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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