Vandalism
December 7, 2005
We are asking for your help.
There have been some repeated acts of vandalism over the past few weeks. You may have seen that letters have been taken from the Riverbend entry signs. The light over the sign was smashed.
Several walk lights near Schmidt Lane have been seriously damaged. On different occasions, the bulbs were smashed, and the wires pulled from the socket. We have ordered replacement pieces and have contracted to have the units repaired. The costs are substantial.
We will have these things repaired shortly. But there is no guarantee that it won’t happen again unless we identify the criminals that are committing the vandalism.
If you see or hear something suspicious, please call the EPM office, or the North Brunswick Police.
(732) 247—0922.
With all the open foot traffic through the community, it is difficult to keep an eye on everything, but we can expand the number of eyes that are helping keep Riverbend safe.
Thanks for your help. Happy Holidays and New Year.
Year End Recap From The Riverbend Board
December, 2005
In mid November, the 2005 Homeowners Association Annual Meeting was held in the Hidden Lake clubhouse. There were several new attendees among the audience, and everyone participated enthusiastically in the presentations and discussions.
The following issues were addressed at the meeting.
- Election of Trustees
There were four candidates for the open Board positions. Harrison Lewis and Ron Senchesak were elected to the Board for a three year term. (There are five positions on the Board. The terms are staggered to allow for the election of at least one member each year.) - Budget and Finances
The Monthly Assessment will not change for the upcoming year. Each entry in the budget was presented and discussed. The formal budget, in its entirety, is available for review by contacting a Board member, or through the EPM office. - Paving and Sidewalks
Three more courtyards were repaved this year. We hope to have the entire project completed next year, pending any unforeseen changes. We did not anticipate oil prices doubling since we did the courtyards last year. That certainly impacted the cost of asphalt. Drainage basins were added to remove sitting water.
We had a number of broken water lines during the year, and we will continue to address the breaks as they occur. In an ideal world, it would be best to redo the drains/PVC water lines as we reengineer/repave each courtyard, but the total costs preclude us for doing this.
There were several sections of sidewalk that, because of cracking, tree roots, or general deterioration, were replaced. We try to keep the sidewalks safe. - Pets
Animals are like members of the family, but homeowners must remember that they are members of YOUR family, and not your neighbor’s. The Bylaws of Riverbend allow for two pets per home.
If homeowners are not respectful of the reasonable wishes of their neighbors regarding disturbances caused by their animals (or children, for that matter), the offended homeowners should respond in one of two ways. First, if the animals are threatening someone, or doing damage to Riverbend common ground, then the Riverbend Board should be notified, through the EPM office. If it is a noise disturbance, do NOT call the homeowner. You should call the North Brunswick Animal Control Office directly. The Officer will advise you of best steps to follow. - Playground
We look to replace the playground equipment in the spring. Several homeowners have presented the case that they found Riverbend even more attractive, because of the playground area. Our realtor contacts have confirmed that selling point. We have had contact with a number of playground equipment manufacturers/designers, and their proposals are under consideration.
Our insurance carrier has advised us that we need to remove any equipment that uses arsenic treated wood and plan to add a protective rubberized or mulch base for all the playground elements. - Landscaping
We have been working closely with our landscaping contractor to create areas that are conducive to healthy growth for grass, bushes, or trees. Several of the walkways have become overgrown. As our budget allows, we will begin removing trees where they have out grown their space and now damage the sidewalks and inhibit the growth of surrounding vegetation. Light and fresh air will then be able to reach the ground.
Several homeowners have created jungle-like conditions inside their fenced area. We will be compiling a list of professionals that can help in creating an open, usable garden area for the house. It will add to the value of the building.
Homeowners should check with the Board before changing any landscaping features beyond your private property. Common property is owned by the Association and maintained by our landscaper.
Monthly Payment Process
December, 2005
re: MONTHLY PAYMENT PROCESS
Dear Homeowner:
Enclosed is your 2006 budget and coupon book with address labels located in the front of the book for your convenience. We are pleased to advise that our monthly assessment fee has remained unchanged at $175.00. Please ensure that your monthly fee payment is mailed directly to our bank’s lock box as follows:
Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association
P. 0. Box 23103
Newark, NJ 07189
By no later than the first of each month, you should mail your check, made payable to Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association enclosing the applicable month’s coupon. Please ensure that your unit address is clearly indicated on the check so that appropriate credit can be applied to your account.
Please note that if your payment is not received by the 15th of the month, or if any balances remain outstanding on the 15th of the month, a $15.00 late fee will be assessed to your account.
For those homeowners who have elected electronic funds transfer (EFT) for their monthly fee payments, please retain your books in case you choose to revert back to the manual payment method or you sell your home in the upcoming year.
