What You Should Know
A warm welcome to new residents . . .
If You've made a great decision by purchasing a villa in The Clearing!
Information:
There are 97 Villa-Styled homes in 23 buildings and a screened in cabana. There are four ponds onsite that have fountains which light up at night.
Just a little warning though .... this is Florida which means there are also
Alligators!
Do NOT FEED the raccoons or alligators!!
Florida Statute Section 0379-412 Prohibits this and you can be fined $500 or 60 days in jail If you know anyone feeding them report to the Wildlife Alert Hotline 888-404-3922
The 30,000 gallon pool is heated in the winter and very warm in the summer.
The swimming pool was completely remodeled 4 years ago. That's also when the heater was installed.
The roads were replaced 5 years ago. Our roofs were done in 2017. Our roofs have a 20 year warranty.
The Clearing was built in 1985/86 as P.U.D. units. People ask, "What is a P.U.D. unit?"
Our Villas are "PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT". Think of it as single family homes that happen to have an HOA attached. Unlike condos, you own land beyond the exterior walls.
When purchasing Homeowners insurance, residents will need complete coverage as would be required on any free standing home. (HO-3). If you are an approved rental, you should have (DP-3) insurance.
Among other things, the HOA is responsible for maintaining roofs, lawn cutting, pool, ponds, fountains, exterior painting, water/sewer, and trash removal. Also all common areas are maintained by the HOA. Homeowners are responsible for their courtyards and rear lanais and/or patios.
Some people still call The Clearing...….condos!
They are not!
We follow Florida Statute 720 whereas condos follow other statutes. This does make a difference in so many ways! We all know Documents can be extremely boring.
However, PLEASE READ THEM!
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. I was told The Clearing is part of a "Master Association". Is this true and what does it mean?
The master association is called Tarpon Lake Villages Association (TLVA). TLVA has its own board of Directors. The fee is $175 annually as of 2018 and is due no later than January. The fee covers maintaining signage at Eastlake Road, maintaining the "Big Pond" on the corner of Tarpon Lake Blvd. and Village Drive among other things.
For more info please reach out to Wendy Greenaway, PM wendy@elitepms.com or www.tlvhoa.org
2. Do I need homeowners insurance on my villa?
YES, Residents must have type HO-3 insurance, not condo insurance. They can have content (renters) insurance if they wish in addition to HO-3. Every homeowner must furnish a copy of the declaration page of their insurance policy to the Property Manager every year.
3. Can I rent or lease my home?
There are two (2) rules in The Clearing documents when it comes to leasing. Accordingly, residents must own their home for at least 1 year before they can lease or rent. Secondly, The Clearing maintains a 10% cap on the number of units that can be leased. If you are an owner for at least one (1) year and we are under the 10% cap, you can lease. Please check with the Property Manager for approval and more details. You should also obtain DP-3 homeowners insurance.
4. May I have a pet?
Yes, but residents may have no more than two (2) pets. There are no size or weight restrictions. We do ask you avoid "Unusual" pets. What is meant by that is please do not keep lions or tigers or bears! Generally speaking, we much prefer dogs and/or cats. Please pick up after your pets. If you have an aggressive animal such as a dog that is not very friendly towards people, it is recommended that you transport your dog outside of the community for walking. The Clearing is very pet friendly however our residents must be protected above all else.
5. Where do I dispose of trash and what can go in the dumpster?
There are 4 dumpsters in The Clearing. There is one at Goldfinch Ct, one at Pheasant Ct, one outside the pool area at Tanager Pl and Killdeer and one at the south end of Killdeer Place. They are picked up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Only household trash is permitted. Please have large items such as mattresses, furniture and such picked up by other means. There are clip locks on the dumpster doors to prevent raccoons from entering the dumpsters. Please clip lock the doors when you are done.
DO NOT LEAVE TRASH OUTSIDE THE DUMPSTER.
If a dumpster is full, please use one of the others!
6. Can I have a satellite dish on my home?
Yes. It is preferred that you have it installed in the rear of your building if at all possible.
