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 web site is not the official viewpoint of the board, therefore, think of it as a BLOG or FICTION.     Listen to any radio talk show and you'll hear a similar disclaimer. 

Next Meeting Wednesday May 8, Volunteer Park 06:30pm.  Future dates are Wednesday Aug 14, Nov 13.

Bulk Pickup dates are Feb 17, Mar 16, Apr 13, May 18, Jun 15, Jul 13, Aug 17, Sep 14, Oct 19, Nov 16, Dec 14.

City of Plantation Bulk Pickup Guidelines
Quarterly Hazardous Waste Events at 750 NW 91st Ave Plantation FL 33324.
Saturday Jun 8, Aug 24, Nov 23 9am - 1pm.
Sunrise location also open to Plantation residents at 10500 NW 55th Street Sunrise FL 33351.
Saturday Apr 13, July 20, Oct 19 9am - 1pm. 
Bulk waste drop off web site
Win-Waste Innovation

Our property management company is Associa (954-922-3514)
E-mail customer service at admin@associaflorida.com

https://www.associaflorida.com/  M-F 08:30am - 05:00pm
10112 USA Today Way, Miramar Florida 33025
Our property manager is Genesis Amador, CAM.
gamador@associaflorida.com
O: 754-777-5815
F: 954-922-9199
The official community web site for homeowners is
http://www.townsq.io

Quatraine III Latest News

02/15/24 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   5 board members, 3 homeowners, and 2 proxies made the vote count 10.   This was not enough to hold an annual meeting.   The current board rolled over.   Board member George Long has resigned after taking a job out of state.   Board member Michelle Snodgress has also resigned after deciding to move.     The board thanks each for their service.    Items discussed were the partitions in the bathrooms at the pool need to be replaced.  It's been hard to find a handy man that can do small jobs around the community.    The pool company has been replaced by Coquina because the previous company was slacking.       Violations were discussed.   No one has responded or made repairs regarding the letters that were sent.   Most violations are for dirty roofs.    A walk through of the community is scheduled for Feb 28th with the property manager.  

01/27/24 - The annual meeting has been moved to Thursday Feb 15th.   Those wishing to serve on the board, please attend the meeting.   

11/01/23 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   5 homeowners, 4 board members, and the property manager were present.   The fence painting project will start this week.     A homeowner asked about what happens with the people who didn't repair their fences.    What ever is there will be painted.   The board called multiple contractors to repair fence spots around the community, but none of them wanted to do it.   The problem is, it's very difficult to replace fence posts and it's expensive because the contractors have to be licensed and insured.   It's the responsibility of the homeowner to fix their fence and they can hire a handyman on their own to do the work.     Some homeowners rent their place out and don't care, or they are military and on duty.     The board can't fine members of the military who are away.    The price to install PVC fencing is approximately $62 a linear foot.    A homeowner shared that he spend 11k on 176 feet of PVC fencing.    The tot lot will be mulched for $475.    A bid to fixed the raised spots of the sidewalks was approved.    There was discussion about how to stop the spots from raising in the future.   The roots are pruned but they come back and lift the squares.    

10/04/23 - A Master Association meeting was held by Zoom call.   The budget for 2024 was passed.   The amount Q3 pays per month is $2,705.04.   The biggest increase is from insurance which went up from 24k to 32k for the year.    I tried to remove items from the coverage but was told the amount would be the same.   Insurance is the biggest rip off on the planet.    The 32k represents 20% of the budget, and it's never used unless there is a fake slip and fall.     I've been in this community since the start (1988) and there has never been a claim paid out by the HOA insurance companies except for slip and fall.      In other words, we've never made a claim for damages to the property, yet we're paying a ton of money for it.   

08/09/23 - A meeting was held at volunteer park, 14 homeowners, 6 board members, and 2 property managers were present.
Homeowners can install smooth surface concrete driveways provided they are tinted medium gray as an alternative to asphalt.  The idea of allowing pavers in the driveway is still tabled.    The board will get proposals for tree thinning and a hardwood trimming.    There is a big price difference.   Homeowner asked about someone blocking their parking space, the tow company will be called.    Homeowner asked about the fence behind their home that is leaning.    Board has tried to contact the owner of the home behind, but can't get a reponse back.   The violation committee has a long list of violations.     A homeowner asked about replacing fences along the common area.   The president asked the property manager to get bids.   Break-ins at Jacaranda Point are a problem.   Lock your car doors.   The vote for the three special amendments passed.   The vote totals were
Amendment    Yes    No
1                       44      33
2                       65      12
3                       53      24
A homeowner was concerned about the wording of the 3rd amendment as it pertains to having to get approval to sell/lease your home.   This is done because flippers buy a home, and don't pay any dues.     The board reviewed the 3rd amendment and decided to keep the wording as is, the way the people voted for it.  

05/10/23 - A meeting was held at volunteer park, 7 homeowners, 5 board members, and the property manager.      Discussion about concrete driveways, weeds can grow through.   Item was tabled until next meeting.    Board is switching to vynil fencing as this is the future.   5 foot shadow box PVC with no dog ears.       Vendors can go in back yards for repairs.   Some homeowners threaten the sprinkler vendor.    In the future, all tree trimming of the home will be the responsibilty of the homeowners.   The board maintains the front of the home, then people call with trimming requests.   The landscaper doesn't do one off projects like that, without charging a lot of money.     New docs will be published about screening renters.    We have 170 homes, need 51 to have a vote, and 2/3rds of that or 34 people for the vote to pass.      Commercial vehicles need to be covered or they will be towed.  

Please welcome 2 new directors to the board, Rosesaire Antione and Paul Marcelin.    Rosesaire is a property manager for another community, her experices will be invaluable.     Fining committee created with 3 members.   A fine and fee schedule was created for review.    The idea is for Associa to take pics of a violation, if no compliance after 30 days, send to fining committee, meeting with homeowner to correct and 14 days to respond.   Homeowner can ask for more time and explain their situation.    

03/20/23 - The chairs at the pool were restrapped by Outdoor Patio Supplies at a cost of $1,346.55.    Cars illegally parked were stickered.     Please do not park cars in front of your home in the street because this blocks the road for emergency vehicles.    There are 10 guest spots in the North East cludesac and many more along 99th ave.    Yet people feel the need to park in front of their home or around the culdesac circles.    Our community is not a car storage lot.  

02/08/23 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   The total homeowners represented was 7 plus the 5 board members.   This did not make a quorum and the current board rolled over with the same positions.   Thank You for Your Support.     Many items were discussed at the meeting.     Vinyl fences are allowed if they can't be seen from the road.   The board wants to allow Vinyl fences slowly so the common areas don't look like a patch work of old and new.   One homeowner asked about replacing their front door.   The specs of what is allowed is in the Rules and Regulations which are posted at the pool, on the Associa web site, and on this web site here.
Rules And Regulations and AMF February 2022

The current AMF form is here
Q3 AMF 11/01/22
Some homeowners were still paying the old bank and asked how to get a credit.    You'll have to stop payment with the old bank (Truist) and send payment to the new bank.    If you have problems contact Sebastian.     The best idea is to pay your dues for the entire year, then you don't have to worry about it.      

02/01/23 - Our property manager is Sebastian Pinzon.   His phone number is 954-922-3514.  E-Mail
spinzon@associaflorida.com

12/31/22 - Coupon books were mailed.   If you did not receive yours, call Associa at 954-922-3514 or e-mail customer service at admin@associaflorida.com

AirBnBs are not allowed in our community.   They are considered temporary rentals which is forbidden in our docs.   Yet people rent a home, then put it on AirBnB complete with a game room and stripper pole.  How do I know this.   Because an AirBnB came up next to the president, and the board could see the pictures online.    Notices were quickly sent to the owner.    These homes bring parties that go all night with people shooting each other.     Everyone wants a "nice quiet neighborhood" to live in, and AirBnBs cause the exact opposite (Mayhem).      Rentals are bad enough as it is, because those people don't take pride in the home.   Then the renters want to rent it out as an AirBnB or rent the garage to someone.     We live in Single Family homes, not temporary rentals.     And to any owners reading this, please do not rent the home under Section 8.   This doesn't work either because it attracts renters who can't pay the rent, even with the government handout.      

11/22/22 - The Winter Newsletter is here.   It was posted on all the mail boxes and the display case at the pool.  
Newsletter_Winter_2022.doc

11/15/22 - A letter was posted on the TownSquare web site which reads, "Please be advised that starting today there will be residents receiving violations for certain types of Community infractions. If your vehicle is not parked in a designated parking space or driveway, you will see a violation sticker on your vehicle which is the prelude to it being subject for towing. Please keep your Community clean. If you discard trash improperly, you will be receiving a violation notice. As we head into the hurricane off season, please plan to have your roof pressure cleaned, violation notices will start to go out for those as well. Should you have any questions of the standard Rules and Regulations of your Community. A copy of the Rules Regulations can be made available to you."

11/14/22 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.  8 homeowners, 4 board members, and the property manager (Clyde) were in attendance.    The new budget was passed at $138.    I did not vote for it.     Almost every line item went up due to rising costs.   The good news is the homeowners in attendance understood the reason for the increase and didn't revolt.     Clyde will be doing a walk through for violations such as dirty roofs, and stickering cars that are parked around culdesac circles.   This is a problem, especially for the culdesac across from the pool, which has only 2 guest spots.   Our community is not a car storage lot, yet everyone wants to have more than 2 cars.   The homes along 98th ave don't have as many guest spots because of how the culdesace are designed.   There are more guest spots in the culdesacs that start at 9th Ct in the NE corner of the community.   For example, the culdesac in the far NE corner has 10 guest spots, yet people don't want to walk that far.      Renters is another problem.   The board will be looking to update our docs so we can screen them.    Renters have no pride in maintaining the home and it's hard to contact the owner.   

A welcome letter was mailed to all homeowners.    Information about governing documents, AMF forms, payments, and account information can be found at
http://www.townsq.io     
You will need your account number provided in the welcome letter at the top right of the page.    What if you can't find your welcome letter?    Call Associa at 954-922-3514 or e-mail customer service at
admin@associaflorida.com

The goal is for everyone to log on and get information from the web site, such as the recently passed budget.    The board realizes not eveyrone is computer savy, so a mailing will happen with the new budget and coupon books.   A newsletter will be drafted and placed on the mailboxes, along with the display case at the pool.    A form was included in the welcome packet to update homeowner info in case of an emergency.           

11/03/22 - The budget meeting has been moved to Monday 11/14/22, 06:30pm, Volunteer Park.   The monthly fee will be going up to $138 due to increasing costs.   I only wanted a $10 increase but the rest of the board members voted for $138.      This is the first increase since I have been on the board for 16 years.    Q3 will still have the lowest HOA fee of single family homes in the area.    Our closest competition is Jacaranda Pointe which is at $145.    A letter was sent from Associa with information about the budget meeting.   Our new property manager is Clyde Alleyne.    Email:  calleyne@associaflorida.com
https://www.associaflorida.com/  M-F 08:30am - 05:00pm
10112 USA Today Way, Miramar Florida 33025
954-922-3514

The new AMF can be found here:
Q3 AMF 11/01/22

10/06/22 - A Master Association Meeting was held.   The annual budget of the master went from $114,912 to $136,188 due to increasing costs.   The portion that Q3 pays went from $23,881.47 to $28,303.13.    This is one reason why Q3 has to increase the monthly fee this year, because everything is going up and there's no way to stop it.  

09/15/22 - On this day a conference call was made with the insurance company E/G of Florida.   The current rate of our insurance was $17,078.55.   They presented 2 options.   The first was keeping the coverage as is with the new rate being $20, 214.71, a 17% increase.   The representative from E/G said this was a great price and that a 17% increase was below what others are getting.      I replied the increases are too high and we have to raise our fee because of the rate going up so much each year.    The representative then said the number of homeowners in Q3 is 170 and the increase spread out among the 170 homeowners isn't that much.   That's the mind set of insurance companies, that a 17% increase each year is no big deal because it's spread out among 170 homeowners.    This is crazy, we now have the answer as to why the insurance coverage of HOA's goes up so much each year.     The 2nd option was eliminating coverages not needed which resulted in a rate of  $11,601.36.    This is what we will be going with.     I would encourange everyone to pay off your mortgage and drop your homeowners insurance since it will go up over 10% each year.     The insurance companies consider the increase as being small, they'll drop you for no reason using hurricanes as an excuse, and you'll never make a claim.     Insurance is the biggest ripoff on the planet.      

09/12/22 - The board has decided to change property management companies.    The decision was for a few reasons.    Ambassador was taken over by FYVE and some of their recent changes didn't sit well with the board.   The new property management company is Associa, and they take over on 10/01/22.   

08/17/22 - A board meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    3 board members, 2 property managers, and 2 homeowners were in attendance.   Darlene Ortiz is now working from home to take care of a loved one.   She will continue working for FYVE but in a different role.   Darlene served as our property manager from June of 2020,   Thank you for your service.     Please welcome Jill Hyman-Gallo as our new property manager.   Please welcome Michelle Snodgress as a director to the board.   This brings the number of board members back to 5.   During the meeting it was discussed that our fee will go up either $10 or $12.50 to cover rising expenses.  We have not raised for 16 years and have the lowest HOA fee in the area.   I'm not happy about this, but there's no way to stop it.   I blame the insurance companies, they are a rip off.   The best thing I would tell everyone to do is pay off your mortgage, drop your homeowners insurance, and make sure there are no candles in your home.   A hurricane may blow down your fence, and damage a few roof tiles, but that can be paid for out of pocket.  A board member will be looking to see if we can find a better insurance company.      A bid was approved to pressure the pool deck, roof, sidewalks, curb stops, and common area fences along the streets.         

08/06/22 - On this day my roof was pressure cleaned by G&J Painting and Pressure Cleaning.   Phone number is 954-655-3495.    This is water pressure with the attachment that looks like a lawnmower and chlorine was added.  The cost to do this was $170.00 and I paid them using Zelle to the phone number.   If using a credit card there is a 3% increase.     I was very happy with the results and would recommend them.  
https://gjpainting.com/   

07/14/22 - On this day a board member and myself trimmed the Creep Myrtle trees away from the sidewalk along the front of the community.   This saved approximately 3k.     

05/25/22 - Back in July of 2020, I posted the monthly fees for each community.   Let's see how everyone compares today.   

QI - $411 (Condos built at the same time as Q2)
QII - $247 (Homes similar to Q3)
QIII - $125 (This community, Same fee for 16 years)
QIV - $155 (Located East, similar to Q3 but larger)
QV - $200 (Located next to Q2, similar to Q3 with enclosed patio)
Jacaranda Pointe - $145 (Homes Across from Q4)
Parc Court - $319 (Condos next to Q4)
Waterford Courtyards - $390 (Townhomes directly south of Q3)
The Colonnades - $456 (Condos across from Central Park)
Chelsea - $375 (Townhomes across from Q2)
Chatham Towne - $390 (Townhomes next to Q5)
Arbor Courts - $185 (Condos next to Chelsea)
Jacaranda Lakes - $41 (Homes north of Q3)

Who has the lowest fee on this list?   We do.    How do I get this information?   From the real estate ads.   I could not imagine living in some of these communities with such a high fee.   

05/18/22 - A board meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    5 homeowners, 3 board members, and the property manager were present.   Violations were discussed.    A homeowner wanted to put pavers in their driveway.  The board was against this because weeds and roots will grow through the pavers and it will look bad after a few years, especially if renters end up in the home.    People buy a home in our community then want to change it by adding a pool, pavers, or other structural changes that were never thought of when the by-laws were created.   We are not Jacaranda Lakes or Hawks Landing.    On average, our homes are 1,400 square feet, yet people want to make massive changes found in expensive neighborhoods.   Other topics discussed were scheduling pressure cleaning for October, reviewing our insurance plan because it goes up 10% every year, and a possible increase in our dues.   The increase is because of inflation and our insurance going up every year with no way to stop it.    Insurance is a rip off, yet we need it for slip and fall accidents and the board also needs D&O (Directors and Officers) insurance in case someone sues the board.    Our fee has remained the same for 16 years, but it will go up next year.