If you are in need of additional information, please feel free to contact Executive Property Management with any questions you may have relating to the administration, operation and management of our community.
Very truly yours,
Board of Trustees
Riverbend Townhouse Owner’s Association
(See over for Budget)
Webmaster’s note:
In rendering this information for the Web, the coupon book is not included. Additionally, in considering that this site is available over the Internet to anyone and everyone, the 2006 budget is not included either. You may request a PDF copy via email. Please include your unit number as a simple verification of residency. In accordance with this site’s privacy policy, your request is always held in the strictest confidence, and never used to generate spam or otherwise abused.
Riverbend Snow Removal Service
November 2005
For the benefit of new residents in the community, below is an explanation of the snow removal services that have been contracted by the Board of Trustees for your community. Please note that the contractor is not responsible for clearing snow (digging out cars) from around vehicles that are parked in the court parking spaces. In addition, at the discretion of the contractor, a parking space may not be cleared out if a parked vehicle is in the adjacent space. The contractor does not want to be responsible for damage to a neighbor’s car. For the most effective service to each court, the court should choose a “Court Captain”. The Captain’s responsibility is to alert all neighbors in the court to move their vehicles out of the courts, at the same time, so that the contractor can perform the snow removal in the most effective way.
PLEASE REMEMBER:
- Not to clean the snow off your car, and dump it back on to the cleared streets after the contractor has cleared your court. This is for the safety and well being of the residents in your court.
- Move your vehicles when your court is being cleared.
- No parking will be permitted on Riverbend Drive, by the Township of North Brunswick during a snowstorm. Vehicles normally parked on Riverbend Drive, which is a Township road, can be parked on the playing fields across from the community on Schmidt Lane. Once the Township has cleared Riverbend Drive, you may re-park your vehicle on Riverbend Drive.
Winter Maintenance
WINTER MAINTENANCE
Executive Property Management
As we approach the winter season we would like to take a moment to briefly explain the snow clearing service, preventative maintenance/safety measures and cooperation needed from you during this season to make the up-coming winter as trouble free as possible.
A. SNOW CLEARING SERVICE
The service provides for clearance of roads, empty parking stalls and sidewalks in the priority sequence listed above. Except under extreme conditions, the roads will be reasonably cleared by 6:30 a.m. to allow for people to go to work.
A common problem we are always faced with is the fact that cars are not moved from roadways and parking stalls at the time the contractor is performing the snow clearance. This not only hinders and limits the contractor from performing an effective clean-up, but also exposes the vehicles to potential damage. We urge you to anticipate snowfalls by taking the following precautionary measures:
- Keep cars parked off the main roadways, park in parking stalls. Use your garage to park your car in.
- Park cars facing front forward to ensure easy getaway.
- Move cars from parking stalls as soon as roadways have been cleared, to an area which least obstructs the snow contractor’s performance.
- Do not go out in the severe winter weather unless you absolutely have to. Wait until the clearing has been done in your area. Take some responsibility for your own safety by being cautious during the winter weather.
Any cars that are not moved at the time the contractor is clearing an area, will not be cleared after-the-fact by the contractor. If there are areas, which may have been overlooked by the contractor, we would appreciate your immediately calling Executive Property Management’s main office number at (732) 821-3224 to report this information. Please remember that the contractor starts at one end of the community and ends at the other. Someone has to be first and someone has to be last. The contractor will alternate the starting position. Please do not direct the contractor; they cannot leave an area to assist someone else in the complex. They will get to you.
B. PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE/SAFETY MEASURES
- All outside spigots should be winterized by shutting off the inside valve and draining all the remaining water from the outside in order to prevent freezing during the winter. The outside valves should then be left open during the winter. You may want to have the line blown out with air pressure.
- A qualified serviceman should check heating systems. Replace heating filters and check the condition of your hot water heaters. If rusted, it could leak and cause a lot of damage.
- Have your fireplace and chimneys checked and cleaned by a qualified chimneysweeper.
- Check the charge of fire extinguishers and the operation of smoke detectors. Remember to replace the batteries at least once a year.
- Review family fire prevention and escape plans.
- Remember to leave your heat on, if you plan to go away for any length of time, to prevent frozen pipes and water damage. The heat should be left at 60 degrees.
- Always turn off the water supplies to your washing machine when not being used. Check your washing machine hoses for signs of wear.
- You should have a carbon monoxide detector installed on each floor of your home.
C. SHOWERS AND BATH TUBS
Homeowners beware! Recently homeowners have noticed leaks evident in their first floor ceilings, which are coming from their shower stalls and bathtubs. As water can travel down or across a beam, the leak does not always show up directly under your bathroom areas. Standard maintenance for all homeowners requires annual caulking and re-grouting of bath tubs shower stalls and tiled walls and/or floors in your bathroom areas. This is a simple maintenance procedure and very inexpensive as the materials needed can be purchased at any local home improvement store.
