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#21
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Short Term Rentals & Zoning
Last post by Lee Longstreet - December 16, 2021, 04:22:02 PMSUBJECT: STR Rezoning Appeal 2021-2643-ZC ... A-4 to NC-4
Public Meeting - To be held Jan. 4 @ 6pm 2022 in the St. Tammany parish council chambers on Koop Dr. in Mandeville.
The property at 450 Eden Isles Dr. has been used as a short term rental contrary to zoning that restricts it's use to that of a single family residence.
The owners have been issued a cease and desist order from St. Tammany Parish but are now appealing for a zoning change to NC-4. I think we need to consider that NC-4 as defined in the zoning ordinance includes the rights granted within the classifications of NC-3, NC-2 and NC-1. NC-3 does allow for short term rentals.
The granting of a NC-4 variance would not only codify STR operations but allow full neighborhood commercial activities. Please see www.eiohforum.com and click on "Residential Zoning" for a good index into the St. Tammany parish code. The property in question was not permitted for these types of operations, contrary to our covenants and not wanted in our neighborhood.
The reason this appeal is so important is that if the variance were to be granted then this would set legal precedent for others sure to follow. Let's say another home wanted to do STR's, then they too could appeal for a variance citing the zoning appeals board had already given a variance to someone else in the neighborhood. This would likely spread and destroy the very character of the neighborhood.
Public Meeting - To be held Jan. 4 @ 6pm 2022 in the St. Tammany parish council chambers on Koop Dr. in Mandeville.
The property at 450 Eden Isles Dr. has been used as a short term rental contrary to zoning that restricts it's use to that of a single family residence.
The owners have been issued a cease and desist order from St. Tammany Parish but are now appealing for a zoning change to NC-4. I think we need to consider that NC-4 as defined in the zoning ordinance includes the rights granted within the classifications of NC-3, NC-2 and NC-1. NC-3 does allow for short term rentals.
The granting of a NC-4 variance would not only codify STR operations but allow full neighborhood commercial activities. Please see www.eiohforum.com and click on "Residential Zoning" for a good index into the St. Tammany parish code. The property in question was not permitted for these types of operations, contrary to our covenants and not wanted in our neighborhood.
The reason this appeal is so important is that if the variance were to be granted then this would set legal precedent for others sure to follow. Let's say another home wanted to do STR's, then they too could appeal for a variance citing the zoning appeals board had already given a variance to someone else in the neighborhood. This would likely spread and destroy the very character of the neighborhood.
#22
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Hwy. 11 improvement proposal A...
Last post by Administrator - December 12, 2021, 12:33:55 AMInitial Hwy. 11 improvement proposal.
#23
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Free Off-the-Air TV
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:58:43 PMHere is some more info ...
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html fcc ruling on homeowner association covenants
http://www.antennapoint.com mapping & channel list for local TV broadcasts
http://www.tvfool.com channel locator and signal strength estimator
Antennas are frequency selective, and each TV channel is transmitted on a different frequency. The bow tie antenna is designed to work on a broader range of frequencies and has been around for at least 50 years. You can "google" bow tie antenna for a lot of extra information.
Some do it yourself bow tie antennas:
http://www.diytvantennas.com/bowtie.php
http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com
A ready made antenna inside an enclosure with a built in booster:
http://www.antennahub.com/television-antenna.aspx?gclid=CNbGwbnQkLUCFQeDnQodBmwABQ
YouTube video on above antenna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkmKVVa5xeg&feature=youtu.be
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html fcc ruling on homeowner association covenants
http://www.antennapoint.com mapping & channel list for local TV broadcasts
http://www.tvfool.com channel locator and signal strength estimator
Antennas are frequency selective, and each TV channel is transmitted on a different frequency. The bow tie antenna is designed to work on a broader range of frequencies and has been around for at least 50 years. You can "google" bow tie antenna for a lot of extra information.