05/15/22 - Board member Melissa Mosely has resigned due to moving to another home.     Melissa joined the board on 05/15/19.   The board thanks Melissa for 3 years of service.   If anyone wants to join the board, please come to a meeting. 

02/17/22 - The Rules and Regulations have been updated.
Rules And Regulations and AMF February 2022

02/16/22 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   The total homeowners represented was 6.   This did not make a quorum and the current board rolled over with the same positions.    Thank You for Your Support.   

02/14/22 - The walls at the entrance of 98th ave were painted.   New letters were installed by Signarama at a cost of $3620.34.   

02/07/22 - Notice was sent by mail for the annual meeting to be held at 06:30pm, Feb 16th, 2022 at Volunteer Park.     If anyone is interested in serving on the board, please attend the meeting.   

01/10/22 - Red mulch was installed in the common areas of the main road my Mulching Solutions at a cost of  $5,630.40.   

11/22/21 - A newsletter was drafted and will be sent with the coupon materials for next year.    A letter was drafted for the 24 homes that live along the lake.    They will now be responsible for their back yards all the way down to the lake edge.   The board wants to paint the front entrance a different color as it's been Shabby Chic for years.  The last time the wall was painted was in 2011 and 2017.         

11/19/21 - I wrote up 2 e-mails sent to the board explaining how our budget works, because people don't realize how simple it is.    People will say The Board Should do This, The Board Should do That, but they don't tell us where the money will come from when it's already been allocated.    They expect the community to look like Disney World but there isn't enough money.   We have 170 homes, multiplied by $125 a month, and that's our income.   Then we have expenses.   Whatever is left over goes in the Repairs/Maintenance column, and it totals up to $255,000 for the year.    All of this money is allocated for and the board looks at every line item to see where we can save.      This budget is sent to all homeowners at the beginning of the year.    

1/18/21 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.    5 board members, the property manager, and 1 homeowner were in attendance.   The budget passed keeping the fee the same for the 16th year in a row at $125 per month.   The new board members wanted to know how the master works, and where a few lines items come from on the budget.   I briefly explained how they work and said I would send an e-mail with more details.    The discussion about whether to raise our fee came up because everything is going up.   One board member wanted to raise it to $150, but our by-laws only allow for a max increase of 15%.    I told everyone that we have the lowest fee in the area and people see this when buying a home.      Insurance, Pest Control, and Landscaping where hot topics.   The insurance keeps going up, it's a rip off.     A 5k bid for mulching was approved.    The company that does this will blow on a 2 inch layer, the color will be red.  Only the common areas along the main road will be done.      I'm not thrilled about this because the mulch washes away or is blow away by the landscapers in a couple months.   To me it's a waste of money, but the new board members have to see it for themselves.   The mulching company wants to come out every 6 months and add another inch layer, so they're thrilled thinking they have an ongoing business.   Yes, mulch looks great when it's put down, but quickly washes away.   If people want our community to look like others, our fee will have to go up.     Scroll down this page to July of 2020 and there is a listing of what other people pay.     

11/15/21 - In talking to another board member, I found out why the landscaper stopped cutting along the lake edge.    The previous crew chief told his workers to cut along the lake edge because he figured it was part of the job.   Then a new crew chief and crew took over and the new crew chief knew that the property line goes all the way down to the lake, so he stopped cutting along the lake except for behind the pool area.    The board plans to send a letter to the homeowners telling them this, and that they are responsible for the grass along the lake.    I'm still very frustrated about this situation because the board was never notified of this.   The grass was simply left to grow long and it became a mess.   Then when we notified the landscaper, I was told they never cut back there, which would be true for the new crew that came in.    But it wasn't good to leave a mess like that and not realize something was wrong.   Then we agreed to a raise on 09/18/21 and they came back and said it's too much work and they wanted even more money.                     

11/01/21 - The budget was mailed to all homeowners.    The meeting will take place on Thursday November 18th, not on Wednesday.   This is because the room was not available on the 17th.    The budget will remain the same at $125 per month for the 16th year in a row.    People see this in the real estate ads.     We have one of the lowest fees.    

10/30/21 - Bad news regarding the grass along the lake.   The landscaper came back and said it's taking his crew too much time to trim grass along the lake due to obsticals.      He now wants a raise of $672 a month, which is an 8k yearly increase as opposed to the 3k yearly increase we agreed.    We have 2 options.    Pay the raise which we don't want to do, or tell the homeowners they own the property down to the lake and they are responsible.   I'm frustrated by either solution.    The landscapers cut the grass along the west and north side canal of the community, but the homeowners don't own that land, it's community.     But the landscaper cites that the people along the lake own that land, and the homeowners are responsible.     The problem is some of the people along the lake don't own a weedeater, and hiring someone to cut down to the lake is an extra fee for them they didn't pay in the past.      

09/18/21 - Good news regarding the grass along the lake.   An agreement has been reached with the landscapers to give them a 4% raise which is $262.92 per month.      Up until this point, they had kept the same fee of $6,573.00 for 14 years since October 1st, 2007.     In return for the raise, the landscapers will maintain the grass along the lake like they used to do.     The monthly fee starting January of 2022 will be $6,835.92.    

09/14/21 - During this week StoneArt by Robert grinded down spots along the sidewalks for $1938.00.      The tree roots are lifting up entire squares and the seams don't line up causing a trip hazard.     Pressure cleaning of the sidewalks, mailbox pads, pool patio, curbs, and soft wash fences was done by The Pressure Cleaning man for $1,810.

08/18/21 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   3 Homeowners, 4 board members, and the property manager were present.    Sidewalk grinding was discussed.    Spots have been marked.   A few spots can't be grinded down and the entire square will need to be replaced.   Tree roots lifting up the spots cause this.     The pressure cleaning proposal was discussed as to the scope of work needed.     A bid will be obtained to do the work.     Our insurnace coverage was discussed as to debris removal.    Turns out not much is covered, so the board will probably reduce that coverage since it does nothing for us.   People parking around the culdesac circles was discussed, as people are parking many cars in the community, especially in the culdesac across from the pool.    

08/12/21 - On this day a black olive tree in my front yard was trimmed by Duronick Frais (954-825-6089) for $250.    He reduced the height and made it safe for the hurricane season.   This is needed for all trees in Q3 but tree trimmers don't reduce the height when doing the job for the entire property.   They simply remove a few branches here and there, making sure the trees are not touching the homes.   Q3 has hundreds of trees, and trimming each at a cost of $250 is not possible.   And even if we did reduce the height and trim each tree really well, they will grow back.     Homeowners are responsible for trees on their property, but they don't bother trimming them.    This leads to rats getting on the roof tops and going into the homes through the pipes.     The homeowners come to a board meeting to complain, but it's not the board's responsibility.    To all homeowners reading this, trim the trees on your property.   Removing black olive trees is allowed without a permit because they are a nuisance.    

08/09/21 - The maintenance man has been fishing coconuts out of the lake.     I've been trimming the grass along the north and south side of the lake, cleaning up debris.    I've been talking to the homeowners and helping them put coconut tree branches and coconuts out for bulk.      

06/01/21 - The summer newsletter is here.     Our community is not a car storage lot.   There are less guest spots on the east side of the community and people park around the culdesac circles.    The board is trying to solve this problem by issuing decals.  People are also parking in the grass next to the pool.    Walk to the pool, the exercise is good for you.     If you must drive, there are guest spots in the north culdesacs.    Clean out your garage if you have the full size version.      I'm one of the few homeowners who puts my car in the garage.    When my home was built, I said my car would go in the garage and never let it become a storage room.       Mine has cabinets along the side up high, a tiny storage room in the corner,  and a shelf unit in the front.            
Newsletter_Summer_2021.doc

05/19/21 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   13 Homeowners and the property manager were present.     Since Terry passed away in February, the board positions were voted on to elect a new president.  Jenny Guzman - President, Robert Viands - Vice President/Treasurer, Anne Jones - Secretary, Melissa Mosley - Directory, George Long - Director.   Ambassador was bought by a company called Fyve but all positions remain the same.   Discussion about a fining committee, 3 homeowners needed to create it.      Acceptable roof tiles are Eagle Tile - Bel air Light Gray or Royal Palm - Crown Roof - Windsor Slate Silverage - Boral Saxony 900 Slat Natural Gray or Okeechobee.   A new picnic table will be ordered for the pool area to replace the one that is rusted.    Sheds above the fence line were discussed.   The idea is to allow a standard size shed that is barely above the fence line.    The pay for the maintenance man was increased to $10/hr and the board will find projects for him, like fishing coconuts out of the lake.   He works 4 hours a day during the week.     Grass along the lake is the responsibility of those homeowners.   The landscaper stopped maintaining the grass along the lake citing it was homeowner property.     A news letter will be drafted to let these homeowners know this.     If a huge party is happening at the pool after hours, the police can be called to break it up.   Pool hours are from dawn to dusk (9pm), yet groups of people are hanging out there late.   Trees/roots/limbs on homeowners property are their responsiblity.    This was regarding a situation where a tree is not on the homeowner's property, yet a branch is over their house.   That branch can be removed by the homeowner.    For the board to trim all trees on homeowner property would cost too much money.    Past tree trimming jobs hired by the board only cleared trees from touching homes.   The problem is, the height of the trees is now above the roofs and homeowners want the board to trim or remove these trees.          Discussion about renters, stickering cars, and towing those who don't belong.   Stickering cars will be the best way to go, as a previous board member used to do this.   Cars in a homeowners driveway are ok.    The problem is when these people park around the culdesac circles with extra cars.  What is interesting to note, is that the problems mentioned above do not have a perfect solution, and the discussion about renters and cars around the culdesac circles went for over 30 minutes.   

05/18/21 - On this day new plants and mulch were installed in the planters at the 98th ave entrance.     

05/07/21 - On this day 4 coconut trees along the lake edge were removed.    This will help reduce the number of coconuts making a mess.      The cost to remove them was $250 per tree, done by Landscaping Solutions.     To all homeowners living along the lake, please clean up coconuts and debris at your lake edge.      

04/22/21 - We have a new Tree Trimming service to recommend.
Landscaping Solutions and Tree Service of Broward
https://www.facebook.com/Landscaping-Solution-TREE-Service-Of-Broward-INC-1434363423260465/
If both pages don't come up then call Jose Salazar at 954-870-8610 or 954-548-5665.  They have 5 star reviews and great prices.    I walked with Jose along the lake asking for prices to trim the huge trees at the north and south side.   There are 6 huge ficus trees along the north side of the lake on the Q3 side, and 4 huge ficus trees along the south side of the lake.    Each would cost $500 to trim, or $1,500 to remove when damaged in a storm.     This is supposed to be done by the Master, but there isn't enough money to trim trees.   Why?   Because there's 5 developments and each has a bunch of trees that need to be trimmed, and the problem is, the height has never been reduced.     The entire budget of the master is 117K and all that money is already allocated.   So where does the money come from to trim master trees?   It doesn't, we don't special assess on the master or in Q3.     In the past we used to trim trees for the master, but the workers didn't reduce the height and didn't trim that much from each tree.   It was a branch here, a branch there, not worth it any more.       I also asked Jose about removing coconut trees which are making a mess of our lake.    Removing a coconut tree is $250.   Jose told me that the height of Oak trees can not be reduced, and there's many on the property.     In September his prices might go up because he's very busy at that time.    So if you need trees trimmed or have a nuisance tree, call Jose to get an estimate. 

Regarding the coconut trees along the lake, they are a nuisance.   Article 27 of Broward County states
http://broward.elaws.us/code/coor_ch27_artxiv_sec27-401
"The Board finds that improper tree management and destruction has a cumulative impact that results in or contributes to severe environmental degradation, air and water pollution, land blight and nuisance conditions. It is the intent of the Board to require that tree preservation, relocation, removal, replacement, and maintenance be managed to eliminate deleterious effects upon the quality of air, water, soil and human health. "  
"Nuisance Trees. Nuisance trees as defined by this article are exempt from the prohibitions set forth in Chapter 27, Article XIV, Section 405 provided that no condition is created which poses an imminent threat to public safety or property. In such cases, the nuisance tree shall be removed to alleviate any threat. "

04/14/21 - While riding my bike, I saw a house roof being pressure cleaned.   The person doing the job was Agusto who runs the company AMPressureCleaning.   It was him and a worker, number is 561-425-4414.    His prices are $200 for a 2 story house, and $170 for a single story house.    This is the kind of pressure cleaning where water is blasted on the roof with a lawn mower type device that has spinning water nozzles.  He can also add mildew remover.     The other way a roof can be cleaned is the no pressure method.   This is where a solution of soap, bleach, and water are sprayed on the roof.    A company that does that is http://www.nomoredirtyroof.com  or any other no pressure roof cleaning company you can find on sites like Yelp or the Next Door App.  To all homeowners reading this web page, please have your roof cleaned if it is dirty to avoid getting a violation letter.   Most violations are for dirty roofs.   

04/08/21 - During this week, my front fence/gate was replaced because it had rotted wood slats.    The person who did the work is Brad Hurley and his number is 954-661-1534.   Brad used a bracket call EasyGate so the gate doesn't sag after a few years.    The gate is lighter and opens easy.    My neighbors had sections of their fence replaced.  So if you're fence is rotted, or the gate is sagging and won't open, Brad is the guy to fix it.     Brad also does painting and complete home remodeling jobs.   

02/28/21 - The board will be looking to replace the vacant position to bring the number of members back up to 5.   If interested, please let a board member know.       On this day I talked to a new renter living along the lake on the east side of the property telling him to trim his back yard and the trees growing along the lake.   The landscaping company is no longer cutting the grass in the back yards along the lake because they claim that land is owned by the homeowners and is not community property.   They claim they've done this for years, yet the homeowners claim it's only been recently they stopped cutting along the lake.    However, they will cut the grass behind the pool and the grass along the north and west side of the property.     Each homeowner along the lake (east side of the community) is responsible for their back yard.    The biggest problem is ficus trees that grow along the lake edge along with coconut trees.    The ficus trees grow out of control if left uncut.    Coconut trees drop coconuts into the lake and they accumulate at the north west corner.      To any homeowners living on the lake, please trim your back yard and cut any trees away from the lake edge.  

If anyone in the community is a landscaper or has a chain saw, please let us know, because the price to trim trees is crazy.     The problem is there are 6 trees along the north side of the lake on the Q3 side of the property that were never trimmed, each one is 50 feet tall.   There are also 4 trees at the south side of the lake that are 50 feet tall along the fence.   These trees blow over in storms, or the branches come off causing damage.   After a storm, the city will come through and clear any trees that are laying on homes or fences, but they leave the stump.    We need an army of people in the community that can clear this debris so we don't have to use the landscaper for all of it.      The price we have to remove a tree is $2,700.   The price to clear debris after a storm is thousands.   The board has a "weekend" person to remove and trim trees, but we have to pay this person in cash and then get reimbursed, which we can do if needed.        The lake is now a problem with trees that are 50 feet tall, no one cutting the back yards, and coconuts accumulating at the northwest corner.    The same problem is happening with the master trees and the lake between Q4 and Parc Court.     It's filled with coconuts, and the trees around that lake and along the sidewalk are huge.   In the past these trees were trimmed by the master, but the height kept going up.   It's cost prohibitive to hire landscapers to trim them now because it doesn't solve the problem and they charge a ton of money to bring a crew out for the day.            

02/26/21 - On this day the fountain between Q3 and Q4 was finally fixed.   There was a problem with the wiring of the new controller box and the timer.   I took pictures of the panel and it looks like Allstate Resource finally figured it out.    LED lights for all fountains were also installed.   These lights are a bright white and should last longer.   So after 4 months of a delay and incorrect wiring, all the fountains are finally working again.    

02/24/21 - I have sad news to report.    Our President of 15 years and long time resident, Terry Stuglis,  passed away on this morning due to complications of a heart attack she suffered on Sunday 02/21/21.    She was 66 and appeard to be in good health.      A stent was put in at Westside Regional.   She was scheduled to be transferred to Cleveland Clinic for an operation, but never made it.    I had talked to Terry on Friday and everything was fine.   She went to a lunch with friends on Saturday and everything was fine.    RIP.     In case you don't know, Terry was my neighbor.     This was so sudden and tragic.                 

