MPR Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions to the Mountain Park Ranch HOA office. Our staff is also available to assist with any questions you have that are not listed on our website. Feel free to contact us!
Just thought you should know- When the HOA becomes aware of any new changes in laws, we try to update our website and rule booklet in a timely manner.
A: According to our tree arborist, it’s that time of year when palm trees need trimming for removal of dead and/or hanging fronds and seed pods. Also, if the husk becomes loose or missing in spots, the trunk can be trimmed or skinned up to a uniform spot. Did you know that unmaintained and overgrown palm tree fronds make good homes for scorpions and roof rats, not to mention the overgrowth is a known fire hazard?
Here are some suggestions that have been provided by Proqual Landscaping regarding maintaining palm trees; however, we also suggest you contact other landscaping companies with their recommendations:
June through Mid-July is to best time to trim the tree pods (flowers). They will emerge before the pods actually open. At that time, they can be trimmed off safely, along with any fronds that are hanging down. It is not necessary to have all fronds trimmed off, only those that are hanging towards the ground. Cutting all of the fronds can harm or kill the tree – the top of the tree should have a nice V pattern.
A: In most of the common areas, comprising more than 6 miles of walk & wash areas, they have, since MPRHOA’s inception in 1984, been maintained by the city from ‘wall to wall’. Some areas, noticeably better maintained, are cared for by the HOA.
A: The e-keys, or FOBs,
Recreation Center Pool and Tennis key FOBS can be obtained at the HOA Office Monday – Thursday 7 am – 3 pm and Friday 7 am – 11 am. To greatly minimize unauthorized use of our 3 Recreation Center pools by non-members, keys are transferred from buyer to seller at the time the property is sold. Only one key is issued per household. Pools and tennis courts require an electronic fob for access. Lost or replacement key can be purchased at the business office for $30.00, cash or check. Please bring your driver’s license and a utility bill with your name and property address on it.
A. When you know the dates your container will be left out in the street, simply call the Association Business Office and give the information and your name and address to be placed on a ‘Watch List’. Call during business hours or leave your message on the voicemail. It is advised to leave a visible note on the trash can indicating it is there for city pickup.
A. Yes! A building permit only meets the City Building Code; it may not meet the requirements of the Association.
A. NO. City of Phoenix Ordinance Section 23-33 and Section 31-8 requires that backwash water be kept on the owner’s lot. It may be drained into the city sewer by use of the clean out valve located in the front yard of each home. The Rules of the Association prohibit draining water into the Common Area and inspections are made routinely for evidence that it is being done.
A. Yes, but it cannot be above the fence line. Metal or other backyard storage sheds detached from the house are allowed when they are no higher than the home’s surrounding block wall and limited to 100 sq. feet in area. Such a shed needs no Architectural approval because they are below party walls.
A. No. Verbal approval is never given for any change. All approvals must be in writing. Staff members will not give verbal approval for any change or alteration.
A. Yes! When any change is made that can be seen from a neighboring property, Architectural approval is required. Play equipment must be located in the rear yard. Please reference the web site under Rules and Regulations and click on “Rules for Community Living” for more details.
A. Any of the above structures are required to be set back five (5) feet from any property line or perimeter party wall. Maximum height on a Gazebo and/or Ramada is ten (10) feet with a peak roof and eight (8) feet with a flat roof. A Playhouse/Play Structure can be no more than ten (10) feet high and platforms or flat standing surfaces can be no higher than four (4) feet above the natural grade of the lot. Please reference the web site under Rules and Regulations and click on “Rules for Community Living” for more details.
A. There is one heated pool, which is at Rec. Center #1, 15216 Ranch Circle South. The temperature is set for automatic heating at around 84 degrees.
The pools at 3939 Ranch Circle North and 2578 Thunderhill Place are not heated.
The Spas at all three locations are heated and set around 102-105 degrees.
A. Yes! Failure to do so, before you start the project could prove to be costly in terms of time and money.
A. The color is a Dunn Edwards color called Stonish Beige.
A. The Committee will use the CC&R’s, Rules for Community Living, Architectural Review Guidelines, compatibility with surrounding area, visual impact, skill and workmanship, building materials, and harmonious with neighboring properties. Additional information is available to you on this Web Site under “Rules for Community Living”.
A. The Association has assumed the responsibility of painting the exterior walls only where the Association owns the property adjacent or bordering the Wall or Fence. The inside of walls and fences is fully the responsibility of the homeowner.
A. Below is helpful information for your planning.
- The pools, tennis courts and/or recreation centers are not for rent and only available to Mountain Park Ranch HOA Members.
- There is a guest limit of 4 persons per household for Pools and 3 persons per household for Tennis Courts.
- There is a guest limit of 30 people on the lawn area only. There are no reservations taken, although we do ask Members to register their party with the Office (480-704-5000). Space is on a first come, first served basis. If a Member comes in and is already using a spot your party had wanted to use, the first one there gets the space. We do not “hold” space for anyone. If this occurs, you can always utilize one of the other Recreation Centers.
- Our Maintenance Staff will have extra garbage bags out when there is a party.
- We try our best to have all sprinklers off for parties.
- From late September through the beginning of November each year the Recreation Centers may not be available due to over-seeding the lawns.
- If you are bringing in bouncy children’s play equipment or similar equipment, or have anyone in attendance that is receiving funds for their service, or is there to perform any type of service for your event, MPRHOA requires the person(s) and/or contractor(s) to submit to the association office proof of liability insurance including workers compensation in the minimum amount of $1,000,000.00 insurance coverage, naming MPRHOA as an additional insured. The association does not have any electrical or water hookups that can be used, so you must bring your own power.
