A new organization, ThoughTheFence.org (TTF), used the AOPA Aviation Summit to announce its’ formation on Thursday. The organization has been formed by pilots to fight the FAA’s prohibition of hangar homes at publicly funded airports.
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I have been compiling data on residential airparks since the early 1970s. Over that period of time, one question I’ve heard more than probably any other has been something like this:

If a member of an airpark homeowner’s association fails (or refuses) to make his required assessment payments what can be done?

My answer has always been that first whatever the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R) that were established when the association was created is what determines the action that can be taken. Read the full story

We are a well established fly in community in the Atlanta area. We have corporate bylaws, and a new set of covenants to comply with Georgia code 44-3-220. None of this is a problem.

What we need some help on is a thru the fence agreement between one of the property owners and the HOA. One of our owners owns several acres adjoining community/HOA owned property and they keep horses there. At the present, they simply access their property “thru the fence” from their property, then across HOA property, then onto their adjoining land. We’ve not had any problems, and really don’t expect to, but I suggested a Thru the Fence agreement should be drawn up to establish the rules, guidelines, restrictions, etc for this resident to access his adjoining property (which is NOT part of the subdivision at all). He is quite agreeable to this and would like to draw up something.

Does anyone have any Through the Fence agreements they might be willing to share, to help us create something?

Thanks,

Chuck Hanna
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Recently we’ve updated all the links to residential airparks that are listed elsewhere on the Living With Your Plane webpage. However, we have over 600 airparks listed in the LWYP Directory but there are only about 150 websites in our list.

If your airpark has a website and it isn’t included in our extensive list of airparks, please give us the url for your fly-in community so we can add it to our links. There’s no charge for the service!

Unfortunately, we found a number of broken links and several that no longer exist. During this exercise we tried to reach every fly-in community to which we have established a link asking them to reciprocate with a link to our website from theirs.

If you’re having trouble putting together a website or need to get information out to residents and prospects, please tell us what you are trying to do so we can offer you some assistance. E-mail us at dave@generalaviationnews.com

We received a note from Lars de Jounge at Indian River Aerodrome (Vero Beach, Florida – Click here for directory details – subscription required) asking about annual fees.

Specifically, he wants to know if Living With Your Plane has information on annual home owner fees charged airpark lot owners. Residents of Indian River currently pay $900 per year and Lars is concerned that is too low.

Following is a slide (click image for larger version) from the presentation Dave Sclair made at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this past summer.

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AOPA has prepared an extensive white paper on thru the fence operations, particularly as it relates to residential airparks, as well as other projects.

Read the entire article by clicking here (PDF download).

Ever thought about forming an association of residential airparks or fly-in communities in your area? Are there enough fly-in communities within a county or a couple counties to make it worth the effort?

Banding together to work on common problems like zoning, noise, unhappy neighbors or other issues could work in your favor. If nothing more, you get additional individuals involved in trying to come up with ideas to enhance the fly-in community / residential airpark environment and lifestyle.

There are several airpark operations on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula that are considering organizing a regional association of fly-in communities or residential airparks for several reasons.

On offense, it might be a way to share promotion of airpark living in the region generally, supporting property values, etc. On defense, it might be a way to rally support (mutual aid) in case of airport opposition issues, etc.

If you’ve had any experience in this arena or if you are interested in learning more about the idea, share your thoughts and comments. If there’s sufficient interest, LWYP will be willing to help get airparks / fly-in community representatives together.

The vast majority of residential airparks operate with some type of homeowners’ association. As a result, many questions come up as a result of meetings, non meetings and the various rules and regualtions that are part of those residential airparks that have a homeowners’ association or similar type organization.

While not an attorney or schooled in legal matters, we have compiled many questions that have come to us via e-mail or at forums that we conduct at various aviation events such as Oshkosh, AOPA, Sun ‘n Fun and the like. Frequently the answers to the questions raised at these meetings are answered by someone in attendance at the gathering and very frequently that person is an attorney.

Remember, state laws often govern what an association operating where there are airport homes can and cannot do.

Here are some of the issues that we’ve compiled. More will be added in coming weeks and months. If you have a question, please let us hear about it and we’ll try to get an answer for you.

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The subject of homeowner fees for residents of residential airparks comes up often among residents and would be residents. It seems to be a perennial topic for the meetings of airpark homeowner associations.
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Thank you for the article discussing Homeowner Associations. Certainly there are situations, as discussed
Recently we wrote about the pro’s and con’s of homeowner association as it relates to a residential airpark. LWYP subscriber and airpark resident Mark Smith provided the following viewpoint about the situation.

In the article where HOA’s and CC&R’s can be used to protect ones property and property rights, however in both aviation and non-aviation related communities, the HOA’s are creating more problems that they are solving.

I am in the process of selling my dream home because of the actions of a few who managed to make living there unbearable.
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