It is suggested, all homeowners re-caulk their bathtubs where the tile wall meets the top of the tub once per year. This prevents water from getting between the tub and tile and seeping through the wallboard.
Loose or deteriorating grout is another opportunity for water to soak through the wallboard. When the shower is running for 10-20 minutes and beating against an open spot in the grout, leaks are inevitable. The toilet seal should also be checked annually.
D. SAFETY TIPS FOR FIREPLACE USE
Local fire departments encourage the following common sense guidelines:
- Before you light your fireplace for the first time, particularly in a house that is new to you, be sure your chimney is operational. If you’re not sure, have it inspected by a professional.
- Always open the damper before starting a fire and leave it open while the fire is burning or embers are still hot.
- Pre-heat your chimney by holding two or three lit pages of rolled up newspaper in the damper region for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Never try to build a large fire in a fireplace that is new to you. Start with one or two small logs and add more logs if desired once the fire is burning adequately.
- Burn only hardwood – fruit trees (cherry, apple, etc.) hickory oak or maple. All wood should be seasoned for one year. Do not burn soft woods, as they are loaded with tars and resins that can cause a chimney fire. Use commercial fireplace logs sparingly. It is a good rule of thumb not to burn pine, fir, treated wood or trash.
- Always use a metal grate to support the fire and allow ashes to build up one or two inches below. Ashes will create a bed of hot embers that will reflect back on the wood.
- Never throw Christmas wreaths, fancy wrapping paper or pizza boxes into the fire. The impact can create a surge of fire that will leap out or up and cause a chimney fire.
- When burning a fire, try to keep the wood close to the rear wall but not against it. An air space should be left on all sides of wood.
- Never skimp on kindling when building a fire. You need a small amount of paper to set off the kindling, but you need a large amount of kindling to achieve a good fire.
- Always keep the fireplace screen closed while a fire is burning.
- When stacking wood for fireplace use, it should always be stacked to provide air circulation. Place in a hoop or on a pallet and stack the wood away from the building.
- The damper must be closed when the fire is out and embers are cold. This will prevent heat loss from the home.
- A fireplace receiving regular use should be inspected and cleaned annually.
E. PREPARING HOMES FOR WINTER
- Be sure to shut off and drain all outside spigots.
- If your home is left unoccupied with the water on, please maintain adequate heat to prevent pipes from freezing. This is especially true if you are on vacation, while back in New Jersey, the temperature hovers around zero. It is helpful to leave doors between rooms open, as well as doors to cabinets and closets that house pipes, so the interior air can circulate freely. It is also suggested that a faucet be left open to drip slowly – this will prevent your pipes from freezing.
- If vacating your home for the season, it is recommended that it be winterized to protect plumbing from freezing. This involves shutting off your home’s main water valve, draining the pipes and water heater (turn off the gas to the heater, too) and the toilets and dishwasher as well as leaving faucets open, and pouring some antifreeze into waste traps and toilet bowls. A plumber can perform this service for you.
- Whether winterized or not, homes must keep a low setting of heat on 60 degrees since the water main for a building can pass through each unit in that building. Either set your heat to a reasonable temperature, while you are away or winterize your home. Burst pipes caused by lack of heat are not the responsibility of the association. It is each homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their heat to prevent such occurrences.
- Have your gutters and leaders checked and cleaned each year.
F. GOING ON A TRIP? – SNOWBIRDS
If you are planning to be away from your home for longer than a couple of days, we recommend that you arrange for someone to have a key to your home so that it can be checked regularly – once a week is a good idea. That way, any problems that develop, such as; water leaks, burst pipes, heating system malfunction, pilot light out, etc. – will be discovered as quickly as possible and potential damage will be minimized.
Do not turn your heat off! Even if you don’t expect to be away during the coldest part of the winter, unexpected cold spells do occur. Leaving your heat on, with the thermostat turned to a low setting of 60 degrees, will help avoid frozen pipes and the resultant water damage.
If you are going to be away for the winter, we recommend having the plumbing winterized.
The management company can give you some suggestions for contractors who can perform this.
G. IN CASE OF A PIPE BREAK OR FLOODING
- Know where your home’s shut-off valve is located. (Most homes can turn off all their water with a valve located under the kitchen sink).
- Contact neighbors who might be the source of the leak or those who might be affected by the leak. Call management.
- If the problem stems from your plumbing, call a plumber. Remove contents from the area of flooding.
- Mop up (or wet vac) water on the floor.
