June 2001 Newsletter
The Riverbend At Hidden Lake Association Newsletter appears to contain no copyright or other restrictions which would prevent the reproduction of its content on this site as a community service.
This is the June 2001 edition.
From The Board President
Board Of Trustees Midyear Update
North Brunswick’s Public Works Director Meeting
Spring Walk Through Planned
Snow Assessment
Spring Inspection
Tree Climbing
Anonymous Complaints
Maintenance Requests
Get A Start On Maintenance
Pets In The Community
Parking Reminder
House Numbers
Pets In The Community
Pets are not permitted to roam freely on our property. Both dogs and cats must be leashed when walked in the community. We also require pet owners to be responsible and to clean up after their animals. Pets should also not be permitted to bark incessantly in the neighborhood. Each resident is entitled to peaceful enjoyment of their homes and the community. Please do not leave your pet outside unattended.
North Brunswick’s Public Works Director Meeting
Dick Fowler, the director of Public Works for North Brunswick, met with the Riverbend Board members to discuss snow removal concerns raised in our letter directed to Mayor Spaulding. Riverbend Drive is a township road and, as a result, is maintained by the township -this includes snow removal when necessary.
Mr. Fowler voiced his appreciation to residents who moved their cars from Riverbend Drive in anticipation of the snowfall that never panned out earlier this year. The discussion went well and served to outline potential measures in the event of sizable storms in future. The township agreed to provide a plan for the plowing and parking process within Riverbend. In addition, Mr. Fowler agreed to have Riverbend Drive swept by the township. In the future, the township will be posting “no parking signs” to facilitate the sweeping process.
Spring Walk Through Planned
The spring is here and the Board will be doing its early season walk through. During this walkaround, the condition of the property is viewed to determine where replacements/repairs need to be made to the sidewalks, mailboxes, and landscaping. The houses are looked at closely to see how they’ve survived the winter. Along with mention of painting and fence repair, several homeowners will be getting letters requesting the prompt replacement or repair of the casement windows.
During a recent phone call to Hurd Windows (www.hurd.com), the Wisconsin manufacturer of Riverbend’ s original windows, several is- sues came to light that we should be aware of, if you choose to replace your clouded windows with new Hurd windows.
- Hurd stopped making the various sizes of windows that fit our homes more than ten years ago.
- The new Hurd Widows still have the same sized glass and hardware but the wood casement is now LARGER in both length and width by 1/2 inch.
- The new windows need to be trimmed on each side by 1/4 inch in order to fit the frame. Special arrangements will need to be made to have them trimmed by the distributor or a carpenter.
- There are three distributors that are relatively close. The only New Jersey distributor is in Ramsey, NJ. There are two others in Brooklyn, NY. You can get the phone numbers and addresses from the Hurd web site or by calling Hurd directly at 1-800-223-4873.
- Delivery of new windows will take 3-6 weeks following the order.
- The new windows come primed and will need to be painted.
Several homeowners have already used vendors that disassemble the existing window, reseal it and then reinstall. You can check with the EPM office, your neighbors or the Yellow Pages to find contractors that do this.
Regardless of which method you use to address the situation, your prompt attention to fixing a very visible eyesore will greatly enhance the image of Riverbed and protect the value of our homes in the future. Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Snow Assessment
We want to thank our fellow residents for promptly paying the snow assessment. We, your fellow Board members, are also required to make the same payments that you have to make. It is always a difficult decision to approve additional fees; however, we have a fiduciary responsibility to manage the association’s financial well being. Snow is one of the services that we cannot predict ahead of time when the budget is planned.
Spring Inspection
The Board has requested that management review the ongoing maintenance requests that have been sent out over the past few years to homeowners for compliance. Those homes that have had repeated re- quests in the past, and have failed to take the necessary steps to maintain their homes, will now be forwarded to the association’s attorney for follow-up. This could result in the association obtaining a court order to perform the necessary maintenance and bill the owner for all related costs.
Tree Climbing
We have observed that certain children in our community have taken to tree climbing. This is not only extremely dangerous for the children, but also presents a liability to our association, should an injury occur. We would encourage all parents to review this policy with their children. In addition, as an owner in the community, if you see children climbing our trees, please request that they climb down immediately.
Anonymous Complaints
We have recently and in the past received anonymous complaints from residents about violations other residents in the community are committing. We cannot respond to any anonymous letters we receive. If we do not see a person’s dog “poop” on common property, and the dog owner not picking up, we cannot accept an unsigned complaint that accuses a resident. If you want the Board to take action, you must sign your complaint. We will try to keep the complaint confidential if possible.
