What Are The Owen Brown Village Coventants?

The Covenants are binding legal obligations between the Owen Brown Community Association and each lot owner in the village. They “run with the land,” as part of your deed of ownership, which means the obligation transfers to all successive owners. You should have received the Owen Brown Covenants within days of signing the contract for your new home. Our Covenants assure residents of certain standards for land use, architectural design, and property maintenance throughout the village. They also provide you membership in the Owen Brown Community Association and establish the mechanism for the operation of that association. Because of the legal, contractual nature of the Covenants, it is important that all exterior alterations to residential properties covered by the Guidelines be approved through the architectural review process. If an alteration is made without approval, you incur the risk of legal action in order to compel modifications consistent with the Guidelines. Such legal actions may result in a notation being placed on the Columbia Association Assessment File which serves as a notice to potential purchasers that the property is not free and clear of all encumbrances. The Covenants are not easily changed. Ninety percent of lot owners in the village must agree to change the Covenants. Lot owners who are not in compliance with the Covenants may cast one vote per unit when changes of the Covenants are proposed. The Guidelines are a practical interpretation of the legal Covenants, and they stand as a straightforward guide for the Residential Architectural Committee (RAC), Executive Architectural Committee (EAC) and residents to follow.

Why Do We Have Architectural Guidelines?

The goal of these Guidelines is to keep our community an attractive, desirable place in which to live, and to protect property values. We hope the use of these Guidelines provides assistance to residents in preparing applications as a practical means of accomplishing these goals.

Who Oversees The Architectural Review Process?

The Village Board appoints interested and qualified residents to a Resident Architectural Committee. This committee is composed of volunteers who conduct on-site visits and initial reviews of exterior alteration and in-home business applications, making recommendations to the Executive Architectural Committee for final approval of these alterations. The RAC also recommends revisions to the Guidelines. The Covenants provide for an Executive Architectural Committee which is composed of qualified volunteers (preferably with Village Board, RAC, or architectural experience) with the majority being appointed by The Columbia Association and the minority by the Owen Brown Village Board. The EAC is responsible for setting the rules and procedures for architectural control, for the review and final approval of all exterior alterations on residential properties, for all in-home business approvals, and for the review and approval of new residential and commercial construction. It is also the final appeal body for all architectural decisions in the village. In addition, the village employs a Covenant Advisor who is available at the village office to assist in preparation of exterior alteration and in-home business applications, to answer questions, process covenant inquiries, and to carry out certain duties associated with covenant enforcement.