With summer days right around the corner, I've been thinking about swimming pools and summer sun. When I was young, every summer my friends and I would look for a pool in the local area to swim in during hot days. We would jump the fence of the local high school until someone kicked us out or we would sneak into one of many apartment complexes until we were escorted out. Many of the pools we raided were packed with families swimming so we were able to enjoy them for quite a while before they figured out that we did not belong. But there was one place where we always wanted to swim but couldn't - Lake Merced Park Homeowners Association.

It had beautiful canvas reclining chairs circled around the pool, tropical sun umbrellas with cold drinks being served to those who snapped their fingers and a life guard named Wendy Peppercorn. Okay, her name wasn't really Wendy Peppercorn but I can't remember her name so Wendy will have to do.

At this homeowners association you needed a special pass that was visible to everyone as you entered. You needed to swipe this card which would allow you to enter into the gated pool as well as use the restrooms. To us, it was a dumb idea. But to the people who lived in the homeowners association, it was great and brought an increased level of safety. It kept the riff-raff out and the members in. Not having a card meant we would not be allowed to bask in their sun.

Implementing a Pass Procedure Policy

As I fast forward to the present and to my job as a property manager, I can now see why this was needed. This was a private gated community. These people were paying HOA fees for this kind of privacy and for the upkeep and beauty of the pool and clubhouse areas. They only wanted those who were paying their assessments to enter.

I often receive calls from HOA members who don't have entry pass procedures screaming, "There are boys who don't live here swimming in our pool, please come and kick them out!" My next question is always, How do you know they don't live there?" The complainers may not actually know, but if they implemented a pass procedure policy they would have a way of knowing for sure!

I now tell all of my homeowners associations that have a pool or a recreation room that they need to implement a pass procedure policy. This would eliminate many trespassing problems and help keep riff-raff like my young self out of their area.