Worthington Meadows HOA Newsletter May 2010 Hello Homeowners, This newsletter is written to get everyone caught up with what has happened since the new board of directors was elected as well as to discuss what the future plans are for the community. For those of you that do not know, the new board of directors was elected last fall. Since none of us had any experience at this type of thing we have had to learn on the go about what things are necessary for the board to function properly. We actually called other homeowner associations around the area to get an idea of what we needed to do. Additionally, the records that were turned over to us were a complete mess. We had to go through boxes of records and sort them out by year, bills paid, dues collected, etc. We also had to do things such as make sure the charter was valid, get lists of homeowners names and addresses, and get new maps for the community so we can determine what is HOA responsibility, etc. Many times when we thought something was OK we found out that it was not really the case. An example is insurance for the board and the community. We thought that the insurance that we currently had was sufficient but after looking into it further we found out that the community did not have the correct insurance and there were actually some laws that require specific types of insurance for HOA s. We also looked at ways to cut budget costs. We found out that the bank that held the HOA account was charging $12.00/month so we switched banks and now have an account that does not charge any fees. We also obtained multiple quotes for insurance and landscaping in order to make sure we can keep the budget down. Because of all of these things that needed to be taken care of (and there were many, many more problems) we did not feel like the board was ready to move too far forward until we made sure that we were stable. That is why the first newsletter is coming to you only now. As stated before, there were many more problems that had to be taken care of and if you want to know more you can ask any of the board members. At this meeting we will be able to answer more of your questions as well as discuss problems, concerns, and solutions. We also feel that there are a few changes that need to be made to the covenants that must be discussed. A couple of examples are what to do with neighbors that are a nuisance. The covenants say that the HOA can fine them but it gives no guidelines on how to do this and how much someone can be fined. The board would like to have input from out community regarding guidelines for fining homeowners.
Next, we would like to discuss some problems and concerns that have been expressed to the board. PROBLEM #1: Parking The information we can give about parking is this. Our streets are public streets. That means that there is no assigned parking or spaces reserved for any individual. (Read the letter sent to us by the County). With that being said, there are a few comments we would like to make on this issue. First, if you have more than two cars, you should be courteous to your neighbors and park the other cars in an area of the parking lot that is not directly in front of someone s house. Second, if it snows, and someone has shoveled out a spot please do not take their spot. This is very rude. Third, if it snows and you shovel out a spot and then place cones, chairs, etc. in the spot, this is illegal. We just want to make you aware of this if you did not know. Lastly, talk to your neighbors and try to see if there is something you can work out with parking issues. For example, at the end of Black Oak Ct. the neighbors talk together and if one person is going to leave early the next morning sometimes they park behind another neighbors car (after talking to them of course). This way we can fit all of cars in when there are clearly not enough spaces. PROBLEM #2: HOA Dues not being paid. When we took over the board we had some questions as to where all of the funds were at. We know many other people had this question also. So this is what we have learned that can answer this question. A very high percentage of people were not paying their HOA dues. In 2009, when the new board first took over, 44% of the homeowners had not paid. The board did start following up on the delinquent accounts and has collected past due payments from some of these accounts but there are still quite a few people that have not paid even after 3 notices to pay their dues. For those of you that do pay, thank you. For those of you that have not, this is wrong. We feel that this is a serious problem and we are taking steps to solve this. The covenants state that the homeowners are required to pay their dues and if they do not their house can be liened and/or the board can hire someone to collect the dues with the cost of collecting the dues being paid by the homeowner. The board does not feel like liening someone s house is going to accomplish anything because it is still not going to put money into the HOA account unless someone decides to sell their house or take a loan out, etc. The only option that really makes sense is to file suit in order to collect delinquent dues. So the board has contacted a law firm that deals with all issues related to HOA s etc. The board met with the lawyers in mid-april in order to set up an agreement between the HOA and the law firm in order to take care of this problem. Just a warning to those of you that do not pay. The cost you will incur if we have to send your bill to the law firm will be SUBSTANTIALLY higher than if you choose to just pay on time.