02/17/21 - The annual meeting was held at the pool.   Three homeowners, 3 board members, and the property manager were present.    This did not make a quorum for the annual meeting and the board rolled over.   Thank you for your support.

01/01/21 - Happy New Year.    In response to the Rat problem, the board typed up a news letter that will go out with the annual meeting notice on January 15th.    The next meeting is February 17th at 06:30pm. 
Newsletter_Winter_2021.doc

12/30/20 - Once again, the problem of Rats has come up.    If you scroll down this page, you'll see the problem was discussed on 04/19/17 and 07/31/18.     The problem is people have plam trees in their back yards and they don't clean the vegetation on the ground.   The rats climb the trees, jump to the roofs, and go into the pipes leading into the home.   The answer is to trim your plam trees in the back yard away from the home, clean vegetation where they may nest, and put caps on the pipes.     When my roof was done, I got the caps from EuroTech Roofing.   The caps allow air into the pipes, and not rats.   The phone number to EuroTech Roofing is 954-682-8162 and the owner is Fabian.      Homeowners are responsible for the palm trees in the back yards.     To have your trees trimmed, call our "weekend guy" who is Duronick Frais at 954-825-6089.     He can climb any tree and trim it at a resonable price.   Best to pay him in cash.    Call him to come out and take a look, he will give you a price, and come back to do the work.    This is what people are supposed to do regarding all trees that need to be trimmed or removed, because the board only maintains the front.     For example, on 09/08/18, I paid Duronick $225 plus a tip in cash to trim a tree in my front yard.     He trimmed a truck load and hauled it away.     It is the homeowners responsibility to work out the costs with your neighbor if the trees are on their property, but touching your roof.    The same thing goes when the fences are damaged in a hurricane or rotted and need to be replaced.    You have to work it out with your neighbor(s) so everyone pays and allows the work to be done.          

12/10/20 - The sidewalks, fences, and pool area were pressure cleaned by The Pressure Cleaning Man for $2,390.   

11/18/20 - The budget meeting happened by zoom call.   The 5 board members, the property manager, and 2 homeowners were present online.   The budget passed keeping the fee the same for the 15th year in a row at $125 per month.
Violations were discussed.   Most were for dirty roofs.   Many have complied and cleaned their home.     Earlier in the week, the board approved a bid to pressure clean the community by The Pressure Cleaning Man for $2,390.   This includes Sidewalks, Mailbox pads, Wash fences along the roads, Pool patio, White painted area around pool, and Pool cabana roof.    If you are interested in having your roof cleaned, they have offered to clean the roofs in our community.   They charge $200 to clean a one story roof, and $245 to clean a two story roof.  
http://www.thepressurecleaningman.com  
There are 2 sidewalk spots in front of the community that were repaired by StoneArt by Robert at a cost of $750 per square for a total of $1,500.    This was done through the Master.   No one rode their bikes over the spots after they were completed and they looked great.  Robert does landscaping projects in addition to sidewalk repairs.   Here is the website link.
Stone Art By Robert  

11/05/05 - Homeonwers should have recieved notice of the Q3 Budget Meeting on November 18th at 06:30pm.   This will be a Zoom meeting.   Our budget will remain the same for the 15th year in a row at $125 per month.    

11/01/20 - Various issues are being repaired by the Master.   The fountain between Q3/Q4 broke, needed a new Franklin Controller box.   Allstate was scheduled to replace the box at a cost of $920.    A tree was struck by lightning at the corner of Jacaranda Point and Cleary Blvd.   The city removed the tree but that left a space showing the Jacaranda Point fence.   The bid to replace the landscaping was approved for L&L Plus at $1,400.    The lights that shine on the directional sign and a fixture that shines on a rock wall at the corner of QIV and Cleary were broken.   I met with J&P electricial to replace the fixtures and rusted boxes at a cost of $1,200.   There are 2 sidewalk spots in front of Q3 that need to be repaired.    I have contacted Stoneart and they can replace each square of the sidewalk for $750 each.     He can't do the work until the middle of November.   

10/07/20 - A master meeting was held by Zoom.    The new budget was passed, basically the same as the budget last year.   

09/08/20 - The water fountain at the pool was replaced by Moody plumbing at a cost of $1,285.   

08/17/20 - The water fountain at the pool broke.    The board is getting bids to replace it.      There is a problem with homeowners using the guest spots to store extra cars.    Q3 is not a car lot.   This is a big problem because the east side across from the pool does not have many guest spots.    There are more spots along 99th ave.    If all guest spots in your culdesac are taken, look in another culdesac, but not around the circle because that's a fire truck lane.     People put junk in their garage, or they have the house version that only has a half garage, use up their 2 driveway spots, then want to put another car in the guest spot.    Some people have 2 or 3 extra cars.    The guest spots are meant for guests, not car storage.    The board will sticker cars that have expired tags and are not operating.    

8/03/20 - Native sun came through the neighborhood and did a hardwood pruning.   They trimmed trees away from the house roofs and the palms.    The cost to do this was $7,500 (Hardwood) and $2,355 (Palms).          

07/21/20 - The meeting scheduled for Aug 19th, 2020 has been cancelled because the meeting room will not be available.    Final draft of the newsletter was agreed up.   It will be mailed to all homeowners with the Rules and Regulations.  

Newsletter_Summer_2020.doc
Rules And Regulations and AMF November 2019

07/10/20 - Back in February of 2017, I posted the montly fees for each community.   Let's see how everyone compares today showing the 2017 fee and the current fee.   

QI - $330 now $336 (Condos built at the same time as Q2)
QII - $160 now $165 (Homes similar to Q3)
QIII - $125 now $125 (This community, Same fee for 14 years)
QIV - $155 now $155 (Located East, similar to Q3 but larger)
QV - $200 now $200 (Located next to Q2, similar to Q3 with enclosed patio)
Chelsea - $300 now $350 (Townhomes across from Q2)
Chatham Towne - $355 now $390 (Townhomes next to Q5)
Jacaranda Pointe - $115 now $125 (Homes Across from Q4)
Parc Court - $302 now $308 (Condos next to Q4)
The Colonnades - $377 now $409 (Condos across from Central Park)
Arbor Courts - $175 now $185 (Condos next to Chelsea)
Waterford Courtyards - $325 now $325 (Townhomes directly to the south of Q3)

The Colonnades wins the award for highest montly fee.   I could not imagine paying $409 to live in a small condo, on top of the mortage and expenses.   I actually work with their property manager as part of the master.     Q3 and Jacaranda Pointe are the current winners at this time.    We keep our fee low because this number gets published in the real estate ads.     I guess some of the other communities don't realize that and their fee keeps going up.  

06/30/20 - Two homeowners asked about the sprinkler system, when it comes on.    I reset the time on the pump clocks and talked to one homeowner with his zone on, showing him the sprinkler system works.      Here's a link to the sprinkler map.  
SprinklerZoneMap

We have 3 pumps.   Each one comes on at 10:30pm.   There are 15-17 zones per pump, each zone waters for 25 minutes.   
Find your home on the map to get your zone.  The first starts at 10:30pm.    Add 25 minutes to 10:30pm until you reach your zone.    For example, zone 6 would be 12:35am.      
East Pump located at the pool near the lake.   Days are Tue, Thr, Sat.
North Pump located in the north culdesac.   Days are Tue, Thr, Sat.
West Pump located in the west culdesac.   Days are Mon, Wed, Fri.

If your grass is dying you have the wrong type of grass planted.   There's 2 types, and one of them doesn't survive in Q3, especially between the homes.     If you have a sprinkler problem, contact the property manager who will contact myself and/or the irrigation company to check it out.    You'll see Joel from Tropical Turf in a golf cart driving around the property doing a wet test once a month.  

06/29/20 - Please welcome Darlene Ortiz as our new property manager.    Her phone number is 954-741-8811 x210. 

06/18/20 - Our property manager Abe Levy is leaving to go manage an on-site property, with us since 05/04/19.    Abe did a great job and the board wishes him the best.    His replacement is Darlene Ortiz.  

05/11/20 - The scheduled meeting for May 20th has been cancelled.    The Volunteer Park facility will not be open.   

04/29/20 - The pool re-opened.   It had been closed since April 1st due to a county order.  

04/09/20 -  On this day board member Anne Jones and myself walked through the property with tree trimmer Duronick Frais (954-825-6089) asking him what nuisance trees could be removed.     Black Olive trees can be removed.    But what we found  is most of the trees along 98th ave (east side) and 9th Ct (North Side) are Oak trees.     The way you can tell the difference is Oak trees have a bark that has lines going up and down, Black Olive trees do not, they are smooth.   There's also a few Gumbo Limbo trees which have a golden color with smooth branches.    If a homeowner needs a tree trimmed or removed from the litle patch of grass between the houses, Duronick can do it.   However, if it's an Oak Tree, Druonick would have to call the city and get a permit.     If it's a Black Olive tree, it can be removed, but most Black Olive trees are on 99th ave.   It's almost as if the developer ran out of Oak trees and finished the community with Black Olive.   Why do I say this?   Because the community was built starting on the 98th Ave side.   The model homes were in the 1st culdesac to the right as you enter the 98th Ave entrance.   How do I know this?    Because I'm an original homeowner from 1988.      

03/07/20 - The board approved a bid to replace the vannitys in the bathrooms at the pool.  The work will be done by Logan Construction and cost $2,400.    

02/19/20 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer park.   The total number of homes respresented at the meeting was 6 and 3 by proxy for a total of 9.    This did not make a quorum of 86 and the current board rolled over (my 14th year).       Please welcome Jenny Guzman as a new director to the board.    This brings the number of members back up to 5.     Boards are made up of 3, 5, or 7 members for voting purposes.    The annual meeting was adjourned and the orginazional meeting was held where the current board members kept the same positions.    The regular meeting followed with violations and work requests were discussed.    The fountain between QIII and QIV was repaird, working again.    Took so long to fix because more bids were requested for the motor, and a new controller box was needed which took a month to arrive.          

01/30/20 - It was my turn to face the polybutylene mess.   I noticed water forming at my front door landing on the carpet.   I was mopping up the water with towels, but it didn't stop.   I called Hedrill Plumbing (Machin) on a Monday morning.  He came out Tuesday at lunch time to take a look.    I showed him pictures of the neighbor from 2011, which are still on this web site.    He figured the leak was at the water heater, and he was correct.   He came out Thursday morning to open the wall and find the leak.   First he looked where the drain line goes into the foundation, but the leak wasn't there.   Next he removed the water heater and opened up the wall finding the leak.

Machin has a full size truck, organized.   

Machin opened the wall where the drain pipe goes into the foundation, but the leak was not there.   So he removed the water heater and opened the wall finding the leak.   If you look at the 5th picture near the top, you can see a stream of water coming out of the pipe hitting the insulation.  

The drywall behind the water heater was wet and that would cause a mold problem.    Machin called Luis from Mold Specialists.      Luis and his co-worker David came out, removed the bad drywall, and turned on a blower to dry the area.    They came back 3 hours later to install insulation, drywall, baseboards, and paint.   Machin came back the next morning and installed the water heater.    If your water heater is close to 20 years old, then it's time for a new one.  
Hedrill Plumbing - 954-818-9638
Mold Specialists - 954-410-3233

01/28/20 - The pool was closed for 2 days because the circuit breaker was bad.   An electrician came and fixed the breaker.   

01/27/20 - Board member Debaro Huyler resigned (moved).    Debaro was on the board since Febuary of 2019.   The board thanks Debaro for his service.    That leaves a spot open on the board for anyone who wants to serve and make a differance.

11/27/19 - The new Rules and Regulations, Newsletter, AMF, and Budget were mailed to all homeowners.   Click the next link.
Rules And Regulations November 2019

11/20/19 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park, 3 homeowners, 5 board members, and the property manager were in attendance.   The budget was officially passed, the fee remains the same at $125 a month for the 14th year in a row.    Bids were presented for pressure cleaning of the sidewalks and curbs.   The board approved a bid from Mr. G's in the amount of $1,990.00.    The board discussed hiring a new pest control company and reducing the number of treatments to save money.    The rules and regulations were discussed because some changes were made.    A motion was made to allow vinyl fences in the back yards if they are not seen from the common areas or street, but it must still be dog ear and 5 feet tall.    A motion was made to allow new paint colors, a new chart will be posted at the pool.   A motion was made for the new rules and regulations found at the pool, prohibiting pool parties.    A homeowner asked about replacing his fence in the back yard and asked what to do if the neighbor doesn't want to help with the costs.    The homeowner must ask the neighbor nicely and let them know the fence is shared and both homeowners need to pay their share.    This homeowner also asked about trimming a huge tree on the side of his home.    It's his responsibility to hire a licensed aborist to take care of it.    

11/19/19 - A new security system was installed at the pool.   It's a Lorex system, NVR model N841A with a 2TB hard drive, 4 POE cameras (model ES81CD) 2K 5mp resolution ($599), Acer Monitor ($96.29) .   The install as done by The CCTV Guys for $690.      The system is working great.    I was able to retreive footage to a memory stick, bring it home, and view the footage on my computer.    Would you like to buy this system and have it installed by The CCTV Guys?  Here's the Amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/Lorex-Outdoor-Security-Detection-Control/dp/B07Z3BQ8VP

and the web site for The CCTV Guys
https://www.thecctvguysonline.com/

 

11/15/19 - A notice was placed at the pool with updated pool regulations.   People have parties and cause damage.     Even if they clean up and cause no damage, they leave behind bags of garbage.   The last group to have a party at the pool had a bounce house.    Before that, a group damaged tile in the pool.    Other times, they vandalize the bathrooms because the kids are bored and think it's fun to destroy.   The board has purchased a new Lorex camera system that has 4 cameras and a recorder.    There was a camera system at the pool, but it was no longer working and it was outdated.    Now there will be a new camera system that works and has better resolution.       

11/06/19- Mulch was spread in the common areas by Native Sun.  

10/02/19 - A master association meeting was held at the Parc Court clubhouse.    I mentioned the cracked sidewalk spot on front of Q3.    The fountain between Q3/Q4 is broken.   A bid to repair the fountain was presented in an amount of $3,395 to replace the motor.   The board wants another bid so that repair will be delayed.   I mentioned that white fly is no longer an issue and the cost to treat the master for white fly should be removed, which would save $7,200.   Jacaranda Pointe has huge hedges surrounding their property and thinks the treatments are needed.   A vote was taken and the white fly treatments stay as is.    Back in the day, white fly was a problem and the cost to treat it was very expensive.   Personally, I think it's a rip off and tried to stop it, but was voted down.      The budget was discussed at length.   There was an increase for tree trimming and sidewalk repairs, but Parc Court wanted no increase stating their board is angry, saying they get nothing from the master.   After lengthy back and forth discussion, a small increase in the budget was agreed upon and it was approved.      

08/25/19 - A burgler came through our area checking for unlocked cars.   He parked his car in a guest spot at 02:52am, walked around the north west culdesac, got to my car at 03:01am, it was locked, got in his car, and drove away.   He checked every car in the culdesac and actually got into a few.   Another neighbor has footage going into their car, but nothing was taken because the car was empty.  We say this over and over in the news letter and on this web site.   LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS at night and DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR.   Click the image to see a bigger version, then back to return here.    The person was dressed in all black, pants and shirt.   

My camera captured a video of the person which I uploaded to YouTube.    Watch it on a computer in 1080HD to see a better image.

Quatraine3 Burgler Checking For Unlocked Car Doors 08/25/19

08/21/19 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    4 board members, the property manager, and 1 home (husband and wife)  were in attendance. Update on violation, 78 violation notices were sent out, 21 complied, 57 are still open.     Two bids for pressure cleaning the sidewalks were submitted but the board wants a bid from Mid South because they have done it before.    Bids to repair the gate at the pool were presented, but they were too high, another bid was requested.    Commercial vehicles parking overnight in the community were discussed.   The issue is what constitutes over night parking.    Fences were discussed regarding letting homeowners install PVC or Aluminum fences.    The Rules and Regulations will need to be updated, sent to all homeowners with 14 days notice, then voted on in a meeting.    The homeowner who appeared talked about a tree with over grown roots and what could be done about it.   The board made some suggestions.     It is best to come to a board meeting before contacting the city about a tree you want removed.       

