Abandoned!
Two of my neighbors approached me the other afternoon, asking if I had any thoughts on a situation they faced. The home adjacent to theirs, apparently abandoned, is in such terrible repair that pieces of siding threaten to fall at any moment. My neighbors worried about injury to themselves or their guests, insect infestations, and so on. They brought their concerns to the Board, they explained, but had been turned away, advised to take their concerns directly to the Township. The owner, they were told, was in India, and not reachable.
I walk the community regularly. Many homes are in serious decline. Not only empty units, either. In some cases occupied units are just as bad!
The abandoned home, the focus of my neighbor’s concern, was well-kept before the last sale. The final occupant was a young girl, Virginia plates on her car as I recall, who had found new work in the City. Then, one day shortly after a crowded party, a truck came. She and friends loaded it up and disappeared, and no one has been there since. She wasn’t here very long. Maybe a year, if that.
The home to the other side of that one, on the end, is occupied. I’m not sure how many live there. It’s in decline, too. There may even be a business being run from there, if the number of FedEx trucks and assorted unmarked straight-job trucks in and out, loading and unloading, are any indication.
There are others. But what’s the point in going on?
I’ve entertained thought of posting unit numbers and pictures of some of the slum-like things I see in our once-beautiful community. I’ve used peer pressure tactics before to effect change behavioral changes – it can work, sometimes. But thinking it through, broadcasting the situation with precision just might worsen it.
What do you think? Is the home next to yours making you nervous because of abandonment or neglectful owners? What, if anything, have you tried to do about it? Or, are YOU one of those neglectful homeowners? Can you explain yourself?
I’m not holding my breath.
Golf Cart?
I wonder how long it’ll be before someone has a collision with that golf cart that speeds through Riverbend Drive several times a day.
Bad enough during the day, but after dark with no lights? Ordinarily I’d figure Darwin would sort things out, but you just know the SOB would sue you. And here in the People’s Republik of Jersey they’d probably win!
re: Wood Siding!!!
Maybe I can respond to some of the stuff Lopez wrote about in a recent post…
Back in 2001 I had some – about 85% worth – of my cedar siding replaced. The prior owner had let the maintenance slip and it was in pretty bad shape. I’m not griping; I knew it going in.
The job was bigger than I wanted to tackle myself so I set out to find a local contractor. In broad strokes, I called everyone I could find and had them out for an estimate. While I had a good idea as to what needed to be done I played the role of a dumb homeowner to see what they’d say. I chose to work with the contractor that best matched my assessment of the work to be done. I was well-satisfied with the work and it’s holding up well to this day. I’ve since had him handle other work for me as well.
So, with that said, give Frank a call at 732-718-7711 and tell him Rick sent you.
A word about cost. Wood is expensive. Over the long haul maintenance is key. Don’t put off staining, for example, to save a buck this season. Once the wood dries out and starts to warp you’ll have to replace it to put things right again, costing material and labor. Suck it up – do your maintenance.
Naturally, my new siding needed staining. My contractor handled that, too, using an airless sprayer. The coverage was excellent and it held up well for a long time. But not forever. When the next stain job was due I had the guy you see doing lots of staining here in the community handle the work. He used a brush. I can see that stain job will only last about half what the spray job did.
Now, if I haven’t bored you to tears already I have a definite opinion about that composite stuff: I just don’t like it. Yes, there are a number of advantages to using it, I won’t deny that. It’s just aesthetically DISpleasing. Lopez wrote, “It looks so nice…” I disagree. It looks cold, sterile and uniform where natural wood has infinite variation, warmth and character. And those are qualities that attracted me to the community in the first place.
There are definitely more than one unit that’s cut over to HARDIPLANK. One guy did it himself! It’s been on the board-approved list for a number of years; here’s a mention in the July 2005 newsletter. Some of the jobs clearly exhibit better workmanship than others. I’ve observed some where literally every seam is caulked and boards don’t meet their mates at corners. But even at best, you can look at a wall and easily identify identical spans of fake wood grain and you simply can’t do that with natural wood! I reminds me of wood-grain-stamped vinyl siding. But hey, but that’s just MHO.
Moving on, I wrote about the shrubbery devastation a few weeks back, just before the last Board meeting. I had an appointment at that meeting and I walked in just as it was under discussion with the contractors. As you’ve probably noticed by now, the bush stumps are being removed or ground (not that *I* would want to be running machinery near the transformers!). The expansive bare areas are slated for further improvement as well.
