Tahoe Donner staff follow the documented covenants rules and procedures process when receiving a complaint from members or guests. As a policy, Tahoe Donner staff do not intervene in a situation to de-escalate or stop a violation in person. When intervention is needed, the Truckee police and/or Truckee Fire Protection District is contacted as appropriate.

For example:

  • A potential fire hazard complaint is immediately relayed to 911.
  • If staff receives a trash spill complaint, the appropriate waste management company is contacted to clean up the spill. In some cases, the owner of the property is billed for clean-up charges.
  • Loud parties and barking dogs may be in violation of the “Noxious Activities” rule. Because this rule is subjective in nature, the complainant will often be asked to provide evidence including video or audio recordings, a personal testimony, and a written submission, which is reviewed by the Covenants Committee.

COMPLAINT HANDLING

Observation of a possible rule violation should be reported to the association immediately. See how to make a complaint. Upon receiving a complaint, an initial inspection is performed and the person(s) in violation will be notified of non-compliance. If necessary, a sufficiency review is conducted by a Covenants Committee member and a hearing will take place in front of the committee, allowing both the complainant and respondent to be heard. If it’s determined a violation has occurred, the committee has the authority to fine and/or recommend the suspension of membership amenity rights.

Fines vary depending on the severity of a violation and the number of offenses. For example, a garbage spill violation can levy a $400 fine. Whereas a $1,000 fine can apply in the case of fire safety violation, and illegal tree removal can impose a fine per tree removed. See the fine structure.

Fines can be levied on a per-day, weekly or monthly basis for non-compliance. For the months of August and September, the committee levied fines ranging from $400 to $1,600 for violations including storage, garbage spills and up to $1,000 for noxious activity (loud party).