Williamson County, TN HOA Rules: CC&R Enforcement (2026)
Key Facts
- County action is
- Discretionary ("may, but is not required")
- Remedy available
- Injunction or other civil remedy
- Scope
- Only Sec. 16.06 open-space/common-area duties
- Cost recovery
- Pro-rata lien on every lot plus fees
- Not covered
- Private CC&R terms (architecture, parking, etc.)
Summary
Williamson County may, but is not required to, step in when an HOA fails to maintain required open space or common areas, suing for an injunction or other civil remedy and billing the cost back to every lot through a pro-rata lien. That narrow county power is separate from an HOA's own private enforcement of its CC&Rs.
(E) In the event of a failure to maintain such open space or common areas, the County may, but is not required to, seek to enforce the homeowners' or property owners' association's non-performance of its obligations and duties (as described in the covenants and provisions) or as may be required by the Tennessee Code Annotated, through an injunction or any other civil remedy. The cost of such enforcement shall be reimbursed by the lot owners, and the County may place a lien on all lot owners within the subdivision for their pro-rata share of the cost, plus any administrative fees.
Full Breakdown
06(E) of the Williamson County Zoning Ordinance gives the County a discretionary, not mandatory, backstop role: where an HOA or property owners' association fails to maintain required open space or common areas, the County "may, but is not required to," seek to enforce the association's non-performance of the duties described in its own covenants and provisions, or as required by the Tennessee Code Annotated, through an injunction or any other civil remedy. 06 itself imposes, not every private covenant an HOA might adopt, such as architectural review, parking rules or paint colors, which remain matters the association enforces against its own members in civil court rather than something the Codes Compliance Director polices under Article 22.
06(E), the cost of enforcement is reimbursed by the lot owners, and the County may place a lien on every lot in the subdivision for its pro-rata share of the enforcement cost plus any administrative fees. 06 sets in the first place.
Violations & Fines
An HOA's failure to maintain required open space or common areas is enforceable by the County itself under 16.06(E) through an injunction or other civil remedy, separate from the misdemeanor track in Article 22 that applies to ordinary zoning violations. The County recovers its enforcement costs, plus administrative fees, through a pro-rata lien on every lot in the subdivision rather than by fining an individual owner or officer of the association.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Williamson County force my HOA to maintain the neighborhood common area?
Will the county enforce my HOA's rules about paint colors or fences?
Who pays if the county has to sue the HOA over unmaintained common areas?
Is this the same as regular county code enforcement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Williamson County
Compare Williamson County to another location·View the Tennessee hoa rules overview
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