PROBLEM #3: Speeding in the neighborhood. Please do not speed in the neighborhood. It is not worth it. There are too many children out and people walking pets etc. Going the speed limit is not going to make you late. You may save yourself 2 seconds (literally) by speeding. PROBLEM #4: Trash and Recycling. Trash day is Thursday. Trash is supposed to be placed out after 6PM Wednesday and cans are supposed to picked up on Thursday. There are some new rules for recycling that some of you may not be aware of. Read the enclosed letter which is taken from the website: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/agencies/publicworks/recycling/singlestream/collect ioninformation.html PROBLEM #5: Trash, garbage and pet waste around the neighborhood. Please do not litter. We had a problem last summer with people throwing bagels all over the road. All this does is make our neighborhood look horrible and makes the residents upset just because a few people may have enjoyed whatever it is that they were doing. Additionally, this attracts rodents, raccoons, and all sorts of other animals. If you have a conscience you should think of your neighbors. Additionally, the neighborhood is a mess right now so we have asked the landscaping quotes to include a quote on trash clean up. If nobody is going to pick it up we have to all pay through our dues in order to clean up the trash. It s not fair but it has to be done. Lastly, if you are a pet owner, please pick up after your pet. Additional note: This is one of the instances where the board would like the communities input for some guidelines for dealing with this type of problem. PROBLEM #6: Noisy neighbors late at night. Again, please respect your neighbors and keep it down late at night. Additional Note: Again, the board would like the communities input regarding guidelines for this issue. PROBLEM #7: Snow Removal The County is responsible for clearing the streets. The board spoke to the Highway Administration and they stated that the HOA is not allowed to pay a private
contractor to plow the roads. Additionally, the sidewalks in front of your homes must be shoveled out by the homeowners and if you live on a corner lot the homeowner must shovel that sidewalk also. PROBLEM #8: How to get in touch with the board members Here is a list of our addresses, phone numbers, and email. Along with these methods of getting in touch you can also use the post office box and a website that is now up for the community. President: Vice President: Treasurer: Secretary: Michael Richardson 44 Black Oak Court 410-833-9442 James Dorf 3 Cherry Tree Ct. 410-340-9112 Jane Makhlyagina 3 Forest Glen Ct. 410-218-9751 Samantha Schaefer 8 Black Oak Ct. 410-526-2766 There is a website for our community where you can find information such as meeting minutes, map, bylaws, covenants, news, forms, etc. The website address is: https://sites.google.com/site/worthingtonmeadowshoa The mailing address for the post office box is: Worthington Meadows HOA, Inc. PO Box 771 Reisterstown, MD 21136
PROBLEM #9: Hill erosion and sidewalk on Black Oak Court. We are getting quotes from landscapers to fix this problem. This is HOA property so we all have to chip in to fix it, even if we don t live on that particular court. PROBLEM #10: Sidewalks The sidewalks were also not built correctly. This causes puddles to form on some parts of the sidewalk which cause problems for people walking (not to mention when those puddles freeze). After checking with the county, the sidewalks are, unfortunately, the responsibility of the homeowner. Since the water lines run under the sidewalks the county was asked if it was their responsibility. They said it was only their responsibility if the pipes underneath caused the sidewalks to move (Which it is not, they were built wrong). They also said, if they come out to check them to see if it their fault and they determine that it is not, they will give the owner of the house a citation and make them fix it. So, just be aware that if people complain about puddles and such, you will have to fix the sidewalk unless of course it falls under HOA areas (like where the hill is at on Black Oak Ct.) in which the HOA will have to pay to have it fixed. We also hope to start a database so all records to each house can be kept. For instance, dues paid or not, complaints, actions taken to remedy complaints. etc. This way there will records kept of everything and whoever may have questions about something we will be able to pull up the information we have. Additionally, we really could use others to volunteer and help out with things. For instance, if you know about databases and how to start one up or about websites, we could really use your help. Also, volunteers for things around the neighborhood would be greatly appreciated. We want to run the board properly again since it kind of fell into disarray over the years but we do need volunteers to help. Finally, the board still has some things to learn about the job so please be a little patient with us. We volunteered to do this, we do not get paid, and we are trying the best we can. Thanks, Worthington Meadows HOA Board of Directors