Hurricane Season and Leaving Shutters Closed

Keeping hurricane shutters closed year-round, especially during the summer months, creates poor curb appeal and can send the wrong message to neighbors and potential buyers. A home with permanently closed shutters looks abandoned or neglected, which may attract unwanted attention or even criminal activity. For snowbirds in Florida, this can be especially problematic, as it signals that the home is unoccupied for long stretches of time. In addition to aesthetic concerns, closed shutters prevent natural light and air circulation, potentially causing mold, musty odors, and deterioration inside the home due to humidity. Worse yet, in an emergency, emergency responders may struggle to access the home quickly. For both security and maintenance, it’s better to open the shutters when a storm is not actively threatening the area.

Please be aware that is it written in our Rules and Regulations that no unit is allowed to have their hurricane shutters closed all summer long.

The rule as it is stated allows the shutters to go up 5 days before a storm and must be re-opened or removed by 5 days after the storm.

This is more than reasonable and having a fiend, neighbor or handyman stop over to close or open the shutters around the storm days should not be a problem.

All that said: It is a rule in our legal documents that must be adhered to.

Our legal documents are pretty old and this passage is rather vague but it implies that they should not be closed when there isn’t a storm pending and certainly not for months at a time. 

Please also note that storing of plywood used for shutters outside of the patio fences is not appropriate.  If you feel you must store plywood put it inside your back patio area.  It should not be seen from the street or by your neighbors as it is unsightly.

Thank you for your attention to this matter; thank you in advance for being a good neighbor and going by the rules.