Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does GHMA stand for?
A. GHMA is the acronym for Grand
Haven Master Association, Inc., which is the legal name of our
homeowners association.
Q. Who belongs to the GHMA?
A. Every fee simple property
owner in Grand Haven is a member of the GHMA and is required to pay
assessments to the Master Association.
Q. How much is the current
assessment and what is it used for?
A. The 2024 annual assessment is
$165.00 per year. How the money is used is contained in the GHMA
Budget.
Q. What is the role and
responsibility of the GHMA?
A. The GHMA’s principal mission
is to enforce the deed restrictions within Grand Haven. These
restrictions are known as our Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions
(CC&Rs). Every property owner should have been presented a set of
the CC&Rs as part of their closing package by their sales agent or,
if a resale, by the selling property owner. In addition to the
Master Association, the GHMA organization includes the Fine
Committee and the Architectural Design Committee.
Q. I do not have a copy of the
CC&Rs. How do I get a copy?
A. You can contact Southern
States Management Group, Inc. at 386-446-6333 or the property owner who sold you the
property.
Q. What recourse does the GHMA have
with regard to property owners who do not observe the CC&Rs?
A. Florida law has empowered
homeowners associations to enforce CC&Rs by fines. Our GHMA is
complying with the required state statute procedures to enforce
fines. Fines imposed at Grand Haven can be as much as $100 per day
up to a cumulative total of $1,000. Failure to pay the fines
subjects the owner to legal action and Florida law specifies that
the prevailing party is entitled to all legal fees and expenses.
Home/property owners do have the right to appeal the imposed fines
to the GHMA Fine Committee.
Q. What process does the GHMA
follow when CC&R violations occur?
A.
Please review the GHMA Board Resolution “Updated Fining Procedures”
located on the Governing Documents page of this website.
Q. What about build out time
violations? What can be done about property owners who do not
observe the individual village build out requirements?
A. Failure to comply with build
out requirements is now subject to the same fine system as CC&R
violations described above.
Q. Who is Southern States
Management Group and what is their role in our community?
A. Southern States Management
Group (SSMG) is the community management company for GHMA, the Architectural Design
Committee (ADC), Private Lawn Maintenance (PLM), River Club,
Crossings and the Riverview Condominiums. The SSMG telephone number
is
(386) 446-6333. The facsimile number is (386)
446-1830.
The Community Manager for GHMA, PLM, River Club, and Crossings is Troy Railsback
at extension 307.
Landscape
and Other Changes to the Exterior of your GHMA home or Lot should be
facilitated through the ADC. For questions, comments and/or concerns
regarding ADC, please contact Troy Railsback
with SSMG at extension 307.
Q. I don’t seem to have a copy of
the ADC Specifications. Where can I obtain a copy?
A. You may access the guidelines
in the Architectural Design Committee tab of this website. You may
also request a copy from Southern States Management Group at
(386) 446-6333.
Q. If I want to make changes to the
exterior of my home or my property do I need to contact the
Architectural Design Committee?
A. Yes, ADC approval is required
any time there is a change (color, landscape, driveway, fences,
generators, etc.) to the exterior of your home or lot. Submissions
received by the Wednesday prior to the meeting by 4:00 p.m. will be placed on the
agenda for the next meeting. Owners/contractors will receive
written notification of the committee’s decision within a week.
Q. I have a tree on my property
that I want to remove. Can I just cut it down?
A. No, afraid not. Same answer
as above.
Q. What is the rule regarding
unimproved lot mowing?
A. Unimproved lot mowing and
maintenance is the full and complete responsibility of each
individual lot owner. The services of the GHMA may be enlisted for
a pre-paid fee but at no time will any unimproved lot owner be relieved
of his maintenance responsibility if mowing does not occur within
the proscribed time limit. If you own a unimproved lot and have
questions or require assistance, you may contact Southern States
Management Group at (386) 446-6333 for assistance. Failure to either
perform unimproved lot mowing and maintenance or to reimburse the GHMA
for its mowing services will result in legal action by the GHMA.
Q. When can I water my yard?
A. Please review St. Johns Water
Management District
(agency responsible for water restrictions) website:
Watering Days/Restrictions
Parking
Q. What are the current restrictions
regarding parking on the street and on unimproved lots?
A. The GHMA CC&Rs prohibits
parking on unimproved lots and regular parking in the street by a
resident (it is considered storing of a vehicle in the street). Parking on
unimproved lots also constitutes as trespassing. Regular parking by residents
should be in the driveway and/or garage. The streets in Grand Haven
are the property of the Community Development District. Parking on
the street is also subject to the City of Palm Coast and Flagler
County Ordinances which do not allow on street parking.
Q. Are commercial vehicles allowed
to park on the streets or in the driveways overnight?
A. Commercial vehicles with
advertising may not be parked within public view overnight or on a
regular basis.
Pets
Q. What rules do we have about pets?
A. Common household pets
including dogs, cats, domestic birds and fish are allowed as long as
they are not kept, bred or maintained for any commercial purpose and
provided they are not dangerous nor a nuisance to residents. Dogs
must be kept on a leash at all times, waste must be picked up and
there should be no prolonged barking. The City of Palm Coast Animal
Control Officers police these infractions and offenders will be
given a warning for the first offense and fined for subsequent
offenses. All violations may be reported to Animal Control at
986-2520 or to the Flagler County Humane Society at 445-1814.
Real Estate Signs
Q. What about real estate signs? Can I
install a For Sale or For Rent sign if I decide to sell/rent my
home?
A. Working together, the
developer, Grand haven Realty, your GHMA Board and the ADC have eliminated the
requirement for application and fee to the ADC to be able to place
the approved Grand Haven "Available" sign for property owners in
certain specified villages. (Visit the Architectural Design tab of
the website for the list of Villages and the sample approved sign.)
This means that property owners in villages in the highlighted
column entitled "No Sign Without ADC Approval" now may place the
approved Grand Haven "Available" sign on their property. All other
villages must adhere to their CC&R obligations as noted in the table
below. If any sign other than the Grand Haven approved "Available"
sign appears on any of the properties in these certain specified
villages without the express approval of the ADC, the property owner
will be in violation and subject to the fine process. Signs may be
purchased at Palm Coast Signs (386-445-2720) or at
a vendor of your choosing.
Trash Collection
Q. When is trash collected in Grand
Haven?
A. The City of Palm Coast
contracts with FCC Environmental for your garbage needs; garbage
collection, recycling, yard waste, bulk trash and white goods
removal. Click
here to go the the the City of Palm Coast's
website and use address search feature to find your scheduled
pick up days/times for your street/area.
If you have questions or comments, call the City of Palm Coast
Public Works Department at
986-2394 or 986-2360, or visit their
website.
