The language found below represents an interpretation of the language recorded in the documented restrictions for each section of Sagemeadow as well as local and state law. The purpose of the interpretations is to make the restrictions easier to understand for all residents of Sagemeadow. Please familiarize yourself with these rules and abide by them to the best of your ability.

NOTE: Not all restrictions have been interpreted and as such, may not be found here. For the actual language or to see the language for a restriction/topic not covered here, see the scanned document for your specific section under Useful Information or visit the Harris County records department.

If you have questions or concerns related to the rules listed here, send an email to info@sagemeadow.org.

ALL interpretations must be officially agreed upon by the executive committee at a regular monthly meeting before they can be considered an approved interpretation. When approved, the date of approval will be listed next to the specific rule it applies to. If no date exists, then the interpretation is still under review. All interpretations once approved, can be challenged at any regularly scheduled committee meeting. Please use the search function on this website to more easily locate the topic you are seeking. The Harris County recorded version of the rules can be downloaded here.
NOTE: all rules marked with (A) require Architectural Control Committee approval.

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Property landscape – 10/15/20
1. Permanent turf is required on all visible yard areas
2. Must keep lawn and garden areas alive and free of weeds
3. Lawn must be mowed with such frequency as to not appear unkept
a. Grass that is kept longer is acceptable provided it is of uniform length (should not exceed 6 inches)
4. Reasonable attempts should be made to collect and dispose of all trash, grass clippings, dead vegetation, leaves, etc.
a. Moving such debris into any part of the roadway is prohibited
5. Shrubs planted near the foundation shall be pruned to allow visibility of the first floor windows; the ideal is visibility of about 2/3 of the front window surface
6. Front yard patios require written approval from the architectural control committee

Street gutters & drains – 10/15/20
1. The drainage gutter and any drain immediately adjacent should be kept clear of trash and landscape debris for the purpose of aiding the timely removal of rainwater to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent street and lot flooding.
2. All residents are equally responsible for maintaining said drains and gutters

Rain gutters (A) – 10/15/20
1. The installation of rain gutters must be approved by the architectural control committee. Rain gutters are recommended not required
a. All rain gutters must be kept clear of debris to discourage the visible growth of vegetation within them

RVs, travel trailers, boats, trailers, etc. – 10/15/20
1. Must not be stored onsite unless stored in a garage, backyard, or behind a fence which blocks a majority of the view from any public roadway
2. Can be fully visible for up to 84 hours with prior approval
a. Must be legally parked
i. Must not block traffic, not parked against traffic, not over sidewalk

Homes in remodel (unoccupied)(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must provide a basic schedule of completion to HOA
2. Maintain a safe workspace at all times
a. Construction materials should not be accessible to the public overnight
b. Sidewalks must not be blocked at any time unless reasonable, temporary accommodations are made for pedestrian traffic to pass by safely
3. Maintain yard appearance
a. Yards must be maintained during all phases of construction/remodel
i. Failure to maintain yard will result in a formal warning and possible forced mowing of the yard at the owner’s expense
4. Assure property is secured when there are no workers present
a. Proper locks, doors, fences, and gates

Parking – 09/17/20
1. Grass parking – is strictly prohibited
2. Street parking – the right side wheels of any vehicle parked on any street must be as close to the curb as possible;
a. vehicles that are “wrong way” parked are considered illegally parked and subject to being towed
3. Driveway parking – any vehicle parked on a driveway must not block a majority of any adjacent sidewalk

Exterior air conditioning hardware – 09/17/20
1. All visible outside hardware must appear to be in good condition
2. Must not be significantly leaning or broken/damaged
3. No “window unit” is permissible if visible from the street

Exterior paint(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must appear fresh and not peeling or incomplete
a. All visible exterior painted areas must be of a similar color to the surrounding homes.
2. Application of paint to brick is permitted on a case-by-case basis