I fear that my reactionary post was harsh and fast, and these improvements simply take time. I plead shock. I was absolutely shocked when I came back into the neighborhood that afternoon. When my son came home from school it was his first comment. Likewise with my wife when she came in. As I walked around getting my pictures I saw others wandering, some almost slack-jawed. Shock.
(OTOH, I absolutely meant every single word I wrote about the dog pooper. And I’m remaining vigilant, camera in hand, gathering my evidence.) If you’re reading, pooper, I see you. 
Uglification of Riverbend
When I left the neighborhood yesterday morning there was property work underway. Nothing unusual, really, we’re accustomed to seeing crews from Growing Concern doing landscape work. But when I returned in the afternoon I nearly drove off the road. I almost titled this post “Landscape Rape”!
We all know about the electric infrastructure work that’s been going on, not only in Riverbend but in the surrounding neighborhoods as well. Following the new conduit runs, last weekend brought the installation of several new transformers. Not without problems, either. The power instabilities have been hell on my poor servers despite the standby power systems I use, but I digress.
There are supposed to be ‘buffer zones’ around the transformers so that utility workers can do their maintenance work. There are notices like this on many of them.
But knowing that didn’t prepare me for the destruction that met my eyes when I returned to the neighborhood yesterday afternoon. Most of the rest of this article consists of images. You can make each image somewhat larger by clicking on it, and return to your place in the series with the Back button of your browser.
Oh, yeah, and I should mention that there’s an extra-special surprise ending. It’s at the end.
Telephone pedestal and transformers.
Building marker against a background of stumps.
No transformer in sight! WTF??
Some shrubbery OK, some not so OK
More preferential treatment?
Phone service been funky lately? Maybe this is why.
They almost look like grave markers, don't they?
The scene is repeated throughout Riverbend.
No more afternoon shade here!
Wondering... will the stumps be removed, at least? Maybe replanted with grass?
Like before, not a transformer in sight.
Showing off our neighborhood: traffic signs, parking signs, multiple transformers, a telephone pedestal (this one intact), stumps and dried mulch, with trash on the side.
Oh, the destruction!
More stumps, near four different kinds of sidewalk patches/replacements.
On and on I walked with my camera, the story repeating itself over and over again. I saw some other residents wandering around. Some of them looked shocked as well.
Oh, yeah, I promised a surprise ending. Have a nice look at this area, just outside number 70. There used to be a nice set of shrubbery there, providing something of a buffer between the front windows and the street, shade by the sidewalk, a windbreak from the winter blast off the street. No more.
Outside number 70.
If you didn’t bother to look at the larger render of that image I’ll save you the trouble.
A closer look at the area near number 70.
See that trash? That’s not ordinary trash. Do you know what it is? I do.
It’s dog excrement, that’s what it is.
A quick count – and it’s not like I tried to be especially precise about it or anything – yielded no less than TWENTY-TWO plastic bags of the stuff!
So. There’s someone around here that walks their little practice dog (judging by the size of the well-preserved poop in those bags) that meticulously picks up the crap, ties the top of the bag in a little knot, and throws it in the bushes outside number 70. Well, what used to be bushes, anyway.
Again,it’s not like I conducted a detailed study but it sure looks like the same dope doing it, again and again. Same kind of bag. Same size crap. Tied off the same way.
Well, dog walker, the rest of this message is directed to you. When I see you performing this disgusting, unhealthy, disrespectful and unlawful act, I will photograph you and file a formal complaint. And y’know what? I will see you, too, because old habits die hard and you won’t stop. Once a slob, always a slob and you’re no exception. You’ll pick it up, you’ll tie it off, you’ll wander and you’ll look around until you think no one’s looking and then you’ll throw it in the bushes. You will keep doing that in my neighborhood, and I will see you, and I will make that complaint. Have a nice day.
Riverbend to Get Official Web Site
Last night I was invited to a meeting of with some of the members of our Board. The topic of discussion was the creation of an official Riverbend Community Web site. I suppose that I was invited because I’ve been running the unofficial site, this one, for better than a decade. I’m pleased to report to you today that a decision was taken by our Board to move the project forward.
Before you get your shorts in a twist, rest assured that our Board is taking this action for the most noble and time-honored purpose: to cut the association’s operational costs. And I think that’s something we can all get behind.
The vendor that’s presently being considered – I won’t name them here – appears to have a great deal of experience providing Web sites to homeowner’s associations across the country. Whether they’ll actually become Riverbend’s service provider remains to be seen; I’ve added to the list of questions and considerations our Board will bring to them. Project startup costs are minimal and ongoing costs seem, well, reasonable.
