LoriM15 (Florida)
Posts: 1,009
Posts: 1,009
Posted:
Our board is getting complaints that we have "outsiders" using our pickleball courts and residents can't use them when they want. It's "season" here - which means all the snowbirds are in town and there is a lot of use of the amenities. We do not have ID cards or any other way to identify who is a resident and who isn't. We don't check IDs at our pools or our tennis courts or anywhere else. We just implemented a limit to the number of guests at the pool, but frankly there is no one available who is ever going to monitor it. That limit was to keep people from having pool parties without permission.
The pickleball courts are highly used at certain times (mornings, evenings). Our regular pickleball group, mostly residents, pretty much rules the courts in the mornings three days a week and in the evenings a couple of days. But apparently individuals from the pickleball group have been randomly showing up and there are "outsiders" playing on the courts.
Having guests use the amenities has never been an issue in or community. It's a gated community, so any guests have to be let in by a resident. The wrinkle here is that the pickleball courts are located away from the main amenities in the condo section of the community (condos are sub-associations). Parking can be an issue as there are only a few parking spaces at those courts, but even people from the single-family section have to drive to this area. The condo people are only about 1/3 of the entire community and the regular pickleball group is made up of mostly condo residents. There is no way they can recognize residents from the other sections by sight, so how they know the "outsiders" are residents or guests is unknown.
The complaints are that these "outsiders" are using courts that the residents pay for in their dues and that's not fair. I think it's really that the regulars want to be able to play whenever they want and don't like having to wait for courts. They want the board to put a limit to the number of guests and define guests as people staying in the resident's unit. I am concerned about confrontations between groups trying to identify who is a resident and who isn't. Since most of the play happens outside of business hours, our PM cannot be there to try and identify who is a resident.
I was wondering if anyone has successfully used a court reservation app in your community. I know of one community where it works great. I think if we have the regular times permanently reserved for the group and then allow open play and reserved times, it should work out. Only residents (PM would verify) could make reservations.
An ID card system is just not workable for us. Any other suggestions?
The pickleball courts are highly used at certain times (mornings, evenings). Our regular pickleball group, mostly residents, pretty much rules the courts in the mornings three days a week and in the evenings a couple of days. But apparently individuals from the pickleball group have been randomly showing up and there are "outsiders" playing on the courts.
Having guests use the amenities has never been an issue in or community. It's a gated community, so any guests have to be let in by a resident. The wrinkle here is that the pickleball courts are located away from the main amenities in the condo section of the community (condos are sub-associations). Parking can be an issue as there are only a few parking spaces at those courts, but even people from the single-family section have to drive to this area. The condo people are only about 1/3 of the entire community and the regular pickleball group is made up of mostly condo residents. There is no way they can recognize residents from the other sections by sight, so how they know the "outsiders" are residents or guests is unknown.
The complaints are that these "outsiders" are using courts that the residents pay for in their dues and that's not fair. I think it's really that the regulars want to be able to play whenever they want and don't like having to wait for courts. They want the board to put a limit to the number of guests and define guests as people staying in the resident's unit. I am concerned about confrontations between groups trying to identify who is a resident and who isn't. Since most of the play happens outside of business hours, our PM cannot be there to try and identify who is a resident.
I was wondering if anyone has successfully used a court reservation app in your community. I know of one community where it works great. I think if we have the regular times permanently reserved for the group and then allow open play and reserved times, it should work out. Only residents (PM would verify) could make reservations.
An ID card system is just not workable for us. Any other suggestions?