Some do it yourself bow tie antennas:
http://www.diytvantennas.com/bowtie.php
http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com
A ready made antenna inside an enclosure with a built in booster:
http://www.antennahub.com/television-antenna.aspx?gclid=CNbGwbnQkLUCFQeDnQodBmwABQ
YouTube video on above antenna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkmKVVa5xeg&feature=youtu.be
#24
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Free Off-the-Air TV
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:51:51 PMOFF-THE-AIR TV RECEPTION IN EDEN ISLES
In 2009 the FCC forced us to move to the new standard of modulation for the off-air broadcast stations. The reason they did this is because the new modulation technique is vastly superior. Almost all of the transmitter locations for New Orleans are in the Chalmette area so you really can get about 35 channels of free off-air broadcast stations perfectly here in Eden Isles by pointing your antenna in that direction. I personally have been using free broadcast television only since 2009 and I am completely satisfied with it. Twilight Zone comes on ever night on channel 6-2 at 10PM and the main broadcast channels, i. e.; 4-1, 6-1, 8-1, 12-1, 26-1, 38-1, and 54-1 all broadcast in High Def and these are free, advertiser supported channels.
My antenna is located in the attic of my home. Most houses in Eden Isles have those large open attics and there is enough signal in Eden Isles so that this will work fine here but you have to use a special amplified antenna. Do not look for this type of antenna at Radio Shack or Home Depot, they will not know what you are talking about. They do not have the amplified kind that you need. To get the correct antenna that you need, you must order it from Ebay. You have to put in three search words: ( amplified tv antenna ). This will pull up the kind of antenna that you need. Usually they only cost about $35 including shipping. (See the picture) This is the only kind of antenna that will work here in Eden Isles. The other kind that is un-amplified will continually drop out and become very annoying.
Our government offered us coupons back in 2009 to buy the Digital TV adapter boxes and these work good and are still available if you have the older style of televisions in your house. From the back of the adapter box there are stereo RCA type connectors to get surround sound to go with the excellent picture but to get the beautiful 1080 pixel over-air high definition video you will need a modern TV.
There is a free online TV guide at tvlistings.aol.com To use this you put in 70458 for the zip code and then put "Over the Air, NorthShore" and this will show you what is available. There is so much free TV that I seem to get all that I want. I understand now why it was that we needed to go this new method. Most of us were angry that this was forced on us but now I understand that it was for our own betterment. The problem now is that many people do not understand that there is free quality television because we all abandoned antennas years ago because of poor performance.
... Bill Northup,
Eden Isles Resident
posted via forum administrator
In 2009 the FCC forced us to move to the new standard of modulation for the off-air broadcast stations. The reason they did this is because the new modulation technique is vastly superior. Almost all of the transmitter locations for New Orleans are in the Chalmette area so you really can get about 35 channels of free off-air broadcast stations perfectly here in Eden Isles by pointing your antenna in that direction. I personally have been using free broadcast television only since 2009 and I am completely satisfied with it. Twilight Zone comes on ever night on channel 6-2 at 10PM and the main broadcast channels, i. e.; 4-1, 6-1, 8-1, 12-1, 26-1, 38-1, and 54-1 all broadcast in High Def and these are free, advertiser supported channels.
My antenna is located in the attic of my home. Most houses in Eden Isles have those large open attics and there is enough signal in Eden Isles so that this will work fine here but you have to use a special amplified antenna. Do not look for this type of antenna at Radio Shack or Home Depot, they will not know what you are talking about. They do not have the amplified kind that you need. To get the correct antenna that you need, you must order it from Ebay. You have to put in three search words: ( amplified tv antenna ). This will pull up the kind of antenna that you need. Usually they only cost about $35 including shipping. (See the picture) This is the only kind of antenna that will work here in Eden Isles. The other kind that is un-amplified will continually drop out and become very annoying.
Our government offered us coupons back in 2009 to buy the Digital TV adapter boxes and these work good and are still available if you have the older style of televisions in your house. From the back of the adapter box there are stereo RCA type connectors to get surround sound to go with the excellent picture but to get the beautiful 1080 pixel over-air high definition video you will need a modern TV.
