conducted last summer failed because not enough homeowners voted. In order for a vote to be valid (ie. tell us whether the homeowners are “for” or “against” the proposed CC&Rs), at least 50% of homeowners must submit their vote. So, even if you are against the proposed CC&Rs, please vote!

Q: Why are we proposing new rules?
A: This is a great question that requires a massive answer. In summary, the proposed CC&Rs are meant to address two key issues:

  1. Obtaining one set of rules for the entire neighborhood to abide by makes Austin’s Colony easier to manage and increases home values by way of consistency.
  2. Developer accountability when deeding the HOA a phase. Currently, the CC&Rs for the neighborhood do not require HOA approval before the Developer deeds the phase to the HOA. This can cause issues with respect to the condition of the phase being deeded – if there are any problems or the phase is incomplete, the Developer is allowed to deed the phase to the HOA and then those problems become the HOA’s problems. The HOA then, must spend homeowner money to rectify. The proposed CC&Rs require the HOA to approve a phase before the Developer can deed it over which provides accountability for the Developer.

Q: How can I express my grievances about the proposed rules?
A: We want to hear from you! Please respectfully direct your grievances to the HOA Board using the website contact form (https://www.austinscolony.org/contact-us/). The HOA Board of Directors and Management Team are working hard to address your questions or concerns.

Q: Who do I contact if I have questions?
A: We want to hear from you! Please respectfully direct your questions to the HOA Board using the website contact form (https://www.austinscolony.org/contact-us/). The HOA Board of Directors and Management Team are working hard to address your questions or concerns.

Q: What does the HOA Board get paid?
A: The HOA Board of Directors are all homeowners in your neighborhood and volunteer their time. They do not get paid. The HOA Board has hired a management company (BHHS) to help with the large number of tasks required to run the HOA.

Q: How do I submit an additional email address for voting purposes?
A: Submit the information via our on-line contact form. Submit your physical address and email so that the HOA can associate your email with a property. Please check your spam for a reply.

Q: Who is allowed to vote for the proposed CC&Rs?
A: Every property owner has 1 (one) vote. This means, if you are on the deed to your home, you have 1 (one) vote.

Q: I haven’t received an email link to vote, what do I do?
A: The electronic vote is being administered by a 3rd party company. Once we receive your email address, we send this to the 3rd party company to send you an invitation to vote. Please know that the HOA does this bi-weekly so it may take a few days for your invitation to come to you.
If you have concerns about not receiving your invitation to vote email, please contact the HOA and we can check on the status for you.
Please also check your email spam folder. The 3rd party company emails often are labeled as spam.

Q: I do not have an email address; how can I vote?
A: The HOA Management team has paper ballots for you. Please contact us and we will send you a paper ballot. Please note that paper ballots must be notarized to be counted.

Q: What are the laws applicable to homeowner associations in Texas?
A: Please find more information about the laws governing “property owner associations” at the following link: https://guides.sll.texas.gov/property-owners-associations.
Note: some changes to Texas law are mandatory. Even if the proposed CC&Rs fail, the HOA is obligated to change the CC&Rs in order to comply with the updated Texas statutes.

Q: I think the Austin’s Colony HOA does a terrible job, how do I get involved?
A: The Austin’s Colony HOA Board of Directors is always looking for volunteers. If you are interested in participating in neighborhood HOA governance, please send your contact information to the HOA with a note that you are interested in volunteering your time.

Q: Why is the Austin’s Colony HOA wasting homeowner money on this CC&R vote?
A: The sole purpose of the Austin’s Colony HOA is to maintain property value. We are dedicated to keeping our neighborhood beautiful to allow home values to increase. Without HOA governance, home values typically decline, and people stop buying homes in our neighborhood. The HOA is committed to preventing home value decline and the proposed CC&Rs will be a great help.