Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get gate access?

Submit the gate access and EZ Tag request form: https://forms.gle/mfA6Kzm4Ay37BewM8. The Board and management review the request and provision the credential on the access-control system the community shares with the adjacent Lofts property.

Full details, including who can request credentials and how to report a gate that is not working, are on the gate access page.

How do I pay my assessments?

Assessments are paid through the TownSq resident portal. Available methods are:

• e-check;
• credit card;
• ACH bank draft;
• a check mailed to the address on your statement.

Convenience fees apply to credit card and e-check payments. ACH and mailed checks avoid them. The current fee schedule is shown in TownSq at the time of payment.

Annual assessments are due by January 31. Payments made after the due date become delinquent and are subject to the interest and collection provisions of the recorded documents — see Bylaws Article XI and Declaration Article IV.

If you have a billing question, raise it with Principal Management Group — see the contact page.

Who picks up the trash?

Trash is picked up Tuesdays and Fridays; recycling is picked up Fridays. Collection for the community is provided by Texas Pride Disposal. Holiday schedule changes and bulk-pickup rules are announced through TownSq.

Please bring bins back out of public view promptly after collection — trash cans left visible are a recorded covenant issue, not just a neighborly one.

Can my car be towed?

It depends which zone you’re in — see the map on the parking page:

• The orange zone (the main stretch of Ann St that connects both gates) is patrolled. A permit must be clearly visible on the front window, or the vehicle may be towed.
• The green zone (the street in front of homes) is not patrolled. A tow happens there only if a car is blocking a resident’s vehicle, driveway or pedestrian path, and only when a resident requests it and shows proof of address.
• Private driveways are never towed.

Towing is performed by American Wrecker Co., 713-681-9732. If your car was towed, call them first, then tell management and copy the Board.

The full rules and the zone map are on the parking page.

Can I open the gate by text?

Yes. Residents and guests can text the community gate number to open either or both vehicle gates. The number itself isn’t published here — get it from your host, the Neighbors WhatsApp group, or TownSq. See Open the gate by text for what to send and what to do if it doesn’t work.

How do I request approval for a fence, paint color, patio or other modification?

Exterior changes need written approval before work starts. That includes fences and gates, exterior paint and stain colors, patios, driveways and walkways, doors, lighting, landscaping that acts as a structure, and similar work.

To apply:

1. Put it in writing. Submit a cover letter describing the proposed improvement, together with the application form.
2. Attach two copies of a detailed site plan. A marked-up copy of the survey you received at closing works well, since distances and dimensions can be checked against it.
3. Include the supporting detail — specifications, materials, colors, building permits — along with a mailing address and phone number for the reply.
4. Send it to management at the current Principal Management Group of Houston address on the contact page, or submit it through TownSq.
5. Confirm receipt. Follow up within about a week rather than assuming your application arrived.

Applications must be in writing. The Modifications Committee cannot act on verbal or faxed requests. The committee has forty-five days from receipt of a complete application to respond.

The standards themselves — what is allowed, what is prohibited outright, and what needs a variance — are in the Architectural Control Guidelines. Work done without approval can be ordered removed at the owner’s expense, so it is worth applying first even when you are confident the answer is yes.

How do I contact the Board?

Email [email protected]. That address reaches the volunteer Board of Directors.

For day-to-day matters — billing, work orders, permits, violation notices, resale documents — management is usually faster. Contacts and the escalation path are on the contact page.

Where are the official rules?

All four recorded governing instruments are transcribed on this site: the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions, the Bylaws, the Articles of Incorporation, and the Architectural Control Guidelines. Start at the governing documents index, which explains which one to reach for.

Those pages are convenience transcriptions. The official recorded instruments filed with Harris County, Texas control in the event of any discrepancy.

What happens when a home is sold?

The association requires a covenant compliance inspection at the time of each transfer of ownership, as part of the association’s disclosure process. The inspection is coordinated and performed through the management company.

If violations are found, the current owner (the seller) is required to bring them into compliance in connection with the transfer. This is a common source of last-minute delay in a closing, so sellers benefit from correcting obvious exterior issues — peeling paint, damaged fencing, stored materials in view — well before listing.

Fees associated with resale, including the inspection, are the responsibility of the parties to the real estate transaction, not the association.

The board resolution establishing this requirement is reproduced on the Articles of Incorporation page. Resale certificates and disclosure packages are ordered through Principal Management Group.

What should I do to prepare for hurricanes and freezes?

Houston gets both, and in a townhome community what one household does affects its neighbors on the other side of a shared wall.

Hurricane season:

• Bring in or secure anything outside that can become airborne — patio furniture, planters, bins, decorations.
• Clear gutters and drains before a storm is forecast, not during one.
• Know where your water shutoff and electrical panel are, before you need them in the dark.
• Keep your own emergency supplies: water, non-perishable food, medication, flashlights, batteries, chargers.
• Check that your homeowner insurance is current, and understand what your policy covers versus what the association’s policy covers.
• Photograph the exterior and interior of your home now, so you have a dated record if you ever need to file a claim.

Freeze events:

• Cover or insulate exposed outdoor faucets and any exposed pipe.
• Disconnect and drain garden hoses.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the plumbing, and let a faucet drip during a hard freeze.
• Know how to shut off your water at the main, in case a pipe does burst.
• If you will be away during a freeze, do not turn the heat off entirely, and ask a neighbor to check on the unit.

A burst pipe in a townhome rarely stays in one unit, so these small steps protect your neighbors as much as yourself.

The association distributes seasonal preparedness guides through TownSq ahead of hurricane season and cold-weather events. Watch for those notices and follow any instructions specific to the community.