How secure are gated communities?

The security level of specific gated communities can depend on many variables. Some communities are designed to have a higher level of overall security: high, uninterrupted fencing, gates manned by trained security professionals, etc. While no community can keep out the determined criminal (witness military bases), virtually all gated communities succeed in keeping out the "criminals of opportunity" simply by eliminating passersby. Also, homes in gated areas may be less desirable target for burglars because of the limited egress. According to police officials, burglars fear being "trapped" in a gated community because a single patrol car responding to an alarm can block the gate and consequently the burglar's escape.

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Who manages the community?

The home owners association is made up of all of the owners in the community. The association elects directors and officers and operates under the articles of incorporation, declarations and/or bylaws. In smaller communities, the directors or volunteers may handle the day to day management (referred to as "self-management"). More frequently, however,  associations hire professional management companies to oversee all operations from budgeting to pool cleaning to landscaping. Attending association meetings is key to staying informed.

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How are the HOA assessment fees set?

Typically, the board of directs is charged with setting an annual budget for the community. This budget must cover the day to day operations of the neighborhood as well as setting up reserves for longer term repairs such as repaving of streets or replacing equipment at the community park or pool. Maintaining the financial health of the community is one of the more critical aspects of management. This is also an important aspect of the purchase decision.

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Who maintains what?

The answer to this question can vary somewhat from community to community. As a general rule, the HOA is responsible for maintaining those things that the city (Public Works Department) maintains in other neighborhoods: streets, sidewalks, streetlights, drainage culverts, parks/playground/pool, etc. Also, the HOA is responsible for the gates and usually, the exterior fencing. For the most part, utility suppliers treat the community just like any other neighborhood. They were granted easements by the developer at the time the neighborhood was platted. In San Antonio, for example, San Antonio Water System (SAWS)--if they provide the water--will maintain the water mains up to the meter. They maintain the sewer mains up to the point where the home connects to the main. Likewise City Public Service (CPS) maintains the natural gas and electrical lines. 

The HOA normally maintains the landscaping only in "common areas": entrances, dividers, parks, etc. However, in some communities the HOA is responsible for ALL landscaping including the yards of individual homes. This frees the individual homeowner from yard work or the necessity to make watering arrangements when traveling.

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What about emergency/fire services?

Ever notice the small box beside the control panel for automated gate systems? This is referred to as a "Knox Box" by fire officials. Special keys carried in SAFD and EMS trucks allow rapid access by fire personnel. In the case of San Antonio, the SAPD does not routine patrol inside gated communities.

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What about police?

According to Sgt. Gabe Trevino of the San Antonio Police Department, patrol officers routinely patrol and respond to calls in gated communities just as they would any non-gated neighborhood. Central dispatch maintains a list of access gate codes for all gated communities and can communicate them to patrol officers via the mobile computers. Because all streets inside a gated community are private property, SAPD does not enforce speed limits or other traffic or parking violations. Traffic accidents which occur inside a gated community are handled as accidents on private property (like accidents in a mall parking lot) and reports will be made.

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