The final draft

Thanks to several suggestions and a little criticism, I completed the final draft of the Red House Constitution. I am happy to report that the reading went well and it was signed by all. Unfortunately, several articles have already been violated extensively. More about that later. Enjoy.

We the Residents of ____ ______________, in order to form more efficient living conditions, establish communal order, insure general welfare of the house & yard, & to secure the equal rights of all residents & guests both foreign & domestic, do hereby establish this Constitution to promote the common safety, well-being, friendships, & relationships within.

Article I

THE DECISION MAKINGPROCESS

Section 1. All decisions pertaining to the general preservation & well-being of the house & social matters within shall be decided by the three-fourth’s majority method. Only residents – those whose names are on the Rental Agreement – have the right to state their opinions &/or vote on such decisions pertaining to the general property, house, or yard.

CHANGING OR AMENDING THIS CONSTITUTION

Section 2. This constitution is subject to alteration & amendment only by residents. In order to create a new or challenge any existing clause, section, or article in this constitution, no less than all residents may agree upon its ratification.

Article II

RENT / UTILITIES PAYMENTS, USAGE, & OBLIGATIONS

Section 1. [1] All deposits, total primary costs of the shared provisions of rent, electricity, & water, as well as total secondary costs of the shared necessities of internet, garbage collection, yard maintenance, & their accessories shall be divided equally among all residents.

[2] Individual checks for such payments must be ready five days before the payment is due. Total rent & utilities bills must be paid on time. It is encouraged for residents to have their one-fourth of next months rent reserved at all times.

[3] Excessive use of water & electricity is prohibited. Energy efficient light bulbs are required in all rooms within. When not in use, residents must turn off lights, appliances, computers, central-air, etc.

[4] Only a resident may possess a key to the house or shed. The location of the hidden key should be disclosed at great discretion.

[5] Residents who choose to move out must give 15 days notice to all other residents, prior to the 30-day notice to the Landlord.

Article III

RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS

Section 1. All residents have the right to pursue their own enjoyment & happiness within as long as it does not infringe upon the rights, enjoyments, & happiness of other residents.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PRIVATE ROOMS

Section 2. Personal bedrooms are the private property of the occupant(s) of said room. Any questionable material or items displayed are left to the liability of the room occupant. No other resident may question, deny, or enforce any activities that take place within a private room unless the activity involves excessively audible behavior or may endanger the lives of residents.

RIGHTS OF PRIVATE ROOM OCCUPANTS

Section 3. [1] No personal property shall be removed under any circumstances from private rooms without the consent of the occupant.

[2] No personal property belonging to any individual other than the room occupant shall be stored in any private room without the consent of the occupant of said room.

[3] If the door to a private room is closed, no resident shall enter without knocking & waiting for the resident within to open the door. If the resident is not in said private room & the door is closed, no other resident shall enter unless it is an emergency. Emergencies are limited to shutting a window, turning off lights, electronics or appliances, putting out a fire, or accessing the master bathroom.

Article IV

COMMUNITY AREAS WITHIN DEFINED

Section 1. Community areas within the house are thus defined as the kitchen, dining room, laundry room, & living room. All residents have unlimited permission to enter & utilize the space & items specified for collective use within the community areas.

DIVISION OF COMMUNITY RESPONSABILITIES

Section 2. A centralized schedule shall be erected, dividing equally the duties of community labor & responsibilities among all residents.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR COMMUNITY LABORS, RESPONABILITIES, & RESPECT

Section 3. [1] Any & all-unnecessary disruption of academic efforts within community areas is prohibited.

[2] Excessive noise in community areas is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to music, musical instruments, television, parties, guests, animals, arguments, alarm clocks, firecrackers, gunfire, etc.

[3] Inside pets capable of lateral undulatory, bipedal, quadrupedal, sectapedal, octopedal, or winged escape are prohibited.

[4] Outside pets must remain outside at all times & are subject to the full responsibility of the pet owner. These include, but are not limited to feeding, housing, damaged items, damage to the yard, waste produced by the pet, & overall safety of the pet.

[5] Candles, incense, etc. are acceptable in all community areas unless adverse affects are reported by any resident, at which time the scented item should be removed to a private area. Heat producing scented items shall not be neglected at any time.

[6] There shall be an effective non-smoking policy in all areas within, community or private.

[7] Alcohol use is acceptable in all community areas unless the level of drunkenness leads to loud, unruly, or destructive behavior by which the user(s) will be asked to retire to his or her room.

[8] Loaded guns, ammunition, & other weapons are fully acceptable within. However, all occupants must be aware of the placement &/or storage of such weapons at all times. Weapons shall never be left unattended in a community area.

COMMUNITY ITEMS & USEAGE PROTOCOL

Section 4. [1] Decoration or improvement of community areas must be agreed upon & approved by all residents before placement.

[2] Permanent improvements added to the house shall remain if the removal of such improvements results in damage.

[3] Furniture or other items large or small designated for community use must be agreed upon & approved by all residents before their placement. Community items must be treated with care & respect by all residents.

