Declaration

The umbrella recorded instrument that creates the community and its owners association. The CC&Rs are contained within it, and amendments are recorded against it.

Covenant and governance terms come from the recorded documents that bind every lot: what may be built, what is owed, and how standards are administered.

Declaration in Skyecroft practice

Phased communities often record a master declaration and later supplemental declarations that annex new sections. A lot in one phase may therefore be subject to provisions that do not apply elsewhere in the same neighborhood. When reviewing a Skyecroft property, collect the chain of recorded instruments, not just the version a seller or agent happens to have on file.

What to verify

• Book and page references for the declaration and every supplement affecting the lot.
• All recorded amendments, in date order.
• Whether the lot was annexed by a supplemental declaration.

Where this term matters in the guide

• Covenant Living Guide
• HOA & Association
• History of Skyecroft

For the wider treatment of this subject, read The Covenant Living Guide. Definitions here are general editorial explanations of common usage — they are not legal definitions and do not interpret any specific recorded document. See Disclosures.