There is a free online TV guide at tvlistings.aol.com To use this you put in 70458 for the zip code and then put "Over the Air, NorthShore" and this will show you what is available. There is so much free TV that I seem to get all that I want. I understand now why it was that we needed to go this new method. Most of us were angry that this was forced on us but now I understand that it was for our own betterment. The problem now is that many people do not understand that there is free quality television because we all abandoned antennas years ago because of poor performance.
... Bill Northup,
Eden Isles Resident
posted via forum administrator
#25
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Bulkheads
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:48:56 PMBulkhead Failure & Maintenance:
Bulkheads normally fail due to maintenance issues and the force of nature.
Tidal changes that occur every day cause immense weight changes against the bulkheads far greater than boat wakes not to mention the tremendous flow of water that accompanies the running of the tide.
Also a big effect is the difference in soil moisture and the accompanying weight change caused by rain in the yards. Dry soil weighs less than wet soil. This is also constantly changing due to the tide levels. Having a backyard pool or higher lot elevation also exhibits additional force on the bulkheads. Ever wonder why the bulkheads fail outward? This is because the yard is pushing more than the water.
And then there is the fact that the metal tie backs holding the bulkheads in place are simply rusting through. Nothing is going to save the bulkhead at this point. This has been aggravated by the salt water brought into the sub soil of our yards from Katrina and other high water events. The closer you are to the lake the more salt you will be exposed to. Costal Florida residents and municipalities have vastly increased maintenance and failure problems related to salt water. If you immediately put in new tie back rods or drive pilings at the first sign of failure you might be able to save it. Eventually every bulkhead will require maintenance.
All of the above naturally occurring forces of nature vastly outweigh any effect of typical boat wakes we see here in Eden Isles relative to bulkhead failure.
Wakes should be minimal to prevent damage and unreasonable motion to moored boats. Wakes develop relative to a vessel's theoretical hull speed. This is generally accepted as 1.34 times the square root of the water line length of the boats hull. Speed must be kept significantly below this for minimum wake. Hull shape also plays a part in making wakes. Because of the physics relating to theoretical hull speed small boats like wave runners will generate wakes at a slower speed than a large boat traveling at a faster speed.
One should also observe wakes with reason. For instance when windy there is a ripple on the water and many so called wakes just blend in with that whereas the same boat at the same speed could be called out by the same person on a dead calm day for making a ripple on the water which may be confused as a wake - I've see it happen. Real wakes are those forces exhibited by a passing boat that cause moored boats to unreasonably tug on their lines.
Wakes should be kept to a minimum. After looking at some of the pictures of passing boats that have been posted on "Nextdoor" I am only providing real info to keep people from getting into legal battles that after much expense they will loose. Quite frankly I have seen the Coast Guard, Wildlife Enforcement and St. Tammany water patrol boats make wakes bigger than some of those pictures.
Bulkheads normally fail due to maintenance issues and the force of nature.
Tidal changes that occur every day cause immense weight changes against the bulkheads far greater than boat wakes not to mention the tremendous flow of water that accompanies the running of the tide.
Also a big effect is the difference in soil moisture and the accompanying weight change caused by rain in the yards. Dry soil weighs less than wet soil. This is also constantly changing due to the tide levels. Having a backyard pool or higher lot elevation also exhibits additional force on the bulkheads. Ever wonder why the bulkheads fail outward? This is because the yard is pushing more than the water.
And then there is the fact that the metal tie backs holding the bulkheads in place are simply rusting through. Nothing is going to save the bulkhead at this point. This has been aggravated by the salt water brought into the sub soil of our yards from Katrina and other high water events. The closer you are to the lake the more salt you will be exposed to. Costal Florida residents and municipalities have vastly increased maintenance and failure problems related to salt water. If you immediately put in new tie back rods or drive pilings at the first sign of failure you might be able to save it. Eventually every bulkhead will require maintenance.
All of the above naturally occurring forces of nature vastly outweigh any effect of typical boat wakes we see here in Eden Isles relative to bulkhead failure.
