After much deliberation, the Board has decided to change the complaint process for enforcing the Bylaws at Bergen Springs. We will now accept anonymous complaints.
Our reasoning is simple. The focus of the complaint should be on the infraction itself, not on the owner who happened to bring it to our attention. A person who feels compelled to bring forward a complaint must be able to do so safely, without any fear of retaliation whatsoever.
The process works like this:
- The Board receives a complaint in writing from an owner. The letter may be handwritten or sent to us via email.
- The owner may or may not reveal their identity to the Board.
- One or more members of the Board will investigate the complaint and verify the evidence of the infraction.
- If the infraction is evident, the Board will deliver a warning letter to the alleged transgressor, allowing them the opportunity to address the Board.
- If the Board determines that the infraction is in fact valid, the owner will be given 10 days to remedy the infraction (as per Bylaws 42,a-b).
- If the infraction is not remedied, the Board may impose monetary sanctions (as per Bylaws 42,c).
Again, the focus is on the substance of the complaint, not on the complainer. If, for example, your neighbour decides to build a garage, then that’s clearly an infraction (as per Bylaws 61,a,ii). The objective evidence is there for anyone to see, regardless of who happened to submit the complaint about it. But if someone were to complain about their neighbour’s collection of “hideous” garden gnomes or the “ludicrous” colour of their shed, we would ignore such frivolous complaints because they simply have no merit as far as the Bylaws are concerned. The Bylaws stand as our final arbiter in determining the validity of any complaint.
To submit a complaint to the Board, you may either send an email to admin@bergenestates.ca or drop off a letter in a sealed envelope at the Community Hall.