06/03/19 - The Summer Newsletter is here.
Newsletter_Summer_2019.doc

05/30/19 - The pool officially opened.    The chemicals were stable and checked by Younique Pools.   The pool job started March 26th, finished May 30th.   That's 2 months.     A little more than the estimated 5 weeks, but that was because of the extensive gutter work that had to be done.    

05/26/19 - The resurfacing job on the pool was completed, it was filled and stabilized taking four days.         

05/22/19 - The tile work on the pool is done and the crew is working on the resurfacing job.   It won't be reading in time for the Memorial day weekend, but should be ready the week after that.   

05/15/19 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   I was not in attendance at this meeting.   Board member April Greaner Barfus has stepped down after 7 years and 3 months of service.    She and Bill are moving to NC to be near their family.    Thank You for your service.    Please welcome Melissa Moseley as a new board member.    Melissa showed great passion at a previous meeting of wanting to be on the board and contribute.    This keeps the current board count at 5 members.     The pool job is on going, I stopped in at the pool on 05/16/19 and asked the workers what was going on.   They were working on the tiles, then the rest of the pool can be resurfaced.   This is taking longer than expected and I've let the entire board know.    I did see more workers since I stopped in and checked on them.         

05/08/19 - A Master Association meeting was held at Parc Court.    The current board kept the same positions.    Michelle Piracci - President, Stuart Kramer - VP, Robert Viands - Treasurer, Sheldon Wright - Secretary, Ron Newman - Director.   Sidewalk repairs were discussed.   There are two more spots to take care of, one in front of Q3, and one near Parc Court.   Tree trimming along the lakes was discussed.    Small bushes grow to be 15 feet tall if not trimmed.   The master does not have money to trim trees at this time because after Irma 45k was spent to clean up the mess.    A day after the meeting, an order was given to Marc at L&L plus to remove the weeds along the lake, and he said it would be done.      Brown fences were discussed.    We're not sure whether it's the water in the lake used by the sprinkler system, or the black olive trees.    Each community is on their own on this one, the master doesn't clean dirty fences.    

05/04/19 - The property manager (Lori) is no longer with Ambassador.   Her replacement is named Abe, the board has not met him yet.   More details to follow.   The pool repair job is on going.   A Master Association meeting is scheduled for May 8th.   The Master is taking care of sidewalk repairs along Cleary Blvd at this time.   

03/26/19 - The pool job started March 26th, the water was drained.  The board knows this is in the middle of spring break, but the timing has to do with schedules of the pool company.    They just finished a job over at Parc Court resurfacing their pool, now they are doing ours.    It is estimated to take 5 weeks.    While this is an inconvience for the spring break crowd, the water is cold and not that many people would be using it.                

02/20/19 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    The total number of homes respresented was 20.   12 people showed up to the meeting, 4 board members, and the property manager.   This did not make a quorum of 86 and the current board rolled over (my 13th year).    A full explanation of the revitalizing was presented.   Our documents expired in January of 2018.  The current attorney and property manager didn't know this happened.   The board was not made aware of it until the middle of 2018.    Enough consent forms were collected to continue the process of revitalizion.    Our documents did not change.  They were simply being revitalized, and many were confused by the letter that went out from the current attorney.      On Monday March 4th, pool resurfacing will start.   The job will take approximately 5 weeks.    The pool gate needs repairs as people keep climbing over it.    Please welcome Debaro Huyler as a new director to the board.    The brings the number of members back up to 5, with one leaving in a few months.   Another homeowner expressed interest in serving and will be nominated at the May meeting.  This will keep our board at 5 members.    Boards are made up of 3, 5, or 7 members for voting purposes.      

01/28/19 - The revitalization packet was mailed to all homeowners.   It contained a thumb drive with our documents.
Revitalization Quatraine3 Declaration

01/21/19 - The Winter Newsletter is here.
Newsletter_Winter_2019.doc

01/18/19 - The violation walk through was completed by the property manager.   84 letters went out, some of them with multiple things to correct.      A renter in the community wasn't happy about his landlord (company) receiving a letter, so he complained on a site called Nextdoor.     The renter thought he was being singled out, which isn't true.   What actually happened in this case, was a long time homeowner complained that her neighbor's walls had mold on them and the roofs needed to be cleaned.       The front of the house looked great, but the sides and back were dirty.    So a letter went out and the renter was not happy about it.    Painting just the front of the house does not work.   The property manager can see the entire home.   Below is the message and response I typed.

"I rent in Quatraine 3 have been here for 4 years, but have had it with being singled out by the association, today I was told that they specifically single out renters, by an un-name source today I had to sit at home while a pressure cleaning company came to clean sprinkler stains in the back of the house, really how and when did they notice it, last year after 3 years they send me a violation notice cause my shed was visible over the fence, well ASSociation I notice other sheds over the fence from the street and dirtier homes, why and how can they get away with it."

There are two board members from Q3 on this thread, myself and another up above.|
The entire conversation was emailed to all board members and the property manager (who I just spoke to on the phone).
1. Lori does not single out renters.
2. The entire community was looked at (January Walk Through).
3. Approximately 84 violation letters went out, some with multiple things to correct. Most of them are painting the home and cleaning the roof.
4. Renters would only be sent a letter for things like Christmas lights or basketball hoops being left up. The homeowner (or company) gets the letter. Many rental properties are managed by companies.
5. A board member received a violation notice, we are not above our own rules and regulations (which are posted at the pool).
6. Lori requests you not spread false information saying we single out renters. That is simply not true.
7. The current board has been in power for over 13 years, keeping the fee the same at $125.
8.. Our next meeting is Feb 20th at Volunteer Park 06:30pm. Those who wish to speak can wait until the end of the meeting, then we have open floor.
9.. We are looking for new board members, we are down to 4 with one leaving in a few months. If the community is unhappy then many would show up at the meetings, but most of the time, it's only a few people. The more people who are on the board the better.. Come to a meeting if interested in serving your community. Thanks for the comments everyone.

Many of the rental properties in our community are owned by companies.    For example, Vacation Homes owns 10 properties, which they rent out.    

01/10/19 - A major repair project was approved to accept the Younique proposal to resurface the pool ($16,800) and the proposal which includes removal of existing gutter tiles, front, floor and back, and installing new back row tiles, new depth markers, front row cap tiles and applying the DiamondBrite to the gutter floor ($7960).    

11/14/18 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    The budget was officially passed.     Many violations have been corrected.   The next violation walk through will be in January after holiday decorations come down.  At the pool, people are still reaching over the gate to get in, the sign was raised to stop this.    A new attorney has been hired (Kaye Bender Rembaum).    Legal team working on Revitalization of Governing Documents.

11/01/18 - The 2019 budget was mailed to all homeowners, the fee stays at $125 a month for the 13th year in a row.  

10/04/18 - New trees were installed out front.   They are standard Crepe Myrtles which will have white or purple flowers.   In the fall all the leaves drop off which is normal.   

10/03/18 - A Master Association meeting was held at the Parc Court clubhouse.   Two side walk spots will be repaired.    A tree near the entrance of Jacaranda Point that is hanging over the street will be removed for $600.  The next Master meeting is January 9th.  

09/25/18 - Don't forget, Q3 needs new board members.   We are down to 4 and one is leaving near the end of the year.    A board usually has 3,  5, or 7 members.    We can run with 3, but it's nice having more people involved.  

09/23/18 - 36 Trees along the front of Q3 and 2 from Q4 were removed because they go up into the power lines and caused power failures when Katrina and Wilma came through years ago.     This was done by Asplundh.   The job was subcontracted by Southeast Cleaning Solutions and approved by the city.   They are only requiring one tree to be replanted for each one removed.    The master or Q3 do not have to pay anything for this.   Stumps will be grinded, mulch and sod will be put down.     A new tree will be planted in the area where an old one was removed, they will be 10 feet tall, single leader.   

09/08/18 - On this day I had the tree in my front yard trimmed by Duronick Frais (954-825-6089).    This was in preparation for the hurricanes.   The tree is a black olive that leaves a mess everywhere.   Duronick did a great job of trimming the tree without hat racking or crowning it.     Duronick used an extension ladder to climb into the tree, then he used a chain saw and pole saw to trim it.    The cost to trim the tree and haul away a trailer full of debris was $225.    Now I don't have to worry about the tree toppling over in a storm.    Even though the board hires the landscaper to trim trees (which we call a hard cut),  they don't do a through job like Duronick.    This is because the hard cut involves hundreds of trees in the neighborhood.      Remember, that removing or trimming trees is the responsibility of the homeowner.   The board only maintains the front of your home, not the back yard.    That means for major tree trimming or removal, you need to hire an arborist.   

08/21/18 - The Fall Newsletter is here.  
Newsletter_Fall_2018.doc

08/22/18 - A Master Association meeting was held at Parc Court.    The 2019 budget was passed, Quatraine III's portion will be 2019.01.    Two sidewalk spots are scheduled for repair, one in front of Q3, and the other between Q3 and Q4 in the back.   There are approximately 26 sidewalk spots that need to be repaired, but that will cost 25k.    The master doesn't have this money after spending 45k on the tornado and hurricane Irma cleanup.    The next meeting of the master is supposed to happen October 3rd, then happen quarterly.   

08/15/18 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   In attendance were 3 homeowners, 4 board members, and the property manager.    Board member April will be leaving at the end of the year, moving away.    Jamie Bibiloni also resigned citing a busy work schedule.       If you are interested in serving on the board, come to the next meeting.    At this time there are 3 accounts at the attorney.    The board instructs the attorney to forclose, that's how we get our money back on dead beat accounts.    The overall master association budget for next year will raise to $116,580, a small 2k increase.   Quatraine III's portion will be $2,019.01 a month.   Sally from E/G of Florida Insurance gave a presentation about the overall insurance situation.    We have to find new insurance because the current company is leaving.     A booklet was given to each board member with proposals for Commercial Property, General Liability, Directors & Officers, Commercial Crime, and Gap insurances.  The board will review the proposal and make a decision at a later date.    Four bids were presented for pressure cleaning the sidewalks.  The board went with Mid South at a cost of $2,875 because they do our painting and the board is pleased with their work.   Discussion ensused about the pool gate.   It appears people are standing on the gate pole above the ground, and reaching their arm over the door to open it.   The board will hire a gate company to raise the grate to the top to stop people from doing this.    Discussion ensued about rats that enter homes from the pipes on the roof.   It is the responsibility of the homeowner to take care of this.   If rats enter your home and chew through pipes, it is your responsibility to hire an exterminator to remove them, along with a plumber to fix the pipes.   It would be a good idea to cover the roof pipes.    Discussion ensued about installing a new security camera system for $1,911, and internet connection ($200/month) to stop the vandalism at the pool.    More research is needed and a possible meeting with the security company to discuss the system.       The next meeting is Oct 17th, it is the budget meeting, and I made it clear we will not raise the fee.  The biggest expense of the budget is landscaping and tree trimming.   I mentioned the next time a hurricane comes through, we will get bids for the clean up and let the city remove most of the debris.   Last time a storm came through (Irma) Q3 spent a ton of money removing downed trees, while the streets along Cleary Blvd were a mess for months.    Starting from this point on, board meetings will happen quarterly, the dates are at the top of this page.

07/31/18 - The topic of discussion this week was rats.    A neighbor had them in her pipes.    I mentioned this farther down the page where another homeowner had the same thing happen, she came to a meeting and showed the board a pipe where the rats had chewed through and were running through her walls.     Where do the rats come from?    Some believe it is the drain line leading out of the home.   But the city believes the rats enter through the pipes on top of the roof.    It would be a good idea to get caps that cover the pipes, yet let air in.    The ballpark price for the exterminator is $250.     Here is a recommendation of the one who dealt with the rat situation.
Lights Out Pest Control, Inc.
Jack Horner
954-683-5154    

06/20/18 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    One homeowner was in attendance along with 4 board members and the property manager.    Currrent projects were discussed.   Native Sun sent some proposals for tree trimming, but they did a hard trim last year and it's expensive costing 17k.    We don't have the money to do a hard trim every year.   We will do smaller trimmer jobs such as the palm trees.     Since there was vandalism at the pool, which usually happens after parties, there was an idea of updating the security camera system for $1,900 and getting an internet connection so everyone can view the cameras any time.   Lori will see what it will take to get an internet connection at the pool club house.    There are many cars parked in the culdesac across from the pool.   This is because there are only 2 guest spots and one person living there has 3 cars and doesn't put any in a garage.   Parking around culdesac circles is not allowed because rescue vehicles can't get through.    Any guest spots can be used, even if they are in another cludesac.   These cars will have stickers put on them telling them to move to guest spots.   In the past, board member Shari would sticker cars while walking her dogs, and the previous property manager (Becky) would also sticker cars.   

06/15/18 - During this week, Mid South painted the pool house and mail box pads.   

05/24/18 - On this day the fountains of the master were serviced to replace lights and center two of them in the lakes.     

05/18/18 - This was the last day for Seminole Pools.   They serviced our pool for 10 years.    Younique has taken over and they've worked with Lori in the past.     They will service our pool 3 times a week, whereas Seminole was only coming out 2 times a week.   

05/14/18 - The fountain between Q3 and Q4 was repaired by Bill Davis Electric.   The electrical boxes will also be replaced because they are rusted.     I checked the lights in all 4 fountains handled by the master association.    Burned out lights will be replaced by All State Resource Management, who also handles the job of treating the lakes for algae growth.   

04/20/18 - On this day Native Sun installed plants at the entrance of 98th and 99th ave.   The entrances look much better since the dead plants were removed and replaced.      

04/09/18 - The meeting scheduled for April 18th has been cancelled.   There won't be enough members to make a quorum.    The next meeting is June 20th. 

04/01/01 - On this day I met with Allstate Resource Management at the lake.   They agreed there was too much algae and scheduled a crew to come back and clean the lakes which happened 2 days later. 
A few pointers they mentioned. 
Algae is a direct results of nutrients in the water and the landscapers can help with lessening the amount of nutrients finding their way in by following the attached guidelines.
Don’t fertilize right to the water’s edge, keep back 15’-20’.
Use a fertilizer with no phosphorus.
Don’t shoot grass clippings into the lake, shoot them away from the lake.
Don’t blow grass clippings into the storm drains as they empty into the lake.
This is not going to prevent your lake from ever having algae as, unfortunately, algae will always occur. However this will help reduce the amount of algae blooms experienced..   

03/29/18 - On this day mulch was being installed by Native Sun.      Asplundh also came through and trimmed the trees out front along the power lines.    

03/28/18 - A Master Association meeting was held but only 2 representatives showed up, myself and Parc Court.    This did not make a quorum and the annual meeting could not happen.    Regardless, we talked with CiCi about things that needed to be worked on, such as tree trimming and sidewalk repairs.    A homeowner from QIV was present and mentioned the lakes smell bad and have algae around the edges.   The algae is normal.    However, I did make a phone call to Allstate Resource Management who said they would send out the workers to treak the lakes.   They come out every month and had just come out on the 22nd.  

03/21/18 - Repairs to the pool were completed on this day by Seminole Pool (contracting out different vendors).    The pool coping was pressure cleaned and painted.    The deck was pressure cleaned and sealed.    The gutters were cleaned and grouted.    Repairs were made inside the pump room to remove old equipment.    The cost was $5,625.   

03/14/18 - The Spring Newsletter is here.  
Newsletter_Spring_2018.doc

02/25/18 - There has been some angry talk about the latest violation letters that went out the day after the meeting.   They were sent out by the property manager and the board is now reviewing the list.   Why didn't the board do this before the meeting?   Because it wasn't ready at that time.     A board member plans on walking the property to double check the list.   