- If there is water in the ceiling, pierce a nail hole through the sheetrock to allow the water to escape into a bucket placed below. (To prevent splashing, tack a piece of string next to the hole long enough to reach the bucket; if done properly, the water should “ride” down the string).
Revised – November 2002 fl\winter
December 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 December 2005 edition.
Reminders of Contracted Snow Removal Services
Parking
Bylaw Compliance
Next Board Meeting
Gutter Cleaning
Census Forms
Happy Holidays
Reminders of Contracted Snow Removal Services
The service provides for clearance of roads, parking stalls and sidewalks in the priority sequence listed above. Riverbend Drive is a Township road, and therefore, the responsibility of North Brunswick Township to clear. However, since it is a secondary road, the service they provide does not occur for some time. The association’s contractor usually partially clears it just to enable them to perform the service to our community. Except under extreme conditions, the roads will be reasonably cleared by 6:30 a.m. to allow for people to go to work.
A common problem we are always faced with is the fact that cars are not moved from the roadways and parking stalls at the time the contractor is performing the snow clearance. This not only hinders and limits the contractor from performing an effective clean-up, but also exposes cars to potential damage. We urge you to anticipate snowfalls by taking the following precautionary measures:
| Keep cars parked off the main roadways, park in parking stalls. Use your garage to park your car in. Riverbend Drive is a Township Road. If you have complaints about snow removal on Riverbend Drive please call the Township. | ||
| Park cars facing front forward to ensure easy getaway. | ||
| Move cars from parking stalls as soon as roadways have been cleared, to an area which least obstructs the snow contractor’s performance. Remember that if all cars are not removed from the court parking spaces the contractor will not clear only one space. This is due to the fact that the remaining car may be damaged. All spaces must be empty for the contractor to clear the court spaces. | ||
| Do not go out in the severe winter weather unless you absolutely have to. Wait until the clearing has been done in your area. Take some responsibility for your own safety by being cautious during the winter weather. Keep a container of ice melt in your home. If you find an icy condition by your front or rear entrance, be prepared to use a little self-help. Remember that the freeze/thaw cycle takes place for a number of days after the precipitation stops. | ||
| Any cars that are not moved at the time the contractor is clearing an area, will not be cleared after-the-fact by the contractor. If there are areas that may have been overlooked by the contractor, we would appreciate your immediately calling Executive Property Management’s main office number at (732) 821-3224 to report this information. Please remember that the contractor starts at one end of the community and ends at the other. Someone has to be first and someone has to be last. The contractor will alternate the starting position. Please do not direct the contractor; they cannot leave an area to assist someone else in the complex. They will get to you. | ||
| The association’s contract does not call for the contractor to dig out cars that have been snowed in. That is each owner’s responsibility. Please do not throw snow from your vehicle back into the court that has already been cleared. It will create a hazardous icing condition. |
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Parking
As multi-vehicle households increase in Riverbend, our parking issues are compounded. Please understand that each home is entitled to ONE parking space, in addition to their garage space. If you need more space than that, you MUST park the car on the main street. We will tow illegally parked vehicles.
Parking on the yellow lines in each courtyard is illegal and you will be ticketed by the North Brunswick Fire Marshall.
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Bylaw Compliance
There have been instances where homeowners have moved forward on alterations to their home or its surroundings. Please understand, that we all signed an agreement prior to moving into Riverbend that we will comply with the bylaws of the community. One key element in that document is that you have chosen to comply with the rules set by the Association. If you choose to act without the approval of your neighbors, i.e. (The Board), you will be subject to all forms of legal recourse that we have at our disposal.
The Board is not looking for conflict. In fact, we welcome all ideas and suggestions -from the community. We know that materials/supplies have changed since Riverbend was built in the early ’80’s. We look to adapt to what is available, affordable, and adaptable. We will act promptly when any proposal is presented. That is a guarantee.
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Next Board Meeting
Thanks for your continued support and input. The next Board meeting is scheduled for January 16 at 7 pm. If you have something on your mind, an idea, or would just like to attend a meeting, please come. We welcome your participation.
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Gutter Cleaning
It is very important to clean your gutters before the winter. If your gutters are clogged with leaves, this can cause water to back up into your home causing leaks. A few minutes of preventative maintenance can go a long way.
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Census Forms
Enclosed please find a census form to be kept on file for 2006. This information will not be shared with any other organization. It is kept on file by the association in case of an emergency. We have previously had emergencies in the community related to flooding and were unable to mitigate damages for the homeowner, because we did not have an emergency contact number. The owner suffered a $30,000 loss in their home from water damages. Help us to help you in an emergency by completing and returning the enclosed form.
December 2005 Newsletter Contents
Happy Holidays
We would like to wish all our neighbors a very happy, healthy and safe holiday season.
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