How much is the HOA annual assessment and when is it due?
The Kensington Grove Homeowners annual assessment is currently $625.00 (beginning with the 2022 assessment) per lot. The amount is due by January 31st each year and will be assessed a late fee of $35.00 for payment after that date. An option for semi-annual payments plus a 10% premium is available. The first payment would still be due by January 31st in the amount of $343.75 per lot, with the second payment of $343.75 per lot due by June 30th.
Please make checks payable to: Kensington Grove Homeowners Association
Please mail to: P.O. Box 251, Bargersville, IN 46106-0251
We are having issues with stormwater runoff
Heavy rains in the spring have resulted often in drainage ditches and swales being inundated with more water than they can handle in a timely manner. Numerous homeowners have inquired if the HOA can do anything to improve the movement of water through these ditches and swales. In response to those inquiries, we offer the following information.
- The design and execution of the plan to control and divert stormwater in the Kensington Grove development was in accordance with State and County ordinances at the time the original plat map was approved. The subdivision was developed per State and County requirements and inspected continuously throughout development. ALL DRAINAGE met the requirements and passed all inspections.
- The Covenants and Restrictions clearly describe the duty of a Lot Owner to the maintain drainage ditches and swales. Covenants and Restriction, Exhibit D, Section. 9. Ditches and Swales and Erosion Control. “It shall be the duty of the Owner of any Lot on which any part of an open storm ditch or swale is situated to keep such portion thereof as may be situated upon his Lot continuously unobstructed (both by improvements and plant material) and in good repair (emphasis added), and to provide for the installation of such culverts upon said Lot as may be reasonably necessary. It shall be the duty of the Owner to establish as needed and to maintain all erosion control on his or her respective Lot.”
- Drainage ditches and swales are typically located within the Drainage and Utility Easements on each side of a lot – most often at the sides and back of the property. These easements vary in width depending on the location of the property but are minimally 7.5 feet wide for each adjoining lot. Drainage ditches and swales are usually V- or U-shaped depressions running the length of a property line that collect rainwater runoff and direct it toward beehive drains located periodically along the drainage ditch or swale.
- Water runs down-hill and carries particles of dirt with it thus recontouring the area surrounding a drainage ditch or swale. The ability of a drainage ditch or swale to effectively direct stormwater runoff is directly dependent upon its depth relative to the surrounding property and the slope of the ditch/swale from the highpoint of its collection area to its low point at the beehive drain. Backyard lots abutting a drainage ditch/swale are typically sloped to facilitate the movement of runoff toward the ditch/swale. Each year, the several inches of rain that this area receives results in the slow but discernable movement of soil downhill toward and into the drainage ditch/swale, thus filling in the ditch/swale and altering its depth and reducing its effectiveness and resulting in widening of the ‘pool’ of water along the path of drainage. Over the nearly two decades since the initial contouring of this development, there has likely been significant silting in of drainage ditches and swales.
The HOA Board of Directors encourages all our owners to evaluate their drainage problems, if any, with these points in mind.
Whom should I contact if a street light is out?
If it is one of the smaller lights at the entrances or at the roundabout, please contact the board. If it is one of the taller lights, please contact Johnson County REMC at (317) 736-6174 with the location of the light and also the number at the top of the pole.
My mailbox is broken/needs new parts. Where can I find these?
Please contact Otto’s Streetscape Solutions at (317) 886-4400. You can also find a current price list on the Resources page.
There’s a pothole on the road. Who do I contact to have it fixed?
Please call the Johnson County Highway Department at (317) 346-4630 and tell them the location of the pothole. Alternatively, send an email to highway@co.johnson.in.us and give them an approximate address for the pot hole or broken concrete areas around drains. Attach photos if you can.
How do I know what is allowed within the community such as basketball goals, fences, pools, and hot tubs?
There are Covenants and Restrictions that were given to homeowners at closing that they can use for reference to see what the community will allow. If you do not have these documents, you can find them and other helpful documents such as guidelines on the Resources page.
What do I do if I have a complaint about another homeowner who is not in compliance with the Covenants and Restrictions?
Please contact the board either by email or mail which you can find on the “Contact Us” page.
I am planning remodeling changes that involve the exterior of my house/landscape changes. Do I need to get approval?
Short answer is ‘Yes’. Please refer to the Covenants and Restrictions, specifically Exhibit D, for pertinent information regarding your intended project. After reviewing the document, if you wish to proceed, download the KG HOA Property Improvement Request Application found on the Resources page, fill it out, attach a security deposit in the amount specified in the document that corresponds to your project, and submit the request to the HOA Board either by mail (see contact us page for the address) or electronically by email to board@kensingtongrovehoa.org.
The security deposit will be refunded to you upon the successful completion of your project and following a satisfactory inspection by a member of the board.
We are interested in having a [patio, basketball court, swimming pool, pergola, etc] installed. What do we have to do?
Please refer to the Covenants and Restrictions, specifically Exhibit D, for pertinent information regarding your intended project. After reviewing the document, if you wish to proceed, download the KG HOA Property Improvement Request Application found on the Resources page, fill it out, attach a security deposit in the amount specified in the document that corresponds to your project, and submit the request to the HOA Board either by mail (see contact us page for the address) or electronically by email to board@kensingtongrovehoa.org.
The security deposit will be refunded to you upon the successful completion of your project and following a satisfactory inspection by a member of the board.
What should I do if a vehicle is frequently parked overnight on the street?
The Covenants & Restrictions state that vehicles shall be parked only in garages and driveways. Street parking is permitted when a homeowner has a social function. Overnight parking is not permitted on any street.
If a vehicle is frequently parked overnight on the street, notify your HOA board (board@kensingtongrovehoa.org) and describe the situation. The vehicle owner will be contacted and reminded of the restriction (Covenants & Restrictions, Exhibit D, Section 27).
If a vehicle is parked overnight in the same spot for several days without movement, the sheriff’s department should be contacted at 317-346-6336. They will tag the vehicle and give the owner 72 hours to move it or risk having their vehicle towed.
What are the rules about displaying a political sign in an election year?
A homeowner may display one (1) political sign in their front yard. The size of the sign should be no larger than 24″ by 18″.
Political signs may be displayed beginning thirty (30) days before and ending five (5) days after the date of the election to which the sign relates.
The HOA may remove a sign that violates the rules.
Reference: IC 32-21-13