02/24/18 - On this day, a board member and myself met with the workers of the pool company (Seminole).    It was a productive meeting addressing issues that needed to be taken care of.    A pole and life ring were moved to the fence on the south side of the pool.    Code says that a pool needs two life rings on opposite sides.    An eschen plate was replaced on one of the ladders.    These are made of plastic and snap into place.   Kids will usually remove them, so we'll see how long they stay.    Our pool does not have a leak at this time.   It uses an inch a day of water due to evaporation.      A to-do list was created with various issues.    We know the pool chairs need to be replaced, it was discussed at the annual meeting.   The deck needs to be pressure cleaned and sealed.   The boarder of the pool (coping) is painted white, the paint is pealing off and it's dirty.   There's a whole list of issues that need to be addressed, which we are working on.    

02/21/18 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   7 Homeowners were in attendance, 5 by proxy, for a total of 12.    This did not make a quorum for the annual membership meeting and the current board rolled over (my 12th year).    Homeowner Jaime Bibiloni was nominated to be a director and accepted the position, welcome aboard.      This brings the number of board members back up to 5.    We are still looking for more board members because we have one board member who may move away.   A motion was made to accept a bid from Shenandoah Construction to clean 2 storm drains in the amount of $790, the others are fine.   A motion was made and passed for new landscaping projects totaling $11,142.50 from Native Sun.        Remove all dead plants near 99th ave and replace those, for the raised flower beds at the front, resod and put existing plants back, install mulch through the whole community (even though it will wash away), including removing/replacing the mulch at the tot lot, and trim tree over the slide.   Spring fertilization was approved.   Discussion about the pool chairs took place.   I wanted 15 new chairs like before (2012), but the property manager mentioned the frames are good and they could be repaired.    Every time I mention we need new chairs someone says they can fix them, then nothing happens.   This time will be different, I'm over it.      A bid from Logan was passed to fix the gate at the north lake for $425.  They will also replace two fence slats.  Then they can be painted by Mid South along with the mail box pads.    Mid South will also look at cleaning the fence that encloses the tot lot.    An idea was presentated for a new entrance sign at 98th ave, but that has been tabled until other projects are done.   I am working on a new jungle gym for the north lake area which is a fitness structure for pullups.    The current structure is missing a bar and rusting.     The city of Plantation has one at Central park near the bathroom at the south side of the walking path (green color) made by Miracle (model OTSM2).    I called the city and they were nice enough to send me their invoice from 2016 when they installed it.    There is also a structure made by Gametime (Thrive 450) but this is more expensive.     

Pictured below is Miracle OTSM2 and Gametime Thrive 450.     Click each picture to make them bigger.      I like Miracle OTSM2 better, which is found at Central Park.    

OTSM2                                            Thrive450

02/17/18 - I spoke to a homeowner about a tree in his yard that is uprooting his walk way.    The trees in the front yard are the responsibility of the homeowner, the HOA only maintains them.    The board does know of a tree trimmer and a handyman that can repair walk ways.    That being said, I found out the fee over at QIV has been raised to $155 a month, while the fee at Q3 has remained at $125 a month for 12 years.     The annual meeting is this week.   Don't forget, it will start at 06:30pm. 

12/29/17 - A newsletter from Lori has been drafted and will be mailed to all homeowners.   The purpose of this letter is to tell everyone to take down Christmas decorations, hurricane shutters, pressure clean roofs, paint homes, and submit an AMF if needed.     
2018 Letter From Ambassador

12/16/17 - The time of our meetings in the future will be at 06:30pm.     There was a broken light fixture at the pool I looked at, needs a new fixture, the electrician will be called to fix it.   There was a water line break at 801 NW 98th ave.   To report a water line break, call the City at 954-513-3462 and leave a message.   If it's an emergency call 954-797-2169.   

12/13/17 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.  No homeowners were in attendance, only the husband of a board member, the 4 board members, and our new property manager Lori Janicki.       Her work phone number is 954-741-8811 x207.    Lori is a photographer, she has a keen eye and will take pictures of any violations proving something is worng.       A violation walk through will happen in January.    Before this, a newsletter will be mailed to all homeowners advising them to take down all Christmas decorations, hurricane shutters, fix fences, clean roof, and paint home.   After the newsletter and walk through happens, violation letters will be mailed out.    The main topic of discussion at this meeting was the pool room which needs to be painted on the inside.    Lori will get bids to make repairs.    If possible, the time of future meetings will move to 6:30pm to make things easier for Lori and one board member.    If anyone reading this is interested in joining our board, let us know or come to the next meeting.         

12/07/17 - On this day my home was painted by Ken Mindala 954-817-4546.    Ken does great work and comes highly recommended.   

12/06/17 - On this day Native Sun came through the neighborhood pulling down the dead branches that remained high in the trees from hurricane Irma.    They used pole saws and a bucket truck.   

11/09/17 - The newsletter is here.   It will be mailed to the homeowners with the new version of the Rules and Regulations.
Newsletter_Fall_2017.doc

11/07/17 - It looks like the pool leak was finally repaired.    This time there was a leak in a valve.    The Rules and Regulations were updated to remind people to bring in sports flags after the game.   Only the American flag can stay out all the time.   The AMF form is also in this document.  
Rules and Regulations 2017.doc

10/20/17 - A realtor living in Q4 sent me the latest letter from the City of Plantation explaining their position.    The frustrations everyone is having regarding the cleanup is explained.   Did the city re-imburse anyone or say sorry?   No.    I've linked that letter here.
City Of Plantation Letter To Residents 10/20/17


10/18/17 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    The 2018 budget was passed, keeping the fee at $125 for the 12th year in a row.    Scroll down and you'll see we have one of the lowest HOA fees around.   The fee at our neighbor property Q4 is $150 a month plus they had a special assessment of $300 this year, making their regular fee $175 a month when the special assessment is factored in.   The fee at Waterford Courtyards is $325 a month.      In the meeting, various repair issues were discussed.   Hurricane shutters need to come down.   There is a danger of flashover if a fire occurs and the window or door is breached.   The air would rush in and cause a bigger fire.   Homeowners need to take down or open their shutters after a hurricane. The pool still has a leak, that's why it was closed.   The leak test company was called to come back and find the leak.   The fence painting job is still ongoing by MidSouth.   They were painting the front entrance area.    There were 5 homeowners in the audience.   One stood up and read a list of items that need to be addressed.   The board responded to her list.  After the meeting she came up and chatted with us.  
1.  IRMA Cleanup - The City of Plantation was outbid on the cleanup job by other counties.   That's why bulk pickup was suspended.   Did the city re-imburse residents for not cleaning up the mess and say sorry?   No. 
2.  Bulk half picked up -  A board member was calling Waste Management telling them that bulk was left in some spots.   There was no reason for this and waste management didn't have a response.       
3.  Who is responsible when a homeowner moves out and leaves black bags outside?    The board can't do anything to stop this because the people put out the trash then leave.   
4.  Roofs are black, will notices be sent out?   Yes, a walk through happens, and violations letters are sent.
5.  Blown down fences, who is responsible?   The homeowners are.
6.  Renters, can we do anything about them?   Years ago the board asked the homeowners if they would approve an ammendment to our docs to allow the board to screen renters.    It was soundly rejected.    The problem is most rental homes are owned by companies.   Newsletters plus the Rules & Regulations have been published, hoping the renters read it and comply.   The last newsletter was left on the mail boxes for 2 months and it's at the pool all the time.     
7.  Since there was a mess, can homeowners get a 1 month refund?    It doens't work like that.      The board follows a budget, and there's monthly jobs to pay.    !70 homes times $125 is $21,250 and most of that money is spent.    The board can not refund $125 to everyone just because one homeowner is not satisified.   We show we're frugal by keeping the fee at $125.   

10/13/17 - Our property manager Becky Chucci is retiring.     She managed our property since September of 2009, which is 8 years of service.    It was a great run, but all good things must come to an end.     The new property manager will be at the next meeting on Oct 18th.    

10/12/17 - The pool leak was repaired.   There was a pipe under the pavers in the deep end of the pool that was leaking.   It was fixed and now we'll see if the water usage goes down.  

10/04/17 - Today the landscapers were able to cut the grass for the first time since Irma.    That marks 3 1/2 weeks since the storm passed through.   The neighborhood looks much better, even though a few bulk piles remain.     The cost for Native Sun to clean up to this point was $20,125.   Many homeowners thought cleaning up the hurricane mess was part of the normal job.   No, it wasn't.    The cost for the master to clean up from this point was $15,700, which included all the down tree branches along the north side of the lake.   

A master association meeting was held at Parc Court clubhouse.   The 2018 budget was approved, keeping the same budget as the previous year.   Tree cleanup was the main discussion.    

09/26/17 - The property manager was sent 2 PDF files from the city that explain their position on why the cleanup didn't happen.   Apparently there are bidding wars when it comes to hiring the cleanup companies and the City of Plantation was outbid by others.      Click each link to read the explanation then use your back button to return here.  
Debris Removal Letter To Residents
Debris Removal FAQS from Website

09/22/17 - The property manager called the city and was told it may be until Thanksgiving or Halloween until the debris is picked up.   This was unacceptable to the board, so Native Sun is being hired to haul away the debris.  Same thing for the master association with 2nd to None being hired.    Hauling the debis away from the north lake area won't happen for a week but Steve is aware of it.    There have been many e-mails going back and forth about this situation.   The board discussed the idea of chipping the branches and putting it down as mulch, but it doesn't look that great so that idea probably won't happen.   

09/15/17 - Bulk pick up has been suspended for this month.  The City will provide pick up service of all vegetation/landscape debris on private/condo roads  (thus includes our community ).  The vegetative/landscape items must be separated from bulk items such as furniture etc otherwise the City will not pick it up. The City will first go around the neighborhoods to assess the situation and then they will pick it up.   The city does not work on the weekends.   This means the earliest the city will be out is Monday the 18th, and that's only to asses the situation.    Our pool still has a leak.    The level of the water is below the tiles, however, it is still safe to swim in the pool.   The fence painting job has been suspended until after the hurricane cleanup.  

09/14/17 - A few spots in the neighborhood had water leaking into the street.   This happens often as roots bust pipes near the water meter.   If the leak is on the city side, the city will fix it for free.  If it's between the meter and home, the homeowner will have to pay a plumber to have it fixed.   The city will only turn off the water at the meter.   Here is the web site of the city to handle water leaks.
http://www.plantation.org/Utilities/

If a street light is not working, that is handeled by FPL.    Write down the number on the poll and visit this web site.
https://www.fpl.com/support/streetlight-single.html

9/13/17 - On this day a huge storm passed through the area, dumping a bunch of water and clogging the drains.    A few homeowners were outside trying to clear them with yard rakes.    I was driving home from work, made it home, and joined them with my metal rake.  This is what is needed to clean the storm drains, a think metal rake.    Scrape across the drain throwing the leaves into the grass and the water drains.     11 years ago the board had the drains flushed.   This idea was brough up again and the board agreed we should have the drains flushed again. 

09/10/17 - Hurricane Irma passed through Florida.    Q3 had some damage but nothing compared to Wilma in 2005.     Q3 did not lose power, yet 657,000 homes in broward county did.   If you look below, you'll see that Asplundh had trimmed trees in front in June.   There was also a hard trim job done by Native Sun in March that costs $17,745 after a tornado passed between Q3 and Waterford Courtyards.   I walked the community after the storm passed clearing storm drains and moving branches from the road.   I counted a few homes with tree branches that fell, 1 up rooted palm tree that fell in an island (no fence damage) and the trees at the back lake fell on the play ground structure.    But there were no uprooted trees that fell into fences.     Some people said it was dumb to paint the fences when the hurricane came through.   The fence painting job was planned months ago, and the hurricanes were not present when the job started.    Most fences survived with no damage because the fence posts are now 4 feet apart. 

I rode my bike through Q4 and they had many uprooted trees.   That's the difference of doing a trimming job in March.   Q3 only had 1 downed tree with a few branches that fell, while Q4 had many uprooted trees that fell into the fences.  There were many uprooted trees between Q3/Q4 along the north side of the lake.   This is the job of the master.   Those trees are huge and trimming them is practially impossible.    Everytime a storm comes through, the branches fall blocking the sidewalk. 

09/01/17 - The broken lock at the pool gate was repaired by a locksmith.   Mid South was on property all week painting fences, which look great now that they are the same color.      We're still looking for a 5th board member if anyone wants to be involved with making a difference in our community.    

08/14/17 - The meeting scheduled for Wednesday Aug 16 was cancelled.   The reason why is the property manager could not attend due to an injury.

07/28/17 - A notice and newsletter was delivered explaining that Mid South will start work soon.   
Fence and Pressure Cleaning Notice 2017

Newsletter_Summer_2017.doc

07/19/17 - The pool is still leaking water.    There's an auto fill to keep the water level high, but it's using more chemicals.    The board ordered another leak test.    A new version of the Rules and Regulations was mailed to all homeowners.
Rules and Regulations 2017.doc

06/21/17 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   In attendance were the 4 board members, the property manager, and 1 homeowner.   An updated bid from Mid South Painting was reviewed, a motion made, and the bid was accepted in the amount of $29,615.    All concerns the board brought up were addressed.   Why did it take so long to get a bid?    Because each one was different (apples to oranges) and filled with legalese, the board reviewed 4 bids, one as high as 38k and didn't include protecting the areas behind the fences.     After receiving 4 bids and still having a bunch of questions, I wrote up a complete scope of work that was reviewed by the board.    This was sent to Mid South and their bid came back a little higher but addressed all concerns.    The other companies were already disqualified at this point because of price or the bid didn't address the scope of work.     Mid South will pressure clean the community, the pool pavers, the fences, put one coat on sections of bare fences, then one coat of paint on all the common area fences.    They will take care to protect plants and furniture on the other side of the fences, along with taping off the gate hindges and latches.    Existing hindges and latches that are already white, will be painted white.     The entrance planters and sign at 98th ave will be cleaned and painted Shabby Chic with blue lettering.      The first phase of this project is the pressure cleaning.      There was discussion about finding a 5th board member and having someone take over the accounts at the attorney.     If you would like to join the board, let us know or come to a meeting.   

06/20/17 - Asplundh trimmed the trees out front along Cleary Blvd.   There were a few branches that had snapped off from the tornado and others that were growing into the cable lines.  

06/12/17 - Board member Vivian Karr has resigned.   Vivian was on the board for 18 years.   Vivian did a great job and we thank her for the service.   Vivian's niche in her last year was working with the attorney for debt collections after Shari moved away.   This is an important aspect of the board, because this is how we collect money from dead beats who don't pay their HOA fees.   The money is usually collected when a new homeowner buys the property and the outstanding debt is collected as part of the closing.   Some try to contact the board asking if the debt can be reduced, but we don't give any breaks.    The new homeowner usually rolls this fee into their mortgage.    This brings the number of current board members down to 4 and we'll look to replace the position.   Most boards have 3, 5, or 7 members.      If you would like to join the board, please come to a meeting.      

5/22/17 - Board member Connie Lino has resigned citing a passing in the family (Mother).    Connie served since 2013 (4 years) and did a great job working with the landscaping company (Native Sun), gave input on things that needed repair, and helped with the violation list.     The board thanks Connie for her service.    If you would like to be a board member, please come to a meeting.     

05/12/17 - The pool re-opened just in time for the weekend.    That means the total time for this repair was about 2 weeks, one week faster than what I predicted.      

05/07/17 - I went to the pool to check out the repairs.   The pool was being refilled.   It seems the repairs were made and completed.   The sides were spotless after the acid wash.    The two cracks in the shallow end were repaired and looked great.      This is great news and the pool should be open in a couple days.    The leak may have been a blessing, because now the pool was acid washed and looks perfect for the summer.   Remember, the pool lights only come on at night and they are only 12v.    The power of each light is stepped down from 120v to 12v by boxes at the side of the pool.    There is no chance of being electrocuted while swimming in our pool.   

05/01/17 - The pool was drained to repair the crack in the shallow end.   Another crack was discovered.    The total to fix both is $1,610 by Seminole Pool.   The board also approved the pool be acid washed to removed black algae at a cost of $1,150.   On this day I met with Michelle and Stuart from the Master to mark 11 bottle brush trees that can be removed along Cleary.   One of the trees is at the 99th ave entrance of Q3.    Seven trees are behind Jacaranda Point along the sidewalk, and 3 trees are between QIV and Parc Court.   

