Frequently Asked Questions

The Henson Park Homeowners Association (Henson Park HOA, or “the HOA”) is a Virginia State not-for-profit corporation.  The HOA is guided by an elected Board of Directors.  

The HOA was incorporated to hold ownership of the common area (the green space, parking lot, sidewalks, etcetera) which was created when the Henson Park townhome complex was built.  The HOA, through the Board of Directors,  represents the interest of the owners of the Henson Park townhomes.  

When the Henson Park HOA was incorporated certain legal documents were created which control how the HOA is operated.  Generally speaking, when you made an offer to buy a townhome in Henson Park you were provided a copy of these documents as part of the disclosure packet.  When you purchased your home you became legally bound to abide by these rules and regulations.  

You can find transcriptions of some of these documents on this web site.  Note that early in the life of the HOA the name “Henson Park” replaced the original name “Perry Knolls”.  These transcribed documents are for reference.  The documents registered with the State of Virginia and the County of Arlington are the official, controlling documents.

The By-Laws of the Henson Park HOA requires the Annual Meeting be held yearly, on the last Tuesday of August, at 7:30 PM.  Because of the nationwide health emergency and recommendations for social-distancing the Annual Meeting will be held through a video conference.  Owners will receive a mailing describing how to attend the video conference.

Your proxy must be in writing and must be returned to the Secretary for the Henson Park Board of Directors.  Note that you may return a proxy, then, if you attend the Annual Meeting you can revoke your proxy and vote in person. 

The common area is a legally-described area of land which surrounds the 39 townhomes which are Henson Park.  The common area includes the parking lot, all parking spaces and driveways, the trees along Glebe Road, sidewalks and stairs, the large lawns and hillsides, and many of the wooden and concrete retaining walls throughout the property.  The common area is described in great detail in a site plan document, filed with and available from Arlington County.  Click here to see an overview of the Henson Park common area.

Speaking generally, your property includes not only the townhouse itself, but also the land immediately in front of, under,  and behind your townhome.  Although exceptions exist, generally, the land inside the sidewalk perpendicular to the front of your home is yours.  And the rear is usually defined by a fence or retaining wall.  The sidewalk leading exclusively to your front door is yours.  A fence or retaining wall between you and your neighbors is commonly owned by both units and is maintained by each owner equally.  Some end-units own their side-yards but some do not.  

Each townhome has a “plat” which is a legal document showing the townhome, land, and improvements (such as a deck, patio, or sidewalk).  This document is available through Arlington County offices and is very commonly part of the paperwork you received when you purchased your property.    Click here to see an example plat.  

All the grass, flowers, bushes, and trees growing on your land are yours and you must maintain them.  The exterior of the house and roof are yours.  The wall, roof and fence between you and your neighbor is a “party wall” or “common wall” and both your and your neighbor are equally responsible for its care.

Generally, the landscaping firm will cut a unit's front lawn, if it is accessible.  Otherwise they cannot work on your property.  

By law, the exterior of your home and the appearance of the land on which it sits is subject to certain architectural rules and regulations.   They can be found on the HOA website: https://www.hensonparkhoa.com/architectural-guidelines 

By law, you must ask for permission to make changes to the exterior of your property, in advance of making any changes.  To do so file a written change request:  https://www.hensonparkhoa.com/architectural-review-board-change-request 

Find the parking regulation on the Henson Park HOA website:  https://www.hensonparkhoa.com/parking-regulations  Generally speaking, two reserved parking spaces are assigned per unit, as a convenience to the occupants.  All other parking is for guests only.  The parking regulations and rules apply to owners, renters, and guests alike.  If you rent your property ensure your tenant receives a copy of the parking regulations.  

If you do not agree with these parking regulations there are many on-street parking spaces nearby which you can use as an alternative.  The HOA assumes no risk if you choose to park at Henson Park. 

Note: You do not own any parking spaces.  All parking spaces, even those designated as “reserved”, are part of the HOA common area.  They are not part of your property. 

The Board of Directors are not paid; the members volunteer their time as a service to the Henson Park community.  Certain management functions for the HOA corporation are provided by companies the Board hires.  For example the HOA has a professional management company to collect the assessments, pay the bills, and manage the assets.  As required by law, we have professional auditors to review the financial condition of the HOA, and file our tax returns.  Other experts provide services as needed.

The HOA Board of Directors is legally responsible for any number of tasks typical for a corporation.  These can be summarized as: 

• Paying the day-to-day bills for services such as landscaping, snow removal, and general maintenance.

• Saving a portion of the yearly assessments to provide for long-term care of the property

• Entering into contracts for services, such as professional property management, financial auditing of the HOA’s finances, landscaping and snow removal, etcetera.

• Creating and following a financial budget so that the HOA has the financial resources.  The Board also sets the rate of the quarterly assessments.   

• Discuss and plan community projects and improvements.

• Ensures that there is adequate hazard and liability insurance.

• Communicate with and respond to questions from community members.

The Directors are also responsible for ensuring that the rules and regulations (appearance of the property, parking rules, etcetera) of the HOA are adhered to.

President: The President presides at all meetings of the Board of Directors and sees that orders and resolutions of the Board are carried out.  The President signs all leases, mortgages, deeds, and other written instruments and co-signs all checks.

Vice-President: The Vice-President acts in the place of the President in the event of his or her absence, and can perform other duties as required by the Board.

Secretary: The Secretary keeps records of the votes and the minutes of all meetings of the Board.  The Secretary also sends notice of meetings of the Board, keeps current records showing the Members and their addresses, and performs other duties as required by the Board.

