CONDO VII NEWSLETTER – February 2019
DATES TO REMEMBER
• February 2 – Groundhog Day
• February 5 – Chinese New Year
• February 14 – Valentine’s Day
• February 18 – Presidents’ Day
As I sit writing this in early January, we still have not been hit with a major snowstorm. Although I am not a fan of the white stuff, I must admit that I won’t mind it as much this year as in prior years. After all, I’m no longer working and can now just roll over in bed instead of agonizing about how I am going to make it to the Ronkonkoma station and endure the Long Island Railroad trip into Manhattan. I’m really starting to like this retirement business.
Congratulations to
– Melanie and Thomas Becker on the December 8th birth of their son, Kyle James. Kyle was welcomed into the family by his big brother, Thomas.
– Teri Solonch on the birth of her granddaughter, Madeline Rose. Madeline joins her big brother, Christian.
One update and some new items
Roof project – our 10th building has been completed. Two more buildings and we are done. Woo hoo!!! You can see the light at the end of this tunnel.
Curb cuts – three new curb cuts are being installed. All other concrete work will be done in the spring.
Fence repairs – if your fence is damaged or has missing or broken slats, put in a work order. Also, once spring arrives you can paint your fence. The Condo will supply the paint (just put in a work order requesting it) and you can supply the labor.
Dryer vent cleaning – every owner is allowed one dryer vent cleaning per year. Again, put in a work order. It doesn’t take long for the cleaning to be done and it really is an important item to take care of. Condo II had a fire in December that was due to a clogged dryer vent. Don’t let this happen to you.
From the HOA Office
The Work Order online portal is now live. Go to http://brettonwoodshoa.org/ and select Work Orders. By the time you read this, the “under construction” banner will have been removed. Work orders submitted online go directly to maintenance, thus saving time. They don’t sit in the Condo mailbox or in the HOA office. If the work order needs Condo 7 approval, maintenance emails Rick, our President, directly.
Common Charge Payments
All payments are due the 1st of the month. As a reminder, a late fee of $25 is due if you do not make your payment by the 10th of the month. Unlike some of the other condos, Condo 7 does not charge additional late fees for the assessment. Condo 7 actively pursues collections.
Did you know that non-payment of your common charges affects all of us? First, let’s make everyone aware of what Condo VII’s policy is with regard to the non-payment of common charges.
• After 2 months of non-payment – your pass privileges are automatically suspended. This means you need to stop at the gatehouse in order to enter Bretton Woods. Recreational privileges will be suspended and you and your family will be barred from all HOA amenities – pool, gym, bowling, golf, tennis, etc.
• After 3 months of non-payment – if no response or payment from the unit owner is received, the Board is notified. After review, the information is forwarded to our attorney who sends legal notification to the owner and initiates a lien on the unit. Court actions and towing of owner vehicles may be advised by legal counsel.
So why should someone else not paying affect you? It’s really very simple. Our yearly spending budget is based on what we expect to be receiving as income from our common charges. That money makes it possible for us to pay our HOA fees, provide landscaping, snow removal, take care of our trees, concrete work, pay the legal fees incurred going after the non-payers, etc., etc., etc. Look at your own household – if your expenses are higher than your income, you have to cut something out. Well, it’s no different for the Condo. If we don’t have enough money, we can’t provide all the services that we would like. Basic items (such as snow removal and emergency repairs) will always be provided, but other things (replacing dead trees, repairing a broken fence) may need to be postponed. Just an FYI – at the end of December the Board initiated legal liens on 2 units. Total arrears for both are just under $9,000. Just think what $9,000 could do for our community.
The Condo neither wants to nor does it enjoy initiating legal action and would prefer not to do so. However, we do need everyone meeting their financial responsibility if we want to keep Condo 7 safe and beautiful.
February Fun Facts
• February comes from the Latin word februa, which means “to cleanse”. The month was named after the Roman Februalia, which was a month-long festival of purification and atonement.
• Groundhog Day always falls on February 2. This traditionally marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
• Chinese New Year 2019 – the Year of the Earth Pig. Lucky colors for 2019 are colors that symbolize the element Fire (red, orange, pink) and the element Metal (white, golden).
Winter Driving Tips for Car Safety
• Keep your gas tank filled above halfway to avoid emergencies in bad weather
• Stuck on the ice without sand or cat litter? In a pinch, you can take the mats out of your car, place them next to the tires, and slowly inch the car onto and across the mats
• Gently rub a small, moistened, cloth bag of iodized salt on the outside of your windshield to prevent the ice and snow from sticking
• Fog-proof your mirrors and the inside of your windshield with shaving cream. Spray and wipe off with paper towels.
Until next month, enjoy all life has to offer.
Susanna & the Condo VII Board
Thoughts for the month
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln
“Happiness depends more upon the internal frame of a person’s own mind, than on the externals in the world.” George Washington