04/24/17 - The latest newsletter is here.    
Newsletter_Spring_2017.doc

04/19/17 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   Violations and accounts at the attorney were discussed.    Bids for fence painting are still being researched.    A homeowner asked how fence repairs in the back yard are shared between neighbors.   The answer is that the neighbors need to work it out on their own.   A fence company can tell how much each section of the fence costs so the neighbors can equally pay.    Another homeowner came to talk about her rat problem.   The rats entered the home through the sewer, ate a hole in the pipe above the bathroom (where it forms a T), and ran up and down that section of the wall.     The homeowner had Critter Control and the City of Plantation come out (during the day), and both said there was no problem.   The rats were coming out at night, running up and down the wall (the homeowner called this a party), then leaving.   The rats were trapped between the studs and could only run up and down that 2 foot section of wall before leaving through the hole in the pipe.   If you hear strange noises coming from your walls at night, it could be rats.    This is why the board tells homeowners not to feed ducks or squirels and to only put out garbage the morning of pick up.       Can the board put out traps?   No.   However, homeowners can buy traps at Home Depot and put them out.    Can the board tell homeowners to trim their trees in the back yard and put away garbage?   Yes, but many do not listen.   

04/13/17 - The pool has a leak.    There is a crack where two walls meet.    The pool needs to be drained below this level, and patched.    The last time something like this happened it took 3 weeks to repair.    The cost of this is $995.   

04/05/17 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court.   The annual meeting was held, minutues accept, annual meeting adjourned.   In the organizational meeting, the board welcomed Stuart as the new VP from Parc Court.   Michelle stayed on as President from QIV.   Robert stayed on as Treasurer from QIII.   Ron was voted as secretary from Jacaranda Point (absent).    A motion was made to have the sidewalks raised spots repaired by Atlantic Southern at a cost of $2,099.   A motion was made to have 2nd to None remove 5 more dead bottle brush trees around the community, mostly along the sidewalks.   In a previous meeting, the board had made a motion to remove 5.    A proposal was presented for a new pressure cleaning company, but the board decided to stay with Fast Layne Services (previously Hartzell) because the price is the same.    I did mention the side walk on the north side of the lake between QIII/QIV needs to be pressure cleaned.   Stuart asked about trash being left behind by the landscapers.   Discussion ensued about hiring a janitorial service company (Cleaning Depot) which will be discussed at the next meeting adding a new line item to the budget.        

03/21/17 - A hardwood tree trimming job was done by Native Sun all week.   The cost of this job was $17, 745 and included the specs are to clear 15 feet over roadways, 8 feet over walkways, and 7 feet of clearance over turf areas.   The list includes over 300 trees.    The recent tornado that touched down at Waterford Courtyards is a reason why the board decided to do the tree trimming job.     

03/01/15 - Raised spots on the sidewalks were ground down by Florida Sidewalk Solutions at a cost of $1,908.      Approximately 90 letters went out to homeowners to repair their fences, specifically the bottom parts that are rotting away.   The gate at the back lake was also repaired by Home Rescue of Florida at a cost of $375.  

2/15/17  - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    There were 6 people in the audience, the total number of homeowners (in person or proxy) was 15.    This was not enough to have a membership meeting and the current board rolled over for the 11th year.   In the regular meeting, the fence project was discussed.    We have approximately 5200 feet of linear fence to paint, which includes all the fences in the front roads, back along the canals, and any fence that faces the common area.  There are 50 violation letters going out about the fences.   Homeowners will have 15 days to make repairs.   There are 6 accounts at the attorney that are slowly moving through the system.    Our boards gets the money back when the home sells and the deliquent HOA fees are charged at that time, or if the homeowner pays all the attorney fees.   We have a board member who is dedicated to tracking accounts moving through the attorney process, along with the president who gets letters from the attorney which show the checks to be deposited into our operating account.   Side walk repairs were approved by the company Sidewalk Solutions for $1,908.   They will "cut" the bad spots down making them smooth.   There is one spot that needs to be completely replaced which will be done by Thomas Burke.   In the open forum, a homeowner asked if we can enforce the pooper scooper regulation.    Unless someone can get a picture of the dog pooping and the person walking away, no.    Many people walk their dogs late at night when it is dark thinking no one will see them.    The same homeowner spoke up about a dangerous turn leading into the community on 98th ave.    The 1st culdesac to the left (801-825), when cars pull out making a right turn, they don't stop at the stop sign and swing the turn wide.   This puts the car into the middle of the road where accidents can (and have) happened.   A car will be entering the community on 98th ave heading north, and another car will make a right turn out of the 1st culdesac to the left, swing the turn wide, and crash.         I usually go slow entering the community and expect a car to pull out from this culdesac.   I move over to the far right of the street if I'm traveling on 98th ave.      Another homeowner asked about the exposed comcast wires.   Comcast doesn't bury the wires because they would hit tree roots.   They simply cover them with a little dirt and they are exposed.    A homeowner asked about rats, they are a problem because people feed the ducks and squirels.    People need to stop feeding the animals.     Parc Court has rat baits behind their building, they are $25 each and cost $5 to re-bait them.    Bait traps can be put out if they are secure and children can't get to them.     Tree roots are above ground in tree circles and between homes.   The roots can not be covered by dirt or grass because the tree would die.   Each homeowner is responsible for their own trees and they have to work with the city to get a permit for removal.   Black olive trees are considered a nuisance and can be removed.   The problem is the city wants money for their tree fund.   The cost a homeowner has to pay is $1,800, and another homeowner said the permit was $1,500 to remove a tree.   Over at Parc Court, they wanted to remove 30 nuisance trees and worked out a deal with the city.   At first they wanted 60k, but their board members went and met with the tree people and got that number down to 24k, this money going to the city tree fund.    60k divided by 30 is 2k, which proves the city wants between $1,500 and 2k for each tree that is removed.      Personally, I think this is extortion, but that's how our city works.    So when you see trees with roots above ground, and there's a tree next to a water meter, the homeowner is resposible and has to work with the city to get a permit.     These trees are usually removed when a homeowner has a problem with their water meter (pipes breaking), and has to make the repair.      

2/13/17 - Went on a bike ride over to Q1 and met their vice president.   Found out their fee is $330 a month, but could go even higher.    I'll have to check the realtor listings in a few weeks.    They have many issues dealing with the property management company.    A condo owner who also owns in Q4 came out and talked to me, complaining about the trees being so close to the condo building.   I told her the city is to blame with their strict tree policies.     

02/09/17 - In preparation for the annual meeting, I wrote up a list of things the board accomplished during the year and it's added to the minutes.  This got me thinking of what the HOA fee is for the communities near Q3.    I looked up the info in realtor web sites.

QI - $330   (Condos built at the same time as Q2)
QII - $160 (Homes similar to Q3)
QIII - $125 (This community, Same fee for 11 years)
QIV - $155 (Located East, similar to Q3 but larger)
QV - $200 (Located next to Q2, similar to Q3 with enclosed patio)
Chelsea - $300 (Townhomes across from Q2)
Chatham Towne - $355 (Townhomes next to Q5)
Jacaranda Pointe - $115 (Homes Across from Q4)
Parc Court - $302 (Condos next to Q4)
The Colonnades - $377 (Condos Across from Central Park)
Arbor Courts - $175 (Condos next to Chelsea)
Waterford Courtyards - $325 (Townhomes directly to the south of Q3)

Besides Jacaranda Pointe, Q3 has the lowest HOA fee in the area.     I could not imagine living in the other communities with such high HOA fees.     And don't forget, QIV also has a special assessment of $300, making their actual HOA fee $175 a month.     On the other hand, Q3 has not raised the fee or had a special assessment in 11 years. 

02/08/17 - On this day, the pool light in the deep end was replaced at a cost of $400.   The previous light had burned out. 

01/19/17 - On this day my home was painted the color AF-195 Terra Bella from Miller Paint. 
Miller Paint has 3 levels to choose from.  
(Lowest) Ultra Spec Satin, $32 per Gallon, $145 for 5 gallons (Save $15).
(Middle) Regal, $45 per Gallon, $225 for 5 gallons.
(Best) Aura, $56 per Gallon, $280 for 5 gallons.
(Sealer) $24.5 per gallon, $112 for 5 gallons

When the contractor pressure cleans, if all the paint comes off then you need to seal it.   Miller will tint the sealer the color of the paint at no charge.     How much sealer and paint you need to use is different for each home, but the average home in Q3 needs approximately 10 gallons of paint.     If the home is sealed, it may need less paint.   Talk with your contractor about how much paint to buy.    It's always good to have some left over for touchups.   

We went with the middle, Regal Select Ext Low Lustre for $224.95 for each 5 gallon container.   Visit Miller Paint, get the chip color of your home (two homes next to each other can not be the same color), the Chip Color Chart is at the pool.  Talk about the different paints and sealer, fill out the AMF, with the chip color, send it to Ambassador (it can take 2 weeks to come back), wait for your approval, buy your paint (and sealer), let the contractor do the job.    

 01/16/17 - The deadline for fence repairs has passed.   The property manager is walking the property with the president looking for fences that need to be repaired.   Homeowners will have 15 days to make corrections.   The board is researching bids for pressure cleaning and painting.  

01/15/17 - A homeowner stopped me as I was walking.    She showed me her back yard, which has rats living high up in the palm trees in nests.    The rats go into the culdesacs, break into bags, and bring the bones to the homeowner's back yard.  This is why it is important to put garbage out on the day of collection.   The homeowner called a pest control company and they put down 3 rat traps.   I've had the same problem in my front yard, but in my case the rats tunnel under ground. 

01/05/17 - I was walking with a friend and found out the monthly maintenance fee at our neighbor QIV is currently $150 a month, it's been that way for a year.    They also have a $300 special assessment for road re-surfacing.    The increase of their fee to $150 was supposed to pay for the road repairs.   At first, the special assessment was going to be $600, but everyone complained, so now it's $300.    This makes the current fee at QIV an effective $175 a month after adding the special assessment.      The fee at Q3 is $125 and it's been that way for 11 years.     When you are deciding which neighborhood to move into, think of the HOA fee and special assessments.   

01/01/17 - The latest newsletter is here.     It was mailed to all homeowners.    Fences need to be repaired by January 15th.
Newsletter_Winter_2017.doc

12/21/17 - The lights across from Central Park at the corner of The Colonnades were finally operational.   These light had been broken for 3 years before I got involved again dealing directly with the vendor (Analog Electric).     

12/14/16 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   For the 3rd time in a row, no one showed up in the audience.   It was 6 board members and the property manager.    Hurricane shutters need to be taken down.   Many people still have them up.   Accounts at the attorney were discussed, as they are at every meeting.  Regarding pre paying the monthly fee, a few homeowners are using a bank service that is not putting the proper account number on the check.   These accounts currently show as deliquent on the ledger, but should catch up once the problem is resolved.   Regarding paying your monthly fee by taking to a BB&T branch at the last minute on the 10th of the month, this doesn't work, because it has to be sent to a clearing house in Orlando.      Various issues of repair were also discussed.   Homeowners have until January 15th to finish repairs of the fences.    The board noticed that many fences are rotting along the bottom.   These fence boards need to be replaced.   A walk through will happen after January 15th, and violation letters will be sent to all who still need to repair their fence.        A walk through to mark sidewalks for raised spots will happen in January.  Homeowners ask about the fountain times.    The fountain between Q3 and Q4 has a 4 hour break in the afternoon to conserve water in the lake from evaporation.   The fountain between Q4 and Parc Court comes on late in the morning at 11am and runs till 11pm.       

12/12/16 - My AC system had a leak.   There was a hole in the pipe leading to the compressor.   All the freon leaked out.      I looked up reviews on Yelp for Air Around the Clock, only 2 stars with bad reviews.    They had installed my Rudd system 13 years ago.   A co-worker recommended All Year Cooling out of Fort Lauderdale.   They had 4 stars.     A technician came out Monday.   This person does not repair your system, but is there to try to sell you a new system, or show you how much the repair will be.      They could repair the system @ $800 because R-22 coolant is $100 a pound and I needed 7-8 pounds.   I verified this online.    R-22 is being phased out and is very expensive.     The new system was quoted at $3,450, we could go with York or Rudd.   We went with York, a 3 ton 16.5 seer system.    The install took longer because they had the wrong drip pan and had to wait for the correct one to be delivered twice.   The install finished on Monday night at 10pm.   The technician said it would only take 3 hours, it was more like 8.   Don't belive the salesman who puts the contract in front of you.   If your system is broken and you need it the same day, expect the intall to go into the night.      On Friday the 16th, I had a technician come out to reduce my fan speed by one setting, he also added more Freon for free.   I'm happy at this point, the system is working perfectly.     If your system is over 10 years old, chances are it uses R-22 and will be too expensive to repair.   The FPL Rebate was $150, much less previous years.   The system is working great and I should save money since it is more efficient.    If you decide to go with All Year Cooling, please let me know as they have a referal program.    I would recommend All Year Cooling, just expect the install will take 8 hours, while the salesman will say 3.   I would also say I'm happy with the York because I can remove the upper panel on the air haldler and access the blower motor.    I could not do this with the Rudd system.      Why is this a big deal?   Because I can clean the blower motor with compressed air.     
http://www.allyearcooling.com

Old System - 13 year Rudd.   Even though I had the coils cleaned 2 years ago, you can see there was a lot of dirt.


New System - includes the new slab.   
 

11/21/16 - The trees along the Cleary Blvd sidewalk were trimmed by 2nd To None.    This was part of the Master job to trim the road and sidewalk areas of the 5 communities at a cost of $6,200.    

11/03/16 - A hard cut was done on the bushes by Native Sun.    This makes the community look much better.

10/26/16 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   For the 2nd time in a row, no one showed up in the audience.    The 2017 budget was passed which keeps the fee the same at $125 for the 11th year in a row.   Violations and accounts at the attorney were discussed.     Florida Sidewalk Solutions were mentioned again to fix the raised spots of the sidewalks.    We actually found out the real reason why the pool is closed.    It's because one of the hooks that saves people was missing a screw.   I'm not making this up.     That's what inspectors do, we heard this one is new.     

10/21/16 - The pool is closed due to a leak which caused the chemical balace to be incorrect.    The board approved a leak test to make repairs.  

10/05/16 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court club house.   A motion was passed to accept the proposal from Analog Electric to fix the lights at the corner of Cleary Blvd and Central Park Place in the amount of $4,850.    A motion was passed to accept the proposal from 2nd to None to trim the trees in the amount of $6,200.    The sidewalks were marked and bids are in the works to fix cracked and rising spots.   The 2017 budget was passed, the bottom line amount remains the same as the master builds up money once again.     The resignation of Tom Yeager (The Colonnades) was accepted.  He cited time restraints as the reason for resigning.   The ends the 2 year failed experiment of Michelle to have all the power, spending 35k with no regard to a budget along the way and almost taking the bank account to zero before I spoke up.      Michelle was not present at this meeting and things went very smooth with no arguing or bickering.      The next meeting will happen in April of 2017 (annual).      

09/06/16 - The next meeting has been rescheduled for October 26th.    That's the only available Wednesday we can use the room at Volunteer Park.   

09/03//16 - The latest newsletter is here.     It was mailed to all homeowners.  
Newsletter_Fall_2016.doc

08/24/16 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.     No one showed up in the audience.   There were 6 board members and the property manager.   That means the board is doing a good job when no one shows up to revolt.     A letter will be mailed to all homeowners telling them to fix their fences.    In February of 2017, the fences (common area) will be pressure cleaned, then painted in mid February.   Homeowners who do not make repairs in time will be responsible to repair their own fence and paint it.    Violation letters will be sent after this and those who don't comply will end up at the attorney.    The updated newsletter will also be mailed at the same time.    The main part of the news letter is for homeowners to not leave black garbage bags in front of their home, and to lock car doors.      A motion was made to order 4 pool filter cartridges at a cost of $531.    This is done every year.   It was noted that the sidewalks are lifting.   A company was mentioned (Florida Sidewalk Solutions) that grinds the raised spots.   The biggest news of this meeting is the proposed 2017 budget was passed, fee stays at $125 for the 11th year in a row,  and will be mailed to all homeowners with a meeting notice.   Some of the line items in the budget changed.   For example, the irrigation expenses went down with our new irrigation vendor, tree trimming also went down by hiring Native Sun.   Fertilization and extra landscaping projects went up.     These gains and losses basically off set each other.      

