Frequently Asked Questions

There are currently no annual dues from homeowners. 

The Association collects a Maintenance Fee from the buyer each time a property is sold.  Earnings on this accumulated principal provide for annual needs.  With no significant shared facilities on the common areas (which are largely wooded), expenses are low, and we further hold the line on costs by choosing not to contract out for HOA management services. 

The Declaration fixed the fee at $1000 for each original purchaser, and authorized the Association to set the amount to collect on resales. A Board resolution in 2007 formally set the Maintenance Fee at $1000 upon each sale of a home. 

By state law, you will need to provide to your potential buyer a copy of the Declaration and the By-Laws, both of which are available for free download from this site.  Your buyer and settlement company will also need to receive a Resale Certificate, which specifies the Maintenance Fee to be collected at settlement, along with other legally required information. You will need to contact the Board to allow them time to prepare the certificate.  If you have a sales agent, they should be able to handle all this for you.

Depending on the changes you are making, you may need to have your plans reviewed and approved by the Architecture Committee.  It is likely the Borough will not release permits until the HOA has provided documentation that your plans are approved, or at least a statement that your plans do not need approval.  See more details for yourself in the Declaration, Section XIII.  Reach out early at silverleaffarmshoa@gmail.com to share your plans!

Yes, it is. The roads in Silver Leaf Farms are dedicated to and maintained by the borough, so the HOA does not maintain authority over their use.  The borough does not restrict parking since the roads are wide enough to allow access to emergency vehicles even if cars are parked on both sides. 

See the governing Documents, especially the Declaration, Section VI.

Yes, the Declaration prohibits the display of almost all types of signage including political signage. This is one of the few areas which homeowners have asked the association to actively enforce the restriction in order to maintain the appearance of the community, so we appreciate your cooperation. The Declaration makes limited exceptions for house numbers and customary "For Sale" signs when a home is offered for sale.

Without wading into all of the legalese, the PA State Supreme Court ruled that HOAs are not governmental actors, but are rather private organizations, and that homeowners are judged to have voluntarily agreed to yield their right to display political signs if they choose to move into a community with such restrictions in place.  If you really want to learn more, see the Midlake on Big Boulder Lake decision from 1996. 

Do note that there is sometimes confusion when candidate signs are put up on properties in the adjacent subdivisions within our larger neighborhood, but those properties are not subject to our HOA restrictions.

We certainly can, and the Board encourages all Members to bring any such suggestion to their attention. However, the Declaration (which contains the restrictions) is difficult to amend: it takes a 67% affirmative vote from the entire Membership (45 of 61 votes) to effect a change. Changes to the By-Laws are easier as they require only a simple majority from a quorum at an association meeting, or a simple majority vote by the Executive Board.  However, the scope of the By-Laws is more limited than the Declaration.

The Executive Board is made up of three members, who serve 3-year terms each.  At least one Executive Board seat is up for election each year at the annual meeting (although there are other means by which an empty seat may be appointed in odd cases).  Any Member in the community may serve (although not more than one from the same property).

The architecture committee is reformed each year after the Executive Board is elected.  If you'd like to volunteer, please contact us.