Habersham Townhome and Other Attached Building Association Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - June 1, 2009

Transcription

1 Habersham Townhome and Other Attached Building Association Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - June 1, 2009 Purpose of the FAQ: These common questions are being put together for the benefit of the members of the Habersham Townhome and Other Attached Building Association (THOAB). The association includes owners of Townhouse and Live/Work units in Habersham. These items reflect commonly asked questions and are intended to be helpful and serve a basis for understanding. These items reflect the current state of affairs and the Board reserves the right to change its policy in the future. General Information: Townhome and Other Attached Building Associations Primary Point of Contact: James M. Rively VP of Community Operations Coastal Community Association Management, LLC (CCAM) PO Box 1698 Bluffton, SC Phone: Cell: Fax: jrively@hargray.com Alternate rivelyjames@yahoo.com General Items: 1. Who are the current specific members of Habersham Townhomes and Other Attached Buildings (THOAB) Association? The owners of the Live/Works and owners of the Townhomes. The Village Flats and Mansion Flats are not part of this association. The new construction by Le Virage will also not be part of THOAB. 2. Who are the current Board members? Eric Brown, President; Larry Beaupre, Vice President; Joe Gazdak, Treasurer; Brad Pickel, Secretary; and Barbara Billet 3. How often does the Board of Directors meet? 1

2 Currently, the Board is trying to maintain a schedule of quarterly meetings; however, additional meetings have been held this year due to the transition in management companies. 4. How often does the Association meet? The association is required by covenant to meet once per year. These meetings typically occur in the fall and will be noticed at least 30 days in advance. 5. Have all townhouse parcels been conveyed to an owner vs. a developer or builder? No. There are also additional parcels that have not yet been built that will be a part of the association when completed. 6. Since townhome owners currently pay two sets of fees (one to THOAB and one to Habersham Neighborhood Association) what specifically do our Habersham Neighborhood Association (HOA) fees cover and conversely what specifically is covered by our THOAB fees beyond that which is very generally reported in the budget expense column? For example, for what purpose is the paint reserve to be used since it is not outlined in the Declarations? The HOA covers all common space outside of the lots. These include, but are not limited to parks, pool, tennis courts, right-of-ways, etc. The HOA budget lists most of these items. The paint and roof reserves are costs that do not occur every year and will build up and be expended when the need may arise. The roof is projected to be replaced between years and painting is expected to occur every ten years or so. These reserves may be used for minor touch up or leaks prior to that time frame if needed. The board has the authority to manage the maintenance. 7. Who is our current property management association and what happened to PAI? Due to some issues with our previous management company, the Board chose to change our day to day management to Coastal Community Association Management (CCAM). This decision was not made lightly or quickly. One major benefit of moving to CCAM is due to our property management contact, Jamie Rively. Jamie is well aware of our association and was our previous point of contact at PAI. CCAM s contact information is listed at the top of this FAQ. 8. Who is my first point of contact when I have a question? The first point of contact is Jamie Rively at CCAM. His contact information is on page 1 of this FAQ. 2

3 Maintenance: 1. Who do we contact first for repairs? The first contact for all repairs is Jamie Rively at CCAM. 2. Is living in one of these types of units a maintenance-free lifestyle? These units have a common maintenance fund for the protection and care of elements common to the neighboring buildings. These items are listed out specifically in the Townhouse Association Declarations and include shared walls and roofs. The idea is to avoid situations where problems with one unit could lead to problems with an adjacent unit. Each owner is responsible for the upkeep of items not specified as an Association responsibility. 3. Courtyard Drains and Drainage issues: Courtyards, including their maintenance and drainage, are the responsibility of each homeowner. The Board & Association would only get involved if damage was occurring to an adjacent unit through neglect. In that case, the unit in question would receive a specific assessment for the charges / time involved. 4. What Maintenance does the Association perform? The Association currently performs a basic pressure wash service and stucco inspection each year. Basic front landscape trimming is currently contracted out as well. Gutter cleaning will also be performed this year. 5. The stucco on my unit is cracking. Stucco is a material that will crack and light cracking is a normal condition. A yearly inspection is performed to review the condition of the stucco finish coat. The goal is to insure the top coat is within the Portland Cement Association (PCA) standards. 6. Can I grow plants or vines on my stucco? Many types of growing vines can be grown on stucco walls. Several of these plants can actually damage the stucco finish over time so care should be taken in selection of areas for the plants. Growth on wood walls should generally be avoided. Any damage from plantings will be the responsibility of the individual homeowner. 7. If I add a trellis or similar feature, does the Association maintain this? No. These would be the responsibility of the individual owner. 3

4 8. Can I add a TV-dish? Yes. The location needs to comply with the Habersham Architectural Guidelines. Any damage or increased maintenance caused by installation will be the responsibility of the unit owner. 9. My front stairs are worn/need paint; The current reserve fund is set to repaint the buildings every 10 years or so. Most stairs have shown wear with in 2 or 3 years. Porch maintenance is the responsibility of the owner, and painting of steps will not be initiated by the association separate from building painting. 10. Is the Association responsible for closing shutters with a storm coming? The Association is not responsible for the closure of shutters or storm preparation. The Board may provide contact information for business that can assist homeowners on an individual basis. 11. Who is responsible for maintaining landscaping: Tree Wells: Habersham HOA. Grass area: Habersham HOA. Front areas: THOAB, contracted out. Rear courtyard: Unit Owner. 12. Is there an emergency repair contact for common area? If it is a medical or police emergency, you should contact 911. If not, the first contact should be Jamie Rively at CCAM. 13. Who maintains the alley ways? The Habersham HOA is responsible for the alleyways. 14. How often are the gutters cleaned? The gutters will be cleaned once a year when the units are pressure washed. 15. How often are termite inspections performed and who does them? The units are also inspected once a year for termites and this falls under the association responsibilities. 16. Who should I contact if I have a roof leak? 4