One important step, no matter who actually ends up providing hosting services, is the choice of a domain name. If you’re thinking that the obvious choices (like riverbend.org, for example) are taken, you’d be absolutely correct. (Believe me when I tell you that each passing week it becomes increasingly difficult to come up with a good domain name.)
You can help. Get your creative juices flowing and make some suggestions. Make as many suggestions as you like. Either add them to this article as comments or email them directly to riverbend@timeoff.org if you’re shy. (It’d be nice if you only suggest domain names that are actually available, but if you don’t know how to do that I’ll check ‘em.) I’ll be sure that the Board hears your suggestions. Of course, you could contact them in the usual way – through the EPM office – yourself! Too late! A domain name has been selected.
I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about the project in the coming days or weeks. I hope you’ll join me in supporting the Board’s efforts to drag our community into the 90s!
Bizzard of 2010 Hits Riverbend
Wednesday brought a blast of snow the likes of which Riverbend has not felt for a few years. Our snow removal contractor, Growing Concern, made a couple of passes through the community early on but after that I didn’t see any evidence of them until after sunset.
Riverbend Drive looking east. That's a Police car facing the camera and my Jeep on the right. Most cars would require lots of work to extricate, but the Jeep drove out with just a few easy minutes of effort.
By then Riverbend Drive, a designated Snow Emergency Route, was full of activity. The township plows had already made several passes by then. Some residents struggled to dig their cars out while Fire Marshals and Police looked on from their SUVs.
Residents scramble to remove their cars from Riverbend Drive.
Some residents I spoke with were uncertain about what they’d do with their cars once they were mobile. The police summoned flatbeds to remove some cars in order to clear the way for the plows to work closer to the curb line.
Police confer with flatbed driver as he prepares to remove cars parked on Riverbend Drive, a designated Snow Emergency Route.
Speaking of the revenue stream brought by the storm, one tow driver commented, “This is blood money. We don’t like doing this any more than they do.”
I’ve known of the designation and the threat of tow for some time, but this is the first time I can recall seeing anyone actually towed away.
Car being removed from Riverbend Drive west. The unlucky resident will face a fine - plus towing plus the impound fee.
Growing Concern worked into the night to make the community parking areas passable. The township doesn’t want them piling the snow on Riverbend Drive, so they resorted to making mounds alongside some residences. The next morning brought clear skies.
Mountain of plowed snow alongside residence dwarfs a full-size pickup. Some of the holly bushes alongside the structure appear to have suffered damage in the process.
Clear skies and the Fire Marshall. He made the rounds again, this time targeting the snow mountains for removal or relocation.
Fate of snow mountains marked with orange spray paint. This one is slated for removal.
By Friday afternoon most of the cleanup had been completed, leaving only a few sidewalk transitions to be cleared again.
Yeah, I know, hindsight’s 20/20. But I think that this could have been better handled by EVERYONE involved.
- Residents need to pay attention to what’s going on and take a little action on their own. When you see snow accumulating in your space, move your car and push the white stuff out where the plows can reach it. If you’ve got a two-car-wide space you share with a neighbor, coordinate with them. This lets our contractor work more efficiently.
- By now Growing Concern should know quite well what the township will and will not tolerate. When they pile the stuff up it should be set back far enough that they don’t have to move it again. In other words, do it right the first time.
- Nobody’s going to like to hear me say this, but WTF. The township needs to make it perfectly clear to residents along a designated Snow Emergency Route exactly what that designation means. Then, it needs to be enforced. Few things teach as strongly as the inconvenience – not to mention expense – of having your car towed. Whether or not the designation or the law seems fair is irrelevant. It is what it is. Live with it or work to change it. But when the application of the designation or law is spotty or inconsistent it just sends a bad message and makes people resentful.
[stepping down from my soapbox] Wow, look at the forecast. Tuesday could bring some more of the white stuff. Are you ready?
January Board Meeting
Was anyone able to make this month’s meeting? Would you care to make a report? Thanks.
re: attic in the garage??
Lopez recently wrote about insulating the above-garage space. I’ve thought from time to time about making better use of that space. While those plans didn’t include insulation I’ll share some stuff I’ve discovered. Depending on the style of your home this may or may not apply.
My space is trussed; the trusses are low and spaced such that there really isn’t much open, useful space relative to the work involved in reaching it. To ‘floor’ it would mean doing it in pieces, I can’t see getting regular 4×8 sheets up there. Then there’s the question of weight. The ceiling of the garage doesn’t seem designed to support much weight (but I’m no structural engineer, either).
