Quatraine III
Plantation Florida
Homeowners Newsletter
By the People, For the People
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Disclaimer: This web site is run by a homeowner living in the Quatraine III community. The views and statements made on this page do not reflect those of the current board of directors. In other words, it's my site, and me talking, not anyone else.
This is the archive page for the 2012 calendar year.
02/25/13 - The vote at the previous master association meeting has caused this board member to no longer care about the master. Terry from Top Shelf irrigation was let go without cause. Therefore, an annual meeting was scheduled for April 3rd where a nomination for a new secretary/treasurer will take place. This board member will become a director with less responsibilities. At the time of this writing, a light is out at the corner or QIV (Jacaranda Lakes Sign), which is a master light. There is also a light out at the entrance of QIV, which has been out for 2 weeks. In the past I would call the light person and have them fixed for both communities, but now we'll see how long it takes before anyone notices. These are the little things that get taken care of when board members care. The current situation of the master will basically be QIV, The Colonnades, and Jacaranda Point voting the same with no way to stop what they want. Therefore, it's a waste of time to contribute to that board as I have in the past. This is why you hear of good people who quit politics. They want to make a difference but can't, so they quit and don't waste their time.
02/22/13 - Pest Quest was on property spraying the ficus out front. They put down fertilizer, a contact spray on the bushes, and a root drench, each on a different day. I met with Dana (owner) on this day and he explained the treatment process. This is a master job
02/13/13 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court. A vote was taken and Top Shelf Irrigation was replaced without cause with All County Irrigation. This company was let go in the past for poor performance and needing money fronted before starting work, but QIV wanted them back. Therefore the vote was 3-2 in favor of All County. This was a very poor decision and displays how corrupt politics come into play. The current vendor was doing a great job, but was replaced because QIV wanted their vendor. A white fly contract was approved using Pest Quest. Dana was in attendance and explained his treatment process. The contract calls for 2 treatments a year at a cost of $3,600 each.
01/21/13 - Busy Bee was out pressure cleaning the fences. I was home and watched them work. Above are before and after pictures of a section of fence. You can see the difference.
Also on this day, I had my roof pressure cleaned by Continental. They did a great job and I'd recommend them. In the 2nd picture above, you can see the difference as the roof was being cleaned.
01/19/13 - Let there be light. After 7 years, the light at 99th ave is finally working. What took so long? The board ran out of money 7 years ago. It took months to find the permit, have the light re-inspected, and the meter installed.
12/19/12 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park. Violations were discussed. The road repair project was discussed with permits needed. The light at 99th ave was mentioned, everything should be good to go now that the permit was found. White fly was discussed as to why it's so expensive to treat.
12/05/12 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court. White fly was discussed. The linear footage of the entire master is 5700 feet. The cost of one treatment is $2,950. If there is a cold winter, that helps reduce white fly and the first treatment can be delayed to the spring. The other idea is to plant Podocarpus which is white fly tolerant. White fly treatments are very expensive, the board is searching for alternate treatments. White fly was never an issue, until 4 years ago. The pest control companies want to put everyone on contracts with 3-4 treatments a year.
11/10/12 - New plants and mulch were installed at the front entrance by the board saving money. Thanks to everyone who helped out. The bid to pressure wash the fences came in at $2,200 from Busy Bee. They will spray a diluted solution of bleach, then lightly pressure wash the fences removing the green mildew. The board will wait until January to give people time to fix their fences and take down Christmas lights. The permit was found for the light at 99th ave (4th picture above). Another inspection must be done by Main Guy Electric before FPL will turn on power.
11/01/12 - Wooden playground mulch and a barrier was installed at the Tot Lot at a cost of $1,192.50 by Native Sun. The floor of the tot lot is lined with a plastic barrier to prevent weeds, while the sides are lined with a barrier to keep the mulch from washing away.
10/28/12 - The tot lot was officially opened on this day. The bolts were tightened one more time, the structrue was cleaned, and it was ready for use.
10/24/12 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park. Violations were discussed, most are for roofs (cleaning or repair), and for fences that also need repair. The budget for 2013 was passed, the fee stays at $125 for the 7th year in a row. The final walk through for street patching by Driveway Maintenance will happen next week. New bushes at the front entrance will be installed. Due to increased white fly treatement, the board will monitor the Pro Pest contract and order services on an as needed basis. The jungle gym at the back lake was discussed, new rails will be purchased and installed. A bid to install wood playground mulch at the tot lot was passed at a cost of 1192.50 by Native Sun. The bathroom faucets will be replaced by Hugo. A bid to pressure all common fences is in the works from Busy Bee pressure cleaning. The board had a bid to pressure wash the common area fences for approximately $1,200, but decided to treat all fences between the homes, thus a new bid is needed.
