Court Sweeping
July 22, 2005
Dear Riverbend Homeowners:
We just wanted to make you aware that the street sweeper will sweep the thirteen (13) courts in Riverbend excluding Riverbend Drive on Thursday, July 28, 2005, weather permitting.
Please move all of your vehicles out of the court so that they can do the best job possible in having the courts cleared.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Very truly yours,
Board of Trustees
Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association
July 2005 Newsletter
The Riverbend At Hidden Lake Homeowner’s 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 July 2005 edition.
Architectural Change Approval Process
Paving Project to Continue
Monthly Fees
Annual Audit
Tree Pruning
Sidewalk Repairs
Housing Materials
Windows
Siding
Roofing
Communication
Pets
Architectural Change Approval Process
Our community and what happens to it, is clearly laid out in the association’s Governing Documents. A copy of these documents was sent to each owner earlier this year. This is a public document that is filed in the County Clerk’s office in New Brunswick.
In the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions contained in this document, on page 11, Article V, Architecture Control, it clearly states that “Subsequent to the construction upon the lots and Common Areas by the Declarant, no building, fence, wall or other structure shall be commenced, erecter [sic] or maintained upon the properties, not shall any exterior addition or change or alteration therein be made until the plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, height, materials, and location or same shall have been submitted to and approved in writing as to harmony of external design and location in relation to surrounding structures and topography by the Board of Trustees of the Association………”
In plain English, nothing can be done to the outside of your home or property without written approval from the Board of Trustees before going ahead with the work.
The only exception to this is repair/replacement of the wooden siding to match what was previously there and painting. Any other change must be approved by the Board first. Including using alternate materials than what was originally installed by the developer.
Unfortunately at the present time the association’s attorney has had to become involved on behalf of the Board with an owner who went ahead and made changes to the home without first obtaining approval.
Even though the Board meets every other month, the Board will meet to review an application that comes in so that the owner is not inconvenienced by having to wait until the next meeting.
You can save Yourself a lot of time and aggravation by following the rules of our community.
Paving Project to Continue
We are happy to advise that after Labor Day the re-paving of the courts will continue. This year the last three courts on the odd side of the community will be completed. (69-91, 93-111 & 113-127)
The cost for this work is far greater than anticipated initially because the roads are being reconstructed to correct drainage deficiencies that have existed since inception.
The cost for the work on these courts will be $121,920.00 to Hillcrest Paving, as well as Professional Engineering fees to have the job overseen by the association’s Engineer.
The additional funding is coming from the surplus money that may not be spent each year for water line breaks. However, this expense is difficult to predict and is budget higher should the need arise for the expense.
As previously advised at our Annual meetings, the Board has unanimously agreed that any surplus funds from the Water Line Repair line in the budget, that is not spent each year, will be transferred into the Long Term Reserves to cover the paving expenses over and above what has been reserved for initially.
The surplus for this from last year was $63,423.00. This money was added to the Road Repaving Reserve Funds, making it possible to totally upgrade the design of our roads, add drainage and repave the road. We are hoping to complete this project next year. The road repaving is the most expensive replacement item in our reserves. We hope that the new roads will have a new life expectancy of approximately 20 years.
Monthly Fees
This month the association had to write off $11,000 of income due to an ex-owner in the community losing their home to foreclosure at a Sheriffs Sale. This same individual has done this before in our community when residing in a different home in our community.
However, your Board of Trustees is on top of situations like this and works with the association’s attorney to do everything possible to either go after the individual to get paid or have the house foreclosed on.
Situations like these affect all of us living in Riverbend. The remaining owners in our community will have to fund that deficit in the budget. When an owner is late with their payments for any reason, the association is still required to pay for the common services it has contracted for. It is for that reason that your Board is extremely diligent and strict in collection matters regarding the monthly dues. If there is a shortfall in the association’s income, the rest of its members are required to make it up. Your Board, with the assistance of management, ensures that the association’s attorney files a Lien on any home that is over 3 months delinquent. In addition the Board will go after any other assets that the delinquent owners may have, such as owned vehicles, garnishing wages, executing from bank accounts and putting liens on other property they may own. It is within every owner’s best interests to make their payments on time, and for the Board to stay on top of delinquent owners.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding while we protect your investment.
Annual Audit
At the July Board meeting, the independent accounting firm of Wilkin & Guttenplan, presented the recently completed, December 2004 year end audited financial statements.
The association received a “clean opinion” from the auditors. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the audit, please contact Joann in the management office. She will be happy to send you a copy. It will also be available for review at the upcoming Annual/election meeting that will be held in November.
Tree Pruning
At the July Board meeting the Board signed a contract with Tree Tech to perform pruning of the larger trees in our community. You will see the contractor on site within about a month or sooner. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GIVING THE ASSOCIATION’S CONTRACTORS DIRECTIONS.