It appears that some models share above-garage space with their neighbors. If that’s you then it calls for walling off your space as well.
So, for me at least, making that space useful seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
I work in my garage year-round and it can get chilly. A while back I swapped out my stock garage door for a high-quality triple-layer steel door with a foam core. Between the R-value of the door, the excellent fit and the weather stripping, the space is the warmest it’s ever been. It even stays noticeably cooler in the summer.
Congratulations
Congratulations to incumbent Celestine Grimes on her recent re-election to the Board.
Uncertainty
Well, I attended the meeting, talked some and cast my vote. I haven’t heard a single word since.
All I can guess is that it’s the same situation as last time: no quorum, even with proxies, and so no outcome.
I can understand that I haven’t received a new proxy. After all, my household’s vote is in. What I can’t understand not being kept abreast of the status.
Announcing My Candidacy
I’ve just now FAXed my resume to the Riverbend Nominating Committee announcing my candidacy for the Board up for election at this year’s Annual Meeting. So I guess it’s official: I’m running again.
Some may recall my late announcement last year. (You can refresh your memory here, here and here.) When I learned that only one had announced candidacy I went into full reactionary mode and announced myself – after the deadline. Due to lateness my resume was not distributed. That is, until the election stalled for lack of homeowner participation!
Mark your calendar and attend the meeting Wednesday, November 4. Hear for yourself what’s going on around Riverbend, meet the Board and your neighbors, speak up and take a more active role in your community.
Look for my resume – along with those of any other candidates – in your mail in the coming weeks.
I hope that you’ll consider supporting me with your vote!
Tonight’s Board Meeting
Lately I’ve been attending the Board meetings. I’ve not got the time to make a more comprehensive report right now but I do have some news to share.
It was mentioned by the Board that the monthly Homeowners’ Fee will remain unchanged through the next fiscal year.
I find it kind of astounding that while the cost of nearly everything else has risen dramatically, our fees have remained flat for this long. You may recall that the last increase was announced way back in November 2006.
Board Meeting
The Riverbend Board met Tuesday, July 21 at the EPM office. I strode into the meeting room a few minutes late but as it turned out it didn’t matter; I was turned away. There was apparently some business being discussed – the lawyer was present – that wasn’t for the ears of mere homeowners. I returned some time later to find two representatives from Growing Concern, our contracted landscaper, in the waiting area. The Board, behind now-closed doors, was keeping them waiting as well. At around 7pm, a full hour past the scheduled start time (and a half-hour late for Growing Concern’s appointment) the lawyer left and we filed in. It’s worth noting that Harrison left at that point, begging off for another appointment. I didn’t see Toni at all. The remaining three Board members were present, as was Janice (EPM). There were no homeowners besides myself.
Discussion began with the folks from Growing Concern.
- Concerns were expressed about the shrub pruning schedule. The problems apparently went back to June when pruning activities kicked off on the opposite side of the community than is usual. It was pointed out that the weather was a big factor - we had an awful lot of rain in June.
- Problems with light sensors were noted. Some are obscured, causing the lights to trigger at inappropriate times. They’ll be looked at and corrected.
- The irrigation system was enabled at the start of the season, as usual. Following complaints and subsequent investigation, Growing Concern found the system shut down. It’s been corrected.
- The Board suggested to Growing Concern that they contact individual homeowners regarding needed work within their private property boundaries (i.e. not common property). Growing Concern requested permission to use homeowner contact information for this purpose, and the Board agreed to supply it. It’s worth noting Growing Concerns’ terms for this kind of work. They will expect full payment in advance of starting the work. They cited that they cannot afford to chase delinquent payments. Finally, work performed for individuals in this manner (if any) will be carried out by alternate staff so that homeowners will not be able to claim that association fees are being used to benefit individual homeowners. (Ah, the ancient and honored business art of covering one’s ass lives on!)
- The Board notes that they’ve observed that some homeowners have taken on some cleanup and pruning for themselves – both in common areas and on their own property – and in some cases are leaving their trimmings for Growing Concern to pick up.
- The Board cautioned Growing Concern about snow removal, citing the need to care for our new plantings by the entrances.
- The Board will be requesting bids for additional irrigation to be installed to support those new plantings. Current irrigation is manual.
- One year remains in Growing Concern’s current contract.
- The Board brought a number of homeowner concerns, as expressed in letters written to the Board, to Growing Concern’s attention. I don’t see the need mention individuals in this forum.
By then Mike (I missed his last name and company), who performed the work on our new entrances, was present. Growing Concern left.
