Wow! They must be REALLY desperate for money or something! That is such a joke. Is your front light a flood light? If not ,who freakin' cares!

Wow, I'd keep my distance at the meet and greet, guilty by association ya know!

Do they pay your electric bill? Then who cares? What if you were out late and left your porch light on so you could see well enough to get into your house safely? This is got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard... 

 Why do you think they call them the Bear Valley Gestapo?

It's absolutely ridiculous and am glad we decided against BV for that reason alone because we would be in violation on a daily basis. We have many friends in BV and hear all the stories: One was that the light reflection in the paint on the house was 1 point above the regulated number and they were told to repaint their house. I would be in jail with the stuff that would come out of my mouth at that point.

Bear Valley has some great selling points but I just couln't deal with the Gestapo.

And to think... I almost moved to BVS..  YIKES!    I would laugh at this,  and then I would get pissed... WTF.    Sand Canyon doesn't look so bad now does it?    You can vent more about this to me at Hillybeans tonight...  I know you will.  lolololol

Oh, Awsom, that , after all the feelings, is so sad. I'm sure you love where you live, beyond moving.....what do you do? HOA's are a drag @ some point in time but, really!

.

I guess we've been lucky; coming up on 7 years in BVS and never a problem. Even when my dogs got out & the BVS police had to escort me to where they decided to hang out, after killing a raccoon. I'm glad it wasn't something domesticated. Eek.....

We did have a couple come to our door Saturday, soliciting religion. First time since we moved here. I thought that was a no-no in BVS, but apparently not. The BVSA told me to put a small sign out front, "No Solicitors." Color coordinated to match the approved colors, of course.

;-)

This should be amended!  Since there is no curfew or martial law in BVS, and people are free to arrive home whenever they want or need to, they should have the right to safe traverse to their front door providing it doesn’t greatly annoy the neighbors.  I sprained my ankle about a month ago when my porch light was off, even with a decent amount of moonlight I couldn’t see the rock!  I’ve never known anyone to get a letter about this before, and I’ve seen houses out here with lights on all night, every night for months.  I have noticed that rental properties get a greater number of notices for seemingly frivolous offenses, like furniture outside on moving day, I could name many others.  I’m wondering what constitutes a “short period” in the rules – does thirty minutes qualify?  I think you could certainly appeal on that basis.  I copied and pasted the sections that apply, and I noticed they once had 11:00 where it now says 10:30 (the version I downloaded from the BVSA website included information on recently edited items).  This is really a safety issue in my eyes.  Maybe if you submitted a letter from your neighbors stating it wasn’t a nuisance someone might pull their head out?

ECC Rules:

SECTION 113.N. Lighting

One of the express purposes and intentions of the C&Rs is to preserve the natural environment of Bear Valley Springs to the maximum extent reasonably practicable.  Consistent with that purpose and intent, the intent of this rule is to require that exterior lighting be maintained on residential lots in such manner as not to constitute an annoyance to neighbors or the community and that exterior lighting be as unobtrusive as possible.  The primary exterior lighting objective is to maintain subtle, low-level lighting that is in keeping with the semi-rural character of Bear Valley Springs.  Exterior lighting is permitted to the extent required for safety, but glare or exposed filaments should be kept to a minimum so as to preserve the character and environment of the community.  [C&Rs, Para. 7.d(9)]  Bright and/or shiny fixtures are not permitted in any of the applications below.   All exterior lighting installations require the prior written approval of the ECC.  All exterior lighting, except low wattage (¼ watt or less) solar, shall be extinguished by 11:00 10:30 p.m. To facilitate the arrival or departure of family or guests, exterior lights may be turned on for short periods after 11:00 10:30 p.m.  Lighting controlled by motion detectors shall be limited to a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes per cycle.  Wherever possible, reflectors should be utilized in lieu of light fixtures.