Treasurer: The Treasurer (with the professional property management) receives and deposits in the bank all monies of the Association, and disburses funds as directed by the Board of Directors.  The Treasurer signs all checks and promissory notes, keeps proper books, and ensures there is an annual audit of the books by a public accountant at the completion of each fiscal year.  The Treasurer also prepares an annual budget and statement of income and expenditures to be presented to the membership at its regular Annual Meeting.

Board of Director members are protected by a two million dollar liability policy for good-faith actions taken while acting as a Board member. 

When voting at the Annual Meeting for new Board members, you are not voting to elect a person for a particular position on the Board.  Rather, once a new Board of Directors is elected and they meet for the first time, the new Board members decide among themselves who will be President, Vice President, and so forth.  During their term of service the Board may reorganize itself by appointing (for example) another member to be President if (for example) the current President resigns.  

The Board of Directors for the HOA are elected, as required by law, for a term of one year at an Annual Meeting held on the last Tuesday of August, each year.  This meeting particulars are announced by a mailing to the owners, sent by email or the US Postal Service, in July of each year. 

The Board of Directors meet from time to time, in person, through video conferencing, and via email, to conduct the business of the Association.  Because of the nationwide health emergency the Board of Directors is holding the Annual Meeting through a video conference service until the emergency ends.

Yes.  Email the Board of Directors at HensonParkHOA@gmail.com and we will invite you to attend our next video meeting.

Yes, anyone can be a Board member.  You may:

• Email the Board before July 15, with your name, address, and (optionally) a brief bio.  Or, 

• Ask that your name be included for consideration from the floor of the Annual Board Meeting.

The current Board of Directors is eager to have new members join the Board, to ensure that fresh opinions and ideas are considered when making the decisions which affect all owners.

Effective January 1, 2024, the current assessments are $590 per quarter, payable on the first of January, April, July, and October. 

When Henson Park was incorporated provisions were made to ensure each owner paid an annual assessment.  These documents are registered with the State of Virginia and the County of Arlington.

The HOA is required to collect assessments to pay for the day-to-day services.  For example, utilities, landscaping, parking lot lighting repairs, and so forth.  As required by law a portion of your assessments is saved in a reserve fund, to pay for the long-term maintenance of the complex.  Repaving the parking lot, repairing or replacing sidewalks, repair or replacement of large retaining walls are examples.  The Board of Director is required to professionally survey the common area and create a written plan (a “reserve study”) for addressing the long-term needs of the homeowners association.

If you are having trouble paying your quarterly assessment the Board of Directors asks that you contact the Board.  We will discuss what we can do to help.  

Please be aware that the By-Laws require that the Board of Directors act on behalf of the financial interests of the entire homeowners association.  The Board may be forced to file a lien on any property which is at risk of foreclosure or is for sale, when the assessments are unpaid.

Yes, please send an email to HensonParkHOA@gmail.com and the Board Treasurer will provide you with a copy of the annual budget. 

Yes, please send an email to HensonParkHOA@gmail.com and the Board Secretary will provide you with a copy of the reserve study. 

Periodically the Board of Directors may need to contact a unit’s owner in order to conduct the business of the Association.  We typically do so using letters and the US Postal Service.  However having an email address or phone number for a property owner can help the Board reach an owner more quickly, especially in an emergency.  While no business can give 100% assurance that they won’t be a victim of hacking, the Board of Directors and NRP (the management company) will not sell or give away any information from our systems.  State law now allows common HOA communications to be conducted via email.

By law the HOA will provide you a packet of information required as part of the sale or purchase of a townhome at Henson Park.  Please contact our management company's closings team: Closings@csmhoa.com  Be sure to allow adequate time for the preparation of these materials so both the buyer and seller have time to review the documents before closing.

Yes.  But remember that as the owner you continue to be responsible for all HOA rules and regulations.  Likewise your tennant(s) must follow all HOA rules and regulations.  In particular, please ensure anyone using the parking facilities are fully aware of the parking regulations.  Maintaining the landscaping on your property is your responsibility. You are required to keep the general appearance of your property in a manner satisfactory to the Board of Directors. Failure to do so will result in the Board taking action to bring the appearance of your property within compliance, at your expense.

Yes.  You may need to obtain an accessory homestay permit from the County Zoning Department. Visit the Building Arlington website to apply for an Accessory Homestay Permit.  You must also obtain an Arlington County business license.  If you’re making money offering short-term lodging in an Arlington home, you need to collect and remit to Arlington County 7.25% Transient Occupancy Tax of total price paid by the ultimate consumer for the use or possession of any room or space used for lodging, regardless of the number of transients accommodated per night.  You may need additional property and liability insurance coverage.  Consider discussing this topic with a qualified lawyer.

Henson Park has a variety of owners and occupants, young and old, single and with children, working and retired.  We ask that all occupants be considerate and keep noise to a minimum.  Keep in mind that your immediate neighbors, those who share a wall with your unit, may be able to hear you speak, your television or stereo, or the guests at your party.  Barking dogs can also be a noise nuisance.  Arlington County provides an informative PDF regarding noise control.

If you find the noise intolerable please attempt to speak with the owner/occupant making the noise.  If you are unable or unwilling to address the situation yourself please contact the Arlington County Police or call the non-emergency police phone: (703)558-2222.   Arlington County provides a informative PDF regarding noise control: 

https://countyboard.arlingtonva.us/county-code/ 

Arlington County provides an informative PDF regarding animal control.  The HOA adheres to these regulations and we require pet owners to clean up after their pets and control even the friendliest of animals.  The Board may install rodent bait traps on the common area.  Please do not interfere with these objects or let your pets do so.   

From time-to-time the Board of Directors updates the Architectural Guidelines regarding these County-provided containers.