The HOA is looking for a Vice President and Secretary for 2018. If interested, please attend the December Meet-and-Greet. We also request your attendance at the next two meetings (Jan & Feb) and if we agree that you can handle this position, the HOA President has the power to appoint you. In future board elections, you can then run for this or any other position on the board. We are also still searching for additional board members. Please consider joining us on Dec 17 for the Meet-and-Greet from 3-5pm at Christ Church Parish Hall on Zach Fowler Rd in Chaptico.
Archive | 2017
Trunk or Treat and Bonfire at the Park
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Tuesday, October 31st, 6-8pm. To hand out candy, arrive at 5:30pm with your vehicle for setup. Board members will be on hand to guide you. Bonfire is weather permitting.
View Event CalendarCommunity Yard Sale This Weekend
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 from 7am until…. Residents will be set up in their yards or at the parking lot at the park. Come out and shop! Event Calendar
Newsletter: 2nd Quarter 2017
Categories: Newsletters
A Letter from the Sheriff’s Office
In our continuing efforts to strengthen community and law enforcement partnerships, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Sheriff’s Citizen Advisory Board participated in a Country Lakes Homeowner’s Association Community (CLHOA) Meet & Greet on May 18, 2017.
The following members of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office participated in the event: Patrol Division Commander, Captain Eric Sweeney; District One Commander/CLHOA Sheriff’s Office Liaison, Lieutenant Eva Jones; Narcotics Division, Lieutenant Richard Russell, Criminal Investigations Division, Sergeant Thomas Hedderich; Traffic Safety, Corporal Brian Connelly, and Patrol Deputy Daniel Holdsworth.
The Sheriff’s Office thanks the CLHOA for hosting this opportunity for their citizens to meet and interact with our personnel, and learn about criminal and traffic laws, as well as services provided for citizens by our agency.
The agency offers a wide variety of services to citizens. Information on these services is available on our website www.firstsheriff.com. The Sheriff’s Office keeps citizens informed through our website news blog, social media outlets to include Facebook and Twitter, and through the Nixle Program. Citizens can sign up for Nixle, a free service, on our website to receive text messages and/or emails on local events and incidents, such as road closures.
The Sheriff’s Office has also instituted a new On-Line Reporting System for minor crimes, suspicious incidents, and reporting lost items. Please see our website for guidelines on using this service.
Anyone having any questions or concerns pertaining to the Country Lakes Subdivision may contact Lieutenant Eva Jones at 301-475- 4200 x*8069.
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Eagle Troop Helps Restore Trails at the Park
We would like to extend a very special thank you to Cody with Eagle Troop 1785 for taking the lead and completing a bridge and trail restoration project at the Country Lakes park. Cody approached the HOA board with the idea to repair the old worn bridges and clean the trails. We were happy to approve the project and it was recently completed in June. We hope you and your families and pets enjoy these trails, located in the wooded section along the existing walking path at the park. Please remember to keep your pets leashed at all times. Not all animals are as friendly with other unknown animals and people as they are with your own families at home. A leash will help avoid any unforeseen problems. Thanks for understanding!
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Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, OH MY!
Not quite lions, tigers, or bears… (we hope)… but do your neighbors have odd pets that concern you being so close to your property? If you have questions about pet regulations in St. Mary’s County and the state of Maryland, please visit the following websites for more information:
Maryland Department of Agriculture:
http://mda.maryland.gov/
St. Mary’s County Animal Control:
http://www.stmarysmd.com/est/animalcontrol.asp
Upcoming 3rd Quarter Events (view calendar)
JULY
Tuesday, 11th – HOA Meeting
Park pavilion at 6-pm. All are welcome.
AUGUST
Tuesday, 1st – National Night Out
Park pavilion at 6-8pm. Many of our community organizations and first responders will be in attendance with fun demonstrations, door prizes, food and games. Don’t miss it.
Tuesday, 8th – HOA Meeting
Park pavilion at 6-pm. All are welcome.
SEPTEMBER
Tuesday, 12th – HOA Meeting
Park pavilion at 6-pm. All are welcome.
Saturday, 16th – Community Clean Up
Volunteers please meet at the park pavilion at 9am. Bring gloves and wear appropriate clothing for clean up. The HOA will handle removal of all filled garbage bags.
Saturday, 23rd – Community Yard Sale
Starts at 7am until you are finished! Set up in your yard or at the parking lot on Cox/Asher on a first-come, first-served basis. We will advertise online and post signs in the neighborhood.