Maintenance Requests
Please take a moment to inspect the exterior of your home objectively each spring. It is your responsibility to maintain the exterior in order to keep our property values high. The fence and decks, window frames, lanai and siding should be rot free and painted/stained in accordance with the paint specification colors of our community. Front doors should be painted to match the others in your court. White front doors are not approved. The garage door and frame should be in good condition and painted. The windows should not have any moisture between the two panes of glass. The roofing shingles should be in good condition, and the gutters should all be attached properly with all the leaders and elbows intact. The rear yard should be maintained and cannot be used for storage. Nothing may be stored in the common beds around the exterior of your home. The steps from your home, both those of wood as well as those of brick, should be kept in pristine condition. The concrete apron that is outside your garage door should be crack free and in good condition. This is an extension of your garage floor, and is the owner’s responsibility to maintain. Holiday decorations should all be removed 10 days after the holiday. If your home conforms to the above, it is in good condition.
Get A Start On Maintenance
We once again would like to remind all owners that in accordance with our Association’s documents, no exterior changes may be made without written approval from the Board of Trustees. This includes the installation of new decks, replacement of roofs, windows, garage doors and siding, or any other exterior modification that replaces or enhances existing components.
The attached listing was compiled to assist you with your own property inspection and give you another perspective of some of the things that you should be reviewing. The Board and management would be happy to answer any questions that you may have in this regard. We are here to assist you and would gladly review your concerns with you or assist you in trying to obtain the appropriate contractor. All contractors must be insured and have workers compensation insurance in order to protect you and the Association from any possible claims.
Pruning: Maintaining the shrubbery and trees within your enclosed backyard area is a homeowner’s responsibility.
| Green Thumb Services | Joe Bianco | (732) 297-3333 |
| Growing Concern | Mark Janiek | (732) 821-5526 |
| Tamke Tree | David Cohn | (800) 822-3537 |
| TreeTech | Kevin Schebelia | (732) 725-0706 |
Gardening: Maintaining the grass area inside of your fenced-in yard is a homeowner’s responsibility. These contractors can also assist you in the design of patios, decks, stonework, etc. within your backyard area.
| DeVries Landscaping | (732) 297-1244 | |
| Fama Landscaping | Louis Fama | (732) 545-8070 |
| Green Thumb Services | Joe Bianco | (732) 297-3333 |
| Growing Concern | Mark Janiek | (732) 821-5526 |
Decking: The wooden decks that are inside your enclosed backyard area, as well as on the upstairs of certain homes, are a homeowner’s responsibility to maintain. It is evident that certain decks are in need of repair and, in some cases, are dangerous in their existing conditions. No new decks may be installed without submitting written plans to the Board of Trustees for review and approval in writing.
| Bob’s Home Maintenance | Bob Bersch | (609) 259-3472 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Kevin Egan | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
Fencing: The wooden fencing and the wooden lanai is the homeowner’s responsibility.
| American Fence Systems | Jesus Molina | (732) 442-0440 |
| Blackstone Lumber | (732) 821-1761 (South Brunswick) | |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
| Rutgers Fence | (732) 294-9410 | |
| The Home Depot Milltown | (732) 432-0500 (Milltown) |
Brickwork: The brickwork on the unit, as well as the front stairs to some units and the concrete at the front entrance, as well as the concrete apron outside the garage door, is the homeowner’s responsibility.
| Harval General Contracting | Marc Brien | (201) 672-5248 |
| Professional Manta. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
| Tomaselli & Son | Sal Tomaselli | (732) 297-4815 |
Garage Doors: The garage doors are the homeowner’s responsibility. They may be replaced with doors that are insulated and maintenance free as long as the color of the door is the same dark brown color and the style of the door is the same as the others in the community.
| Edison Overhead Doors | (732) 985-2100 |
| Neptune Door Co. | (732) 922-4626 |
| Overhead Door Company | (800) 722-5785 |
| Petra Overhead Doors Co | (732) 721-3319 |
Chimney Cleaning/Cap Replacement: The chimney should be cleaned after burning a cord of wood in order to avoid a chimney fire. It is also evident that the chimney caps are rusting, and many have been reported to be leaking. These should be inspected and replaced as necessary.