Wakes should be minimal to prevent damage and unreasonable motion to moored boats. Wakes develop relative to a vessel's theoretical hull speed. This is generally accepted as 1.34 times the square root of the water line length of the boats hull. Speed must be kept significantly below this for minimum wake. Hull shape also plays a part in making wakes. Because of the physics relating to theoretical hull speed small boats like wave runners will generate wakes at a slower speed than a large boat traveling at a faster speed.
One should also observe wakes with reason. For instance when windy there is a ripple on the water and many so called wakes just blend in with that whereas the same boat at the same speed could be called out by the same person on a dead calm day for making a ripple on the water which may be confused as a wake - I've see it happen. Real wakes are those forces exhibited by a passing boat that cause moored boats to unreasonably tug on their lines.
Wakes should be kept to a minimum. After looking at some of the pictures of passing boats that have been posted on "Nextdoor" I am only providing real info to keep people from getting into legal battles that after much expense they will loose. Quite frankly I have seen the Coast Guard, Wildlife Enforcement and St. Tammany water patrol boats make wakes bigger than some of those pictures.
#26
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Bulkheads
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:30:42 PM? Can I erect a partition on the property line into the water to keep the bow of the boat next door from protruding under the back of my boathouse?
...
You technically own the water bottoms out to 1/2 way across the canal. However, you cannot build a deck past 12' or 10' into the canal depending on what source you go by. No structures other than fencing / decking is allowed in the 5' offset from the property line. You must retain clear access to the required 5' side yard - no sheds etc.
There are cases where you need to create that partition. One would be the situation where you have a pool and it is possible to walk from a neighbors dock to yours. The law requires yards with pools to be fenced so you would have to either build a fence to secure your yard or fence off the pool itself.
I am not the authority but the parish may have some input. If it were me I would probably build the fence you want but not out more than 10'.
Please zoom in with the Assessors GIS site to get an idea of your property lines before building then back off a few inches just to be safe. See https://atlas.geoportalmaps.com/st_tammany
...
You technically own the water bottoms out to 1/2 way across the canal. However, you cannot build a deck past 12' or 10' into the canal depending on what source you go by. No structures other than fencing / decking is allowed in the 5' offset from the property line. You must retain clear access to the required 5' side yard - no sheds etc.
There are cases where you need to create that partition. One would be the situation where you have a pool and it is possible to walk from a neighbors dock to yours. The law requires yards with pools to be fenced so you would have to either build a fence to secure your yard or fence off the pool itself.
I am not the authority but the parish may have some input. If it were me I would probably build the fence you want but not out more than 10'.
Please zoom in with the Assessors GIS site to get an idea of your property lines before building then back off a few inches just to be safe. See https://atlas.geoportalmaps.com/st_tammany
#27
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Security
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:24:07 PMAn excellent publication on neighborhood security is available here:
http://www.northwoodhills.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Guidebook.pdf
Of course preventing unwarranted exposure is the first step.
http://www.northwoodhills.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Guidebook.pdf
Of course preventing unwarranted exposure is the first step.
#28
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Security
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 11:21:00 PMNovember 28, 2016
EDEN ISLES HOMEOWNERS & HOA Boards
SUBJECT: COMMON SENSE SECURITY
Dear Ladies & Gentlemen:
As a resident of Eden Isles I feel the duty to give my feedback regarding security issues.
While I have no objection to garage sales "Neighbor to Neighbor" within Eden Isles I have real concerns with advertising garage sales or other neighborhood events outside of our immediate area.
Eden Isles, Moonraker & Clipper Estates were created and zoned for single family private homes. Encouraging non residents to visit our neighborhood without regard violates our right to privacy and exposes us to significant security risks. Many who use a realtor in marketing one's home also do so in the name of security.
For security reasons many fine neighborhoods have gates to deter outsiders. Less secure neighborhoods have lower property values and higher crime. Since our streets were dedicated to the parish, Eden Isles cannot install gates.
It is important that those not familiar with the metro area realize we are only 15 minutes from one of the most dangerous and crime ridden cities in the country.
Security and opening up the neighborhood to unknown visitors "in mass" simply do not go together. When you are not expecting it or when evacuating for storms some of those "visitors" will be coming for our things simply because they have already been exposed to what we have.
