OCEAN PINES – Ocean Pines officials recently voted to revise the association’s procedures for addressing lot maintenance.
This month, the Ocean Pines Board of Directors voted on second reading to amend Resolution M-04, which addresses the maintenance of member-owned lots. Director Elaine Brady said the revised policy not only aligns with changes recently made to Resolution M-01 but conforms with state homeowners association laws enacted in 2022.
“It’s imperative to get this done so we can move forward in the way we’re supposed to be,” she said.
In November, the board voted to adopt policy and compliance procedures for violations of the association’s declarations of restrictions and architectural review committee (ARC) guidelines. Officials noted the revised policy, outlined in Resolution M-01, detailed the steps the association and alleged violators must take when addressing complaints and violations.
In an effort to align with those amendments, officials this month also voted to adopt changes to Resolution M-04. Brady told the board the changes were reviewed by legal counsel and the bylaws committee.
“M-04 has been reviewed and revised by counsel,” she said. “It did go by the bylaws committee, and it did take some of the notations into account, and those revisions were done. So I’d like us to approve the second reading with his redline changes.”
As proposed, the revisions to Resolution M-04 detail the actions the association must take to cut grass and clear leaves and debris from member-owned lots. The document essentially gives the association the right, with a super majority board vote, to enter lots and address certain types of noncompliance.
Director Steve Jacobs said the amended resolution was presented to the bylaws committee following a first reading. He urged the board to continue that practice for any resolutions.
“That’s why the bylaws committee exists,” he said.
Jacobs added that the changes to Resolution M-04 would give the association sufficient justification for addressing neglected lots.
“I am satisfied we have met the challenge at the first reading in this version to align M-04 with M-01,” he said. “For that reason, I think we should approve this.”
After further discussion, the board voted unanimously to adopt the changes to Resolution M-04. Director John Latham applauded the association’s advisory committees for their work.
“M-04 is small in length, it’s narrow in its scope, but truly a lot of work went into getting these words where it needed to be and to put us in alignment with our bylaws and DRs,” he said. “They truly do a lot of work, so I just want to thank all of our committees. They truly are valuable to us and provide a lot of good input.”