08/17/16 - At 3am a robber came into the neighborhood checking for unlocked cars.    He went through the northwest culdesac and found a car unlocked.   The next car had an alarm that went off.   The owner woke up, got dressed, came out, and gave chase calling the police.   The robber ran away, the cops arriving 10 minutes later.    Sensor lights turning on, bright street lights, doesn't matter.   He went from car to car going through the culdesac in 5 minutes.   This means a person can go through the entire neighborhood in 1 hour.     I have noticed these robberies happen at 3am early in the morning.    But there have also been cases of people breaking into homes in the middle of the day when they know the owners are at Publix.    The board mentions this in every newsletter, but please...
LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS AND BRING IN VALUABLES.
 

07/18/16 - On this day, the sidewalks, curbs, pool fence, pavers, and front entrance wall were pressure cleaned by A-Plus pressure cleaning at a cost of 1741.64.

07/09/16 - The latest newsletter is here.   It was posted at the mailboxes and the pool. 
Newsletter_Summer_2016.doc

07/04/16 - On this 4th of July holiday, I took my Electrolux front loading washer machine apart and cleaned the pump hoses.    I removed the console, front of the machine, and accessed the water pump.   I'm glad I did because all the hoses were gunked up and this is what our cloths were washing in.    There is even a catch bucket which I assume is to catch coins.   I didn't find any, but this basket was gunked up.      The previous week, the machine threw an E13 error code, which means the drain time was too long.     Lucky for me, there are a bunch of YouTube videos that explain exactly how to take the machine apart to access all the components.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJzFgekaOwI

Search Youtube for your model with the word Disassembly.   It took me a few hours to take the machine apart and put it back together.   I actually had to do it twice because I didn't connect one of the hoses correctly, and the machine leaked water all over the floor.   Despite this set back, I was able to take the machine apart, reconnect the hose correctly, and now the machine runs perfectly.  

07/02/16 - On this day I installed new lids on the poop can containers.     Please remember that no trash or junk mail is to go in the canisters, only dog waste.   

06/22/16 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   I did not attend this meeting but heard what happened afterwards.   Two homeowners showed up, one of them interested in becoming a board memeber to replace Lisa.    Future projects were discussed, such as pressure cleaning the fences.     Homeowners need to replace broken fence slats first before this can happen.  

06/21/16 - I will not be in town for the meeting on 06/22/16.    Check for an update a few days later.    Board member Lisa Mucha Sanchez is leaving, moving to the west coast.   She started her service at the same time as me and the current board thanks her for her service.   If anyone is interested in becoming a director, come to a meeting.    

06/09/16 - On this day I dropped off another check for the Master.   On my way out of QIV, I read another notice on their mailbox saying the special assessment meeting had been cancelled and would be rescheduled.    Don't know why but I can only guess there was pressure from homeowners who were mad.   I don't blame them.   First they get hit with a rate increase, then asked to pay $1,200 in three months.       Can't manage the money for the master, and can't manage the money at QIV when it comes to a long term road paving project.    Once again, for those thinking of moving here, reconsider.     I expect a revolt and overthrow at the annual meeting, which will be held next year.    The people want change, the problem is, no one is willing to step up and take over.   

05/25/16 - On this day I dropped off checks for the Master.    I do this by leaving them on the porch of Michelle who lives in QIV.     On the way out I read a notice on their mailbox talking about a special assessment meeting to be held on June 2nd.      They want to assess their homeowners $600 in August and $600 in October to pay for a road paving project.    This is what happens when a board spends too much money.    And to think, one of their board members is Tom Yeager, a CPA.      They have 82 homes, so once all money is collected they would get $98,400.     Good job QIV.    This is basically an extra $100 a month added to the regular bill for a total of $229.    In comparison, Q3 has kept the same monthly assessment for the past 10 years at $125, and there has been no special assessment since the current board came into power.     For those shopping Q3 to Q4, you decide if you want to pay an extra $1,200.    If a home is vacant or has dead beats, the money is collected when the home finally sells, and the new owner has to pay it at closing.      Q3 did the road paving project by funding reserves for 8 years, and we're funding reserves to do the same thing 10 years from now with no special assessment.     We post the bank balances in the newsletter and don't hide anything.    The last special assessment for Q3 was back in 2006 when the previous board was in power.   It was $600, with payments of $100 a month.    After the assessment, the president stepped down and the current board came into power (hint, hint).   

5/04/16 - On this day the mail box pads were painted green by the maintenance man.  

04/30/16 - Here's something I've done before, cleaned my AC downtube.    Depending on your home style and AC model, you'll have a tube coming out of the AC system that sends water out of the house.    It's a good idea to flush this tube.    You've always wanted a good reason to use duct tape, well here it is.    Duct tape a hose to the downtube and turn it on.    If the water flows freely, you're done.       

04/27/14 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.    Please welcome Anne Jones as Secretary to the board.     Anne has been attending meetings since she moved into the neighborhood.    She replaces Shari who moved to the Ocala area (Stone Creek) to retire.    After Anne came up to the table to take notes, there were no members in the audience.    It was the board members and the property manager.    Violations were discussed.    It appears that one home has sold with the new owners paying previous deliquent fees of 14k.     This is what happens when homes sell, the new owners have to pay the previous deliquent fees.     This is how the board recovers lost money.    Current maintenance issues were discussed, such as painting the mail box pads.    Ideas about new projects were discussed, including getting bids for tree trimming.     Anyone interested in becoming a director can come to the next meeting.    Another board member will be moving soon.

04/06/16 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court, this was the annual meeting.     All members were present except Tom Yeager from The Colonnades.   All members kept their positions from the previous year.    A bid passed to hire Analog Electric to fix the lights at the corner of The Colonnades at a cost of $2,975.    These lights have been broken for 3 years.     Discussion ensued about tree trimming, and Michelle's idea to have 5 bottle brush trees removed.   The problem is, the City requires 3 trees to be planted for each one removed, and this can be expensive.    Discussion ensued about the ficus bushes around Jacaranda Point thinning.    The problem is, the landscaping company is blowing the leaves into the bushes, and only picking them up once a month.    This causes problems for the pest control company who is trying to treat the ficus.     The discussion became heated when the idea of finding a new landscaping company was mentioned.   

03/31/16 - Our pool house roof was finished by Latite Roofing at a cost of $9,380.75.   

03/30/16 - Our secretary will be moving soon, same for a director.   Our board of 7 will have 2 vacant positions.      We have someone in mind to fill one position.      It is the board who appoints new members unless there is a quorum at the annual meeting which causes an election.     Otherwise the current board rolls over and a vote takes place on whether to keep the same positions.     This happened at the recent annual meeting, the current board rolled over.     You can read all about this in the Elections section.  Anyone interested in serving, please come to the next meeting on April 27th.     

03/26/16 - This the newest sprinkler zone map.   We have 3 pumps with 15-16 zones each.    
SprinklerZoneMap

East Pump Tu-Fr
North Pump Th-Su
West Pump We-Sa

3/14/16 - Our Bylaws and Articles were scanned to a PDF file.    Right click and "Save As" to your computer.
ByLawsArticlesQ3

02/27/16 - The latest newsletter is here.   It was distributed to everyone in the neighborhood and posted at the pool. 
Newsletter_Spring_2016.doc

02/17/16 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   Eight members were present in the audience.   The total count was 16.    The current board rolled over for the 10th year, and the membership meeting was adjourned.    In the regular meeting, homes at the attorney were discussed.     Items for repair were discussed including the roof at the pool.     

12/23/15 - The fountain between Q3 and Q4 was finally anchored in the correct spot.    New mulch was installed at the playground, and the bushes on the north side of the pool were replaced with mammy crotons.

12/16/15 - I signed checks for the master today, and one of them was to repair the fountain between Q3 and Q4 in the amount of $550.   The only reason I think this came about quickly, is because the fountain between Q4 and Parc court is also broken.   This fountain had just been repaired, and now it's broken again.      CiCi gave approval to have both fountains repaired by Cascade.   

A Quatraine3 meeting was held at Volunteer park.  Two homeowners were in the audience.    Accounts at the attorney were discussed.      Checks were signed to start work on two landscaping projects.   One of them is remulching the tot lot next to the pool at a cost of $1,025.    The other is to clean up the bushes on the north side of the pool and install new mammy croton plants at a cost of $1,971.    A deposit check was signed for Latite Roofing to replace the pool house roof at a final cost of $10,125.   A homeowner in attendance asked about commercial vehicles (plumbing van).   The rule is they are not allowed unless covered.   Another homeowner asked about newsletters.    It's posted at the pool and here on this web site below.     

Also on this day, a wet test was done by Tropical Turf Landscape Maintenance.   They will not enter back yards, but make sure the sprinklers are working, and if something is broken, then they will knock on the door and try to make repairs.    If you see a gusher or have broken sprinkers, let the property manager know and a work order will be opened to make repairs.          

12/14/15 - On this day I got a phone call from the Quatraine4 electrician about the master lights across from Central Park.    I told them where they are located and said they can call me if they want to meet.  

12/12/15 - The fountain between Q3 and Q4 is still broke, has been broke since the Thanksgiving holiday week.   This is handled by the master as mentioned below.   I e-mailed the property manager sending her pictures on November 23rd.   I since followed up kept getting responses saying that the repair estimate from Cascade was coming and they were on vacation or busy with other work orders.    This is the kind of stuff I deal with when working with the master.   In the past I would contact the vendors directly and take care of everything.    The lights across from Central Park are still out because Michelle wants to get a bid (using her electrician), even though we already have 2 bids that are $100 apart (apples to apples).     People wonder why it takes so long to fix things, now you know why.    Meanwhile, the uplights in the island at the entrance of 98th ave were replaced by Bar Control Electric in one week after letting Becky know.   All of our entrance lights are now LED and should last a long time.  

11/26/15 - On this Thanksgiving day, I repaired a light fixture at the 98th ave entrance that had come apart.   The bottom part the holds the globe up had corroded, the globe was loose.       To make the repair, I had to take the fixture apart, take the parts home, clean them up, and reassemble the fixture.   One of the up lights in the island was busted.   I let Becky know to call Bar Control Electric to replace both up lights with new LED fixtures in the entrance island.    This is the kind of stuff that happens when board members help out.    All of the board members of QIII see things that need to be repaired, and let Becky know.   But if you see something we missed, tell us.    That's why we have meetings every other month.      In other news, the fountain between QIII and QIV has come loose from it's anchor.   It tilts to the side and only sprays one stream to the side.    This is taken care of by the master.   I sent CiCI an e-mail letting her know to call Cascade to get it fixed.    

11/05/15 - The latest newsletter is here.
Newsletter_Fall_2015.doc

10/28/15 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   6 board members, the property manager, and 3 homeowners showed up.     The pool had 50 cracked tiles along the top with grout issues, this was causing a leak.    A motion was made to accept a bid from Seminole Pool Services to drain the pool 5 inches and fix the broken tiles at a cost of $4,000.    Top Shelf Irrigation gave 30 days notice, they no longer want to service our property for various reasons.   Money was mentioned as an issue, another was the hassle of going into back yards.    They were once threatened when trying to enter a back yard to make repairs.   More money was offered but they didn't seem interested.   The problem is our community takes 1.5 days to service, we have 3 pumps with 16, 17, and 16 zones for a total of 49 to check.     In the future, if your gate is locked, no service will be done unless it's a line break.   Becky is getting bids for a new irrigation company, with the idea of doing the wet test bi-monthly.    A motion was made and passed to hire Latite to replace the roof at the pool house at a cost of $8,300 using Integra smooth tiles.    They provide three 5/8" sheets of plywood, with extra sheets costing $60.75.    It was mentioned that our mail box pads need to be re-painted after the pressure cleaning, which is a job for our maintenance man.    Violation letters were requested for commercial vehicles with signs on them, they need to be covered up or the vehicle can be towed at any time.       A motion was made and passed to approve the 2016 budget.   For 10 years in a row, the budget stays at $125 a month.     I have been on this board since 02/28/2006 and have always made it a point to not raise dues.  The fee was raised by the previous board leading into the 2006 year, and has remained the same ever since.   Often mentioned in realtor ads, we have one of the lowest HOA fees period.    
History of due raises:
1996 - $85, 2001 - $90, 2002 - $100, 2004 - $110, 2006 - $125.    

10/15/15 - On this day, electrical repairs were made at the pool and front entrance by Bar Control Electric.    The automatic timers in the bathrooms were replaced with motion sensors.    Two electrical boxes near the back side of the pool were replaced along with a light pole.   The plug to the fountain and a plug on the wall were replaced.    Both photo cells at the front entrance and the lights that shine on the main wall were replaced with new LED lights.     At the same time, the tiles at the pool were being cleaned and a leak test was being performed by Seminole Pool.      That's why the level of the water was low.  

10/10/15 - A new color chart was placed at the pool bulliten board.   It is the same chart, but with new color tiles.   Remember, the tiles are not exact in terms of color, because the sun shines on the chart in the afternoon, and fades the tiles.   You still need need to visit the paint store to get tiles or a small sample.   Please remember to fill out an AMF form which can be found on the Ambassador web site here.
http://www.ambassadormanagement.com/mod.htm   
The board requires the AMF to make sure houses next to each other are not the same color.   In other news, our pool has a leak.  The board is aware of it and approved a leak test to find the problem.     

10/07/15 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court.   3 bids were presented for landscaping.   Lawn and Landscape plus was the lowest and their bid was approved, the monthly fee is now set at $3,300.  The bid to fix the lights at the corner of The Colonnades was discussed.   The bid from Brackney came in at $3,250 to install 6 LED lights and a photo cell.    Each LED fixture was listed as costing about $300.    The labor was listed at 100.00hr/2 men.        Michelle spoke up saying she would get a 2nd bid.   The lights have been broken for 2 years, now they will stay out even longer until another bid comes in and we discuss it.       Two bids were presented to fix the fountain between Quatraine IV and Parc Court.    The bid from Cascade (they installed the fountain) came in at $1,845 for a new 5hp motor.   The bid from All State Resource (They do our lakes and fix fountains) came in at a cost of $2,595 for a new 5hp motor.   A motion was made to accept the repair bid from Cascade.     The insurance renewal was discussed, it's substantial higher than last year.     The board gave approval to CiCi to get more estimates on the insurance going forward.    Two trees growing into the Parc Court corner of the lake were discussed.    Mark's foreman from L&L plaus said he doesn't go any further than the beginning of the split.     Steven said he would talk to his landscaper about trimming those trees.   The new budget was passed.    The budget was raised because of the fee to L&L Plus, Pest Quest, and Insurance went up.    During the discussion, Michelle asked about trimming trees, which we normally do every 18 months.   She asked what we did with that money this year.    It was "absorbed" by the overspending.     The overall yearly budget went from $98,892.00 to $114,780.00.   The fee that Q3 pays each month went from $1,712.68 to $1,987.84.      A motion was made and passed by Michelle to get a proposal to remove 5 bottle brush trees near Parc Court and see what the city requires regarding replacement.        In light of my e-mails regarding the overspending, Tom Yeager made a motion to engage a CPA to throurly investigate (forensics accounting) that Robert reduced to writing in his Oct 3, 2015 e-mail to the board.   Tom went on to read statements from the e-mail in regards to 23k that was "missing."    Missing was clarified to mean "spent" with the budget not followed.    The operating account under Tom and Michelle went from 49k to 15k.    The budget from the previous year was incorrect (Tom was Treasurer) and was not followed.    Tom's motion didn't pass, the next meeting was set for March, and the meeting ended.        It's no wonder that QIV has no participation on thier board.    It is run by Tom and Michelle who are impossible to work with.     Their sidewalks have black puddles (was never a problem when Terry was the irrigation vendor).  Their no trespassing sign is in the lake at this time, their main entrance wall is smashed in, and their entrance wall lights are not working properly.     Karma is catching up with them.             

