Condo I – October 2023
Budget and Commons Charge Booklets – A copy of the budget for the 2023 – 2024 fiscal year and the new commons charge coupon booklets were mailed to all homeowners. If you have not received your coupon booklet yet, please, contact the HOA office. If you have set up a reoccurring check with your financial institution, remember to adjust the amount due. As a reminder, Commons Charges are due on the first of the month. Homeowners have until the tenth of the month to submit their payment without penalty. After the tenth, a $50 late fee is charged.
Parking Plaza Paving Assessment – Along with the 2023 -2024 budget, your Common’s Charge letter includes information pertaining to the Condo I Parking Plaza Paving Assessment. The monies collected from this assessment will help to replenish the dollars taken from our reserves in order to pay for the repaving of our parking plazas.
We understand that this additional financial obligation may be challenging for our homeowners. Please know that this decision was not taken lightly and with ever-rising costs is necessary to maintain our condo’s long-term sustainability and overall well-being. This assessment may be paid upfront in full or may be spread out over the next 24 months. We thank you for your timely cooperation.
As a condo owner, what exactly do I own? – As a condo homeowner, you own the condo from the sheetrock in. Everything on the other side of the sheetrock is common property. However, certain portions of the common property are irrevocably restricted to specific homeowners. That portion includes the patio space in the size originally put in by the builder. Anything beyond the original patio size and original “L” shaped fence is common property.
Common Areas – Any changes to the common area will need written permission from the Condo I Board. Please, do not create paths or put down pavers in the wooded or grassy areas to create shortcuts.
Walkways – For your own safety and the safety of your guests, please, walk on the dedicated walkways and not across the grassy or wooded areas.
Speed Limit – The speed limit in all of Bretton Woods is 25 m.p.h.
Prevent Rodents from Coming Inside– As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, furry, warm-blooded critters might be looking to move inside where it is warmer. It is a good idea to rodent-proof your unit now. Did you know mice can slip through a hole the size of a dime? Check for openings behind the stove where the gas line enters, where the plumbing pipes enter your unit, along the molding, and under vent covers. You can insert steel wool, green scouring pads, foam insulation, use caulking, or spackle to seal up cracks and holes inside your unit. Home improvement stores sell various critter repellents that keep mice away. Mice dislike the smell of peppermint oil. Soak a cotton ball and place in areas you think mice might be entering your home. Or buy an Ultra Sonic Plug-In Device. Mice hate the ultra-sonic beeping sound emitted by these electronic devices. Don’t worry the sound is inaudible to humans.
It is also a good idea to check for cracks and holes on the outside wall and the slab below it. The place where the air conditioning pipe enters the building is a likely place for rodents to enter. You can plug up openings using the same materials as mentioned above or submit a work order asking maintenance to do it.
Work Orders – The preferred method for submitting Work Orders is online. You may access the online Work Order Portal at www.brettonwoodshoa.org. For those without internet access, paper work orders are still available at the clubhouse. Remember only one item/job per work order.
Reflective clothing- It is getting dark earlier. Stay safe when out walking, jogging, or biking at night. Carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing. The newer car headlight beams are cast lower to the ground than the old halogens. When close to the subject many headlights don’t illuminate much above the knee. This makes it hard to see pedestrians. With that thought in mind, reflective sneakers and/or pants might be a good idea. Teach your children to be cautious and not to assume that drivers can see them when it is dark outside.
Your Own Personal Smoke Alarm – We recommend that everyone have their own back-up smoke/carbon monoxide detector. For 10-year lithium-powered smoke alarms, you won’t need to replace the battery, however, you must replace the entire alarm 10 years from the date on the back of the alarm. If you still have a smoke alarm that uses regular batteries it is recommended you replace the batteries every 6 months and replace the entire alarm after 10 years. They do not work forever.
Condo Insurance Discounts – Protect yourselves. All homeowners should have condo homeowner’s insurance covering everything from the sheetrock in. Make sure you have loss assessment coverage and water back-up or water up coverage listed on your policy. All renters should have renter’s insurance covering your personal possessions. You may be able to lower your rates if you qualify for the various discounts offered by your insurance company. Each carrier has different discounts. Find out what your carrier offers.
You live in a gated community. Check with your insurance company to see if you can get a discount under theft protection.
Do you have a security system installed in your unit? You should be able to get an additional discount.
All of our buildings have a fire alarm system. Are you getting credit for it? Every room in each unit has a heat sensor on the ceiling and every unit has a smoke detector both of which are wired to the Fire Alarm Control Panel on the outside of the building. If there is a fire, not only will the alarm sound inside the unit, but it will sound outside, too.
If you have not made a claim you may get a claim-free discount.
If you have been with the company a long time, you may be able to get a loyalty discount.
If you bundle your auto and homeowner’s with the same company you can get a multi-policy discount.
Insurance companies do not like fire, you may get a discount if you are a non-smoker.
If you are retired and home during the day, you may qualify for a mature-homeowner’s discount. Being home, you might be the first to notice a theft in progress, fire or flood.
Do you have a water leak detector or a natural gas detector? Find out if you can get credit for them, too.
Contact Information – If anything in your contact information has changed, please, update it with Gina at the front desk.