WHAT FUTURE OWNERS SHOULD KNOW

Owning a property in Muirfield Village has so many benefits: a beautiful area to call home, community amenities, and a convenient location in one of the finest small cities in the country.

Ownership also comes with the responsibility to comply with the Warranty Deed and Design Standards. All properties that are a part Muirfield Village are bound by these standards. The standards ensure continued high property values.

Deciding to purchase a home requires a lot of consideration. These are some important topics a potential resident should know when thinking of purchasing in Muirfield Village:

• Muirfield Village is a Planned Unit Development
• Approval Required for All Exterior Property Changes, Removals and Additions
• Deed Violations Are Attached to Properties
• Requesting Property Changes Before Purchase
• About Sub-Associations

Muirfield Village is a Planned Unit Development

Muirfield Village is a Planned Unit Development, which means there are standards that govern construction, renovations, and what is permitted to occur with the home and on properties in general. These standards come from the Declaration (Warranty Deed) plus Design Standards found in Property Policies and the Resident Handbook. Enforcement of these standards, called Deed Enforcement, ensures property owners of a rich quality of life and secure property values.

There is an HOA (Homeowners Association), which is Muirfield Association, Inc. One of the duties of the HOA is to enforce community standards.

Most residents welcome and desire having community standards. However, some homeowners do not care to have their choices governed. Potential owners may wish to review the Declaration (Warranty Deed - in particular, Section 8), Property Policies, and the Resident Handbook to understand Muirfield Village rules and regulations before committing to purchase.

Approval Required for Exterior Property Changes

All plans for exterior property changes, additions, and/or removals must be reviewed and approved by the Design Control Committee before any work begins. (Muirfield Association does not regulate what changes occur on the interior of a house.) Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• Home additions, new garages, and storage buildings;
• All play equipment such as basketball units, trampolines, swing sets, sports nets and other recreation equipment;
• Radon unit installation (read more below);
• Decks, patios, porches, sun rooms, hot tubs, spas and pools;
• Driveways and walkways;
• Fencing (which is extremely limited in Muirfield Village);
• Doors and garage doors;
• Windows (whether replacing one or all);
• Roof replacements (partial replacements or patching is not permitted);
• Landscaping changes such as adding/removing trees, bushes, shrubs, perennials, and gardens;
• Exterior paint colors

There are also requirements for the quality of materials used in construction, exterior renovations, and on properties. Guidelines and applications for nearly every project can be found in the Design Review section.

Essentially, approval is required for anything that occurs on the exterior of the home or on the property. However, residents do not need approval to:

• Make interior changes of any kind to their home.
• Add an invisible fence. No advertisements/signage are permitted on the property. It is prohibited to install invisible fencing in an easement area or City right-of-way.
• Plant annual flowers in existing beds. The creation of new beds requires approval.
• Repaint or restain the home, trim, or exterior accessory the exact same color. The Association strongly recommends residents contact the office to ensure that the color they are repainting/restaining with has already been approved and is on file with the office.
• Replace rotted siding or deck boards with the exact same material. For example, rotten wood boards on a deck can be replaced with wood. However, if an owner wishes to replace wood with a composite or other material, approval is required.
• Place a "For Sale" sign on the property. However, there are specific signage requirements. Read sign policies here.

Deed Violations Are Attached to Properties

When choosing a new home in any community, buyers generally want to learn about any potential problems beforehand. If a home has problems such as mold, water leakage, or insects, the buyer will inherit the problems if they are not corrected by the seller.

Similarly, it is very important to understand that a new owner of a home in Muirfield Village will inherit any uncorrected violations of the Warranty Deed and Design Standards and will be required to remedy the situation in order to bring the property into compliance.

Per Article 8 of the Warranty Deed, opening paragraph, property violations are attached to the property itself. They are not attached to the owner. A property will not cease to have violations simply because it is transferred to a new owner. If violations are not corrected before the property transfers ownership, the new owner will be responsible for correcting them.

One possible example is a radon unit that was installed without approval. If the installation was not approved by the Design Control Committee and the unit is discovered by the Association, the new owner would be required to submit a proposal for the location of the unit and will likely need to paint the unit and/or plant evergreens to screen the motor.

Another example is dead or dying trees. The Emerald Ash Borer has decimated ash trees in this area. Dead or dying trees must be removed to prevent a violation, not to mention serious potential property damage. If dead or dying trees (or stumps) are not removed by the current owner, the responsibility and cost of removal and replacement will fall on the new owner.

Correcting previous violations may take time and money plus cause distress for a new owner. With this in mind:

• Potential buyers may wish to ask the current owner questions about the current status of the property and if there are any outstanding violations.
• Potential buyers should familiarize themselves with the Declaration (Warranty Deed), Property Policies, and the Resident Handbook in order to understand what may constitute a violation.

Requesting Property Changes Before Purchase

Sometimes, potential residents will only want to move to Muirfield if they will be permitted to install elements, such as a pool or recreation equipment, or make other changes to the property, such as removing trees and landscaping or adding a house addition.

The Design Control Committee can only grant approval for any change to the current owner of the property. Therefore, the current owner will need to submit a preliminary plan for the change the potential resident would like to make. There is no cost to submit a preliminary plan.

Read more and get directions for submitting a preliminary plan here.

About Sub-Associations

The Declaration governs all properties in Muirfield Village. However, some Muirfield neighborhoods have additional architectural and maintenance restrictions that are enforced by separate sub-associations.

Sub-associations may charge additional fees that are entirely separate from the annual assessment. Each sub-association sets the fee amount, the frequency (for example, billed quarterly or yearly), and what the fee covers.

For information regarding fees, property restrictions, or maintenance performance in a sub-association, visit the Sub-Associations page and contact the appropriate neighborhood representative and/or property maintenance agency.

If in doubt whether a property is part of a sub-association or not, please contact the office.