Community Standards & Reporting Concerns

Village East is often asked whether the HOA enforces rules about how neighbors keep up their property — yards, weeds, trash, parked or inoperable vehicles, outdoor storage, or overgrown trees. In almost every case, it does not. Those matters are handled by the City of Fort Collins, and residents can report them directly.

What the HOA Is Responsible For

Under our Bylaws and Covenants, the Board's role is narrow. Article VI ("Powers and Duties of the Board of Directors") gives the Board authority to:

• Collect annual assessments and keep the Association's financial records
• Maintain the common areas — the pool, park, green space, playground equipment, and courts
• Adopt and enforce rules governing use of the common areas (for example, the pool rules) and suspend common-area privileges for unpaid dues or rule violations
• Carry insurance, hire contractors, and issue status certificates

Our covenants do not give the Association authority over lawn care, weeds, trash, junk or inoperable vehicles, parking, home repairs in driveways, paint colors, or landscaping on privately owned lots. Village East has never adopted community standards, design guidelines, or property maintenance rules for privately owned lots, and the Board does not issue citations or fines over those issues. Village East is simply not that kind of HOA.

About architectural control

Article V of the Declaration ("Architectural Control") gives the Board the authority to review plans for new buildings, fences, walls, other structures, and exterior alterations. Residents sometimes ask whether that means Village East has design rules. It does not.

The Board has not adopted any architectural standards, design guidelines, or review procedures, and does not operate an architectural review process. There is no approved materials list, no color palette, no fence specification, and no committee reviewing submissions. The authority exists in the covenants but has never been exercised through adopted policy.

In practice, this means the binding requirements for a fence, shed, deck, or addition in Village East are the City of Fort Collins building and zoning requirements, not HOA rules. Check permit requirements with the City before you build: Building Services or Zoning at 970-416-2745.

Article V also provides that if plans are submitted to the Board and the Board does not approve or disapprove them within 30 days, approval is not required and the article is deemed satisfied. Homeowners who want that on the record for a future sale are welcome to email plans to hoavillageeast@gmail.com, but the Association does not require it.

Where to Report Property & Nuisance Concerns

The City of Fort Collins enforces its municipal code throughout the neighborhood. Reports can be filed online, by phone, or by email, and the City accepts anonymous reports (though anonymity may limit their follow-up).

Access Fort Collins — online reporting

The City's reporting portal routes your report to the correct department:

https://fortcollinsco.citysourced.com/

There are also free mobile apps for iOS and Android.

City Code Compliance

Code Compliance handles most neighborhood property complaints.

• Phone: 970-416-2350 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
• Email: CodeCompliance@fortcollins.gov
• Office: 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524
• Web: https://www.fortcollins.gov/Services/Housing/In-Your-Neighborhood/Code-Compliance

Code Compliance handles weeds and unmowed grass, trash and rubbish, improper outdoor storage, overgrown trees and shrubs, unshoveled sidewalks, right-of-way encroachment, construction noise and dust, and inoperable or improperly parked vehicles on private property.

The City's own guidance notes that vehicles and trailers must be parked on gravel, concrete, asphalt, or a similar hard improved surface, and that inoperable vehicles must be kept in a garage or screened from view.

Who Handles What

Overhanging branches over sidewalks

This is a common concern in Village East, and the City code is specific. Fort Collins Municipal Code Sec. 27-57 makes the property owner responsible for trimming trees, shrubs, and other woody vegetation on their property so that it does not encroach on a public sidewalk, street, or alley. Branches must be maintained at a height of at least 8 feet over a public sidewalk and at least 14 feet over travel lanes. If an owner does not comply, the City Forester may serve notice requiring the work be done.

If you notice branches making a sidewalk hard to pass with a stroller, wheelchair, or dog, report it through Access Fort Collins under "Overgrown Trees & Shrubs," or call Code Compliance.

A Note From the Board

We appreciate that residents care about how the neighborhood looks and feels — that concern is what keeps Village East a good place to live. The Board is a small group of volunteers whose authority is limited to the common areas and the Association's finances. Pointing you toward the City is not a brush-off; it is genuinely the office with the tools and legal authority to address these issues.

A friendly conversation with a neighbor also resolves many concerns faster than any formal process, and we'd encourage that as a first step where you feel comfortable.

Questions about what the Association does or does not cover are always welcome at hoavillageeast@gmail.com.

City contact information verified August 2026. City phone numbers and web addresses occasionally change — the Fort Collins department directory is the authoritative source.