Frequently Asked Questions About Ashland Park Home Owners Association (APHOA)

Why can’t I contact the Board members individually?

The APHOA Board acts as a single entity, not as individuals, and any significant decisions are made by a board vote. Rest assured, if you have a matter that needs to be considered by the Board, all Board members are aware of your need and our response is a result of a consensus of the Board. When you attend the annual meetings, the current board members are and candidates for serving on the board for the coming year, are introduced.

What happens if I think you made an error in charging me for dues, late fees, or assessments?

Use the contact us form on this site, or email us at ashlandparkaphoa@gmail.com, or send a letter to: Ashland Park HOA, P.O. Box 7053, Champaign, IL 61826. We have over 500 households that are members of the APHOA and we do make errors. If you think we are in error, just let us know and we’ll check and contact you with our findings.

What is your relationship with the developer of Ashland Park, The Atkins Group?

The APHOA was a developer-run organization until 70% of the homes in Ashland Park were sold. At that time (2012-2013), the developer was legally bound to turn the operation of the APHOA over to the homeowners, to be administered by a Board of Directors. The Atkins Group has no formal relationship with the APHOA, but we hope to maintain a cordial relationship with the, since they have a lot of information about how the development was done and they have been very helpful when we have asked questions about what was done and why, here at Ashland Park.

Who controls Toalson Park?

Toalson Park is a public park that is owned and managed by The Champaign Parks District (see the Community tab on this site for information). The APHOA has no authority or control over the park, except as individual residents and taxpayers of the City of Champaign.

What areas does the APHOA actually own and maintain?

The APHOA owns and maintains the common areas of Ashland Park:

  • The entrance on North Prospect Avenue at Newton Drive, including the lighting and landscaping
  • The stormwater retention pond (which we usually refer to as “The Lake”), east of North Prospect, south of Newton Drive
  • The overflow basin east of North Prospect, north of Newton Drive and south of Olympian Drive
  • The drainage basin just south of Olympian Drive (and north of the back yards of the homes along Lauterbur Lane
  • The drainage basin that is immediately east of the homes and walking path along Stanley Lane from Lauterbur Lane to just south of Doisy Lane

The APHOA maintains the landscape at the entrance, including the stone pillars and lighting, and mows the common areas. The APHOA does not own the streets and sidewalks in Ashland Park, which are owned and maintained by the City of Champaign Public Works, Streets and Sidewalks Department. The City is responsible for winter snow removal from the streets and individual homeowners are responsible for snow removal from their driveways and the sidewalks fronting their homes. The entrance to the subdivision from Interstate Drive is an intersection of two city streets, Toalson Lane and Interstate Drive and there is no APHOA controlled common areas at that point of access.

The paved trails that run through various areas in Ashland Park and helps provide pedestrian access to Toalson Park, are also owned and maintained by the Champaign Park District and not the APHOA.

What is your phone number so I can call the APHOA board?

The APHOA does not have an office, so we don’t have a place for a land line and we have no staff who can answer the phone. All business of the APHOA is done by members as volunteer committee persons or Board members, by email, web site contact form, or by actual pieces of paper (letters) sent by mail. We do get our mail weekly and we generally read emails many times during the week. Almost all of the board members have actual full time paying jobs and families, so our time is limited. Please be patient for a response, since we usually will need to check public or APHOA records in order to give you a proper answer. If we had more people, we could likely respond more quickly, so please consider volunteering for a committee.

ARCHIVES

When is the annual meeting?

Status: Currently pending date and location. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, if we are unable to host a in person meeting, we will provide a ZOOM annual meeting with notices being sent out prior to the meeting.

Can I have a copy of the letter sent out with the dues notices?

Sure: Contact us via website and we would be happy to provide you with a notice that was mailed out.

How can I be a member of the Ashland Park HOA Board of Directors?

A homeowner is eligible to be a member of the Board of Director if (a) he/she is the homeowner of record, and (b) is current with dues and assessments. If interested, submit name, address, and qualifications by letter to our P.O. Box, or through the website (Contact Us), or by e-mail. Be aware that this is an unpaid position that may require a minimum of 10-15 hours per month; and as a Board Member you will be responsible for enforcing the governing documents of Ashland Park (see the Documents tab to view or download these documents).

Election/re-election of members to the Board of Directors is held each year during the Annual Meeting in April if there is at least 20% of the total votes of the Association present in person or by proxy, per the By-Laws.

Why were the dues sent in August 2022 for the year 2023? 

The Board is required by the By-Laws to send notices in August of each year for the following year that runs from January 1st to December 31st. Dues not paid by the October 1st of the prior year are assessed a late fee, according to the governing documents.