[4] Residents choosing to contribute community items do so at their own desire & are granted no unequal rights, powers, or privileges despite expense, quality, or quantity of community item investment or investments.

[5] Community items damaged accidentally or otherwise are subject to prompt replacement at the expense of the resident who damaged that item. Community items damaged due to regular use are to be replaced at the equally divided expense of all residents unless covered by the Landlord responsibilities in the Rental Agreement.

COMMUNITY CLEANLINESS & MAINTENANCE

Section 5. [1] There shall be no accumulation of personal or community clutter within community areas. This includes, but is not limited to food, dishes, silverware, cups, aluminum cans, bottles, trash, cookware, shoes, media, & clean or dirty laundry.

[2] Media shall not be combined or stored in the community areas. This includes, but is not limited to VHS, DVD, CD, literature, etc.

[3] Shoes worn outside must be left by the front or back door. Shoes worn outside shall be worn outside only.

[4] Once the garbage can is full, and before it is heaping over, the trash shall be removed & the bag replaced.

[5] Dishes shall not remain in the sink longer than 24 hours at a time, nor shall the dirty dishes reach the top of the sink.

[6] Residents who cook are responsible for cleaning & putting away cookware or dishes within 24 hours of their use. Residents who participate in eating – such as during community meals – are not bound to assist in cleaning or replacement of dishes & cookware immediately after, but are encouraged doing so.

[7] The dining room table shall remain free of clutter. It shall be clear & ready for use, unless already in use, at all times. This also applies to the kitchen countertops, coffee tables, & end tables.

[8] Damage committed to the house or noticed shall be reported to all residents immediately.

[9] Cleaning shall be required at least once per week by all residents. Bathrooms shall remain in constantly well-maintained condition.

COMMUNITY FOOD, STORAGE, & THE REFRIGERATOR

Section 6. [1] Residents shall be allotted their own cabinet(s) in the kitchen, while the refrigerator is reserved for community storage.

[2] There shall be designated community cabinets where all cookware & perishables within are considered communal. Respect should be considered with community food or beverages & their amount of use.

[3] Food or beverages belonging to other residents should not be consumed without said resident’s approval.

[4] Residents should discard their own expired food or beverages.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR OUTDOOR AREAS

Section 7. [1] Responsibilities & expenses for the maintenance of the yard shall be divided equally among all residents. This includes mowing, weed eating, gasoline & oil for the mower & weed eater, tree & shrubbery trimming, & their necessary accessories.

[2] Regular maintenance & repairs of yard equipment shall be divided among all residents equally, unless repair circumstances pertain to misuse of said equipment.

[3] Maintenance of birdfeeders, gardens, flowerbeds, & potted plants are the responsibility of the resident who chooses to maintain them.

[4] Clutter within the limits of yards & the patio is prohibited. Lawn ornaments including, but not limited to birdbaths, crystal balls, statues, rocks, pink flamingos, garden gnomes, etc. are restricted to one ornament per resident. However, violations of any zoning laws are prohibited. [Note: There are no zoning laws regarding a 10-foot, pink flamingo.]

[5] No vehicles are to be parked or driven in the yard at any time, unless agreed upon by all residents.

Article V

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR GUESTS

Section 1. [1] All guest(s) entering the house are bound to all clauses, sections, and articles of this constitution. A guest is considered one who consumes food, water, space, air, & electricity, who is invited into the house, but whose name is not on the Rental Agreement.

[2] Guest status does not apply to girlfriends of residents; however the same laws in which the residents must observe also bind them, excluding primary & secondary payments & yard maintenance.

[3] Any guest in violation of these articles is subject to removal by a majority decision of all residents.

[4] All residents must be notified at least 24 hours prior to a guest planning to stay longer than three consecutive days. This also applies to a party consisting of two or more guests planning to stay the night on any given night, with exception to surprise visits whereupon the resident being visited had no prior knowledge of visitation.

[5] No guest shall be left unattended in the house without at least one other resident present. This does not include relatives of residents.

[6] Any guest staying longer than one week can only do so at the approval of all residents. Any guest staying longer than one month can only do so at the approval of the Landlord.

Article VI

ENFORCEMENT OF THESE ARTICLES HEREIN

Section 1. In the event of sparse, moderate, or excessive violation by a resident or guest of a clause, section, or article, partly or as a whole, the residents shall have power to enforce this constitution & all its provisions by appropriate legislation.

Article VII

RATIFICATION OF THIS CONSTITUTION

Section 1. The ratification of the accepted order & duties of the residents shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution among the residents ratifying the same. Done in convention by the unanimous consent of all residents present the Seventeenth day of May in the year Two Thousand and Six and of the signing of the Residential Agreement on the Twenty-Sixth day of April, residents & their guests have read & understand & do hereby agree to all articles, sections, & clauses of this constitution & by signing it are bound by all its terms & conditions, unconditionally, until the Rental Agreement has expired.