For responses to our most Frequently Asked Questions regarding the River Oaks Covenants, please review the following information.

Standards for Approval of Projects

Paragraph 5 of each phase of the Restrictive Covenants calls for the River Oaks HOA Board approval of projects and materials used prior to construction. Although earlier phases of the restrictive covenants did not define all acceptable materials, Phase IV (the last phase), provided the most complete list of material standards to be applied for Board approval. Once the standard had been defined, those are the material standards the HOA Board must use for approval to comply with the scheme of the River Oaks development. This has recently been reconfirmed by HOA attorneys regarding the HOA Board’s authority and responsibility to adhere to the standards established. There are letters to Homeowners documenting this standard being applied back to January 2003 for earlier phases. For simplicity, below are the Restrictive Covenants for Phase IV regarding several topics.

Submitting Plans

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions, no dwelling, outbuilding, garage, storage building, fence, or other structure shall be erected on any lot, unless a complete set of the building plans and specifications thereof, including a site plan indicating placement on the lot, exterior building materials, and elevations be submitted to, and approved prior to the commencement of any construction thereon by either (a) the Declarant or (b) by the River Oaks Homeowners Association’s Architectural Control Committee. Any plans so submitted and not expressly disapproved within thirty (30) days of their submission shall be deemed to be accepted. The Declarant expressly reserves the right to nominate any agent for the purpose of the submission of building plans, and the approval thereof and hereby appoints the River Oaks Homeowners Association’s Architectural Control Committee as one such agent. [from Paragraph 5(a)]

Fencing around the Home

No fence shall be erected or allowed to remain on any lot if any portion thereof shall extend in front of the rear building line of the main structure. All fences must be of wood and be of a decorative type. In no event shall chain link fences be allowed. [from Paragraph 4]

Motor Homes, Trailers, Boats, and Recreational Vehicles

Any motor home, trailer, or boat, or any other type of recreational vehicle must be parked in the rear of any residence in the subdivision, and cannot be parked or placed on or in any street, or in any side yard or drive or driveway located in any side yard of any lot; provided, further, no motor, trailer, boat, mobile home, or modular home shall be used as a residence either permanently or temporarily. Notwithstanding the foregoing restriction nothing herein shall prohibit the Declarant from using a mobile sales office during the entire period within which the lots in this subdivision are being sold and/or houses are being constructed on the said lots by Declarant. [from Paragraph 9]

Mailboxes and Posts

All mail box posts must be Trotter Ridge Post and black box secured from Guilford Builders Supply. [from Paragraph 5(b)]

(The former Guilford Builders Supply is no longer in business to supply Mailbox Posts. The Board has recently contracted with an independent carpenter to custom-build new posts to the Trotter Ridge standard. Please do not purchase a pre-made post from a home improvement store, hardware store, or other vendor without checking with the Board first!).

(If you are in need of a Trotter Ridge style Mailbox Post, please send an email message to the HOA to put your order in for one as they are built and delivered. The current price of the Post will be $102.00, due to dramatic increases in the cost of materials and labor. This does not included the price of a Black Mailbox. Also contact us if you need more commonly replaced parts, including Elbows and Finial replacements).

(To learn more about Placing and Installing a USPS-approved Curbside Mailbox, please click here for more information).

Yard Signs

No billboards or signs shall be erected or allowed to remain on said property except for “For Sale” signs or “For Rent” signs which shall not exceed three (3) feet in length and two (2) feet in width and the subdivision entry signs. [from Paragraph 8]

Garage

No garage shall be erected such that the entry doors of the same shall face the street. [from Paragraph 1(b)]

House and Outbuilding Construction

No cinder blocks may be used in the exposed exterior of the foundation of any dwelling or outbuilding erected on any lot. [from Paragraph 3(a)]

Exterior Materials

All exteriors will be at least 85 per cent brick, stone, stucco, or of such other masonry product as may be approved in writing by the Declarant. [from Paragraph 3(b)]

All garages, storage buildings, and other outbuildings must have an exterior substantially similar in appearance to the dwelling on the lot. [from Paragraph 5(c)]

Driveways

All driveways servicing any constructed single family dwelling shall be paved with concrete. [from Paragraph 1(c)]

Roofing Construction

All dwellings shall have a roof pitch of at least 9/12 and have architectural type shingles. [from Paragraph 3(c)]

Tidiness, Obnoxious Sounds or Odors

No lots shall be used in whole or in part for the dumping or storage of rubbish of any character whatsoever nor for the storage of any property or thing that will cause such lot to appear in an unclean or untidy condition, or that will be obnoxious to the eye, nor shall any substance, thing or material be kept on any lot which will emit foul or obnoxious odors, or that will cause any noise that might disturb the peace, quiet, comfort, or serenity of the occupants of the surrounding property. [from Paragraph 12(a)]

Lot Mowing

All lots shall be kept in a neat and tidy condition and shall be mowed at least three times each year, regardless of whether a home has been constructed thereon. In the event a lot has not been mowed at least three times by September 1 in any year, said lot may be mowed by the Homeowners Association and the expense thereof may be charged by the Homeowners Association to the lot owner and shall constitute a lien on said lot until paid. [from Paragraph 12(b)]

House Design

Said lots shall be used for residential purposes only, and no structure shall be erected or allowed to remain on any lot except for one single family dwelling not to exceed two stories in height, and an attached garage for no less than two cars except as otherwise specifically approved in writing by Declarant. [from Paragraph 1(a)]

House Size

No dwelling shall be erected or allowed to remain on any lot if the heated area of the main structure shall be less than 2,200 square feet in the case of a one story dwelling, or less than 2,500 square feet, of which 1,100 square feet must be on the main level, in the case of a one and one-half or two story dwelling. [from Paragraph 2]

Temporary Residence or Building

No residence of a temporary character shall be erected or allowed to remain on said property and no trailer, basement, tent, shack, garage, barn, or other outbuilding erected on said property shall be used as a residence, either permanently or temporarily. [from Paragraph 7]

Animals

No animals shall be kept or maintained on any lot herein restricted, except for household pets which shall be limited to two (2) dogs and two (2) cats. [from Paragraph 6]

Satellite Dishes

No satellite dishes are permitted except for satellite dishes of 18 inches or less in diameter which shall be permitted. [from Paragraph 13]

Highway 68 Fence Ownership and Maintenance (Phases I and III only)

The Owners of Lots 7 through 13 (Phase 1), and Lots 17 through 26 (Phase 3), all inclusive, shall be responsible for the maintenance of the fence between their lots and the right of way of Highway 68. The costs of such maintenance shall be divided prorate among said owners in the proportion the fence along their line bears to the total length of the fence along the said lot lines. [from Phase 3, Paragraph 17(a)]

In the event the fence is damaged the owner of the lot adjoining the damaged area shall have the damaged area adjoining his lot repaired, or have contracted for said repair, within 30 days. [from Phase 3, Paragraph 17(b)]

In the event the fence is not repaired as required herein or is not maintained as required herein, thence and in that event either the Developer or the River Oaks Homeowners Association may elect to make such repairs or perform such maintenance and the costs of the same may be taxed to the owners of the said lots and said costs may be treated by the party making such repairs or maintenance as a lien against said property in the same manner and to the same extent as the Homeowner Assessments set out in the By Laws of the Homeowners Association in Deed Book 4102, Page 1625, Guilford County Registry. [from Phase 3, Paragraph 17(c)]

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This documentation is for the use of River Oaks residents and not to be distributed or reproduced without expressed written permission from the River Oaks Homeowners Association Board (ROHA).