Living in Chula Vista

Welcome to the Asociación de Colonos (Homeowners Association) of Chula Vista!

The Association is led by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by the membership at an Annual General Assembly Meeting (AGM) that is held every January. AGM meetings are generally held off-site, at a venue that is large enough to accommodate the entire membership.

Monthly Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month (except January) in the cul-de-sac at Jardines 150-200 in Lower Chula Vista (up the hill and first right from the Chula Vista office). Members of the Association are invited to attend.

Board members, alternates, and community volunteers make up the many committees that are working in the areas of water, environment, zoning and building, neighborhood relations, security and employee compensation.

You will be given, or please ask for a copy of the Bylaws and the Rules and Regulations that have governed the Fraccionamiento for the last 50 years.  You will be expected to follow these rules or fines and/or discontinuance of  services may result for non-compliance.

We take pride in knowing that we have one of the best operating Colonos (Homeownersƒ  Association), if not the best, in all of Lakeside. Our Colonos provides potable water, garbage  pick-up twice a week, and maintains the roads and street lighting. Moreover, we do this at a lower cost than any other Association at Lakeside. However, we cannot continue to have the best-run Association unless we receive assistance from you. We ask your cooperation in informing  the office when attention is needed,e.g.,, broken water pipes (water running in the street),  burned-out streetlights, and tree limbs that might be hazardous to wires or persons, loose cobblestones, etc.

The Chula Vista office is located at Calle Jardines 95, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Office hours are 9:00  a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, the phone number is+52 376-766-2633. Should you have a problem requiring immediate attention during non-office hours or  holidays, inform a member of the Board of Directors. A list of the Directors and their phone  numbers can be obtained from the office. You may also leave a message on the office message  recorder by calling +52 376-766-2667. Lucy and Jose are our accomplished office staff and are most  helpful in answering your questions in Spanish or English.

There are many locations, particularly in Upper Chula Vista, where streets are narrow. For these narrow streets, please park only on one side of the street. That side will be designated as the side that the first  parked car occupies. Please be aware of resident's driveways and do not park opposite them.

The Chula Vista Board of Directors, with cooperation from the Ecology Department of the  Chapala Municipality, has enacted a leash law. We request all persons who have a dog to respect this law. Whenever your pet needs to go out, please walk it with a leash attached. When walking dogs, it is the responsibility of the owner to pick up the droppings and properly dispose of them.

No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred, boarded or kept on any lot, except household pets. Raising household pets for commercial purposes is forbidden.

Animals must be confined to the owner's property via fence or wall enclosure.

Animals must not be tied to the front of the property for long periods.

Garbage pick-up is on Mondays and Fridays. The cost of this service is included in your  Colonos yearly dues. Please place your containers at the edge of the road on pick up day.  Containers must be constructed of durable material. Plastic bags that are not  placed in a durable container must not be used due to the high probability that wild animals or off-leash dogs will rip them open. However, plastic bags are acceptable for garden clippings and leaves. Garbage pickups will accept heavier garden pruning such as limbs or unwanted bushes. These do not  have to be put into containers. Unwieldy limbs should be tied into bundles.

Chula Vista provides recycling containers at two locations: in Lower Chula Vista (at the intersection of Calle del Parque Oriente and Avenida del Parque), and in Upper Chula Vista (on Paseo del Golf). At each location, there is a barrel for glass bottles, and a separate barrel for cans and plastic. Each barrel is clearly labeled. Please do not place trash in recycling barrels. For convenience, a small bin for trash is provided at each location to help keep our recycling material clean. Recycled material is picked up weekly and brought to the Recycle Center of Ajijic by an outside contractor.

Each homeowner is responsible for keeping the area in front of the house clean and free of debris.  Weeds and unwanted volunteer plants may be killed with a non-toxic weed killer, such as  Faena or Roundup.

We ask you to refrain from playing loud music at any time, especially after 10 p.m.  Construction workers should be informed that radios must not be played so loud as to annoy neighbors. Chula Vista has a regulation restricting any noise that is annoying to neighbors.

We have two wells: our primary well (Pozo 2A) is located in front of the office, and the other (Pozo  1, normally used for backup), is located on Ave del Parque. As water is pumped from the  wells, chlorine is injected into the water line. The chlorine levels are tested daily by our staff.

There are four water storage tanks located in upper Chula Vista. Tanks 1 & 2 are located on the north side of Paseo de las Peñas immediately after making the 180 degree turn from Paseo del Golf. Tanks 3 & 4 are on Calle de la Vista. Water is pumped from either of the two wells to tanks 1 & 2. Water from tanks 1 & 2 is pumped up to tanks 3 & 4. Tanks 1 & 2 each hold 775 cubic meters, and service all of lower Chula Vista. Tanks 3 & 4 each hold 400 cubic meters. Tank 4 only services a limited number of homes on Privada Jacarandas, while Tank 3 services all the rest of upper Chula Vista.

Water is delivered "under pressure," something almost no other Fraccionamiento does, and it  means when the power goes off you can still flush, and you don't need  pumps installed on your waterline.

You will be billed quarterly for your metered water usage. Water can be also paid yearly in advance as part  of your yearly service fees. Please provide your email address to the office so you will be able  to receive your bill electronically.

Water is a precious commodity in most of Mexico. Please instruct your gardeners and  maids on conservation techniques, such as not leaving unattended hoses running and  sweeping patios or terraces rather than washing them down. We encourage you to plant  wisely with native  plants requiring a minimum amount of water.

Please provide your email address to the office. Whenever it is necessary to communicate  regarding problems that suddenly arise, an email will be sent to you. The office e-mail address is: colonoschulavista1@hotmail.com

See Rules & Regulations.

It is strictly prohibited to use poison to kill animals (squirrels, rodents, rats, etc.). Garden  pesticides containing DDT, Landane, Chlordane and Organophosphates are also forbidden.  This is to protect the environment, children, pets, etc.

Casitas may be used by temporary visitors, caretakers or gardeners. Casitas, individual rooms or the complete house may not be rented for rental periods of less than 3 months. Chula Vista is a residential Fraccionamiento, and businesses are allowed only in the areas zoned commercial.

If a violation of the Rules were to be detected, the most common penalty is a fine, the amount  of which is determined by the Rules and Regulations (wherever explicitly defined) or by the Board of Directors. Fines are imposed only when violations go uncorrected after formal notification from the Board.  Fines may be assessed per incident or on an  ongoing basis. Discontinuance of services may also be considered.

Renters are responsible for compliance with the Rules and Regulations as are  Homeowners. In case of violations by renters, owners will be notified and if the violations are not corrected  immediately, fines and ultimately discontinuance of services may result.

Our newsletter Hello Neighbor!  keeps residents of Chula Vista informed and is published quarterly. It will  come to you via e-mail and is posted on the Chula Vista website, or you may pick up a copy in the office for as long as the supply lasts.

Colonos fees are due yearly. Water fees are due quarterly, but can be paid annually, in advance, if desired. Paying fees  by credit or debit card at the Chula Vista office is preferred over cash.

The rate of colonos fees for the year are   announced shortly after the General Assembly meeting that is held yearly near the end of January.

Please come by to the Chula Vista office and ask what the annual fees are for this year.