Indenture

Ames Place Subdivision is bound by a 16-page Indenture (view as pdf), originally drafted and adopted on October 7, 1914. Not only does the Indenture set the physical boundaries of the Subdivision, it outlines the duties and responsibilities assumed by the Subdivision, as well as the procedures and regulations under which the Subdivision operates. This Indenture is a legally-binding document, recognized by both the state of Missouri and the city of University City. Points of interest in the Indenture include:

1. Ames Place Subdivision is governed by a three to five-member Board of Trustees. The Trustees are elected by property owners in the Subdivision. The Board of Trustees oversees the overall maintenance and upkeep of the Subdivision.
2. When making an addition to a property, any residence, garage, out-building, or subsidiary building erected shall have exterior walls of “brick, stone, concrete, or cement on hollow block or cement on metal lath” and that “any garage or other out-building or subsidiary building on any lot” shall follow “the same general plan of architecture and building materials on said lot.”

   In order to verify that all new construction is within the constraints of the Indenture, two (2) members of the Board of Trustees must approve a set of plans before the plans can be submitted to University City for a building permit.

3. A regular assessment is levied annually on all properties in the Subdivision by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees also has the option to charge a special assessment each year.