Disagreements among neighbors are unpleasant. But for 50 years now, WOHA volunteers have occasionally been willing to be the bad guy for a good reason. The Board is routinely asked to tamp down a code or covenant violation that city staff or nearby neighbors have been unable to resolve. We’ll sometimes, but not always, agree to approach the resident causing the concern. And Covenant Ballot Amendment 7 seeks to improve this fallback option.

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Consider this example. Let’s say that the widely popular amendment to phase out Short Term Rentals is ratified by all Units across Whispering Oaks, but then an out-of-state investor buys the home directly behind yours and starts advertising on AirBnb. If his property sits in a different Unit, the current Covenants don’t provide you any legal recourse. That’s because you can only demand compliance among properties within your own Unit.

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The city wouldn’t be much help. It might revoke his permit if the rental is proven to be a repeated menace encroaching upon the neighborhood, but that process could take years. Just ask the homeowners near Whisper Circle or Whisper View if relying upon city staff to crack down on intrusive STR’s proved to be a swift solution for their headaches.

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You would be stuck hoping that a homeowner in the adjoining Unit will eventually hire an attorney to demand the AirBnb be shuttered. And that’s not likely because residents are reluctant to tangle with their neighbors or pay to do it. Additionally, there may be surprisingly few homeowners even eligible to take that step because some of our Units are as small as just two or three properties.

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That’s why WOHA proposed Amendment 7. It would allow the organization to offer support communitywide regardless of Unit boundaries. Is it possible that a future Board could go bananas and misuse the expanded power? Well, consider that nearby homeowners have always had the right to pursue you for a Covenant violation and convince WOHA to help settle the dispute. But that has happened rarely in 50 years. We live here too and we like getting along with the neighbors we see every day.

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WOHA exists to enhance and protect the common good. It spends most of its resources caretaking the entrances and lobbying city officials for publicly funded improvements like new sidewalks. Occasionally we will issue polite letters requesting (not demanding) that a homeowner do the right thing.

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But without Amendment 7, no homeowner would have the ability to mitigate lingering problems in Units directly adjacent or across the community. It would be wise to centralize that capability with WOHA which any resident can join and lead if desired. Its involvement isn’t guaranteed by any means, but anyone could petition the Board that a serious threat or troubling precedent shouldn’t be ignored. Any action on our part would need to be voted upon, and we’re currently drafting changes to our organizational rules to ensure community input is obtained.

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Covenants that protect all of us in a modern world will reduce the likelihood of conflicts in the first place. It’s about time Whispering Oaks enjoyed some of the safeguards nearby communities secured long ago. However we may not be able to ratify any of the amendments unless the legally required threshold in your Unit is secured, so be sure to return your ballot before it’s too late. Otherwise you could wait 50 another years for your next opportunity.