What Does The Briar Hill Board Do, and Who is on the Board?
The Briar Hill Board is composed of unpaid volunteers. They are your neighbors and do a lot of work to keep Briar Hill a great place to live. The builder is no longer involved with Briar Hill.
The Briar Hill Board is responsible for maintaining all the common areas like the drainage ponds, entrances and park. That includes any sidewalks inside those common areas.
The Briar Hill Board is responsible for ensuring that our homeowners understand and comply with the bylaws. Please note that the bylaws are part of the restrictions attached to each home as established by the builder & Pittsfield Township.
The current (2022) Briar Hill Board consists of SIX members: Brian Bundesen, Dan Lymburner, Ben Hoffman, Roland Kibler, Kishor Khankari, and Alan Knaus.
The Board meets monthly, typically on the 3rd Monday of every month, and homeowners are welcome to join us upon request.
Copies of Meeting Minutes and HOA Financials are available upon request. Pursuant to a request from Pittsfield Police Cyber Crime Unit, we do not publish Minutes and Financial information on a publicly accessible website.
Does the HOA Maintain the Streets and Sidewalks?
The streets in Briar Hill are maintained by the Washtenaw County Road Commission. If you have issues with road maintenance or snow plowing please contact them directly. https://www.wcroads.org/
Briar Hill is a site condominium consisting solely of detached single family residences. That means that each homeowner owns their property and the home on it. The homeowner is responsible for the maintenance & insurance of his own property, including driveways, sidewalks, curbs, and the area between the sidewalk and the street. The term condominium is only applicable to the common areas (park, entrances, drainage, etc.) which are owned by all the homeowners in Briar Hill. The HOA is responsible for sidewalks adjacent to the common areas along Lohr Rd, Briar Parkway, and shorter spots along Barry Knoll at Whispering Oaks, on Crystal Lake Lane, as well as maintenance of three islands in the cul-de-sacs on Springmill, Mill Pond, and Lake Pointe Lanes.
Briar Hill consists of 180 homes. The homes were built in four phases starting on the north end near Oak Valley and concluding on the south end near Ellsworth. Phase 1 has 27 homes. Phase 2 has 48 homes. Phase 3 has 61 homes. Phase 4 has 44 homes.
I am Refinancing My Home, and My Lender Needs a "Status Letter", How Do I get One?
The Briar Hill Treasurer will provide a dues Status Letter to Title Companies, lenders and REALTORS in support of home sales, mortgages and refinances. Certain lenders may require what is called a "Long Form." Requests to fill out long forms can be accommodated with a reasonable amount of time allowed for response. Please contact Brian Bundesen at (734) 678-9032 or brian.bundesen@gmail.com
I am Selling My Home, and the Title Company Needs a "Status Letter", How Do I get One?
The Briar Hill Treasurer will provide a dues Status Letter to Title Companies, upon request. Please contact Brian Bundesen at (734) 678-9032 or brian.bundesen@gmail.com
Are There Any HOA Rules or Requirements If I Want To Rent My Home?
Per the Briar Hill Association By-Laws (Article VI Section 2. (Leasing and Rental)
a. Right to Lease): A co-owner, including the developer, desiring to rent or lease a unit shall disclose that fact in writing to the Association at least ten (10) days before presenting a lease or otherwise agreeing to grant possession of a unit to potential lessees or occupants and, at the same time, shall supply the Association with a copy of the exact lease for its review for its compliance with the condominium documents, etc. Please see By-Laws under ‘Restrictions’ pg. 11. Leases, if approved, are to be of no less than one year, and tenants are expected to be aware of the by laws, and agree to adhere to the by law rules and regulations. Owners who lease their homes are also expected to register the home with Pittsfield Township as a rental, have the home inspected, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
After Large Storms, There is Ponding/ Flooding in My Yard, and in My Neighbors' Yards, Does the HOA Take Care of This?
Drainage issues are a complex subject. Within Briar Hill a limited number of drainage easement areas are identified as the responsibility of both Briar Hill and the Washtenaw County Drain Commission. If the problem is easy to identify and relatively inexpensive then Briar Hill may choose to contract and pay for the work. However, more difficult situations are left to the Washtenaw County Drain Commission. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Brian.
My Neighbor Does Not Take Good Care of His Property, What Can Be Done?
The Briar Hill Homeowners’ Association would like to remind each homeowner of the positive impact a clean and well-maintained lot has on the entire sub-division. In the real estate industry this is known as "curb appeal," but the simple fact is that homes that are allowed to deteriorate have a negative impact not only on that particular home, but on all other homes in the subdivision. As in past years, we encourage you to regularly inspect your home’s exterior and landscaping. Meticulously caring for your lawn, shrubs, trees, and correcting any exterior home maintenance issues will add to the enjoyment of all residents.
Property values in the neighborhood are related to the condition of the surrounding homes. Take pride in your property. Per the by-laws, “Each co-owner shall have the responsibility to maintain the grounds of his/her unit, including the mowing of grass, removal of weeds, removal of dead vegetation from garden plots, and proper trimming of shrubs and trees.”
More specifics are outlined in our By Laws, specifically Article VI, Section 7. This sets out expectations, as well as the process that the Board can take in the case of problems.
I Run a Business From My Home, What HOA Rules and Requirements Are There?
The HOA generally has no issues with home based businesses, with the exception of traffic and the parking of commercial vehicles. Pursuant to the By Laws, Article VI, Section 8: "No house trailers, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, boat trailers, boats, camping vehicles, camping trailers, etc, may be parked on the condominium premises, unless PARKED IN THE GARAGE WITH THE DOOR CLOSED.
Garbage Cans
Article VI; Section 7 of the By-Laws state that trash cans should only be placed at the curb "for short periods of time as may be reasonably necessary to permit collection of trash." We interpret this to mean that trash cans should not be put out prior to 5PM the night before trash pick-up day (Thursday, for Friday trash pick-up).
All trash should be placed in covered containers to prevent access by animals and to prevent the wind from blowing it all over the neighborhood. If your trash is not in a covered container, please put it in a heavy duty trash bag. If your trash blows around or the birds/raccoons/coyotes get at it, please go out and pick it up.
Mailing List and Web Site
All residents with an e-mail address are encouraged to send a note to our president so that we may send you updates. Send message to: brian.bundesen@gmail.com
Social Media
Briar Hill has an active presence on the Social Media site NextDoor.com. Please join that site to interact on a more casual basis with your neighbors.