ROEHA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

This tax levy supports an enhanced level of community maintenance for Royal Oak Estates green spaces and parks, over the standard level of service provided by City of Calgary Parks Department. The enhanced maintenance provided by the tax levy, enables a better looking and more walkable community for Royal Oak residents. The enhanced maintenance increases the pride residents will take in their properties, which is reflected in the overall property values of the community. Royal Oak Estates is an ELM community.

The special tax levy is the result of a community wide petition, where the majority of homeowners, agreed to the tax levy, instead of HOA fees. The fees are collected by the City as part of the Property Tax process and ROEHA then submits expense claims against these funds to the City to fund the required landscape maintenance activities in the community.

Follow the link for a description on the City of Calgary website describing the ELM program.

https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Programs/ELM/home.aspx

In 2003 homeowners noticed the fountains had been removed from the ponds adjacent to Stoney Trail, and the community was beginning to look a bit rough around the edges; there was graffiti popping up on community power boxes and the Gazebo, weeds and unkempt lawns, intermittent snow shoveling and garbage everywhere. They wanted the fountains back and our community to be restored to what it was when we purchased our home.

The City had the fountains but had no intention of installing them because the community had no means to pay for them. It was then discovered that other residents were meeting with the City to determine if any help was available for community maintenance. After meeting with the Ward Councillor, it was determined the covenant on all the homes in the community was unenforceable in its current form, as the developer’s agreement with the City had expired. This meant that ROE would receive the same level of maintenance as every other community in the City, that did not have a Homeowners Association.

After talks with the Developer, it was found the Developer had put a Homeowners Association (HOA) in place as part of their agreement with the City, and they were happy to give it to the community group along with a bursary to get us started. The problem, there was no mechanism to get residents to pay for maintenance. The City informed the ROE group that some communities had a Special Tax Levy process, where the fees would come from resident’s taxes, but three-quarters of the community would have to agree to it in a petition to the City.

In 2009, Community Volunteers went to every household in the community to advocate for the tax levy and gather the required number of signatures for the petition. This petition was approved by the community in a resounding success. This then enabled the Royal Oak Estates Homeowners Association, to form a board and it had a budget to bring the community back to its original condition.

Soon the fountains were back in the ponds, repairs were made, graffiti removed, along with reliable and consistent snow removal and lawn maintenance in the parks. Since then there has been a marked improvement in the community, it is more walkable and obvious pride is taken in the community, along with the ancillary benefits and motivation for the homeowners. This is thanks to the volunteers who made the petition happen and the volunteers who have, and still serve on the board to keep Royal Oak Estates a livable, desirable, and beautiful community.

The Homeowners Association (HOA) is managed by a group of volunteer residents, who form the board of directors overseeing the contracting and spending on community landscape maintenance. The boards’ actions are limited to maintenance of the green spaces in Royal Oak Estates, and other responsibilities assigned to it by the City of Calgary ELM agreement.

The HOA has annual financial statements prepared by an independent accountant, posted to the website, and submitted to the City of Calgary. These financial statements are reviewed with residents at an Annual General Meeting held in the first half of each calendar year, generally March or April. (Look for notifications on the website, Facebook announcements, and signs posted prior to the meeting in the community). 95% of the funds from the tax levy, are spent on community maintenance, with the remaining portion going to insurance and administration.

Please follow this link that describes the restrictive covenants that are on the title of each house in Royal Oak Estates. These covenants are placed on the title to ensure a consistent and cohesive look and feel to the community. Along with a well-maintained community, the restrictive covenants help to enhance every homeowner’s property value.

The first course of action should be to discuss this with your neighbour. You can also contact the City of Calgary at 311 to file a complaint.

You can volunteer by contacting ROEHA through our Facebook page or by sending an email to info@roeha.ca . The ROEHA board members are elected at the associations Annual General Meeting (AGM). If you wish to join the Board, you can put your name up for election at the AGM. New members are always welcomed, as they bring new ideas and ways of looking at issues.

Some residents have complained about large commercial vehicles with or without trailers, being  parked along Royal Oak Drive for what seems like extended periods of time. These vehicles can  block views to pedestrians trying to cross the Drive which poses a safety threat. During the  winter months, due to snow build up, these parked vehicles may push approaching vehicles into  the oncoming traffic lane to enable them to get past. As this is the main thoroughfare for Royal  Oak Estates, this is a concern. 

Commercial vehicles, defined by the type of license plate on the vehicle, can be ticketed if  parked in a residential area after 8:00 PM. Non-Commercial and private vehicles can only park  in a residential street space for 72 hours (3 days) and then must be moved. Recreational  vehicles can only be parked on the street, next to the owner’s home for 36 hours. If you have  concerns about any parked vehicles; private, commercial, or recreational, please contact the  City of Calgary Parking Authority at 403-537 7100, with the vehicle location, description and  plate number. 

Royal Oak Es

Architectural Guidelines were put in place to ensure houses within the Estates area were built to a consistent standard and cohesive external appearance. This enhanced the communities value and helped to maintain the value of each individual house. 

As the community matures, renovation and maintenance of homes within the community have been and will be, undertaken by the owners. Keeping the exterior components that are replaced like for like, continues this consistent look, and feel of the community. This consistency helps all homes within our community to maintain and grow their value.

The ROEHA bylaws can be found here.