In the open forum, a homeowner asked if Driveway Maintenance can surface their driveway. Becky will put a notice on the mailboxes with their contact info. The homeowner also asked for a fence company can be recommended. The board didn't have a company, but told the home owner that posts need to be 4 feet apart, fence no higher than 5 feet. Andother homeowner asked what happens if the neighbor doesn't want to help with the repair costs. The board said the homeowners are on their own on this one, there's nothing the board can do to make a neighbor share in the cost of the fence repair. Another homeowner asked what happens to any surplus month. The answer is the money goes into the operating accout, and the balance rises instead of falling. The homeowner asked if this can be put in the budget as a line item. The board can't predict how much money will be in surplus a year in advance. The money is not wasted, stolen, or lost, it is in the operating account. The problem with trying to predict operating gains/loses, is there is no way to predict deliquent account loses or one time jobs (road paving). The money is saved for the future repairs and not wasted.
10/21/12 - Tot lot parts were installed successfully by 3 board members, and 3 helpers. Thank You. Tree branches were trimmed and the mess was hauled away by Native Sun. This is a substantial savings over a new structure which would have cost over 20k. The parts cost $3,777. Bids for a new floor using rubber pellets are under consideration.
10/18/12 - The proposal to patch the streets was signed, the company doing the work is Driveway Maintenance. They will patch 648 square feet of damaged Asphalt up to 2 inches in thickness. This type of job is bid by square feet. The price is $3,478. The top step and slide was attached to the play ground structure at the tot lot, the parts fit. Work will continue on the tot lot.
10/15/12 - The Tot Lot parts were delivered. They will be installed in a few days. On this day I cleaned the down tube of my AC system. If you forget to put some bleach in your AC unit, the down tube will clog and cause the water to over flow under your air handler. I ran a hose to the down tube (secured with duct tape), and flushed it out. In my case, the system is supposed to shut off if the down tube is clogged, but that didn't happen. Instead I found a small puddle of water on the floor when checking the air filter. You can see it in the top part of the carpet. Click picture to make bigger, then back to return here.
10/06/12 - A newsletter was placed on the mail boxes that has important information about the collections process. The budget was mailed to all homeowners.
1st Month:
Payment not received by the 10th of the month: $25 late fee and a reminder
letter ($150 in arrears).
2nd
Month: Payment not received by the 10th of the month: $25 late fee ($300 in
arrears), final notice, 5 days to pay.
After 5 Days:
$35 mgmt collection fee added ($335 in arrears) and file sent to the attorney
(or collection agency).
Attorney:
Sends a demand letter informing the homeowner that if payment is not
received within 45 days of receipt of the letter, a lien will be filed.
On day 46, a letter goes out, a lien is filed.
($335 in arrears plus attorney fees).
Lien:
30 days to pay or the home goes into foreclosure.
09/19/12 -The Tot Lot parts were ordered at a cost of $3,777.38. The new pool chairs arrived.
09/04/12 - Tot Lot Update - A bid was received to paint the structure, at $2,350. This was expensive, the parts removed costs about $3,700 to replace. A decision has been made to replace only the parts needed, and more parts in the future. This will eventually make the structure look new, with the exception of the support columns coming out of the ground. The parts needed are the steps (2 square decks, 4 triangle decks) double slide, and chain climb. The good news, is the company that made the structure (Playsense) is still in business with replacement parts. The current tot lot is design #23 and was installed in 1998.
8/29/12 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park. A presentation was made by Alliance Collections and how their agency functions. Discussion about the budget ensued. It was decided to leave the budget as is at $125 a month. This is the preliminary decision, the official vote happens at the next meeting. The status of 5 accounts at the attorney were discussed. Two bids were reviewed for road repairs, the board is waiting on a 3rd. Repairs are ongoing at the pool room by Darton. He is using Grabber Primer on the walls, but it won't adhear because there is too much moisture in the room. An idea is to put a fan in the room to move air, which will reduce moisture. A homeowner was present with new roof tiles to discuss. The new tiles are 13" wide (12" seen) and have a groove on the end that attaches to an end eve for hurricane protection. The end eve allows for ventalition and water drainage, needs to be gray to match the tile. The new model is Entegra F-NTGR-NN-Y-SM-15 (1) in natural gray. The board moved to accept this tile with gray end eve. The 13" tile is a first, with many homeowners asking for it because it costs less and has the end eve. The board will monitor the look and performance of this new tile design.
