Rules & Regulations

Paw Paw Lake Home Company – Rules and Regulations

PURPOSE: The Purpose of these Rules and Regulations is to establish rules for behavior to improve the sense of community and foster maximum enjoyment of Paw Paw Lake and the surrounding property. The Board is empowered to enforce these rules, but we strongly encourage the community to communicate productively and with a sense of neighborhood to encourage compliance with these rules.

1. WORKDAY.

You will be expected to work two workdays per year during scheduled community workday sessions (once in the spring, once in the fall)
If you choose NOT to work, you will be charged $100/per missed workday. If you miss both workdays, you will be charged $200.
On occasion, on a case by case basis, a member may work on an alternative project for the benefit of the community and receive work-day credit for this project. The project must be approved by the Board and result in the equivalent of four (4) hours of work for the benefit of the community.
Senior citizens (70 yrs. old and older) are excused from the work requirement.

2. GUESTS. A guest shall be defined as one who does not make his/her permanent residence with a member of the Paw Paw Lake Home Company. (Reference: article 6, section 2, Paragraph 4)

A guest badge will be issued to each household electronically. Guest passes must be presented by a guest upon request.
Please consider it your responsibility to verify whether (through presentation of guest pass) those on Company property are residents, or guests of residents, or whether they are strangers and trespassing.
Please limit guests to two (2) persons when fishing only. Any guests fishing in excess of this number must be accompanied by a member.
Members will be held responsible for the actions of his/her guests and any damages done by them. Any damage done by the members of any member’s family, or guests, will be charged to the member. Each guest group at the beach must have one guest badge per group.
Guest fishing will be limited to daylight hours. Boating, by both guests and members, will also be limited to daylight hours.
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to prohibit any guest the privileges of the Paw Paw Lake Home Company for any undesirable conduct.

4. SPEED LIMIT. For our safety and the safety of our children… The speed limit is twenty (20) miles per hour. Your cooperation and that of your guests and visitors (delivery persons, etc.) is requested. Please make it your responsibility to notify and remind all those who drive on our roads.

5. FISHING. All fishing shall conform with the following rules:

Fishing is to comply with the laws of the State of Ohio, with the exception that no bass will be kept under fifteen ( 15 ) inches in length, and no bass shall be kept until July 1st of each year, with a limit of two (2) per fisherman per day.
Do not disturb bass spawning beds during spawning season. There is no season limit for rock bass or crappie– there is a limit of fifteen (15) fish per day.
There is no day or season limit for bluegill.
No seining of the lake unless permission is given by the board of the trustees. Seining of the lake, with permission, must be done under supervision of a Member designated by the Board.
No frogging will be allowed.
Ice fishing is restricted to MEMBERS ONLY.
NO MINNOWS shall be brought in from any outside source for use in Paw Paw Lake.
No Fishing from the Bridge to the Flagpole. This is considered the swim area.

6. BOATING. The rules with respect to boating on Paw Paw Lake are as follows:

All boats (Kayak, Paddle Boards, Canoes etc.) must be identified by house numbers. No motors allowed, except electric trolling motors.
No boating or fishing in the swimming area. The swimming area is the area from the beach to the raft, also that area twenty (20) feet in diameter around the raft, and from the Bridge to the Flagpole.
Only members’ and residents’ boats will be permitted on Paw Paw Lake. (No outside boats).
No guests or individuals under the age of twenty-one (21) shall be boating during hours of darkness.

7. SWIMMING. The Rules with respect to swimming in Paw Paw Lake are as follows:

No diving from the raft.
No guests or individuals under the age of twenty-one (21) shall swim during hours of darkness.

8. WEAPONS. No hunting, discharging a firearm, or use of air rifles on company property.

9. DOGS. The Rules with respect to dogs are as follows:

Dogs will not be permitted on the beach, the beach area, or in the swimming area at any time. Beach area is the sand and grassy area between the lake and the road.Dogs not on resident’s own property MUST be leashed.
Person(s) walking a dog MUST use a pooper-scooper (or other means) to pick-up any mess left by pet. This is meant for company property (includes areas around Lake), as well as private properties. Mess will be removed at time of walk.

10. FOOD AND BEVERAGE. The Rules with respect to Food and Beverage are as follows:

Food and drinks are permitted on Company property. Provided: Anyone enjoying food and/or beverage must remove their own trash including all food wrappers, food waste, empty containers of any kind at the time of use.
Alcoholic beverages will be allowed on company property for individuals over the age of twenty-one (21) and in a responsible manner.
No glassware permitted at the beach.
The Board reserves the right to fine anyone up to $100.00 for abusing any of these privileges including failure to responsibly consume alcoholic beverages or failing to remove all trash.

11. PICNIC AREA. Any member who wishes to reserve the picnic area must notify the board of the date and hours of reservation. All members are requested to honor such reservations. Reservations will not be made for Legal Holidays.

12. WILDLIFE. No feeding of any wildlife on Company property.

13. MOTORIZED VEHICLES. The following rules shall apply to motorized vehicles.

Golf Carts may be used on Company property, provided that the ground is not saturated with water which would create a risk of damage to Company grounds.
Golf carts may not be driven on the Beach.
When members are at the beach, Golf Carts may park in the area by the shed.
The following motorized vehicles will not be permitted on Company property, other than paved roadways: Go Carts, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), Minibikes, Gators or the equivalent (unless used for the purpose of performing tasks during work day), snowmobiles.
Golf Carts shall have lights. If golf carts do not have lights, they should not be operated on Company property, especially the roadway, between dusk and dawn without proper illumination to ensure the safety of operators and community members.

1. HORSES. Horses are not allowed on Paw Paw Lake roads or property.

15. POWER EQUIPMENT. Members are asked to refrain from operating power equipment and/or loud noise before 9:00 am on Sunday and holidays mornings, and not before 8:00 am on other mornings. No power equipment will be operated after dark.

16. VEHICLE PARKING. No parking along the roads. This is to facilitate the passing of emergency or delivery vehicles. Should parking of multiple vehicles become necessary, please check with your neighbors for possible use of their driveways. Parking for the lake and beach area access is restricted to the beach parking lot by the shed. Parking at the Pavilion is limited and resident are asked to park to the side of the access road or in their own driveways or with permission, in their neighbors driveway.

17. TRAILERS/RECREATIONAL VEHICLES/WATERCRAFT. Any trailers, recreational vehicles (RV)and/or watercraft must be parked no closer to the road than the nearest part of the house, if possible.

18. TREES. No trees of any size shall be cut on company property without the permission of the Board of Trustees.

19. WATER. Regarding water usage:

Lawn sprinklers are not permitted. New lawns are to be watered by handheld method only or private well.
No automatic or soaker type devices permitted. Use hand-held means to water flowers, shrubs and/or grounds. No open or unattended running of hose(s).
No geothermal systems permitted.

20. FIREWORKS. Fireworks will not be permitted on Company property except for the following circumstances:

For the purpose of discouraging geese from nesting around the lake
On the 4^th of July, as part of a community celebration, with the approval of the Board.

Updated July 12, 2020

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