| All American Chimney | Dennis Kuhn | (201) 927-3899 |
| Chelsea Chimney Sweep | (908) 283-2624 | |
| Complete Fireplace Service | David Walker | (732) 866-4101 |
| Homestead Chimney Inc | Robb Stasyshyn | (800) 242-7668 |
Roofing: The roof over your home is the homeowner’s responsibility. Many of the homes are showing signs of premature shingle failure, and approximately 10 units have been re-roofed. The shingles look like “potato chips” the way they are curling up. If you re-roof your unit, the contractor that you use may be able to get a credit or refund for you because of this premature shingle failure. The shingles are manufactured by GAF, and replacement shingles should match the color of the existing shingles on your roof. Management has a color sample of these shingles in their offices. Contact EPM if you need assistance in matching the color.
| Aiese Contracting Corp | Lou Aiese | (732) 290-1333 |
| Bell Roofing | Rich Calisti | (609) 588-8332 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Thermo Side | (609) 228-4686 | |
| Damir Katusic | (732) 940-9501 |
Siding: Prior to painting the unit, any siding that may be rotted, cracked or warped should be repaired or replaced as necessary. It should also be powerwashed prior to painting/staining in order to remove mildew and stain. Stainable caulking should be applied where necessary at minor cracks and around joints, windows and doors, and all nails that have popped should be re-nailed.
| Bell Roofing | Rich Calisti | (609) 588 5700 |
| Bob’s Home Maint. | Bob Bersch | (609) 259-3472 |
| Professional Exteriors | Gus Revuelta | (732) 288-9512 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Thermo Siding | Lester Krol | (609) 228-4686 |
| Times Siding | Dean Carman | (732) 269-4740 |
Windows: The windows in the community are the owner’s responsibility. They may either be replaced as an entire unit for more energy efficiency, or the glass may be replaced due to the seals being worn and creating moisture between the two panes of glass. Replacement windows must be approved by the Board of Trustees in writing and must match the existing windows in the community.
| Blackstone Lumber | Steve Charney | (732) 254-5550 (East Brunswick) |
| Windows & Doors Galore | David Sengi | (609) 581-1740 |
Glass Replacement:
| Ben Franklin Glass | (732) 249-1223 (Somerset) |
| Bumper’s Glass | (732) 846-9385 (New Brunswick) |
Painting: It is recommended that the exteriors of the homes are painted every three years. Powerwashing is recommended prior to painting, and two coats of stain will protect the siding which will lead to the avoidance of premature replacement.
| A+ Painting | Ken Addone | (908) 246-0796 |
| Accent Painting | (908) 914-8895 | |
| All Seasons Painting | AI Ossanna | (908) 821-7247 |
| Professional Touch | Gene Francisco | (908) 263-1510 |
Gutters/Leaders: Inspections have identified that many gutters have come loose from the fascia boards, or need to be re-strapped, or the leader has pulled away from the building and needs to be re-strapped, or the elbow at the bottom is missing. Gutters should also be cleaned out every fall in order to prevent ice-damming in the winter.
| Bradley Gutters | (732) 238-2727 |
| Flow Rite | (732) 257-3221 |
| Jay Kay Gutters | (732) 794-3172 |
| My Guttennan | (800) 750-1085 |
| Stormmaster | (732) 521-4989 |
General Exterior Carpentry: General wood replacement, deck repair/replacement
| Professional Maint Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First Contracting | Tom Roman | (732 750-2930 |
| RTB Contracting | Robert Bridgman | (732) 388-1333 |
| The Final Touch | Barb Comuntzis | (800) 438-0319 |
Plumbing: The homes in our community are at the age where the hot water heater should be carefully checked for rusting. If it rusts through, your home will be flooded, and your persona) belongings will suffer severe water damage.
| Dale’s Plumbing & Heating | (732) 238-8788 (East Brunswick) |
| Jack Dolan & Sons | (732) 247-2763 |
| RupCoe Plumbing & Heating | (732) 545-7999 (New Brunswick) |
Many of the contractors listed above will provide discount for the use of their services to Riverbend owners. The contractor you use is your choice. These are suggestions only.
Parking Reminder
No commercial or recreational vehicles can be parked in the community. In addition, vehicles cannot be stored on common property. If you have a vehicle that you do not use, park it in your garage or elsewhere off the property. Stored vehicles cannot take up parking spaces that are for the use of all residents. We will make every effort to notify the vehicle owner before towing it from the property at the owner’s expense.
