Architectural Modification Request form

Fill out this form for any visible modification to the exterior of your lot.  The Architectural Change Committee (also known as an Architectural Review Board) then has up to 10 days to request any additional documentation, and up to an additional 15 days to make a determination if your request complies with the community's Restrictive Covenants.  Submit the completed form here on TownSq, by email to acc@wehoa.homes, or by mail to Windermere Estates HOA, PO Box 443, Midlothian TX 76065.

The ACC committee will give your project one of four designations:

  1. Unconditionally approved.  All paperwork is complete, you can start work with no risk of fines
  2. Conditionally approved. There was sufficient evidence that the project meets community guidelines, but you should not start work until the remaining conditions are met - usually, the remaining condition is proof of a final permit signed by the city.  If the ACC uses this disposition, they cannot later reject your project if you make no further amendments; but if you start work before meeting the condition, you are still at risk for a violation fine (the cure to avoid the fine is to produce the requested paperwork).  Since there is a lead time and a sunk cost to getting a city permit, some homeowners prefer to learn that the ACC won't reject their project before paying for the permit.
  3. Conditionally rejected. The ACC cannot determine if the project meets community guidelines; but likes the general idea, and has offered suggested amendments that would fix the problems noted by the ACC.  If you agree to the ACC's proposals, they will approve your amendments (perhaps with conditional approval, if they also want to guarantee that you have a permit); and this second round of approvals is generally much faster since everyone is already in communication on what else was needed.  If you start work anyway, you are at risk of a fine, where it is harder to assess whether there is an obvious cure
  4. Unconditionally rejected.  The ACC determined that your project conflicts with community guidelines, and could not propose any amendments that would make it fit.  Your only recourse is to appeal to the board for an exemption. If you start work anyways, you are looking at facing HOA fines.

For legal reasons, approval (conditional or unconditional) can be sent by regular mail, or with owner consent by electronic means (see https://tiny.one/wehoa-electronic-optin for details).  However, rejections (even conditional rejections that can easily be turned into approvals once the suggested amendments are agreed to) must be sent by certified mail, both as a protection to the HOA and to the homeowner, even though we will also give you an electronic copy for speed.  Furthermore, if the ACC gives a rejection letter, you have the right to appeal to the board.  Part of the reason a rejection letter must be sent by certified mail is that we have to prove that you were informed of your right to appeal.  That said, for conditional rejections, it is probably faster and cheaper to just meet the conditions and get the ACC to send out a followup acceptance letter, than to fight the appeals process.