Newsletter: 1st Quarter 2017
Categories: Newsletters
SMC Sheriff’s Dept. to Hold Community Meeting in May
Sheriff Timothy Cameron and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Advisory Board, in their continuing efforts to strengthen community and law enforcement partnerships, will host a Country Lakes Homeowner’s Association Community Meeting. The Community Meeting will be held on Thursday, 18 May, 2017 at the Pavilion from 6 – 8 p.m. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department will provide an overview of calls for service in the Country Lakes area and respond to citizen’s questions. Residents are encouraged to attend.
Landscape Services Needed
We are accepting bids for landscaping services needed at the Country Lakes entrance and common area. The services are needed on an ongoing basis and are detailed in our bid package, which can be downloaded upon completion of this form. To be considered, you must complete and mail the bid package (postmarked by March 21, 2017) to Country Lakes HOA, PO Box 632, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. A selection will be made by the HOA Board of Directors on or after Friday, March 24. Complete the form to access the bid package.
Consequences of a Delinquent Account
Several months ago we announced an initiative to bring all delinquent accounts into good standing. We acquired the services of the Law Firm of Andres, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett, and as of September 30, 2016, transferred delinquent accounts for collection. Once the account has been transferred, the Law Firm has full control of the collection process and the HOA can no longer discuss or accept payment towards any delinquent dues. Failing to pay your yearly HOA fees does result in serious consequences.
An Example – From our Attorneys
If a homeowner has unpaid HOA fees in the amount of $400, here’s how that cost can increase quickly as the result of being sent to collections:
- $200 Attorney’s fee to prepare and send a warning (demand) letter
- $36.40 Fee to verify whether or not the owner is on active duty
- $34 Fee paid to the Court to file the lawsuit
- $40 Fee paid to process serving of the lawsuit
(can increase if owner is difficult to locate) - $750 Attorney’s fee for all work done in connection with the lawsuit
Check the Status of Your Dues
Are you new to the neighborhood or can’t remember if your dues are current? Please complete this form or email dues@clha.org. Include your name and street address and we will check on the status of your dues right away.
2017 Dues Notice
Your 2017 dues statements will be mailed on June 1 and the annual dues will be increased 5% to $49.08 for the 2017 year. Thanks for understanding. We appreciate everyone that contributes every year to the upkeep of our community.
New Schedule for Monthly HOA Meetings
To accommodate the schedules of our volunteer board, the monthly HOA meetings for 2017 will be held on the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 11th at 6pm at the park pavilion. Please consider attending a future HOA meeting. It truly is the best way to make a difference in your community.
Volunteers Needed for Spring Community Clean Up
If your children need community service hours for school, this is a great event to accomplish the requirement. Please have them meet at the pavilion at 9am on Saturday, April 8th. A board member will be on hand to manage all volunteers and direct the event. Bring gloves and wear sturdy walking sneakers/shoes. Thanks.
Upcoming Events
The events schedule for 2017 has been released. Browse events here. We hope to see you at many events this year. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this form.
Facebook: An Easy Way to Communicate with Neighbors
Join us on Facebook for easy access to your board members and other neighbors. It’s a great place to spread community news quickly. We currently have 466 friends and that number is steadily increasing. Our most popular post from Q1 2017 reached more than 1200 people!! Join here.
Consequences of Delinquent Accounts
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Several months ago we announced an initiative to bring all delinquent accounts into good standing. We acquired the services of the Law Firm of Andres, Bongar, Gormley & Clagett, and as of September 30, 2016, transferred delinquent accounts for collection. Once the account has been transferred, the Law Firm has full control of the collection process and the HOA can no longer discuss or accept payment towards any delinquent dues. Failing to pay your yearly HOA fees does result in serious consequences.
An Example – From our Attorneys
If a homeowner has unpaid HOA fees in the amount of $400, here’s how that cost can increase quickly as the result of being sent to collections:
- $200 Attorney’s fee to prepare and send a warning (demand) letter
- $36.40 Fee to verify whether or not the owner is on active duty
- $34 Fee paid to the Court to file the lawsuit
- $40 Fee paid to process serving of the lawsuit (can increase if owner is difficult to locate)
- $750 Attorney’s fee for all work done in connection with the lawsuit
Check the Status of Your Dues
Are you new to the neighborhood or can’t remember if your dues are current? Please complete the form below or email dues@clha.org. Include your name and street address and we will check on the status of your dues right away.
Landscaper Needed – March 21 deadline
Categories: Special News & Announcements
We are accepting bids for landscaping services needed at the Country Lakes entrance and common area. The services are needed on an ongoing basis and are detailed in our bid package, which can be downloaded upon completion of the form below. To be considered, you must complete and mail the bid package (postmarked by March 21, 2017) to Country Lakes HOA, PO Box 632, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. A selection will be made by the HOA Board of Directors on or after Friday, March 24.