House Numbers
One of the problems that we are faced with when we perform our inspections is that some homes have no house numbers on the front and/or rear of the homes. This is a concern as emergency services will have difficulty finding the correct address should the need arise. Please be sure to affix house numbers to your home on both the front and rear.
Board Of Trustees Midyear Update
Here’s what the Riverbend Board of Trustees accomplished on behalf of the community for the first part of this year.
Services Discussed/Conducted/Underway
- Reviewed December financials with particular attention to the impact of snow removal expenses resulting from December storm
- Met with Dick Fowler, Director of Public Works -Township of North Brunswick, regarding snow removal on Riverbend Drive
- Conducted semiannual Board/Management Property Inspection
- Conducted special meeting to discuss Capital Contribution fee
Contract Review, Negotiation and Renewals
All contracts under review are provided to various vendors to bid on the job. When the proposals are received, Board members review them. Among the items to consider are cost to the community, reputation of the vendor’s work, and past experiences with the vendor (when applicable).
To date, we have signed contracts or arranged for services with the following vendors:
Falcon Engineering: Location Survey/Construction Plans and Specifications to replace common water lines in two courts
Dependable Power Sweeping: Street Sweeping Contract
(monthly road sweep from April through October)
During each meeting the Board members reviewed:
- the Association financials and delinquency status
- legal items
- incoming and outgoing correspondence via Executive Property Management
- homeowner concerns
- invoices and signed checks for Association payments
Members of the Riverbed community are welcome to join us for the public portion of Board meetings. These meetings are conducted on the third Tuesday of every other month. The last meeting was held Tuesday, May 15th. Feel free to contact EPM if you would like to confirm the date and time of future meetings. The number is 732-821-3224.
Your Board Members
Ron Senchesak, President
Carolyn Lach, Vice President
Harrison Lewis, Treasurer
Juanita White-Wright, Secretary
Toni D’Angelo, Member
From The Board President
The Board recently completed a spring “Earth Day” walk through of the community. The walk through is done a couple of times each year and gives the Board a chance to see the conditions of the homes and property and check on units that have received notices in the past that their homes had fallen short of Riverbend Standards. In our case, the explanation of Standards is very simple.
If the condition of your home and yard causes the value of that house and nearby homes to lose market value, you are lowering the standards of Riverbend and must make an effort to correct the situation. The letters that you receive from the Board are meant to bring things to your attention so that we can maintain or increase the market value of our homes.
The general impression was that the homes survived the winter, but that there is a good bit of work to be done, particularly on painting, fence and lanai replacement and repair, and replacement of fogged windows. Additionally, close attention was paid to the condition of the roofs. The first residents of River bend moved in twenty years ago, so it is to be expected that we reach the “expected life” of these things.
It is important to look around your yard to pick up loose papers, plastic and other debris. It is critical to continuously inspect your house for window fogging, dried and splitting siding, curled roof shingles, rotted lanai planks, and rotten, broken down fencing. Look closely at cutting back or replacing the overgrown plantings within the patio areas. Experience tells us that the Riverbend houses are high maintenance. But, a small investment in time and materials early on could prevent a major cash outlay later.
There are basically three levels of procedure that the Board follows in order to diligently seek compliance with each homeowner. The Board may be notified by a homeowner or the management company that a home is in need of repair. At Level I, a letter is sent to the unit making the resident aware of the situation and that arrangements need to be handled in order to repair the unit as soon as possible. At Level II, a registered letter is sent to the homeowner stating that they have been notified several months earlier of the unsatisfactory situation and nothing has been done. The letter requests the expected date of repair completion and the name of the contractor. If the response is unreasonable or ignored, the Board will proceed to Level III and begin proceedings through our attorney.
The Board would certainly prefer not to spend the assets of Riverbend on legal fees. However, when owners show a total disregard for the requests of the community, it is the responsibility of the elected Board members to protect the integrity and property values of River bend.
We are in consultation now with our lawyers regarding homes at 44 RB, 66 RB, 101 RB and 106 RB. The owners of these homes have either ignored or failed to respond in a timely manner to repeated requests to paint, repair and clean up their homes. A lien is registered with the Township and precludes any resale of the house until removed. The Board has recently been involved in foreclosure proceedings against one homeowner who blatantly disregarded the bylaws.
We all believe that it is reasonable and fair to ask people to keep their homes and yards as clean, neat and well maintained as possible.
The Board wishes to thank everyone for your cooperation in making Riverbend one of the best places to live in New Jersey.
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