I would encourage homeowners to demand that people running for HOA boards commit to keeping our homes private, recognize known security risks, and in general commit to the expectations of safety, security & preserving the integrity of our neighborhood.
EDEN ISLES HOMEOWNERS & HOA Boards
SUBJECT: COMMON SENSE SECURITY
Dear Ladies & Gentlemen:
As a resident of Eden Isles I feel the duty to give my feedback regarding security issues.
While I have no objection to garage sales "Neighbor to Neighbor" within Eden Isles I have real concerns with advertising garage sales or other neighborhood events outside of our immediate area.
Eden Isles, Moonraker & Clipper Estates were created and zoned for single family private homes. Encouraging non residents to visit our neighborhood without regard violates our right to privacy and exposes us to significant security risks. Many who use a realtor in marketing one's home also do so in the name of security.
For security reasons many fine neighborhoods have gates to deter outsiders. Less secure neighborhoods have lower property values and higher crime. Since our streets were dedicated to the parish, Eden Isles cannot install gates.
It is important that those not familiar with the metro area realize we are only 15 minutes from one of the most dangerous and crime ridden cities in the country.
Security and opening up the neighborhood to unknown visitors "in mass" simply do not go together. When you are not expecting it or when evacuating for storms some of those "visitors" will be coming for our things simply because they have already been exposed to what we have.
I would encourage homeowners to demand that people running for HOA boards commit to keeping our homes private, recognize known security risks, and in general commit to the expectations of safety, security & preserving the integrity of our neighborhood.
#29
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Dec. 2021 Forum Repair & Recon...
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 08:59:25 PMAs most of you know software crashes sometimes. That happened to this Forum in December of 2021. The forum was created way back in 2010.
The Forum is run on one of GoDaddy's internet servers and they "upgraded" their servers. This required a complete reconstruction of the Forum. Unfortunately, all of the users and a lot of historical posts were "lost".
I tried to manually copy the most important stuff from the old system to this one.
All is working as designed at this point and you may sign in, read and post existing and new topics at will.
This forum is an unpaid public service with no advertising and no selling of any user's info.
Thanks for your understanding.
The Forum is run on one of GoDaddy's internet servers and they "upgraded" their servers. This required a complete reconstruction of the Forum. Unfortunately, all of the users and a lot of historical posts were "lost".
I tried to manually copy the most important stuff from the old system to this one.
All is working as designed at this point and you may sign in, read and post existing and new topics at will.
This forum is an unpaid public service with no advertising and no selling of any user's info.
Thanks for your understanding.
#30
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Eden Isles and the Covenants
Last post by Administrator - December 11, 2021, 08:51:51 PMApril 2017
Covenant questions seem to come up regularly especially with new residents and the advent of "http://www.nextdoor.com". Below is a little research on the matter.
A primer on the Eden Isles Covenants (reservations, restrictions & conditions)
The Eden Isles HOA owns no property in the subdivision, is not part of the covenants and not part of your deed restrictions. This is why Moonraker and Clipper Estates (collectively just as large as what is traditionally thought of as Eden Isles) do not support entrance maintenance costs even though their access is via Eden Isles Dr. Eden Isles Dr. & it's median are public property and the responsibility of the parish! The utilities, water, sewerage and electricity for the whole area (Clipper & Moonraker included) are contained within this public area, yet the Eden Isles HOA has taken it upon themselves to cut the grass on this public thoroughfare.
see ... http://stpao.org/check-your-assessment/ (lists property ownership - the E.I.H.O.A. does not own any property)
see ... www.datakik.com/EIOH/community/ParishRoads.pdf (clarification of Eden Isles public roads)
see ... www.datakik.com/EIOH/community/Resolution84-459.pdf (cataloging of parish wide public roads)
interesting: https://datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/SenicNeighborhood-doc-6077-1592947376.pdf
The Eden Isles HOA can neither govern anything nor enforce the covenants except as a designated volunteer representative of a named complainant. Contrary to the assumption of many, the Eden Isles HOA is in name only and is actually a neighborhood civic association. The parish has mostly turned a blind eye to the HOA's activities on non-owned public property such as entry way signage and beautification. Since parish officials are elected and rotate from term to term it is quite possible they too do not always know the difference.
see ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhood_association (gives legal definition of Civic Association versus HOA)
Our subdivision was designed by the developer and zoned by the parish as single family private homes. The general assumption is that no home based business or other activity is allowed that would result in an unusual number of packages delivered, attract an unusual number of vehicles, cause a disproportionate number of non residents to come onto the property or otherwise disturb the privacy associated with single family home ownership.
At this time the HOA has about a 20% membership, therefore it does not represent the overwhelming majority of homeowners. This, in part, may be due to its disregard for private home ownership. It throws public events including inviting, in mass, the public from outside of the area to HOA sponsored and promoted garage sales. It also holds HOA sponsored public events on non-owned grounds within the neighborhood. This is not only an unwarranted intrusion into homeowner privacy but puts homeowners at risk. Most homeowners understand that. In fact, many quality subdivisions are gated to enforce the privacy of single family home ownership!
To get a handle on what the HOA is and is not, a real study of the covenants are in order. The covenants (reservations, restrictions & conditions) are part of everyone's legally binding property deed as recorded in the St. Tammany Parish Courthouse. Read them over & over until you really understand them! In reality the HOA has become nothing more than a social club who's mission should be concentrating on representing the best interests of the Eden Isles residents before their elected officials along with preserving the safety, security and integrity of the neighborhood. (note, advertising garage sales and other events in mass to residents outside of our immediate area is a security & safety hazard)
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/Covenants/covenant%20research.htm
Now let's talk about the "by-laws" of the HOA which some have confused as having some sort of power. The by-laws have absolutely no effect on the vast majority of homeowners. They simply govern the HOA itself and mostly apply to it's board of directors. So what comprises the HOA? It is the members and that's it. Think about what would happen if the HOA were sued - are you insured?
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/2008%20By-Laws_Formatted%20Final.pdf
As defined in the covenants, the real teeth of governing the neighborhood was in the hands of the Architectural Committee, a legally formed entity not connected with the HOA. The Architectural Committee, as outlined in the covenants, is to hold annual elections in order to be a valid entity. Following Hurricane Katrina the Architectural Committee was allowed to collapse and the State of Louisiana formally terminated it as a legal entity. The current HOA often refers to the "Architectural Committee" but whatever they think they are referring to does not exist as a legal entity and therefore not capable of legally enforcing anything. Despite the collapse of the Architectural Committee the Covenants endure, it's just that the HOA is not the enforcement mechanism.
see ... https://coraweb.sos.la.gov/CommercialSearch/CommercialSearchDetails.aspx?CharterID=464646_D9FA371342
Fortunately most of the covenants are mirrored in the parish code of ordinances and enforceable by the parish.
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/Covenants/stp-on-covenants.pdf
see ... http://www.stpgov.org
So who enforces the covenants? You do! This means you can personally sue your neighbor regarding a breech of covenants.
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Info/FAQ.htm
Additional historical information on the formation & makeup of Eden Isles and the why of just about everything is still available on the archived "legacy" website stored at - http://www.eiohforum.com Simply click on "Eden Isles".
Note, this post is printable in .pdf format by way of the attachment.
rev. 6/17
Covenant questions seem to come up regularly especially with new residents and the advent of "http://www.nextdoor.com". Below is a little research on the matter.
