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JoanneW2

Posts:0

07/22/2010 9:16 PM
I love this forum. With that said please read the thread below. No response is planned to homeowner called Ann at this point. I was the catalyst to have her removed from the Board years ago along with several other homeowners. She is a strange person and seems to think we have more than her when you talk with her it always gets back to her and her problems. We are a community of 9. The current President has learned on the job and is part of the Payton Place going on--she talks and it get back to the individual in the thread. So, here is my question! We have comlained about her noise before and a Board member met with her. The evening noise went away that bothers he-owner moved-but she slams doors in the morning hours and is mean when possible to us. Time for a formal complaint but how best to go about this to stop this nonsense. What would you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sent by the President to the community: Hello Neighbors I hope everyone is enjoying summer now that it finally has arrived. As you know from previous e-mails we are working to obtain FHA approval for our complex. As most of you are aware lending laws have changed a lot in the last year in response to changes in the housing market. To be competitive in the housing market we should obtain FHA approval. The package which we submitted in March was declined since we were not incorporated and did not have enough in our reserves based on the projects we had in our budget. The new laws require that we budget at least 10% towards our reserve which we did but it was not perceived as enough by HUD. The board does not want to have either a special assessment or increase monthly assessments and I do not think that it is required at this time. Please find attached a revised 2010 budget which reflects actual spending to date and postponement of the crawlspace clean up. It also reflects one new cost of sealing the new fence, $2400. This work would be completed now that everything is nice and dry by ParkPlace Painting who did such a wonderful job on our doors and touch up paint. Most notably it also shows a transfer of 20% of our budget for this year only to the reserves and the monies set aside to incorporate our HOA. We would have to incorporate once we restate our declarations anyway since we would then fall under the new Condominium act. Also since we would incorporate as a non-profit we will have some tax benefits. I have been working the HUD office and have the name and contact information for a real person so once we are incorporated we can submit our revised budget and paperwork via e-mail to obtain our approval. Once we are approved we will have to recertify every two years. I do not see that as a problem since we have been getting healthier every year while still completing major projects. This would allow us to finish the fence in the first quarter of 2011 and reseal the driveway in next summer as planned. Since this is a change to our approved budget it requires a vote to accept the revised budget which I think we can accomplish by e-mail. If you agree with the changes we will proceed immediately with the incorporation and fence sealing. Please reply by 19 July. Thank you A note on the fences, it took us along time to replace our fences and they look fabulous so let’s all work to keep them that way. For those homeowners that have not landscaped please keep weeds/ivy off the fence and dirt from the base of the fences. If you do not wish to landscape that is OK but at least put down some mulch (like Robert and Milos have) to protect the fences. If you would like Ramon to do the work let me know and I can obtain a bid for you. Also please do not mount anything on the fences, seasonal or not, in order to protect our investment. Thank you. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our remarks to Request to Vote on Revised Budget and Fence Sealing: In my opinion, prior to voting, the community should be provided with additional information to make an informed decision since we were given one business day to vote. We hope no checks are cut for the Fence Sealing before further discussion. Fence Sealing: Was the fence sealing a part of the original fencing budget approved by the Homeowners? Or is this a new add-on all of a sudden? As a homeowner, what are the facts: sealing vs. not sealing cedar fencing? What sealant are we using? My understanding is that the cedar fencing “as is” will wear naturally and has a life expectancy of about 25 years without a sealant. Further, applying a sealant is not a one-time event and that it would need to be applied every 2 – 3 years. At a cost of $2,400 per application, does this make sense? Finally, there are really only 3 hazards that I see to maintaining the cedar fence (with or without sealant) to make them last their expected lifespan. They are: 1) wood to earth contact at the base of the fence, 2) misdirected sprinklers hitting the fence, and 3) vegetation against the fence line. Annual Budget: We received the revised budget in the latest email, is the present reserve balance about $8,000? Then what is it projected to be once we expense the Phase 2 fence costs, fence sealing, and crawl space expense? FHA Approval: HUD has imposed three conditions on Houghton Townhomes to become FHA approved. They are: 1) Incorporation of the Houghton Townhomes Home Owners Association. 2) A minimum of 10% of collected HOA fees placed in reserve each year. 3) A minimum reserve balance based on the Reserve Study that is estimated to be $33,000 based on the 6/30 email response from Cheryl. Based on these criteria, incorporating the HOA is an easy process, as is allocating a minimum of 10% of the HOA income for reserves. The primary challenge we face in obtaining FHA approval is having sufficient reserve balances per the requirements of the Reserve Study. Based on Cheryl’s conversation with HUD is point #3 no longer taken into consideration? Or, are we really $25,000 off the mark based on the information sent to the community on June 30? There are two solutions that I can envision to satisfy #3, above: 1) Restate the Reserve Study for the purposes of obtaining FHA approval by reviewing the current Reserve Study to see if there are expenses and maintenance items that can be stretched out so that our present $33,000 reserve requirement for FHA approval is minimized; or, 2) Contemplate a dues increase to bring reserves up to present requirements, even for a short period of time. Otherwise, I doubt that FHA approval can be gained anytime soon. It may take years to build the reserve up to FHA required levels. In our professional lives as Realtors, we are finding non-FHA approved condominium market prices falling dramatically vs. FHA approved projects, to the tune of 30% or more decrease. Presently, a buyer of a Houghton Townhome would be required to put about $92,000 down without FHA approval! I am sure the whole community looks forward to your reply. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Homeowner xxx reply to community: Dear Board, I agree with all the changes you have incorporated in the revised budget . I would also like to thank you for all the time and effort you put into your volunteer efforts to help protect and improve our property values. I would also like to add several comments regarding yards, fences and rat prevention. I am paying a lot of money as we all are to improve and protect our property values. I would ask that EVERYONE make an effort to maintain their back yards in a manner that does not invite infestation of rats. That everyone keeps all dirt and debree away from the fences to prevent rot. Last but not least, NO one should be hanging anything on the fences as the board suggests. We want to protect and insure the longevity and integrity of our new fences, and prevent any more rat infestations by large amounts of debree in our back yards. Hopefully we will all honor and understand the importance of what the board has suggested to insure the longest life we can get out of our new fences and try to eleviate the rat problem we seemed to have incurred and are fighting against. Respectfully, ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our reply: Thanks for your comments! Here is an excerpt from an email to the Board and pictures sent out just 6 weeks ago. An effort has been made is all I can say. I don't know what Ken's yard looks like. The other renters seem to take care of the backyards which is so nice to see--lucky you. "Second: Backyard maintenance has been an issue for some owners from time to time. Joanne helped you load the barrels of mulch to place in xxxx yard when fences were replaced. You also witnessed weeds pulled along the fence line rockery and foundation between 821/819. Unfortunately, xxx yard condition has continued to deteriorate. I have attached pictures from our fence line for your review. In my opinion, a Board member should be held to a high standard of ownership. Furthermore, we are going to embark on Phase 2, of an expensive rodent cleanup and the unit was again mentioned as a compromised crawlspace. My expectation is that Unit 819 yard will be cleaned up in short order and maintained going forward. Could the Board issue some basic rules, until our CC&R are amended, about yard maintenance like noxious weed, leaf removal and grass maintenance for accountability and to mitigate this type of request going forward?" With respect to our little water fountain that has caused such a tizzy. NO nails have been hammered. We wouldn't do such a thing. Jeff is great with construction and figured out a non-evasive way to hang it. Ironically, we have done this for years. We are far more concerned with the cost of rodent abatement, etc. and why another cost for the fence just cropped up out of the blue. How are going to pay for everything else we want to do and still get FHA approval? Otherwise, all of us will loose tens of thousands in equity. Have a great day. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Homeowner xxx reply: Whether you hung something on the fence for years is not the issue NOW. This is a NEW fence, we are ALL paying for it. This is not just "Your Fence". It surrounds YOUR unit and OUR town-homes. It is an association responsibility to build, maintain, and protect all of our investment--the new fence. Since it was the association's responsibilities to pay for, I feel we also have the right to say how they are taken care of. They have said "refrain from hanging anything on the fence" that would include your water fountain. Whether it is nailed or not, it wears on the wood and we all have been asked not to hang anything on the fences. Since Jeff is so good with construction may I suggest you mount your little water fountain on a stand and not the new fence. It appears that things that bother you and Jeff, no matter how small, are a big deal and "you get in a tizzy" but things you want to do against the associations rules and suggestions you just ignore. I am quite confident that you will never be happy living in this type of environment. Please for once just go along with the program and do as we all want you to do to protect our investments. Hopefully all our owners will go along with suggestions to alleviate debree in their yards, that may contribute to the ongoing rat infestation that we are paying so much to get rid of, and keep dirt away from the fence lines.

