After a violation letter is sent to a homeowner, how long should the board wait before performing a follow-up inspection?
It depends. After a violation letter is sent, the homeowner needs enough time to receive the notice and to amend the issue. Much depends on the issue. Trash cans left on the curb, parking on the street, political sign left in the yard? These violations should be remedied in a few days and certainly within a week. Boat or RV in the driveway; or a satellite dish installed in the wrong location? These may require a month to remedy. If the issue ends up in court, the board does not want to face the accusation that they did not give the homeowner enough time to respond. For many associations, the appropriate waiting time will be at least two weeks.
In all HOAs, the polices and guidelines for inspection after a violation notice should be outlined in the governing documents. If not, amendments should be made to the governing documents to include an appropriate timeframe.