Roof(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must not show extensive signs of wear or damage
a. Materials
i. Flat roof – crushed marble slag or pea gravel set in a built-up deck
ii. Pitched roof – (1) wood shingles or (2) asphalt or composition shingles comparable in quality, weight, and color to wood shingles
iii. Alternative materials may be used only with Architectural Control Committee approval

Rain gutters/barrels(A) – 09/17/20
1. Gutters must be installed properly and kept in good condition
2. Rain barrels are permissible if not visible from the street

Structural/property damage due to natural or other circumstances – 09/17/20
1. The property must be secured such that no trespassing is possible
2. Damage to windows, doors, their openings, or any opening in the structure must be covered with materials in good condition and used in an expected manner
a. No cardboard coverings
b. No damaged or deteriorated tarps

Exterior materials(A) – 09/17/20
1. Siding/Trim/Soffits/Facia (all structures)
a. Must be in good condition (freshly painted, not rotten or coming apart)
b. Durable and of a similar style to surrounding homes

Windows/window openings(A) – 09/17/20
1. Colors and style must be complementary to the overall style of the home and surrounding homes
2. No broken or boarded-up window openings are permitted without prior approval
3. No foil or other non-window covering material may cover any window opening
4. Tinted glass treatment is acceptable on a case-by-case basis

Doors(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must be in good condition (clean, fresh paint, complete)
2. Any window or hardware must be whole and in working order

Exterior lighting(A) – 09/17/20
1. No lighting should significantly illuminate an adjacent property without prior approval from the property owner
2. Lighting should be installed so that it does not significantly illuminate any door or window of an adjacent property

Security cameras – 09/17/20
1. No installed security camera should be positioned to observe another property without the property owners approval

Flags – 09/17/20
1. Yard poles(A)
a. Must only have one permanently installed in-ground pole
i. Must be in good condition and should not exceed 25’
2. On structure poles
a. Must be in good condition and properly attached
3. Flags/banners
a. Must be in good condition
i. Must be appropriately sized for size/type of pole/stand
b. Not tattered, torn, ripped, or faded
4. US Flags
a. Should be illuminated if displayed at night, If possible
5. All other flags
a. Displayed tastefully and appropriate to the time of year

Antennas and wires (radio/television)(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must not be positioned more than 10 feet above the roof of the main residence
2. Must not be positioned forward of the front building line

Garage(A) – 09/17/20
1. No garage should exceed the height of the main structure
2. Can accommodate two cars but, no more than three
3. Painted garage doors should be free from corrosion and appear fresh

Carports(A) – 09/17/20
1. Permissible only with prior approval
2. Colors must be consistent with surrounding structures
3. Must not exceed the height of the main structure
4. Must be in good working order with no visible corrosion or peeling paint

Swimming pools (in-ground/above-ground)(A) – 09/17/20
1. Swimming pools and spas must be constructed and maintained in such a way as to permit safe swimming/recreation. If not in use, a swimming pool or spa must be completely drained to prevent public health and environmental concerns
2. All new pools must be approved by the ACC prior to the beginning of construction
TDH Standards for Swimming Pools and Spas (Sections 265.181- 265.204).

Number of floors(A) – 09/17/20
1. No building can be greater than two-stories tall

Outside sports structures – 09/17/20
1. Temporary/non-permanent structures of any kind may not be left out overnight
2. Basketball backboards, hoops/goals
a. Permanent structure may be installed with prior approval
b. Must be in good working order with a complete net installed
3. No other permanent structure may be installed without prior approval

Yard/garage sales – 09/17/20
1. No permit is required but, HOA requests a minimum of 1 week notification
2. Must not last more than two consecutive days
3. Items not sold on first day must be kept out of site overnight
4. Items to be discarded or offered for free, should not be placed on the curb any earlier than 12 hours before trash days
5. Signs promoting sale should be collected at the end of the last day of the sale

Smoker/BBQ pit/gas grill – 09/17/20
1. Any such cooking appliance should not be visible from the street overnight