A.     Exterior Lighting. 

         All 110/120-volt a/c exterior lights must be shielded, constructed or installed in such manner that the filaments are not visible from adjacent lots or any of the Common Areas.  The number of lights visible on any one elevation (one side) of a residence or other improvement or structure shall not exceed five (5) and no exterior light shall exceed forty (40) watts, incandescent, 750 lumens.

B.     Landscape/Decorative Lighting. 

         Landscape/decorative lighting shall be shielded in fixtures to minimize visibility from neighboring lots and the Common Areas.  Low voltage is preferred, with a maximum of fifteen (15) watts, frosted, incandescent, and 120 lumens and spaced no less than eighteen (18) feet apart.  The display of holiday lights during legal federal holidays and holidays when lighting is traditionally displayed, does not require prior approval. They can be installed no sooner than 4 weeks before the holiday and must be removed within 4 weeks after the holiday.

C.     Driveway Lights. 

         When driveway lights are used, they shall be shielded in fixtures in such manner that the illuminating filament is not visible from neighboring lots or any of the Common Areas.  Light output shall be limited to a single twenty-five (25) watt bulb, 120 lumens per fixture, spaced not less than eighteen (18) feet apart along the driveway.  The height of lights along the driveway shall not exceed four (4) feet.  Lights marking the entrance from the street shall not exceed seven (7) feet at the bulb.

D.        Solar Lights. 

        Quantity shall be kept to a minimum so as not to constitute an annoyance to neighbors.  Low-wattage solar lights, less than one-quarter (¼) watt per fixture, may be utilized in the above applications B and C.   They shall be 120 lumens or less and will be spaced no less than eighteen (18) feet apart. The filaments shall be shielded from neighboring lots and Common Areas.

E.         Security Lights. 

         Security lights programmed to stay on continuously             

         throughout the night are prohibited.

        & nbsp;       &n bsp;

        & nbsp;       &n bsp; (Amended effective 01/10/08)

CC&R’s:

(9) There shall be no exterior lighting of any sort either installed or maintained on a lot, the light sources of which is visible from neighboring property.

What I'd like to know about the solicitors is how heck did they get in?  They either live there, or someone who lives there called them in, in which case it should be easy to trace.  Man, that is one thing I am totally against, solicitors!

PD, why don't take the other side and tell me how great solicitors are?  OK, OK, that wasn't fair!  Just a little jab in good fun.  I'm sorry.  ;)

ha ha awsmom.........................

 you got a nasty gram

I am pretty good about turning off my porch light to conserve electricity but that night I was out til 11pm.  Hey--good excuse for setting my teens curfew at 10:30pm! No porch light after that!

ooh child--I think it may have been your dogs that harrassed my electriction a few years ago then killed the raccon.  Where they black (akita I think) one old, one not so old?

You just wait Gube--your day will come!

I had the solicitors a couple of weekends ago, I gave the plate number and description to BVSA, one person there is very helpful with this type of thing, but another one I got was not.  I was told they can't enforce the "no soliciting" and to put a "no trespassing sign out - then the police could enforce.  My god, what would the neighbors think?  It wouldn't be such a problem normally, but they always come when I've put the baby down for her nap, and of course when the dogs bark at them she wakes up!

oohhh dear, awsmom, I think that be them. They're Akitas but not black, one's fawn w/ a black head (Ronin, weighing in at 160 lbs.) and the other is older & reddish brown (Aki, the little female at only 75 lbs.) She's the hunter; he's only good for backup. Sorry they scared you guys so bad! They really aren't dangerous....

Greg, I almost asked the gal to prove she had approval from the BVSA, 'cause she claimed they knew all about their work. I just wasn't in the mood to get into it with them, so I just closed the door. Next time they might not be so lucky.

sounds to me that the powers to be out there in Paradise picks and chooses what rules to enforce...........where I live in GH my nieghbors keep to themselves........nobody in any ones beeswax........Tonight in honor of you awsmon I'll leave my front door light on all night long...................

spam code.............BVSSK