Main site for Entegra
http://www.rooftile.com/
Web page for gray tiles.
http://www.rooftile.com/tile.html?color_family=60
Older style tiles currently used.
N-NTGR-NN-Y-BS-15 (10" Natural Gray with no Antique Broomswept)
N-NTGR-NN-Y-SM-15 (10" Natural Gray with no Antique Smooth)
N-SLAT-NN-Y-BS-15 (10" Slate with no Antique Broomswept)
13" Tile approved at
this board meeting.
F-NTGR-NN-Y-SM-15 (13" Natural Gray Smooth)
Clarification about fence replacement slats was made. The homeowner is responsible for replacing slats even if the fence faces the common roads. The board is only responsible for painting all the fences that face the common areas when the entire community is done.
8/15/12 - Repairs were made to the pool pump room by Darton. Bids are being obtained for tot lot parts, it was taken apart. 10 lounge chairs and 5 regular chairs were ordered from Alumatech at a cost of $2,624.
07/23/12 - The Tot Lot is closed for repairs. Bids are being obtained for the parts or a new structure.
07/18/12 - Mailbox pads were painted green by Ruben.
06/27/12 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park. 2 homeowners showed up. Delinquent accounts and many repair items were discussed. Pool chairs were not being vandalized, but they are dirty, bids on new chairs will be researched. New mats will be installed in the bathrooms. A bid to fix/repaint the inside of the pool house room and replace the door was approve from Darton at a cost of $1,770. The broken lantern in the east planter will be removed. Becky will get 3 bids for street repairs. She is still working on the permit for the light at the 99th ave entrance. She will work with Mario on the tree circles and area near 9900 NW 9TH Ct. Terry of Top Shelf irrigation was notified about the exposed sprinkler pipes.
06/22/12 - Pro Pest came out and sprayed the ficus bushes for White Fly free of charge as part of their guarantee.
06/13/12 - A Master Association meeting was held at Parc Court. A motion passed approving a new fountain for the connector lake in front of Jacaranda Point. It will either be a 1 or 2hp motor with a height of 12 or 15 feet.
05/28/12 - A new light cage for the QIII fountain was installed by Allstate Resource. The Colonnades fountain was also cleaned. This job was done by the Master.
04/25/12 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park. 2 homeowners showed up. The annual meeting was re-opened and the amendment for article IX Section 8D passed with 82 of 87 homeowners voting yes. This amendment removes a paragraph from our documents that was favorable to the banks. Various repair items discussed at this meeting. Palm tree trimming is done, McKenna came out at a cost of $4,266 and trimmed various trees. Pressure Cleaning job is up for bids. The latern on the east side of the entrance planter will be removed by Tom Burke. A bid was received by Tom Burke for $2175 for repairs at the pool house building, the inside pump room is rusting because a vent was closed off and the chemicals are eating the inside of the room over time. Ruben will clean the pool chairs and re-web them. Once pressure cleaning is done, Reben will repaint the mail box pads green. Discussion about the light at 99th ave entrance ensused, a new permit needs to be pulled to turn on the electrical. A raised spot at the mail boxes in front of the pool was discussed (needs to be grinded down). A bid will be obtained to fix raised spots in the streets because fixing one spot costs too much (minimum repair). Raised spots along the sidewalks and in the streets are caused by tree roots. The president's home had a water pipe leak and caused a mess. The polybutylene pipe broke and sprayed hot water for 5 minutes. If you go away on vacation, it is strongly suggest you shut off your main water valve outside the house. Insurance will not cover re-plumbing of the entire house, they only fix each break as it happens. See below for pictures of what polybutylene looks like.
04/09/12 - The bid to repair the fountain was approved, this is a master job. A new controller box will be installed at the Quatraine3 and The Colonnades fountain. A new light cage will be installed at the Quatraine3 fountain.
03/12/12 - The west sprinkler pump was replaced with a 7.5hp motor. The previous motor was 5hp and burned out. The 3 pumps had lasted over 5 years. The upgrade should help the zone along the canal that had low pressure.
02/29/12 - The annual membership meeting was held at Volunteer Park. 3 homeowners were present, 5 board members, and the property manager. A total of 71 proxies were collected with 67 voting "Yes." The amendment to Article IX, section 8, D passed, removing a paragraph that was un-favorable to the association. The current board rolled over. The board welcomed April Greaner-Barfus as a new director. Discussion about pressuring cleaning the sidewalks ensued, Removing the broken lantern in the west planter was also mentioned as items for Becky to take care of.
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