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Lake of the Woods
Neighbor Information Hub
Understanding the Proposed 2026 HOA Document Changes
The Lake of the Woods HOA Board of Trustees has proposed replacing our original 1984 governing documents with entirely new 2026 "Amended and Restated" versions. This is not a simple amendment — it's a complete replacement of both the Declaration of Restrictions and Covenants and the Bylaws.
To help neighbors understand what's being proposed, we've prepared several independent analyses comparing the current and proposed documents side by side. All claims are cross-referenced to specific page numbers and sections in the source documents so you can verify everything yourself.
Here are some of the most significant changes between the 1984 originals and the proposed 2026 Draft 6. Each card includes the specific document references so you can look them up yourself.
The 1984 covenants simply prohibit "nuisances and noxious or offensive activities" — an objective standard. The 2026 Draft expands this into a broad provision banning anything that "causes or tends to cause embarrassment, discomfort, annoyance, or nuisance" to the Association, its employees, agents, or any Person. This subjective language could be used to restrict legitimate activities like yard signs, neighborhood organizing, or vocal disagreement with the Board.
1984 Art. I, §C.8, p. 6 → 2026 Draft Art. IV, §3(o), p. 16The 1984 covenants tied assessments to a specific maintenance scope requiring member approval to change. The 2026 Draft gives the Board power to set assessment amounts with no cap, and adds new categories like enforcement assessments and special assessments — all of which become liens on your property that can lead to foreclosure.
1984 Art. II, §B, pp. 15–16 → 2026 Draft Art. VIII, §§1–3, pp. 30–31Under the 1984 covenants, if the Board doesn't respond to your building plans within 30 days, your plans are automatically approved. The 2026 Draft reverses this — silence now means denied.
1984 Art. I, §E, pp. 11–12 → 2026 Draft Art. V, §2, p. 24The 1984 covenants require signed instruments from a majority of all owners to amend. The 2026 Draft creates "Board of Directors Amendments" allowing the Board to amend the documents alone, without any owner vote, for seven broad categories.
1984 Art. I, §F.1, p. 12 → 2026 Draft Art. XI, §§1–2, pp. 39–40The 1984 covenants have no rental restrictions. The 2026 Draft adds 13 sub-sections regulating rentals: minimum 12-month terms, Board approval, no subletting, and the Association can even initiate eviction proceedings.
1984: No comparable provision → 2026 Draft Art. IV, §3(k)(1)–(13), pp. 13–15The 1984 covenants limit enforcement to court proceedings. The 2026 Draft allows the Board to enter your property, perform work at your expense, levy enforcement assessments as liens on your property — potentially resulting in foreclosure — suspend your voting rights, and charge you their attorney fees.
1984 Art. I, §F.5, pp. 13–14 → 2026 Draft Art. XII, §§1–4, pp. 41–43The 1984 covenants require 2,200–2,400 sq. ft. depending on home type, with four specific building designs defined. The 2026 Draft reduces this to a single 1,800 sq. ft. minimum with no specified building types — a 17–25% reduction.
1984 Art. I, §A.1–A.2, pp. 2–3 → 2026 Draft Art. IV, §2The 1984 Restrictions and Covenants were recorded with Summit County as covenants running with the land — meaning they are permanently attached to every property deed in the subdivision. We've identified 12 areas where the proposed 2026 changes directly conflict with these recorded protections.
Lake of the Woods was built around a 1.5-acre storm water retention lake. Water management accounts for 71% of the original HOA budget. The 2026 Draft significantly expands the rules governing water features, drainage, and homeowner responsibilities.
The 2026 Draft creates a formal "Water Lot" category for properties adjacent to water features. These lots now face 10 specific numbered obligations — up from 2 short paragraphs in 1984. Four obligations are entirely new: no water removal, no depositing materials, no chemicals without consent, and mandatory bridge maintenance.
