Buying and Selling
Buyers
Before you buy a home in Hickory Ridge, you should request a Letter of Compliance from the seller. A Letter of Compliance is a statement which is issued upon request, usually at resale, certifying that a lot and all alterations comply with the Covenants. All buyers should request that such a letter be provided because any prior violations become the responsibility of the new owner.
Sellers
When you put your house on the market to sell, you should request a Letter of Compliance for your home as soon as your house goes on the market. Having proof that your property is in compliance with the covenants of the village can be a selling feature for the home, and your buyer may ask for one as part of their contract. If you do not request the Letter of Compliance until your buyer asks for it, there might not be time to complete it prior to settlement.
A Request for a Letter of Compliance must be received in writing. It must be signed by the property owner. You can use our form, or your listing agent might have a standardized form that is acceptable to use. Another option is to e-mail the Covenant Advisor at carole@hickoryridgevillage.org with your request.
Once the request is received, the Covenant Advisor will review the file for your property. She will visit your property and inspect it to determine if approval has been granted for all exterior alterations and there are no maintenance issues. If the inspection finds no violations, a Letter of Compliance will be issued. If problems are noted, the Covenant Advisor will address them in a letter to the property owner. The property owner may then apply for approval, remove the unapproved alteration, or resolve maintenance issues. Once the issues have been resolved, the Covenant Advisor will re-inspect and issue a Letter of Compliance.
If there are no violations, a Letter of Compliance is usually issued within a few days after receiving the request. Requests that require use of the architectural approval process will take several weeks to complete. Please plan accordingly.
REMINDER: No application is required for real estate signs to sell your property. However, signs indicating that a property has been SOLD or CONTRACT PENDING are not permitted. The placement of all signs must be in compliance with the Howard County Sign Ordinance.