- The shale content of the soil, worse than anticipated, contributed to time and cost overruns. The company is absorbing the cost and the Association will not be charged.
- Mike observed that the old work (those wooden ties) had not been set properly at the outset, likely because of the construction difficulties posed by the shale content. The new walls have correct footings as well as at least two buried courses. In some cases the walls have been relocated slightly from the original plan so as to construct them properly.
- About 80 cubic yards of material was removed as part of this project.
- There was some discussion of the buried irrigation discovered during the course of the project, and some is still the subject of investigation (working/not working/salvageable).
- There was some discussion of the need for some additional plantings and/or ground cover. It’s agreed by all that it looks a bit sparse on top. Something will be done, but additional irrigation will also be needed in those areas to support it.
- Mike found evidence of the water feature that was at the west entrance when the community was built. (Almost no one but me remembers when it was operational, and I didn’t live here at the time.)
- In consideration of our budget, Janice recommends deferring additional investment at this time.
- The Board mentioned that they’ve observed kids using the new walls as recreational equipment (skaters, boarders), and they’ve been chased off several times.
- The Board told Mike that all feedback on the project has been positive. I agree – it looks great and really adds value to the community.
Mike left after being paid, followed by some regular business. Some of that was discussion coming out of letters sent to the Board by homeowners but, again, I see no need to mention individuals in this report.
- The ballast in the mini-playground has settled some and there was a proposal to fill it. Discussion ensued as to whether or not the settling is normal (it is), whether there’s a legal need to replace or augment it (there isn’t) or whether it’s okay as is for now (it is). No further action will be taken at this time.
- The evergreen trimming, which takes place every two years, will be due. The proposal to retain the usual company to do it is accepted. It’s noted that their work on our trees has been commended by other experts and their prices have not increased in many years.
- The Board discussed the performance of the company that maintains our sidewalk lighting (by the name of Caveman?). Lately performance has been sub-par, and the Board is wondering whether the company is losing interest in our business. This matter is flagged for follow-up.
- The Board discussed sidewalk maintenance. The original estimate was high (yet was about half of the next-higher estimate), but called for much work that Janice felt was unnecessary (nice-to-have rather than needed to limit liability). The revised estimate, while less than the original, wasn’t enough less – it didn’t agree with the revised square footage estimates. This led to some discussion of basic math, which everyone agreed appeared flawed. Janice was granted authorization to go back to the contractor to renegotiate the cost (downward) on behalf of the Board.
- Janice told the Board that they need to find a solution to making their meetings handicapped-accessible. Meetings are currently held in the EPM office – the second floor with (apparently) no such access. (To me, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act seems vague about how the Act applies to a business like a property management agency, but I believe that it could reasonably apply to the public meetings of a homeowners’ board. I think it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. It sounds expensive. Please note that this is just my opinion; I’m not a lawyer and don’t even play one on TV.) Some discussion ensued but no conclusions were reached.
- The Annual Meeting date was set for November 4, 2009 in the usual place, at the Municipal Complex.
The meeting adjourned.
Please take note that this report is not an official report. I’m merely a homeowner – just like you. I decided one day to take a more active role rather than just complaining. I showed up for the meeting. This report is from my scribbled notes and foggy memory and both are subject to my interpretations.
Nevertheless, unless you show up for yourself, it’s about the best you’re likely to get!
Found!
Found: stone
Yesterday evening I found a large, round stone in front of my home! This no ordinary stone, not by any means. It’s about a foot across, weighing maybe 20 pounds, very symmetrical and very smooth.
I don’t know where it came from, but I have a pretty good idea how it got here. You see, I was out watering plants a bit earlier and I know it wasn’t there then. After the watering, I had been inside for a short time when a small group of youths sauntered by on Riverbend Drive, heading east. Yes, I can identify at least one of the group by their voice. That was approximately 7:30 in the evening. At about 7:40 I spotted the stone.
My guess: these kids stole someone’s decorative stone, got tired of carrying it and deposited it in front of my home. Of course, another explanation is that a dog owner left it there for their dog to pee on, since they seem to love to pee here. But somehow that seems less likely.
I walk the community regularly and I’ve never seen another like it, or else I’d have knocked on your door by now.
Sheesh, and it was just the other night at the board meeting when we all agreed that it seemed as though there was less foot traffic through the community this year. If you know what I mean.
Board Meeting
I attended the Board meeting of May 19th and I saw the renderings for the entrance project mentioned in a recent mailing. Wow, the entrances are going to look very nice indeed! I can’t wait to see the work completed.
There weren’t any other homeowners in attendance.
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