- We will make note of your party plans with name, phone number, date, time and number of people in attendance. We provide this information each week to our Maintenance Staff for trash bags and our landscapers for sprinkler issues.
- Parties are limited to 3 hours if others are waiting.
- Grills are OK outside the pool area ONLY.
- Alcohol is prohibited in any common area of Mountain Park Ranch.
A. No. The City Streets are not a part of the Association and are outside of our control.
A. Yes! The form and approval is required on all outside work or change to your property.
A. 6:00pm the day before is the normal time for set out and the container should be taken in by 6am the day after pickup.
A. No. the Association has little or no authority over activity on a city street. If the vehicle is legally parked the Police can’t do anything either.
A. The CC&R’s, Art. IV, Sec 2. b. states animals shall not be allowed to make an unreasonable amount of noise or to become a nuisance. In the case of dogs, the Association’s position has been to treat this like any other violation; but, if that fails, it is up to the complainant to take whatever legal action is necessary to bring relief. It would be the same as a noise complaint about a loud party, music, or engine noise. The Association will assist where possible, but the proof and evidence of the case is the responsibility of the complainant.
A. A complete record of all house colors is not available, but some information can be searched out in old paint lists used by developers. The original paint colors were updated several years ago and new colors introduced to keep pace with changing trends. Some early colors have a very ‘dated’ look and gone out of fashion or are no longer made but can be matched by most paint stores. The business office has a list of most of the original builders’ colors but acknowledges that some exceptions may exist. The old colors are slowly being phased out of use with the updated list. The Association Office has all approved colors for you to look at.
A. The Association maintains color boards and paint color books with the approved colors for the body of the house and the trim for the entire Association. The selection must be made from this list of colors. Architectural Review Forms must be completed and approved by the Office prior to painting.
A. Payments are due the first day of January and July. A late fee is charged 31 days later if the Assessment has not been received in the office. Few exceptions to this policy have ever been given by the Board. A claim of not receiving a bill or notice by mail is not a sufficient reason to have the charge waived. Additional charges accrue if any type of collection effort is started.
A. You can park in front of your double gate if it is a part of your driveway and has a paved surface. The main purpose of a double gate is for access to the rear yard. Installing a gate cannot be a maneuver to increase front yard parking. In most cases driveways are limited to a width of 27 feet or no more than 1/3 of the yard frontage. With or without the gate, parking off a paved surface in the front is not permitted.
A. Each owner of an Apartment, Single Family Home or Acre of Commercial Land has one vote. If you own multiples of any of the above types you pay an equal assessment rate and have an equal number of votes. In the case of the Apartments there are four (4) complexes in MPRHOA that total 1096 Units. The various corporations that own the complexes hold the votes and pay assessments equal to the units owned. It should be noted they do not always vote as a block.
A. The lights are on timers and take a few minutes to turn on. They turn off automatically. The hours are posted at the courts; the lights usually go off around 10 p.m.
A. Homeowner payments are semi-annual and due on January 1st and July 1st of each year. They remain at $180 each or $360 per year.
If you are experiencing a financial hardship and need assistance with your payment, please contact the controller, Emma Kroum, to make a payment arrangement.
Commercial property payments are handled differently. Please contact the office for this information.
A. The minimum City of Phoenix set back guidelines for any lot in MPR is 35 feet. This is a combination of front and back yard. This setback requirement will be taken into consideration when ARC is approving an addition to an existing structure in the future.
For an open patio structure, the set back is different. Again, every lot is different. A patio cover may extend out 10 feet from the house, unless there is an easement on a particular lot, then it may be less.
Easements may exist in certain subdivisions and on certain lots.
Perimeter lots may have different requirements than interior lots.
Homeowners are requested to supply this information to the ARC when requesting approval for an home addition or patio cover, as well as provide a City building permit (our guidelines already call for a City permit prior to approval and the ARC request form has been amended to reflect this policy). The ARC will not approve requests that do not include a permit (if one is required).
The lot % coverage is 40% maximum for structures and 45% including shade structures.
The above information was obtained and follows the requirements established from the City of Phoenix Planning and Zoning Department, and adopted at the August 8, 2006 ARC meeting.
If you have any questions on the aforementioned, please contact the Association office or submit your request on the website by clicking Contact Us.
A. Pony walls cannot be any higher than 36 inches, including the top cap and preferred to be stuccoed and painted to match house color.
A. All signs including political signs, real estate signs, etc., are not permitted on Mountain Park Ranch HOA common areas. If you are unsure of the MPR HOA boundaries or where the common areas are located, please contact the Association office at 480-704-5000.
A. We often get questions regarding what the HOA rules are in respect to the display of flags and flagpoles. MPRHOA allows what the current Federal and State laws dictate as follows:
ARS 33-1808. Flag display; A. Notwithstanding any provision in the community documents, an association shall not prohibit the outdoor front yard or backyard display of any of the following: 1. The American flag or an official or replica of a flag of the United States army, navy, air force, marine corps or coast guard by an association member on that member’s property if the American flag or military flag is displayed in a manner consistent with the federal flag code (P.L. 94-344; 90 Stat. 810; 4 United States Code sections 4 through 10). 2. The POW/MIA flag. 3. The Arizona state flag. 4. An Arizona Indian Nations flag. 5. The Gadsden flag. B. The association shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the placement and manner of display of the American flag, the military flag, the POW/MIA flag, the Arizona state flag or an Arizona Indian Nations flag.
The association rules may regulate the location and size of flagpoles, may limit the member to displaying no more than two flags at once and may limit the height of the flagpole to no more than the height of the rooftop of the member’s home but shall not prohibit the installation of a flagpole in the front yard or backyard of the member’s property.