Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mountain Gate Owners' Association?
The Mountain Gate OA is a non-profit corporation composed of homeowners in the Mountain Gate community. You automatically become a member when you purchase a Mountain Gate home.
How do I pay my assessments?
Statement of Annual Assessment
The Annual Assessment is $85 for the year and is due no later than May 1 of the current year. If payment is not made within thirty (30) days after the date of billing, the unpaid amount shall thereafter bear interest from the date first due until paid in full at a rate per annum equal to three percentage points in excess of the announced prime rate in effect on the date payment was first due. In addition to all other rights and remedies available by law or provided herein, the Association shall also be entitled (i) to impose a late charge with respect to any such unpaid amount equal to 10 percent thereof, to reimburse the Association for its administrative and other expenses incurred as a result of the Owner’s failure to pay the assessment or expense when due; and (ii) upon (15) days prior written notice to the Owner owing such assessment or expense, to impose a lien against such Owner’s Lot in the amount of the assessment or expense, plus collection costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), plus interest and late charges as provided in Section 4.5. (Please refer to Section 4. Assessments to read in its entirety). Our Association dues are quite reasonable. Your dues cover the maintenance of the common grounds, utilities, insurance, and other miscellaneous Association expenses. At the annual meeting you will receive a copy of the financial statement of Mountain Gate Owners’ Association that reflects income and expenses for the prior year. Payment should be mailed to the following address:
Mountain Gate Owners' Association
P.O. Box 23782
Tigard, OR 97281-3782
When is the annual meeting?
Each year in late April or early May, you will receive by mail notification of the date, time, and location of the Annual Meeting. As stated in the CC&Rs under Section 3.7.2, the annual meeting must be held within 180 days after the end of each calendar year, the date to be determined by the Board each year. As in past years, the annual meeting has been scheduled in May or June. Approximately 10 days prior to the annual meeting date, signs will be posted at both entrances to Mountain Gate announcing the date, time, and location.
We encourage you to attend. This is an opportunity for you to meet other homeowners, learn about your Association, and to participate in your Association.
What are the requirements for landscape and maintenance?
Landscaping and Maintenance
Each Owner and Occupant shall maintain such Owner’s or Occupant’s Lot, and the Improvements thereon, at such Owner’s or Occupant’s expense. Required maintenance and repair shall include without limitation (i) maintenance of all parking areas, private drives, curbs, and walkways in a clean and safe condition, including cleaning and repairing as often as is necessary; (ii) maintenance of landscaping in an attractive, neat, orderly, trimmed, and cut condition at all times, free of brush, weeds, and debris; (iii) cleaning, maintenance, and re-lamping of any external lighting fixtures; and (iv) maintenance of exteriors of buildings in an attractive and neat condition at all times. In addition, each Owner and Occupant shall maintain in good condition and repair the sidewalks, street trees*, and grass and other landscaping, if any, between the sidewalks and curbs bordering on such Owner’s or Occupant’s Lot, whether located on the Lot or the adjacent right-of-way.”
Maple Trees
The planting of maple trees was required by Washington County at the time the subdivision was established. You will notice these beautiful trees as you drive through your neighborhood. They enhance the appearance of homes and reflect Mountain Gates’ prominence on Bull Mountain. You most likely have at least one maple tree if not more, located within a foot or two of the inside edge of your sidewalk. You, as an owner/occupant, are required to care for and maintain your trees. If a tree becomes diseased or roots become a problem, please consult an arborist. An arborist can most often assist in making the tree healthy again and can fix roots that have become a problem. If the arborist recommends that the tree be removed, contact an ACC member to determine the type of replacement tree to be planted.
Parking
Parking of farm, landscaping or construction machinery or equipment, trucks with a GVW rating in excess of three-quarters of a ton, commercial vehicles, and recreational vehicles including, but not limited to, boats, trailers, campers, motorcycles, motorhomes, golf carts, snowmobiles and similar equipment shall not be allowed on any Lot, or any street adjacent thereto, except within an enclosed garage or screened area which prevents the vehicle or equipment therein from being seen from any other Lot or any street within the Property and the construction of which has been reviewed and approved by the ACC pursuant to Section 5. The staging of a boat, trailer, camper, or motorhome is not permitted overnight.