1984 Art. I, §D.5–D.6, pp. 9–10 → 2026 Draft Art. IV, §3(h)(1)–(10), pp. 11–12Under 2026, the Water Lot restrictions extend beyond direct waterfront owners. If your lot is adjacent to a Water Lot, you are also prohibited from engaging in any of the proscribed conduct — even if your property doesn't directly touch the water.
2026 Draft Art. IV, §3(h), p. 12The 2026 Draft requires individual owners to maintain, repair, and replace all storm water drainage ways, ducts, pipes, and conduits on their lot — even if those facilities serve multiple lots. This is a new financial burden not present in the 1984 documents.
2026 Draft Art. VII, §1, pp. 28–29When there's a dispute about whether the Association or an individual owner is responsible for water maintenance, the Board's good-faith determination is now final. The 1984 documents have no comparable provision — disputes would go to court.
2026 Draft Art. VI, §4, p. 27The 1984 documents prohibited swimming and boating. The 2026 Draft expands this to explicitly ban ice skating, fishing, and specific watercraft including canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, rowboats, windsurfers, and sailboats.
1984 Art. I, §C.15, pp. 7–8 → 2026 Draft Art. IV, §3(h)(5)–(6), p. 11The 1984 Exhibit "A" budgeted for sediment dredging on 8-year cycles (3,000 CY at $3/yd). The 2026 Draft makes dredging discretionary — "as the Board may determine to be reasonably necessary" — removing the predictable schedule.
1984 Exhibit "A", p. 18 → 2026 Draft Art. VI, §2(b), p. 26All documents are available for download below. We encourage every homeowner to read the source documents and verify the analysis for themselves.
| Document | Type | Description | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporation (1984) | Founding | Ohio Secretary of State filing establishing the HOA as a domestic nonprofit corporation (6 pages) | |
| 1984 Restrictions & Covenants | Founding | The recorded Declaration — the covenants running with the land (19 pages) | |
| 1984 Bylaws | Founding | The original Association Bylaws (15 pages) | |
| OH Secretary of State — Business Details (2026) | Public Record | Current corporate status, filing history, and statutory agent details from the Ohio Secretary of State (2 pages) | |
| Affidavit of Lost Document (2020) | Public Record | Recorded affidavit regarding the lost original Code of Regulations, with attached copy — Doc #56555549 (18 pages) | |
| Notice of Intent — Marketable Title Act (2021) | Public Record | Recorded notice preserving the Association's interest in land under Ohio's Marketable Title Act — Doc #56644425 (14 pages) | |
| 2026 Draft 6 — Declaration | Proposed | Proposed Amended and Restated Declaration (51 pages) | |
| 2026 Draft 6 — Bylaws | Proposed | Proposed Amended and Restated Bylaws (34 pages) | |
| Legal Comparison Report | Analysis | Side-by-side legal framework comparison with Ohio law assessment | |
| Home Office Rules Breakdown | Analysis | Detailed analysis of the 8 home office conditions + homeschooling impact | |
| Cross-Reference Guide | Analysis | Maps every claim to exact source document sections and page numbers | |
| Water Management Analysis | Analysis | How the 1984 and 2026 documents handle water, drainage, and lake maintenance |
Watch the recording of the neighborhood Zoom town hall to hear the discussion directly.
We want to hear from you. This anonymous survey helps us understand what concerns and interests neighbors truly have about the proposed changes.
Share your thoughts on the proposed document changes. Your responses help the neighborhood understand what matters most to everyone.
Key dates and events related to the proposed document changes.
Restrictions and Covenants recorded with the Summit County Recorder as covenants running with the land. Signed by Anthony A. Petrarca, Trustee.
Board releases Draft 6 of the proposed Amended and Restated Declaration and Bylaws.
Neighborhood town hall held via Zoom to discuss the proposed changes.
Review the documents, ask questions, attend meetings, and make your voice heard.
Date to be determined. The Board will schedule a vote on adoption of the new documents.
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