Self Management -Yard Maintenance

My previous HOA was self managed. We would do an annual inspection to make sure the property was kept up and properties had no violations.

We would always publicize the inspection date (who wants to find violations).
If we found something, they were placed into one of three categories:

1) Violation - must be addressed within 30 days
These were things like personal property left out, damaged fence pickets, railings needing painted.

2) Maintenance Required - must be addressed before the next inspection (1 year).
These were things like house needs painted, steps need repointing, etc. Basically anything that might take some planing and a fairly large price tag with. If these items were not addressed within the year, they became violations the following year and must be addressed within 30 days.

3) Concerns - Anything the inspector saw that might be a concern. For example, I have placed possible animal burrows and leaning fences in this category.

Concerning language about yard maintenance, we had some basics. I don't have the exact language but basically the yard grass height no greater the 2.5 inches (no we never measured, but some qualifier was needed), grass had to be less then 25% weeds, bushes/trees maintained, etc.

Unfortunately, a lot of landscape is a judgement call. So it was difficult to really put it into language.