It has always been the property owners responsibility to obtain approval from the ARC for most exterior work. Unfortunately many will try to delegate that responsibility to the contractor doing the work and while many of the companies will provide the necessary paperwork and even attend the ARC meetings to obtain approval it is the property owners signature that is required on the application as the responsible party. The deed restrictions are a legal document between the developer and the property owner and cannot be transferred to the contractor unless you have an legal agreement that binds the contractor to the same rules and regulations which I doubt most people will waste time in trying to obtain. In fact, I would estimate that the majority of landscape work is done without any type of contract other than a quote stating how much is due upon completion. Property owners need to be more involved in the process and understand not only their obligations but their rights as well. Just because you had work done and did not want to take the time to understand the legalities or check the work this does not give you the right to pass this responsibility on to someone else when things go wrong. Sorry if your neighbor is upset with you and you feel embarrassed. Get over it. Do your due diligence ahead of time and be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. Why should the ARC or Community Standards be your own personal construction manager?
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