Rubbish and Trash
All garbage and other waste shall be kept in appropriate sanitary containers for proper disposal and out of public view. Garbage containers and yard equipment and supplies should be stored inside a fenced area and not left in your driveway. If you have a situation where you do not have a fence or are unable to use a fenced area because of a sloping side yard, place your garbage containers as close to the side of your home as possible and within a screened area. Screened areas could be an in-ground shrub, a potted shrub, a trellis, or within an attractive wooden enclosure that significantly keeps them out of public view.
Garbage service is provided by Pride Disposal Company. Pickup begins very early Monday morning. Most homeowners put out their garbage containers out on Sunday evening. Please remove your containers from the curb on Monday after pickup.
Basketball Hoops
By City/County codes, basketball hoops are not to be permanently left on a sidewalk or on a street. They are not to block a pedestrian or driver.
What is the ACC and what does it do?
The Architectural and Control Committee (ACC) is given its authority by the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), a copy of which you received when you purchased your Mountain Gate property. When each of us took title on our home, we agreed to abide by the rules outlined in the CC&Rs. The ACC has the difficult job of trying to create a balance between the rights of homeowners to improve their property and the binding rules of the CC&Rs, which state what kind of improvements that are acceptable in our community. The goal of the ACC is to maintain the beautiful environment which attracted us to this area and to maintain property values for the entire community.
You can find contact information for the members of the ACC on the About Us page, or contact all of them by email.
How can I get exterior changes to my home approved?
As our neighborhood enters its second decade, repair, replacement, and improvement construction projects will occur with increasing frequency. The role of the ACC is to review and approve/disapprove plans for designs, construction, or alteration of all exterior improvements built within Mountain Gate as outlined in the CC&Rs, including those occurring in the front, side, or in the back of the home. Therefore, please remember that any plans for improvements must be approved by the ACC prior to the start of the changes requested. To gain approval, the homeowner should:
Contact a member of the ACC via phone, e-mail, letter, or personally.
Submit a detailed plan as to what improvement will be made. Simple projects (example: repainting the exterior of the home the same color) may need only a text description; large projects (example: a fence or additional room) will need complete documentation (i.e. drawing).
The ACC member will then contact the remaining members of the ACC to review the request by the homeowner.
The ACC shall then vote either via e-mail, FAX, or phoning the ACC member originally contacted by the homeowner. If the request is approved by majority vote, a written notice, either via e-mail, FAX, or letter shall be sent to the homeowner and to the Board of Directors.
If the ACC disapproves the request, the ACC shall send a written explanation outlining why the request was disapproved. The homeowner can appeal the decision directly to the Board of Directors (contact the President of the Board).
The ACC has 15 days to notify the homeowner of their decision.
Please note that you may also need a Building Permit. These are obtained by making application to Washington County Building Services, 503-846-3470. ACC approval does NOT substitute for obtaining a building permit from Washington County when needed, just as obtaining a building permit does NOT substitute for approval of the homeowner's plan for improvement from the ACC.
How do I get involved in the association?
We welcome participation from all homeowners in Mountain Gate and invite everyone to volunteer for Board positions or to serve on any of the Association's committees.
Board members are elected at annual meetings and any homeowner is eligible to run for a Board position (see the Bylaws for more details).
A list of our current committees can be found on the About Us page. If you would like to volunteer to be on a committee, please contact a board member.
Does the HOA offer leaf pickup in the fall?
The HOA has tried this in the past but it ended up creating a much worse situation as homeowners left the leaves in piles in the street for weeks at a time waiting for the pickup to occur. To keep the neighborhood safe and clean each homeowner is responsible to keep their yard and sidewalk clear of the leaves that fall from the trees.
I am refinancing. How do I get info on my current dues?
The vast majority of info that you need is already available on this website. To get the current status of your paid dues you can reach the treasurer through the contact us form.
What is being done about people speeding in the neighborhood?
The Board has received many comments about the never-ending speeding issue on Peachtree and have taken several steps to improve the situation, including:
We have rejoined the Washington County Community Traffic Program
Are improving the placement and rotation of our speed sign
Having the Washington County Sheriff’s Department increase their presence in the neighborhood
Monitoring the speed data from the speed sign and providing it to Washington County
To help report issues so that we can increase police presence please report all speeding activity here: https://www.co.washington.or.us/Sheriff/FightingCrime/Patrols/traffic-complaints.cfm