A primer on the Eden Isles Covenants (reservations, restrictions & conditions)
The Eden Isles HOA owns no property in the subdivision, is not part of the covenants and not part of your deed restrictions. This is why Moonraker and Clipper Estates (collectively just as large as what is traditionally thought of as Eden Isles) do not support entrance maintenance costs even though their access is via Eden Isles Dr. Eden Isles Dr. & it's median are public property and the responsibility of the parish! The utilities, water, sewerage and electricity for the whole area (Clipper & Moonraker included) are contained within this public area, yet the Eden Isles HOA has taken it upon themselves to cut the grass on this public thoroughfare.
see ... http://stpao.org/check-your-assessment/ (lists property ownership - the E.I.H.O.A. does not own any property)
see ... www.datakik.com/EIOH/community/ParishRoads.pdf (clarification of Eden Isles public roads)
see ... www.datakik.com/EIOH/community/Resolution84-459.pdf (cataloging of parish wide public roads)
interesting: https://datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/SenicNeighborhood-doc-6077-1592947376.pdf
The Eden Isles HOA can neither govern anything nor enforce the covenants except as a designated volunteer representative of a named complainant. Contrary to the assumption of many, the Eden Isles HOA is in name only and is actually a neighborhood civic association. The parish has mostly turned a blind eye to the HOA's activities on non-owned public property such as entry way signage and beautification. Since parish officials are elected and rotate from term to term it is quite possible they too do not always know the difference.
see ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhood_association (gives legal definition of Civic Association versus HOA)
Our subdivision was designed by the developer and zoned by the parish as single family private homes. The general assumption is that no home based business or other activity is allowed that would result in an unusual number of packages delivered, attract an unusual number of vehicles, cause a disproportionate number of non residents to come onto the property or otherwise disturb the privacy associated with single family home ownership.
At this time the HOA has about a 20% membership, therefore it does not represent the overwhelming majority of homeowners. This, in part, may be due to its disregard for private home ownership. It throws public events including inviting, in mass, the public from outside of the area to HOA sponsored and promoted garage sales. It also holds HOA sponsored public events on non-owned grounds within the neighborhood. This is not only an unwarranted intrusion into homeowner privacy but puts homeowners at risk. Most homeowners understand that. In fact, many quality subdivisions are gated to enforce the privacy of single family home ownership!
To get a handle on what the HOA is and is not, a real study of the covenants are in order. The covenants (reservations, restrictions & conditions) are part of everyone's legally binding property deed as recorded in the St. Tammany Parish Courthouse. Read them over & over until you really understand them! In reality the HOA has become nothing more than a social club who's mission should be concentrating on representing the best interests of the Eden Isles residents before their elected officials along with preserving the safety, security and integrity of the neighborhood. (note, advertising garage sales and other events in mass to residents outside of our immediate area is a security & safety hazard)
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/Covenants/covenant%20research.htm
Now let's talk about the "by-laws" of the HOA which some have confused as having some sort of power. The by-laws have absolutely no effect on the vast majority of homeowners. They simply govern the HOA itself and mostly apply to it's board of directors. So what comprises the HOA? It is the members and that's it. Think about what would happen if the HOA were sued - are you insured?
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/2008%20By-Laws_Formatted%20Final.pdf
As defined in the covenants, the real teeth of governing the neighborhood was in the hands of the Architectural Committee, a legally formed entity not connected with the HOA. The Architectural Committee, as outlined in the covenants, is to hold annual elections in order to be a valid entity. Following Hurricane Katrina the Architectural Committee was allowed to collapse and the State of Louisiana formally terminated it as a legal entity. The current HOA often refers to the "Architectural Committee" but whatever they think they are referring to does not exist as a legal entity and therefore not capable of legally enforcing anything. Despite the collapse of the Architectural Committee the Covenants endure, it's just that the HOA is not the enforcement mechanism.
see ... https://coraweb.sos.la.gov/CommercialSearch/CommercialSearchDetails.aspx?CharterID=464646_D9FA371342
Fortunately most of the covenants are mirrored in the parish code of ordinances and enforceable by the parish.
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Documents/Covenants/stp-on-covenants.pdf
see ... http://www.stpgov.org
So who enforces the covenants? You do! This means you can personally sue your neighbor regarding a breech of covenants.
see ... http://www.datakik.com/eihoa/Info/FAQ.htm
Additional historical information on the formation & makeup of Eden Isles and the why of just about everything is still available on the archived "legacy" website stored at - http://www.eiohforum.com Simply click on "Eden Isles".
Note, this post is printable in .pdf format by way of the attachment.
rev. 6/17