What the recorded documents actually say about River Commons in South Bend — fences, sheds, pools, pets, parking and the rest — with the part of the document each answer comes from.
30 homes have sold here in the last four years, which is why this neighborhood was compiled early.
Before you rely on this page
One amended declaration governs River Commons First through Tenth Sections. The minimum-size rules still differ by house type, and the setback on lots 179, 180 and 181 on Bridgewater Court is fifteen feet rather than thirty-five, so check your own lot.
Fences may be no more than six feet tall, have to be decorative rather than agricultural - barbed wire, portable metal fence and chicken wire are named and barred - and none may stand nearer the street than the front line of the house. Fence plans go to the River Commons Building Committee for approval before the fence goes up.
A storage shed needs the building committee's prior approval, and the covenant is specific about what it has to be: wood frame construction with wood or vinyl siding matching the house, no metal structure or metal siding, in harmony with the neighbourhood, and no larger than 160 square feet. Huts, shacks, lean-tos and barns are not permitted at all.
Campers, RVs, inoperable vehicles, boats, boat trailers and watercraft of any kind may not be stored outside on a front lawn, a driveway or a street - the only allowance is the time needed to load or unload, and never more than 72 hours.
A permanent in-ground pool needs the building committee's written approval first. Above-ground pools are strictly prohibited, with one seasonal exception: a soft-sided temporary pool from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Hard-sided pools and pools with a metal frame that needs a liner are not allowed even in that window.
No structure, addition, modification or in-ground pool may be built or altered until plans, specifications and a site plan go in writing to the River Commons Building Committee with a $15 application fee and come back approved in writing. An approval is good for one year, after which you reapply and pay again. The committee is the vice-president, the immediate past president and two at-large members elected at the annual meeting, and it has thirty days to answer. Exteriors have to be finished within one year of construction starting, and nobody may live in the house until the outside is done.
We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →Grading, landscaping and seeding or sodding have to be finished within twelve months of construction starting, and lawns, shrubs and trees kept up afterwards. Lawns have to be mowed. Nothing planted within ten feet of the curb at an intersection or near a driveway may stand more than three feet tall, so sightlines stay clear.
We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →Dogs, cats and other household pets are allowed as long as none is raised or kept commercially. Poultry, sheep, hogs, horses and cattle may not be housed on a lot. Animals have to be leashed off the owner's property, and the owner cleans up after them.
We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →A sign of no more than five square feet is allowed to advertise the property for sale, a garage sale, an association event or another appropriate activity.
Driveways have to be hard-surface pavement for their full length and width, built to St. Joseph County Highway Department standards, and kept in repair. No commercial truck, bus or utility trailer may be parked overnight anywhere in River Commons, except a truck or van no bigger than a three-quarter-ton pickup used by a resident in their own trade. Every vehicle and trailer parked in the neighbourhood has to be operable and carry a current plate and registration.
A lot may be used only for a private one-family residence, and no noxious, offensive or illegal trade or activity may be carried on. A resident may keep a work truck or van up to three-quarter-ton size for their own trade. The covenant does not otherwise address working from home.
We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →A lot may not be used to store old cars, lumber, materials or debris that would make it look unsightly. Any vehicle or trailer found inoperable or unregistered is reported to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department.
Garbage and recycling containers have to be the concealed type and stored out of public view. They go out no earlier than the day before pickup and come back in by the evening of pickup day. Fuel tanks have to be buried or concealed, and barrel incinerators are prohibited.
We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →We don’t have this one confirmed yet — we can ask the association and get you an answer before you commit to anything.
We can find out →Tell us the question and we will get you the answer from the recorded documents.