7. Who can use the pool/cabana?
All residents whether homeowner or tenants may use the pool/cabana. They may also have guests, however it is highly recommended that the homeowner or tenant be present with their guests. The hours of operation are dawn to dusk. Please follow the rules posted at the pool.
8. What is the speed limit in The Clearing?
The posted speed limit is 10 mph.
Be aware, there are some areas that do not have sidewalks.
On any given night, folks will be strolling through the community walking their dogs.
SLOW DOWN PLEASE and make a FULL STOP at the Stop Signs!
9. Where does the HOA's responsibility end and mine begin as far as property maintenance?
The simple answer is: The exterior of the front courtyard wall and the rear lanai. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining inside your front courtyard to include landscaping, pressure washing patios and general appearance. Homeowners must also maintain rear lanais, patio blocks and any plants or shrubs.
10. What if my villa needs touch-up paint and I'm not in line to be painted?
Check with the Property Manager for paint. We store the three different paints needed for touch-up. The Property Manager will be happy to supply you with paint for those areas.
11. I understand the HOA maintains the roofs. Does the HOA take care of my lanai roof?
Unfortunately, no. According to The Clearing documents and HOA Attorney, the HOA is responsible only for slant or pitched roofs (asphalt shingle). Homeowners must take care of any flat roofs. The reason is that some homeowners have no lanai, some have lanais that are "tucked" under pitched roofs, some owners replaced lanais with newer ones and as such, assumed responsibility for individual home owners.
12. Who maintains water pipes?
The HOA is only responsible for the main line that comes into the community. As the main line passes a building, a separate line runs to resident's homes. The homeowner is responsible from the point where that separate line branches off the main line towards each home. This issue is extremely important because that line is under the road and is very expensive to repair. PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENTS for more information!
13. I understand the HOA maintains the exterior of my villa, is that true?
Please read the documents!
The HOA does not maintain the exterior of villas. The HOA DOES PAINT THE EXTERIOR but that is all!
Documents are available from the management company.
BELOW YOU WILL FIND PDFS/FORMs RELATED TO OUR COMMUNITY:
Information:
There are 97 Villa-Styled homes in 23 buildings and a screened in cabana. There are four ponds onsite that have fountains which light up at night.
Just a little warning though .... this is Florida which means there are also
Alligators!
Do NOT FEED the raccoons or alligators!!
Florida Statute Section 0379-412 Prohibits this and you can be fined $500 or 60 days in jail If you know anyone feeding them report to the Wildlife Alert Hotline 888-404-3922
The 30,000 gallon pool is heated in the winter and very warm in the summer.
The swimming pool was completely remodeled 4 years ago. That's also when the heater was installed.
The roads were replaced 5 years ago. Our roofs were done in 2017. Our roofs have a 20 year warranty.
The Clearing was built in 1985/86 as P.U.D. units. People ask, "What is a P.U.D. unit?"
Our Villas are "PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT". Think of it as single family homes that happen to have an HOA attached. Unlike condos, you own land beyond the exterior walls.
When purchasing Homeowners insurance, residents will need complete coverage as would be required on any free standing home. (HO-3). If you are an approved rental, you should have (DP-3) insurance.
Among other things, the HOA is responsible for maintaining roofs, lawn cutting, pool, ponds, fountains, exterior painting, water/sewer, and trash removal. Also all common areas are maintained by the HOA. Homeowners are responsible for their courtyards and rear lanais and/or patios.
Some people still call The Clearing...….condos!
They are not!
We follow Florida Statute 720 whereas condos follow other statutes. This does make a difference in so many ways! We all know Documents can be extremely boring.
However, PLEASE READ THEM!
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. I was told The Clearing is part of a "Master Association". Is this true and what does it mean?
The master association is called Tarpon Lake Villages Association (TLVA). TLVA has its own board of Directors. The fee is $175 annually as of 2018 and is due no later than January. The fee covers maintaining signage at Eastlake Road, maintaining the "Big Pond" on the corner of Tarpon Lake Blvd. and Village Drive among other things.
