Apparently, under the "more restrictive" covenants, the POA plans to be more involved in your house and yard decorations and if you put out the wrong yard ornament or maybe the wrong bushes in the wrong place, or heaven forbid you put out a birdbath, the POA may send you a letter demanding a change. If you fail to comply, you could be fined and if you don't pay your fine, they might just take your house.

Some of the proposed amendments would establish stricter permit requirements and annual fees for rentals and home occupations. With oversight by the Architectural Control Committee, the POA could issue fines for violations on individual accounts and record liens against offenders to pursue the collections of fines and recover attorney fees in any litigation.

The amendments would also create an enforcement mechanism, including fines, for the codes department to addresses violations of the Blue Book, which contains residential construction, residential lot maintenance and permit requirements. Red Book commercial building maintenance requirements would also be covered.

Pillsbury said the POA was previously unable to levy fines or recover attorney fees. In the past, pretty much all the POA could do was send a letter to property owners requesting a violation be fixed within 10 days.

He said the notice and timeframe would not change, but under the proposed amendments, after 10 days another letter would be sent indicating a second 10-day warning. Ignoring that letter could results in fines and further action.

Property owners issued a notice would have the right to appear before the ACC and the board about the issue and potentially resolve the matter.

If there is no resolution, residents would have the option of paying the fine or having it billed to their POA account. Fines and late fees would then accumulate.

There is a point where the court tells the POA to make a decision, Pillsbury said.

“The reason I’m pointing out all of this, is this is where our world got serious now,” Pillsbury said. “Your homes can be put in jeopardy because you won’t mow your lawn.

Your homes can be put into jeopardy because you won’t take care of something around it within this POA. News Herald 8/9/23

I've written about this many times. Obviously, the POA is on a huge power trip along with needing money badly. My goodness, they even cut off funding for their own library. They tried to pass an exit tax on property owners and even at one time tried to ban firearms in POA facilities. They seem to be out of control and all over the map.

The only way Tellico Village will ever survive and thrive is to incorporate, become a city. As merely a subdivision, all be it a large one, the cost of maintaining the village will and is out pacing the revenues. The main source of POA revenues are POA fees which are now $167.35 per month and going up every year. In fact, a majority of property owners pay more in POA fees than property taxes. 

As a city, the POA fees could be eliminated and replaced with a reasonable property tax. As a city, the village would have access to a plethora of state and federal grants for sewer, water, streets and infrastructure. There would be sales tax revenues generated within the village. The governing body would be a truly elected body by residents of the village.

Incorporating would take a lot of assistance from the state legislature but I'm sure that a POA that could get legislation passed allowing them to sell liquor and get some sales tax exemptions, could find support to become the state's newest city and the second largest city in the county.

Tellico Village has a wealth of individuals with background and knowledge on how to begin the process of incorporating. Certainly there would be obstacles and challenges in such a process, but no doubt it can be done. It took individuals of vision and determination to bring Tellico Village to where it is today. It will take a new generation of individuals of vision and determination to take Tellico Village to the next level. 

Tellico Village is an important part of Loudon County, but no more or no less important than Lenoir City, Loudon, Eaton Crossroads, Greenback, Philadelphia, Tennessee National, Rarity Pointe and so on.  It's past time for Tellico Village to take the next step in it's evolution and become a bona fide city and for the POA to stop looking for the rest of the county tax payers to fund their operations. 

Tellico Village has long outgrown their meager subdivision status. The Village is kind of like the thirty year old son still living in his parent's basement. It's time to grow up and live on their own. It's time to incorporate. It's time for Tellico Village to take it's place at the table of local government.

If the powers that be refuse to face the reality that the village can not survive on the path they're on now, the village is destined to become more costly to live in and services will become harder to provide.     

There's just no down side to incorporation for village residents.