Maintenance of community lot with like guard parking area.
Maintenance of community signs on NC 12.
Grass cutting and landscaping of all common elements.
Association website hosting.
Electricity & water utilities (utilities available only at the southern sign on NC 12).
Liability insurance.
IRS tax filing.
Annual donation to Dare & Duck fire departments.
Annual membership meeting expenses.
Association administration supplies.
What (if any) Property does the association own?
The original developer of Carolina Dunes deeded the following properties to the Association:
Three (3) ocean access paths.
One (1) sound access lot.
Two (2) sign lots on NC 12.
One (1) vacant lot on Sprigtail for life guard parking.
The above "common elements" are maintained by the Association using the funds contributed by property owners.
Why doesn't the community sell the vacant lot on sprigtail?
The pros of selling the lot are:
Raises money for the Association's treasury.
Disposes of a community property that is mostly unused.
The cons of selling the lot are:
Eliminates life guard parking, which is major factor in getting a life guard station in Carolina Dunes.
Eliminates any possible future community use (eg, swimming pool, tennis courts, community building etc) of this vacant lot.
The community would have to pay back property taxes that have been exempted since the lot has been a common element all along.
The current consensus among property owners and board members is:
The sale of the property would be logistically difficult because it requires 100% agreement by property owners.
Even if the property were to sell the back taxes would be significant and would erase a significant portion of the sale value.
The presence of life guards in Carolina Dunes is valuable from a marketing standpoint and rental management companies promote the fact that our community has lifeguards stationed on the beach.
does the association enforce covenants?
No. The covenants (which mainly address building standards and usage) were created and recorded in the Dare County land records by Carolina Dunes, Inc, the original developer. Since the developer never legally assigned enforcement authority and power to any entity, enforcement is limited to individual property owners. The Association does not have enforcement power or authority for the covenants.
Should the association enforce covenants?
No. Generally speaking the Town of Duck has stricter building standards than those defined by the original developer of Carolina Dunes. Additionally, the Town of Duck has authority and resources to enforce the building codes whereas the Carolina Dunes Association does not. It would be cost prohibitive for the Association to enforce the original covenants, most of which are already enforced by the Town of Duck.
why should all owners pay the annual association dues?
To maintain property value.
All properties, regardless of whether they are soundfront, between the ocean and sound, or oceanfront, benefit from the maintenance the Association performs on the common elements (ocean walkways, sound access, community lot, signs, etc). If these essential infrastructure items are not well maintained property values will be affected.
To maintain rental revenue.
Subdivisions are important factors in rental decisions. Well maintained subdivisions have higher rentals than less maintained subdivisions. Dues paid by you the homeowner go directly towards improving the common elements your tenants use to access the beach and sound. Rental management companies understand the value of well maintained ocean access paths and steer tenants accordingly. By paying the annual dues you are increasing the rentability of your property by improving the quality of our community.
To be neighborly.
Over 80% of the community pays their voluntary dues. If you have an issue please raise it with us so we can address it. By not paying your dues you're making it more difficult for us as a community to maintain our common elements and YOUR property values and the marketability of YOUR property.
why doesn't the association force owners to pay dues?
Since there is no reference to the Association in the covenants and the covenants do not provide for mandatory dues, membership in the Association is voluntary and Association dues are voluntary. To make Association dues mandatory, the covenants would have to be legally changed and re-recorded.
Even if the covenants were legally changed the cost to enforce payment of the dues would be prohibitively expensive. Enforcement of payment would require the placement of liens on properties and that would likely result in lawsuits between property owners and the Association. The legal costs associated with enforcement would outweigh the benefits associated with enforcement of mandatory dues.
are the association board members and officers paid?
No. All Board members and officers serve on a voluntary basis.
who maintains the streets in carolina dunes?
The State of North Carolina. The original developer built the streets and dedicated them to the State of North Carolina. This exceptionally good decision is a differentiator for our community. Nearly every other community within the Town of Duck is responsible for the maintenance of their roads and that can be very expensive. Because the original developer had the foresight to dedicate the roads to the State of North Carolina we can keep our dues low because a major expense (road repair) is covered by the State of North Carolina rather than the Association.
if i would like to play some role, small or large, in the community, how could i do that?
Any owner is encouraged to play any role they may like in the community. Just call or email any Board member to express your interest. Please visit the "Contact Us" page for email addresses.
i rent my house. Can i put a reference to that on the association website?