For more info please reach out to Wendy Greenaway, PM wendy@elitepms.com or www.tlvhoa.org
2. Do I need homeowners insurance on my villa?
YES, Residents must have type HO-3 insurance, not condo insurance. They can have content (renters) insurance if they wish in addition to HO-3. Every homeowner must furnish a copy of the declaration page of their insurance policy to the Property Manager every year.
3. Can I rent or lease my home?
There are two (2) rules in The Clearing documents when it comes to leasing. Accordingly, residents must own their home for at least 1 year before they can lease or rent. Secondly, The Clearing maintains a 10% cap on the number of units that can be leased. If you are an owner for at least one (1) year and we are under the 10% cap, you can lease. Please check with the Property Manager for approval and more details. You should also obtain DP-3 homeowners insurance.
4. May I have a pet?
Yes, but residents may have no more than two (2) pets. There are no size or weight restrictions. We do ask you avoid "Unusual" pets. What is meant by that is please do not keep lions or tigers or bears! Generally speaking, we much prefer dogs and/or cats. Please pick up after your pets. If you have an aggressive animal such as a dog that is not very friendly towards people, it is recommended that you transport your dog outside of the community for walking. The Clearing is very pet friendly however our residents must be protected above all else.
5. Where do I dispose of trash and what can go in the dumpster?
There are 4 dumpsters in The Clearing. There is one at Goldfinch Ct, one at Pheasant Ct, one outside the pool area at Tanager Pl and Killdeer and one at the south end of Killdeer Place. They are picked up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Only household trash is permitted. Please have large items such as mattresses, furniture and such picked up by other means. There are clip locks on the dumpster doors to prevent raccoons from entering the dumpsters. Please clip lock the doors when you are done.
DO NOT LEAVE TRASH OUTSIDE THE DUMPSTER.
If a dumpster is full, please use one of the others!
6. Can I have a satellite dish on my home?
Yes. It is preferred that you have it installed in the rear of your building if at all possible.
7. Who can use the pool/cabana?
All residents whether homeowner or tenants may use the pool/cabana. They may also have guests, however it is highly recommended that the homeowner or tenant be present with their guests. The hours of operation are dawn to dusk. Please follow the rules posted at the pool.
8. What is the speed limit in The Clearing?
The posted speed limit is 10 mph.
Be aware, there are some areas that do not have sidewalks.
On any given night, folks will be strolling through the community walking their dogs.
SLOW DOWN PLEASE and make a FULL STOP at the Stop Signs!
9. Where does the HOA's responsibility end and mine begin as far as property maintenance?
The simple answer is: The exterior of the front courtyard wall and the rear lanai. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining inside your front courtyard to include landscaping, pressure washing patios and general appearance. Homeowners must also maintain rear lanais, patio blocks and any plants or shrubs.
10. What if my villa needs touch-up paint and I'm not in line to be painted?
Check with the Property Manager for paint. We store the three different paints needed for touch-up. The Property Manager will be happy to supply you with paint for those areas.
11. I understand the HOA maintains the roofs. Does the HOA take care of my lanai roof?
Unfortunately, no. According to The Clearing documents and HOA Attorney, the HOA is responsible only for slant or pitched roofs (asphalt shingle). Homeowners must take care of any flat roofs. The reason is that some homeowners have no lanai, some have lanais that are "tucked" under pitched roofs, some owners replaced lanais with newer ones and as such, assumed responsibility for individual home owners.
12. Who maintains water pipes?
The HOA is only responsible for the main line that comes into the community. As the main line passes a building, a separate line runs to resident's homes. The homeowner is responsible from the point where that separate line branches off the main line towards each home. This issue is extremely important because that line is under the road and is very expensive to repair. PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENTS for more information!
13. I understand the HOA maintains the exterior of my villa, is that true?
Please read the documents!
The HOA does not maintain the exterior of villas. The HOA DOES PAINT THE EXTERIOR but that is all!
Documents are available from the management company.
BELOW YOU WILL FIND PDFS/FORMs RELATED TO OUR COMMUNITY:
| the_clearing_irrigation_system.pdf |
| clearing_architectural_change_form.pdf |