Tips for Neighbors

Hawthorn is a great place to live with affordable housing in the wonderful City of East Lansing.  It is unique because it is the only deed restricted subdivision in the city.  This means that home owners agree to abide by the By Laws, Covenants and Restrictions.  It's actually part of their deed contract.  

The smaller lots keep property taxes down and in order to insure attractive appearance of our property, the Covenants and Restrictions were designed to address the needs of smaller lots.  Along with the Covenants & Restrictions, a little common sense and courtesy for your neighbors goes a long way toward insuring that property values in Hawthorn remain high.

•  Remember that the appearance of your home affects the value of all others in the subdivision.  If you leave trash containers out, don't rake your leaves or keep your lawn neat and trimmed, you are taking money out of your neighbor's pocket.
• When your neighbor looks out their side window do they see your wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, rakes, shovels, and yard debris? Keeping your yard and siding looking neat in all directions gives everyone a pleasant view and keeps home values high.
• Since fencing of any kind is prohibited, consider plantings to provide privacy.  Talk with your neighbor about how bushes and other plants can be arranged along your shared lot line.  You can accomplish a lot with a very small budget.
• Be aware of your lot lines.  In Hawthorn, it's sometimes easy to confuse your property with the common areas that belong to all of us.
• Attend the annual meetings!!  It's a good chance to meet some neighbors and learn about things we can all do to keep property values high!

 For most of us, our homes are our most valuable asset.  The Association officers will do all we can to help keep the neighborhood looking attractive.  But nothing works better than talking to your neighbor if you have a concern.  Remember, we all have the right according to our By Laws to require that all homes meet neighborhood standards for maintenance and appearance.  Now more than ever, we need to do all we can to keep values high.  

In addition to the Hawthorn rules, the City of East Lansing has a strong Parking and Code Enforcement Division (PACE).  Click on Important City Codes on the menu bar on the left to find out about storing trash containers, lawn care and much more.