Trash – 09/17/20
1. No lot shall be used as a dumping ground
2. All household trash must be kept in sanitary containers
3. Yard waste may be disposed of in durable bags and placed curbside no earlier than 1 day prior to trash pickup
4. Tree/bush cuttings may be placed curbside in small bundles which are easy to pick up (~3 feet cube)

Incinerators/firepits – 09/17/20
1. Must be kept clean/sanitary
2. Must have reasonable safety measures in place prior to use
3. Not too close to any structure with water hose nearby

Solar panels(A) – 09/17/20
1. Roof installed – must be installed in accordance with industry standards
2. Yard installed – must not be forward of the front property line

House numbers – 09/17/20
1. Curbside – should be clearly visible with numbers no less than 3” tall
a. Numbers should be painted with white reflective paint
b. Logos are permissible
2. On-home – should be clearly visible with numbers no less than 4” tall
a. Color should contrast the wall surface on which they are attached

Sidewalks(A) – 09/17/20
1. Homeowners are responsible for sidewalks in front of/alongside their home
2. All properties should have a concrete sidewalk, four feet wide, parallel to the street curb which extends from lot boundary to lot boundary, into the street right-of-way and/or street curbs at corner lots
3. Sidewalk sections must be level relative to adjacent sidewalk sections

Concrete maintenance – 09/17/20
1. All visible concrete must be visibly clean, with few signs of pollution or algae
2. All visible concrete must be kept free of any vegetation in the joints/cracks
3. Curbs/street gutters
a. Homeowners are responsible for the curbside gutters in front of/alongside their home
4. Must be maintained such that their appearance is whole, structurally sound, and clear of debris

Driveways(A) – 09/17/20
1. Must be constructed of durable materials and engineered to accommodate passenger vehicles
2. Driveways may be widened or lengthened to accommodate additional vehicles
3. Half-circle driveways may be permitted on a case-by-case basis
4. Driveway joints should be properly maintained with wood strips that are not cracked, split or removed (10/15/20)

Animals – 09/17/20
1. No animals, livestock, or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred, or kept except for typical household pets provided they are not kept, bred, or maintained for any commercial purpose
2. All dogs and cats must be licensed and have current vaccinations
3. All dogs and cats must be on a leash while in any public area

Occupancy – 09/17/20
1. Rooms in the main residence shall not be sublet
2. No garage apartments for rent shall be permitted
3. Living quarters not in the main structure may be used for bona fide servants only

Fences(A) – 09/17/20
1. No fence may exceed eight feet in height
a. Along Blackhawk, Hughes, & Hall Road
i. Fences must be consistent in height from corner-to-corner
2. Material selection
a. Most materials are permissible if fence is not visible from any publicly accessible area
b. All visible materials must be structurally formidable, consistent in application, and in good condition visibly
3. Visible chain link fences are not permissible
4. Installation limitations
a. Cannot obstruct sightlines at elevations between two and six feet above the roadway

Home-based business – 09/17/20
1. No lot should appear to be used as a business

Vehicles/trailers/boats – 09/17/20
1. All visible vehicles must be parked legally, street legal, and in good repair
2. No large profile trucks/vans, or any other vehicle, other than passenger vehicles will be permitted to park on streets or on drives near any residence for longer than a twelve (12) hour period
3. No boats or trailers of any kind can be visibly stored on the property
4. Boats and trailers must not be visible for more than 24 hours without prior HOA approval

Tree & shrub maintenance – 09/17/20
1. Tree & shrub maintenance is the property owners responsibility of the property to which they are associated
2. Tree minimum clearance
a. Over street – tree branches should be trimmed to maintain a 12-foot clearance
b. Over sidewalk – tree branches should be trimmed to maintain an 8-foot clearance
3. All trees must appear to be free of dead limbs and branches
4. All palm trees must have dead fronds pruned seasonally
5. Trees & shrubs should be kept sufficiently trimmed such that any adjacent sidewalk is clear from the ground to a minimum of 8 feet
6. No tree or shrub shall be maintained that obscures a minimum of 150 feet line of sight to any traffic control/sign