SteveM9
(Massachusetts)

Posts:1442

07/23/2010 3:45 AM
You want to file a formal report with the HOA for someone being mean to you? Ummmm...... Welcome to association living.

GlenL
(Ohio)

Posts:3526

07/23/2010 9:01 AM
What would you do? Ignore it, stop complaining about it and smile at her whenever you meet. More than likely she is doing it to push your buttons or you are overly sensitive. If she doesn't get the expected rise out of you she will more than likely tire of her petty games and stop. PS If it is you that has the item hanging on the fence - Be a good neighbor and remove it.

Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair. - George Burns

JoanneW2

Posts:0

07/23/2010 9:29 AM
Smile and be respectful is what I have done to keep the peace. Have lived here for 5 years and she stareted slamming doors when she realized it bothered us. Some people have a constructive way of dealing with things others not. Back to ignoring her. Yes, we took down the fountain to keep the piece but our present President is an awful communicator and we have asked for rules to no avail. In the meantime, a board emembers yard is overgrown which is somewhere between sad and comical. Something to bring up to the whole community at the next meeting.

JoanneW2

Posts:0

07/23/2010 9:32 AM
Associations are full of willing homeowners, some willing to volunteer and the rest willing to criticize. Author unknown but very perceptive. To Perceptive....yes you are!

MaryA1

Posts:0

07/23/2010 9:33 AM
SOrry I don't have anything to add to Glen's very good advice. But I would like to comment on a statement made by the Pres in her letter: "We would have to incorporate once we restate our declarations anyway since we would then fall under the new Condominium act. Also since we would incorporate as a non-profit we will have some tax benefits." Many people confuse nonprofit with tax exempt. Only a tax-exempt org gets tax benefits, a nonprofit still has to pay taxes. Some HOAs have successfully been granted tax exempt status by the IRS under the 501(c) designation, but not very many. Being such a small HOA I doubt you need to worry about this. If you file the HOA specific tax form, 1120H you most likely will have no tax obligation. The real benefit of incorporation is that the property owners are protected against any liaibility issues the HOA may incur.

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