5 Insurance: If an owner has a roof leak or other structural issue with the roof or external portion of their unit, they should contact Jamie Rively at CCAM. 17. Are owners permitted to plant any type of plants in the front of their units? Owners are encouraged to contact Habersham Architectural Review Board to discuss any changes with vegetation to ensure they are in compliance. They can be reached through the main Habersham number Are my interior contents insured under the basic building policy? No, each individual owner is responsible for providing interior contents insurance with a carrier of his/her choice. This includes flood damage. 2. Is our current THOAB insurance coverage cost effective and comprehensive? Yes it is very rare to have a major carrier such as ALLSTATE to write insurance in this coastal area. In 2009, we re-evaluated our policy to insure adequate coverage at the lowest possible price. The insurance committee found our policy to be the most reasonable priced available. 3. What is the extent of THOAB liability insurance (personal) and its definitions? Liability is in place for occurrences just outside the townhomes front porch, sidewalks, etc. The Associations liability does not cover courtyards or interiors that should be part of the homeowner s policy. Coverage is comparable to other townhome associations. 4. What is the extent of homeowner liability (personal) and its definitions? Interior spaces and courtyards should be covered by the homeowner s own policy not THOAB s. THOAB insurance also does not cover any personal belongings or any improvements made by the owner of the unit after the initial sale of the unit by the builder. Therefore, owners would typically want to have coverage for their contents and any upgrades such as built-in book shelves that were installed after the initial sale. 5. Does the association carry flood insurance? No. 5

6 Financial: 1. How are Association assessments determined? Association assessments are based on the THOAB budget that is prepared and approved by the Board of Directors each year. Each unit receives an assessment based on the street frontage of the unit (either 18 or 36 feet), with the bigger units having double the assessment of the smaller ones. This is as provided in the covenants. Prior to 2009, assessments were due in one payment at the beginning of the year. The Board approved the option of quarterly assessments for For those who chose this option, dues invoices are sent out on the first day of each quarter and are due at the end of the month. Late fees can be assessed for delayed payments. 2. What if I don t pay my dues? The Board, through the Association s Property Management Company, makes repeated effort to have all homeowners pay in full the assessments that are due to THOAB. This includes repeated billings, and contact with attorneys and banks when a sale is pending on a unit owned by someone in default in payment of dues. When the homeowner is unresponsive, the Association works with a law firm to file a lien on the unit that is in default. 3. Who determines the Budget? Your THOAB Board of Directors, in consultation with vendors and our property management company, determines the Association budget for the year. This is typically done in November of the preceding year. The THOAB Board secures estimates and quotes from our insurance and service providers to determine, as best as possible, the coming year s expenses. It adds to the estimated expenses a small bad debt allowance based on the amount of assessments that went unpaid in the prior year and have not yet been successfully collected. It then divides the total budget by the number of units, using the street frontage formula set out in the above FAQ. 4. So what expenses are covered in the budget? The budget for 2009 is $ 152,585. It covers the following expense categories: Insurance (57% of the budget), Termite Bond (8%), Roofing Maintenance and Reserve (7%), Painting Maintenance and Reserve (7%), Property Management (5%), Stucco Maintenance (4%), Power- washing (4%), Landscaping (4%), Legal (2%), Accounting (2%), Alarm System (1%). 6

7 The budget breakdown is provided to THOAB owners on an annual basis and is available from Jamie Rively at CCAM upon request. 5. What is covered by the Insurance budget expense? Basically, Insurance covers the buildings and not the contents. This is, by far, the largest association expense representing about 57% of our 2009 budget. 6. What is covered in the Property Management budget expense? Property Management services currently are provided by Coastal Community Association Management (CCAM). CCAM provides both property maintenance services and bookkeeping services. Property maintenance services include biweekly inspections by CCAM, identification and resolution of maintenance issues that are association responsibilities, coordination with board members and the THOAB maintenance committee, coordination with Habersham Land Company and Habersham HOA. With respect to bookkeeping services, CCAM collects the assessments, deposits then in our bank account, receives bills from vendors and prepares checks for payment, which are signed by the directors. Additional bookkeeping services provided by CCAM include preparing all the financial statements that we require on a monthly basis: Income Statement with Budget Comparison, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables, Aged Payables, and a reconciliation of the bank accounts. 7. What is covered by the Legal budget expense? We require legal services to help us collect dues from owners who are not paying through the filing of liens on the property of the defaulting owner. 8. What is covered by the Accounting budget expense? Our covenants call for a compilation (an independent review) of our financial statements. A CPA is required to do this. 9. What is covered by the rest of the budget expenses? Please see the Maintenance FAQ. Community / Communication: 1. How is the Association notified of new owners? 7

8 Our property management company, CCAM, maintains close communication with Habersham and monitors the change in ownerships using publically available resources like the tax appraisers site 2. Are there any committees? Currently, there is maintenance, insurance and financial committees that are open to membership to all owners in good standing (i.e. up to date on assessments). 3. How do I stay aware of what s going on? We strive to maintain an up-to-date database of all owner contact information, but this doesn t mean that it always is. It is incumbent upon each owner to contact Jamie Rively at CCAM when any changes occur as all Habersham databases are not necessarily shared and by changing your information with one group does not guarantee that your THOAB information will be changed. Live/Work Specific: 1. Live Work Street Lighting: The ground floor of most Live/Work units has exterior lighting that is required to be operable. These light bulbs are replaced by the owners. 8