HOAAppeal Case Report
Fence Application Denial — Application #2026-0342
March 25, 2026
This report is AI-generated research, not legal advice. HOAAppeal is not a law firm. Verify all citations against your original documents before use.
Full termsAssessment
Strong Case3 issues found · 5 provisions cited
The governing documents require "written standards" for fence approvals, but the ARC never published any. Your neighbor's identical fence was approved 8 months ago, creating an inconsistent enforcement problem. The board also missed the 30-day response deadline in Section 5.4, meaning your application may already be deemed approved.
Key Finding
The ARC took 43 days to respond. Your governing documents give them 30. Your application is likely already approved by default. This is your strongest argument.
CC&Rs, Section 5.4
"If the Committee fails to approve or disapprove a complete application within thirty (30) days after submission of all required materials, the application shall be deemed approved, provided it otherwise complies with the provisions of the Declaration."
The following sections are included in the paid report
Issues Found
1. No Published Fence Standards
Section 7.2 requires the ARC to maintain "written architectural standards" for each improvement category. No fence-specific standards have been published or made available to homeowners, which means the Committee is applying subjective criteria rather than the objective standards required by your governing documents. This makes the denial procedurally defective.
CC&Rs, Section 7.2(b)
"The Committee shall develop and publish written architectural standards for each category of exterior improvement, which shall be made available to all Owners upon request."
2. Missed 30-Day Response Deadline
Your application was submitted on March 3rd. The denial letter is dated April 15th, 43 days later. Section 5.4 requires the ARC to respond within 30 days of receiving a complete application. Because the Committee exceeded this deadline, your fence application is automatically "deemed approved" under the governing documents. This is your strongest argument.
CC&Rs, Section 5.4
"If the Committee fails to approve or disapprove a complete application within thirty (30) days after submission of all required materials, the application shall be deemed approved, provided it otherwise complies with the provisions of the Declaration."
3. Inconsistent Enforcement
The same 6-foot cedar privacy fence was approved for [ADDRESS] in July 2025. Selectively enforcing restrictions against one owner while approving identical improvements for another is a textbook violation of the board's duty to enforce covenants uniformly. This pattern of unequal treatment undermines the board's authority to deny your application.
Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3
"The Board shall enforce these covenants uniformly and shall not selectively enforce any provision against any Owner or group of Owners."
Anticipated Counter-Arguments
If the board claims: "The fence is not aesthetically compatible with the community."
"Aesthetic compatibility" is not defined anywhere in the governing documents. Section 7.2 requires the ARC to publish written standards for each improvement type. No fence standards exist. The Committee cannot deny based on a standard that was never created.
CC&Rs, Section 7.2(b)
"The Committee shall develop and publish written architectural standards for each category of exterior improvement."
If the board claims: "The application was reviewed and denied within normal process."
The application was submitted March 3rd. The denial is dated April 15th. That is 43 days, 13 days past the 30-day deadline in Section 5.4. The application is deemed approved by operation of the governing documents.
CC&Rs, Section 5.4
"If the Committee fails to approve or disapprove a complete application within thirty (30) days...the application shall be deemed approved."
Response Letter
Review, personalize, and send via certified mail.
Dear Members of the Architectural Review Committee,
I am writing to formally appeal the denial of my fence application dated April 15, 2026 (Application #2026-0342). After careful review of the governing documents, I believe this denial is improper for the following reasons:
1. THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED APPROVED UNDER SECTION 5.4
My complete application was submitted on March 3, 2026. Your denial letter is dated April 15, 2026, forty-three (43) days after submission. Section 5.4 of the CC&Rs clearly states:
"If the Committee fails to approve or disapprove a complete application within thirty (30) days after submission of all required materials, the application shall be deemed approved, provided it otherwise complies with the provisions of the Declaration."
My application included all required materials as defined in Section 7.1: a written description, lot location, dimensions, materials list, and photographs. The 30-day deadline expired on April 2, 2026. As of that date, my application was deemed approved by operation of the CC&Rs.
2. NO PUBLISHED STANDARDS EXIST FOR FENCE IMPROVEMENTS
Section 7.2(b) requires the Committee to "develop and publish written architectural standards for each category of exterior improvement." To my knowledge, no fence-specific architectural standards have ever been published or made available to homeowners. In the absence of such standards, the Committee cannot lawfully apply subjective criteria to deny an application. The denial letter references "aesthetic incompatibility," a standard that appears nowhere in the governing documents.
3. THE RESTRICTION HAS BEEN INCONSISTENTLY ENFORCED
An identical 6-foot cedar privacy fence was approved at [ADDRESS] in July 2025 under Application #2025-0189. Article IV, Section 3 of the Bylaws requires the Board to "enforce these covenants uniformly" and prohibits selective enforcement. Approving one owner's application while denying an identical application from another owner is precisely the kind of unequal treatment the Bylaws prohibit.
REQUESTED ACTION
Based on the foregoing, I respectfully demand the following:
1. Immediate written acknowledgment that my application is deemed approved under Section 5.4 due to the Committee's failure to act within 30 days;
2. In the alternative, if the Committee disputes the deemed-approval provision, a formal hearing before the Board of Directors as provided in Section 12.3;
3. A written response to this letter within fourteen (14) calendar days.
Please be advised that I am preserving all documentation related to this matter. I reserve the right to file a complaint with the state HOA regulatory office and to pursue all available legal remedies if this matter is not resolved in accordance with the governing documents.
Respectfully,
[HOMEOWNER]
Recommended Actions
- 1.Send this response letter via certified mail (return receipt requested) to the HOA's registered address within 14 days. This creates a verifiable paper trail and starts the clock on their obligation to respond.
- 2.Request a formal hearing before the Board of Directors per CC&Rs Section 12.3. The Board must schedule this within 45 days of your written request. Bring copies of all documentation including the neighbor's approved fence.
- 3.Take dated photographs of the identical approved fence at [ADDRESS]. These will serve as evidence of inconsistent enforcement at your hearing.
- 4.Request a copy of any published architectural standards from the ARC in writing. Their inability to produce fence-specific standards strengthens your argument that the denial was arbitrary.
- 5.If the Board does not respond within 14 days or refuses to schedule a hearing, file a formal complaint with the state HOA ombudsman and consult with a real estate attorney.
This report was generated by HOAAppeal. It is AI-powered research, not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Consult a licensed attorney for legal matters.
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