Categories: Special News & Announcements
Our meet and greet and board elections were held back in Dec 2024. There are a few changes to our board. We would like to thank our President, Elaine Green, for her many years of dedication to the CLHA!
Our 2025 CLHA Board of directors are as follows:
President – Elaine Green
Vice President: – Andrew Therrien
Acting Secretary– Elaine Green
Treasurer – James Loveless
Board Members:
Letha Livens
Cesar Afanador
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Our HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST will take place from December 19–21 ,2025 and we want YOU to help us select a WINNER!!
Here are the details:
1. Drive around the neighborhood from 6:00–8:00 PM, December 19 to 21, 2025, and then email your favorite house to president1clha@gmail.com.
2. We will make a post on our FACEBOOK page that evening telling you that voting is open.
3. Comment on that post with the address of your favorite house!
THE ADDRESS WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BECOME ONE OF OUR 3 WINNERS FOR 2025! THE HOA BOARD WILL SELECT THE OTHER TWO WINNERS.
Disclaimer: To win, the house must be part of the Country Lakes HOA (NOT INCLUDING Lacy’s Run, Beverly Estates, Meadowood, and some others) and must be current on yearly dues. Our property manager will check the winning address for eligibility.
THANKS FOR PLAYING ALONG AND JOINING IN OUR CHRISTMAS CHEER! 🙂
Categories: Newsletters
We are happy to announce that Santa will be making his yearly visit to Country Lakes on Sunday, December 9th from 1-3pm. Let’s hope the weather is delightful for a fun event with neighbors and kids! Spread the word and come visit Santa and mingle with friends. HOA board members will be on hand offering hot chocolate and snacks!
Our HOA Meet & Greet and Board Elections will be held on Sunday, December 16th from 3-5pm at Christ Church Parish Hall in Chaptico. If you want to make a difference in your community, this is the event to attend. Take part in the election and meet your board!
Afterwards, head home and get ready for our annual Holiday Decorating Contest. The board members will drive around and choose their favorite homes! There will be 3 winners and each will receive a prize! The contest is from 6-8pm on Sunday, December 16th.
PARK USE
The park is a great place to walk and play with your pets. Please remember to clean up after your pets. Neighborhood children also play at the park and should not have to worry about stepping in your pet’s mess.
GOT PROPANE?
Make sure to clear the path to your tank of debri and leaves. Your propane company will thank you.
LEAVES, LEAVES AND MORE LEAVES
Those dreaded leaves—they keep falling and falling. Try raking or blowing them multiple times throughout the fall/winter seasons to prevent a huge project and burden for yourself in Spring time. Thinking of burning your leaves? Keep yourself and your neighbors safe. Don’t burn near any buildings; don’t use an accelerant; don’t burn when it is windy outside; please call the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department at (301) 884-4709 to let them know when you plan on burning. Because embers are typically burnt leaves and thus small and lightweight, they can easily become airborne. During a large fire, with the right conditions, embers can be blown far ahead of the fire front, starting spot fires several miles away. Please use caution!
JOIN THE BOARD – or just attend a meeting!
Monthly HOA meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting is Tuesday, Dec 11th at 6pm at Christ Church Parish Hall on Zach Fowler Rd. Please consider attending a future HOA meeting. It truly is the best way to make a difference in your community.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM
Participate in making your community a better place to live. Learn more about the NWP by emailing WATCH@CLHA.ORG
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Meet us at the park on December 14, 2025 from 12 PM to 2 PM to visit with Santa!
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Country Lakes Community yard sales is Saturday, September 15, 7am. Visit the events page for more details.
Categories: Newsletters
Several residents have expressed concern over events happening in our community. We all want Country Lakes to be a safe place to live and raise families. The HOA is listening and responding to the demand for an increased law enforcement or community outreach presence around the neighborhood.
We have formed a new Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP), led by volunteer resident Zach Brightwell. We appreciate Zach’s willingness to take on this responsibility and are looking forward to community participation to make this a success.
Zach has been in discussion with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s department on how best to move forward and how to work together to ensure safety for Country Lakes residents. We need your help! We understand you are busy with life in general, but being part of the NWP doesn’t require much effort. Your involvement may require nothing more than communicating with the NWP when you see something that doesn’t seem right. We can all help to make our community a better, safer place to live.
If interested in learning more about the NWP, please sign up here.
Your 2018 dues statements will be mailed on June 1 and the annual dues are $51.53 for the 2018 year. To avoid late fees, please submit payment by July 1. We appreciate everyone that contributes every year to the upkeep of our community. Check my dues status.
Monthly HOA meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 10th at 6pm at Christ Church Parish Hall. Please consider attending a future HOA meeting. It truly is the best way to make a difference in your community. Volunteer
The following is the outcome of the Dec 2017 Meet and Greet and Board Elections:
Your board members are as follows:
Mark Pullium, former Secretary, is still volunteering on the board. Will Gillingwater will continue as a board member. Bud Tarbox remains as your event coordinator and board member. Kim Beachy is your property manager. Jen Burtchette is your web manager. Zach Brightwell has joined the HOA as a board member and leader of the new Neighborhood Watch Program.
We are always accepting new board members. Please see what it’s all about by joining an upcoming HOA Meeting. Join us Tuesday, April 10 at the Christ Church Parish Hall to share your views and concerns. View 2018 HOA Meeting Schedule
Due to weather, we rescheduled our Community Clean Up event. It will now be on Saturday, April 21st. We were unable to avoid it coinciding with our Yard Sale event, so please consider volunteering if you won’t be selling that day. A board member will be on hand to manage the event. Meet us at the pavilion at 9am and wear durable clothing and shoes.
Categories: Special News & Announcements
Join us and other volunteers at the park at 9am on Saturday, April 7. Learn more: https://clha.org/event/community-clean-up/
Categories: Newsletters
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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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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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
Tuesday, 11th – HOA Meeting
Park pavilion at 6-pm. All are welcome.
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.
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.
Categories: Newsletters
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Haskell & Dyer, LLC and 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.
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:
Are you new to the neighborhood or can’t remember if your dues are current? Please complete the form below or email propertymanagementclha@gmail.com.
. Include your name and street address and we will check on the status of your dues right away.