If you have a concern please contact the management office at (732) 821-3224.
Sidewalk Repairs
Your Board has also approved the replacement of certain sidewalks in the community. This work is also scheduled for after the Labor Day weekend to try to prevent our “budding community artists” from imprinting the newly poured concrete before it dries.
Please be careful when walking in the community while this work is being done. Although the areas will be taped off, please walk cautiously and REFRAIN FROM MAKING ANY IMPRINTS IN THE NEWLY LAID CONCRETE.
Housing Materials
Riverbend has been a model community for more than twenty years, well known throughout New Jersey for its appearance, landscaping and individual unit appeal. All you need to do is mention Riverbend to any real estate salesperson and see the response you get. When these homes are listed, they sell immediately.
We all need to continue our efforts to preserve our special look. It will take more effort in the coming years as materials change, as well as their manufacturers and distributors.
There have been several recent occasions when homeowners have brought information on materials and contractors to the attention of the Board and EPM. We welcome and encourage suggestions. Bringing samples will provide the best representations of how the new materials will look and fit in with our general appearance, as well as making good economic and practical sense for the homeowner.
Windows
HURD windows are still manufactured, but no longer in the same sizes as those originally installed in the houses. Vinyl and aluminum replacements have been approved for use as replacements, after the Board was presented with samples. When contracting to replace windows, you must file a request with the Board. The frames must be the original designated color. These vinyl/ aluminum windows are more expensive than wood frames, but in the long run are much more efficient, both for their insulation and having lifetime warranties regarding broken seals and fogging. All windows in the community must match the existing “crank out” windows. Double hung windows will not be permitted as a replacement in our community.
Siding
Wood prices have increased dramatically over the past year. It is still the most convenient material to replace rotted, warped or damaged boards. However, homeowners have replaced their horizontal siding with a different material, HARDIPLANK (www.jameshardie.com). This is a combination fiber-cement product that is fire resistant, pest resistant, and extremely strong and durable. Most importantly, it advertises itself as having a 50 year warranty and a 15 year paint guarantee. The price is 10-15% more than wood siding but, long term, it seems to be a much more viable product. JamesHardie does not have our exact colors available at this time, but are developing new colors. They list several paints that are recommended for use with the siding and all of them have colors that match our requirements.
Roofing
Like everything else, it seems, shingle prices have risen considerably recently as oil prices have skyrocketed. There does not seem to be any supply or color matching issues at this time.
If you have any recommendations or suggestions on materials, vendors, etc. We could use your help.
Communication
The Board and EPM try to put together a newsletter and distribute it on a regular basis. it is not always easy to do, but we try to make everyone aware of important issues. Those issues are also addressed at the Board meetings held every other month, usually on the third Tuesday of the month. Please call the management office to confirm the date as from time to time the date is changed to allow for the Board’s schedules.
In addition to the Newsletter, there are other forms of communication sent out by the Board, and not all of them are lighthearted.
There are regular “walk-around’s” done by the Board members several times a year, with the property management company and our other vendors. In addition to checking the plantings, sidewalks, and the property in general, close attention is paid to the condition of the buildings. When a problem is seen, the homeowner receives a letter asking them to address the problem in a timely manner.
Several people seem to feel that they are being singled out. Believe us, that is not the case. Ownership is relatively anonymous. We are looking at the building itself. Your neighbor will get the same letter you do, if their house is in need of repair. We ask that you respond with a plan of action that will be accomplished in a timely manner. It is a protection for your property. We have had a number of cases where people delayed replacing roofs, siding and windows. A number had substantial water damage from the leaks. Taking care of the outside is not just cosmetic. It will protect you [sic] house. If you dispute the letter, let the Board, through EPM, know and we will double check.
If you choose not to respond by letter or action to communication from the Board, you can expect to receive a letter from our attorney explaining what our course of action will be. None of us benefit from a lien or foreclosure.
Let’s hope that we don’t need to go that far!
Your Board is not willing to give extensions to deadlines given for this work to be completed by. By the time you get a letter from us, your home is already in disrepair. If you keep up with your home maintenance on a regular basis, you will not hear from us.
Pets
We would be remiss if we did not remind all pet owners in the community of the following:
- Dogs and cats are required to be licensed in the township of North Brunswick.
- Dogs and cats are NOT permitted to roam freely in the community. They are to be on a leash at all times when out of your home on the associations common property.
- PICK UP YOUR ANIMAL WASTE AND DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY.
- The storm sewers on our roads are not for the disposal of pet waste or anything else for that matter, Anything in those drains are flushed in to [sic] our streams that provide our drinking water.
- Your dog is not permitted to bark and disturb neighbors in the community.
- Pets should not be left unattended in your fenced in garden area.
- If your pet damages the association’s lawns, you will be charged for new sod to be installed.
We all love pets, please be a responsible pet owner!
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