10/06/15 - On this day the sidewalks were pressure cleaned by A Plus Pressure Cleaning at a cost of $1,154.89.

08/26/15 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   Violations and accounts at the attorney were discussed.    A foreclosed home sold, and another homeowner paid all deliquent dues to the attorney, which results in the association collecting deliquent assessment money.   The board discussed 3 bids for a new roof at the pool house.    More information is needed from one vendor regarding whether they do a hot mop or not, then the board will make a decision.    There was one homeowner present, who said she likes the neighborhood.      

08/17/15 - During this week, the trees were trimmed by Native Sun.   This was a light trim to get branches off the homes at a cost of $7,990.     

07/01/15 - The latest newsletter is here.
Newsletter_Summer_2015.doc

06/30/15 - A final walk through was done with Daren of All Paving.   A few spots in the pavement have grooves in them where the garbage trucks travel twice a week.   This is because the pavement had not cured yet.   All Paving will come out and smooth these spots at the end of July.  

Need an AMF form?   The link is above, or it's located here on the Ambassador page.
http://www.ambassadormanagement.com/mod.htm

06/24/15 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park, 3 homeowners were present.   The violation list was passed out and discussed.   A bid to paint fences in vaious locations was approved for Thomas Burk of HOA Maintenance and Repair in the amount of $2,610.    Accounts at the attorney were discussed in detail. 

06/20/15 - The gate at the pool was repaired.   The hinges had broken because they were not attached to the gate properly.    Mark's Fence came out and installed 3 new hinges with more bolts for support.

06/03/15 - A master association meeting was held at Parc Court.     Now remember, everything on this web site is a story, or fiction.    Two weeks before the meeting, I received the financial statement and looked it over.   I noticed the fee for the landscaping was $4,100 a month, when six months ago it was $2,800.       Michelle had told the board members the bushes needed to be cleaned, and it would cost $500.   But now it was a $1,300 increase, not the $500 she told everyone.   It turns out, the landscapers were charging $500 per cut to clean up under the bushes, and no one knew where the extra $300 was when asked.           I also noted we no longer had white fly and that the extra contract for that could be terminated, saving us $7,200.   At the meeting, Tom Yeager called Dana from Pest Quest to talk about this extra fee.  Dana rambled on stating how he comes out every month and the extra contract covers more than just white fly.    I wasn't happy about this explanation, but the other members went along with it thanking Dana.    Tom wanted to call Victor about the higher sprinkler repairs, but I said no, I wasn't interested in speaking to him.   If you remember, Michelle and Tom fired Terry from Top Shelf without cause at a previous meeting.      I mentioned there were other problems that needed to be fixed, such as lights on directional signs, the light timer box on the fountain between Q3 and Q4, and a gushing sprinkler at the entrance of Q3 (the grass was already brown).   CiCi said she would have these issues taken care of (even though I had mentioned the broken lights 6 months ago).      Once all that bickering was done, the voting for positions took place under new business.   I became Treasurer because Tom Yeager was going away for a while.     At the time of the meeting, the operating account was down to 13k, but it was decided to transfer 6k from reserves to cover the new signs across from Central Park.    Just so everyone knows, when I was treasurer before, the operating account had 49k in it.      That transfer would bring the operating account to 19k.   The reserves had 55k at the time of the meeting, they hadn't been pilfered yet.     The decision was also made to reduce the cleanings under the bushes to once a month at a fee of $500, and review the landscaper contract.    So in summary, Michelle and Tom over spent the money, giving a 15k raise to the landscapers, let Victor over changer on sprinkler repairs, and left a white fly contract in place for $7,200 that isn't needed, all in a period of 6 months.        Depending on how the landscpaing contract is reduced, I'll have to increase the budget of the master to compensate for this spending.    If you want to vent, please let Michelle Piracci and Tom Yeager know they've done a great job overspending the money from the master.   Tom is also a CPA by the way, he made sure to mention that at the meeting while saying the finances were in good shape.   But please remember, this is only rumors, it's not real.                  

5/22/15 - The road paving project went from 04/20/15 to 05/20/15 at a final cost of $219,116.38.   The board saved for 8 years to complete this project, never raising the monthly fee, nor having a special assessment.       Before and after pictures are below.   Click each to make bigger, then back to return here.   

Above are pictures of the entrance at 98th ave.

Above are pictures of 99th ave.

05/20/15 - On this day, the old style dog poop containers were put back in place.   Why?    Because the white tubes were dirty and didn't work out so well.    The goal of the white tubes was to stop people from putting home trash into the cans.    The people who were doing this have moved away.    

Remember, only dog waste is allowed in these cans.     

04/22/15 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.    Motions were made regarding accounts at the attorney and how to deal with them.    There was discussion about the root cutting process for the road paving project.   It was mentioned that the light and plants at the 98th Ave entrance were damange by the paving company.   Discussion ensured about how to pay for the root cutting and road paving projects in regards to the operating and reserve accounts.    Hard tree trimming and fence painting bids were requested.   No homeowners showed up at this meeting, other than the husband of a board member.

04/17/15 - The road paving project will start on Monday April 20th.   The 1st Three cul-de-sacs will be done.    They will be milled, and then root pruning will happen.     Cars parked in guest spots will be towed to Another part of the community.    Please remember to Lock Your Car Doors during this process.   

03/25/15 - What is the delay with the paving project?    The City of Plantation requires a certified aborist to do the root pruning of the streets.    Not only that, they require the arborist to submit a report of all trees, their width at the bottom, top, distance from the street, and canopy size.    In other words, they make things complicated.      The board did not know about this.    The 1st bid for root pruning came in too high, the vendor wanted to prune every tree along the streets.    Another bid was needed and is currently in the works only pruning the trees causing the most damage.   

02/26/15 - The annual meeting was held at volunteer park.    10 people showed by proxy, 6 board members, and 5 homeowners for a total of 21.    51 are required to have a quorum at the annual membership meeting, the current board rolled over for the 9th year, and the membership meeting was adjourned.      In the regular board meeting, repairs were discussed.    The pool shower drain was repaired by Moody plumbing at a cost of $1,485.   The pipe leading from the shower to the lake was replaced as roots had broke through it.  The drain cover was also replaced.     The fence facing Cleary needs to be painted.   The pool house wall near the water fountain needs to be painted.    A mailbox pad needs to be painted.     A bid was presented to do root pruning of the roads before the paving project, but the linear feet was too high (he wanted to root prune every tree in the neighborhood, approximately 309 at 5050 linear feet) so a new bid will be required.    A bid was accepted to hire Guaranteed Pest Control to treat the community every 2 months.    A homeowner complained about solicitors knocking on their door about a security system.  

02/14/15 - All Paving sent out a bid for driveway repair and homeowners responded by e-mail.   All Paving then sent out an e-mail to those who responded (26 homeowners) not using the "BCC" option.   This meant everyone was on the thread, and most responded saying the price was too high at $1,500.   Four board members were on the thread including myself.       Below is the official response from the board that was sent to everyone on the thread (Reply-All).  

To the QIII community,

As most of the Quatraine III residents do not attend Association board meetings, and it's not clear how many residents log in to the Quatraine III Yahoo Group to read the posted minutes, there is a lack of understanding of our bidding process for the road paving project.

The board sent out for several bids and received the following:

Lot Pro: $276,782.00
Roadway: $234,580.00
Am Jet: $238,000.00
All Paving: $171,108.00

We received 3 references from All Paving, 2 residential communities and 1 commercial job, and checked them, including going on property to see in person the work they performed. All 3 references provided very positive feedback, and the actual paving work was excellent.

We have signed a contract with All Paving to do the roadways and cul-de-sacs. Individual driveways are the responsibility of the homeowners. We understand that All Paving's price for driveways has been considered too high. Homeowners are encouraged to contact other paving companies for bids.

Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors

01/14/15 - This note is to inform all residents of the Asphalt Paving project that will be completed over the next month on your neighborhood roadways. We are scheduled to commence this project over the next month. - While we are completing this work we will be providing all residents with the option of having their existing driveway removed and a new one installed. - Since each resident’s driveway varies in size we will be providing those home owners interested in having their driveways completed individual pricing. - We are providing two options for residents to receive a quote  (A) You may call our office at 954-933-2053, and let the front desk know you are a Q III resident and provide our estimating department with your Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address to send the proposal. Or  (B) You may send an email to info@allpaving.com, subject being “QIII”, and in the email please provide us with your Name, Address, Phone Number, and Email Address. All requests must be made before 1/20/2015.

01/04/15 - My front yard isn't doing well.    I found out it's Fungus.   I bought fugus control from Home Depot and have notified the landscaper.

12/22/14 - A message was posted to the Quatraine3 Yahoo message board giving more information about the paving project.   It reads...

Over the last few months, the Board received several bids for repaving the Quatraine III roadways. After checking on work and contacting references, we voted to award the contract to All Paving.  The price is such that the work will be covered completely by the Reserves we have been salting away for years.  We will likely have some Reserve funds left over, which is needed as a cushion against storm damage and other large expenditures.

Repaving will include 98th Ave, 9th Ct, and 99th Ave, and all cul-de-sacs, exclusive of driveways.  A contact person at All Paving will be available to call directly for individual homeowners who want their driveways repaved at their own expense.
Once the work has started, there will be some short-term inconvenience with respect to parking.  As long as everyone cooperates and demonstrates a bit of patience, we'll get through this and have beautiful roads by spring.

12/17/14 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   Pool pavers will be repaired in January.    Various plumbing repairs in the pool bathrooms are scheduled.  A motion passed to approved a bid from All Paving.      

12/08/14 - On this day the sidewalks and curbs were pressure cleaned by A-Plus Pressure Cleaning at a cost of $1,054.62.

11/08/14 - A bid to repair the sidewalks was approved using Tom Burke at a cost of $4,025.    Work was started to grind down raised sidewalks, and remove entire sections that were cracked beyond repair.    Also on this day, I received my coupon book, the fee remains at $125.     If you did not get your coupon book, contact the property manager.

10/22/14 - A meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   The entire 7 member board, the property manager, and 1 homeowner were present.    The budget passed keeping the fee at $125 for the 9th year in a row.    Our fee is one of the lowest around, we have 170 units.     The fee at QIV is $130 with 82 units.   The fee at Jacaranda Point is $115 with 136 units.     Parc Court (200 units) and The Colonnades (230 units) are condos, their fee is higher.   The 5 communities just mentioned are also part of a master association.

History of dues: 1996 - $85, 2001 - $90, 2002 - $100, 2004 - $110, 2006 - $125.  

On the violation list, 37 letters have been written, most for dirty roofs.   The next violation walk through will take place in January after the holidays.   Various accounts at the attorney were discussed, one of them a renter who is not paying.   If someone is renting from a dead beat, the renter is responsible for paying the dues to the board, otherwise, the attorney is contacted to evict.   Various issues of repair were discussed, including leveling the pavers in front of the pool gate, 2 new light fixtures above the water fountain, repair men's room bathroom faucets with plastic bolts, clear shower drain and replace cover, paint new fence pickets, clean pool furniture, get bids for sidewalk repair, review road resurfacing bids. 

A new bid was discussed for road paving, this bid came in much lower at approximately $248,000 depending on which jobs will be done.  The board plans on getting one more bid from the first company that came in at 300k.    The board believes the bid dropped because fuel costs have gone down.   The board also believes a special assessment will not be necessary to do the job.   

In the open forum, a homeowner shared information about flood insurance ratings.   If you receive a letter saying it's no longer required, and you keep it, the premium may drop.    Homeowners can contact the city engineering department asking if their home is in a flood zone or not.  

The fall newsletter was posted at the mailboxes and the pool.   Click the link and a word file should appear.   Or Right Click then "Save As" to your hard drive.

Newsletter_Fall_2014.doc

10/15/14 - A new door lock was installed at the pool, with a metal grate which keeps people from breaking the lock with a screwdriver.   The lock is only on the outside, so anyone can exit without needing a key.   The cost of this was $1,596.10.   The pool was closed for repair, a new surge tank was replaced at a cost of $1,350.   The pool re-opened on 10/20/14. 

10/01/14 - A Master Association Meeting was held at Parc Court.   A motion was passed to install 3 park benches at a cost of $3,400 by ACECA Construction.   One of them to be located between QIII and QIV along the north lake sidewalk.   A motion to replace the two directional signs along Cleary passed, will be done by Testa&Sons Signs in the amount of $6,413.   A motion passed approving the new budget, which was slightly lower than the previous year.   Landscaping of Jacaranda Point was discussed, the area under their hedges is not being cleaned up and the landscapers need to do something about this.   Tree Trimming is scheduled for next year in May, I mentioned that the trees under the power lines of QIII need to be trimmed, and some of them are nusciance trees.     

09/26/14 - Bulk Schedule updated through 2015.    We have a new maintenance man who is ready to do a long list of projects.     Various jobs we hope this person can do are painting the mailbox pads, scrubbing the pool chairs, cleaning the bathrooms, pulling weeds at front entrance planters, waxing the mailboxes, picking up trash on entire property, painting/repairing fence slats as needed , cleaning tot lot equipment, pulling weeds in pool area planters, and cleaning signs. 

09/04/14 - Two pool lights were replaced with LED fixtures at a cost of $1,390.    Swim with confidence knowing our pool is safe.    The pool lights are on a timer only coming on at night, the voltage going to the lights is 12V.     The entire system was checked by a professional electrician in August when the pump motor was replaced.  

08/31/14 - Check out pictures of the recent landscape work here.   Our community looks great after the work by Native Sun.   
Pictures 2014

08/27/14 - Landscape work continued around the community with mulch installed.    A meeting was held at Volunteer park, 2 homeowners showed up.    A motion passed to replace two pool lights at a cost of $1,390 with new LED fixtures.   This will replace the north and west light in the pool, which are burned out and filled with water.   The electrical system around the pool was checked when the pump was replaced.   Our pool lights are 12v, the 110v power is converted down by boxes at the side of the pool.    Replacing the lights is another step to make sure our pool is safe.   The budget was discussed, a revised 2015 budget was presented with changes from the previous year.    The fee is still scheduled to stay at $125.     A board member asked why we can't increase by $5.    The answer was we want to keep our fee lower than QIV, and the low fee is a way to encourage people to continue to pay on time.    The road paving project was discussed asking how we can pay for it with money in the reserves.   A previous bid came in at 300k.   The board asked the property manager to get 2 more bids.   The idea of a small special assessment of $300 per homeowner was discussed.      A new maintenance man named Gary was started, his hours would be 11:30am to 03:30pm.       

08/20/14 - Landscape work started by Native Sun.   This is a major project to re-landscape the entire community at a cost of $20,827.50.   A hard trim was done, followed by bed cleaning and removal of rocks.   

08/07/14 - The new pump motor was installed at a cost of $1,821.    Pool was still closed until the chemical levels could be checked.    The pool re-opened the next day on 08/08/14.     

07/31/14 - The pump motor burned out.   A new motor was ordered.   

07/08/14 - Pressure cleaning was started by Continental.  They will also paint 3 fence sections.   A landscaping bid was also approved, which will happen once pressure cleaning and painting is done.    Faucets in the women's bathroom at the pool were repaired.    Someone asked if the news letter could be published online.    This web site IS a news letter, but I'll put it here since the Summer version was 2 pages which combined all the topics from the previous news letters.   Click the link and a word file should appear.   Or Right Click then "Save As" to your hard drive.

Newsletter_Summer_2014.doc

The AMF for Modification To Your Home can be found here.

AMF090913.doc

06/25/14 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.    Becky talked to a company about the pavers at the pool, but needs a formal bid.    She also talked to Continental Painting bringing a bid to the meeting regarding pressure cleaning and painting, but the bid needed to be updated to not include painting the curb stops.   It was decided to hire a plumber to fix the faucets in the women's bathroom at the pool.   Three homeowners were present in the audience at the open forum, two of them new homeowners attending their first meeting.   Tree trimming was discussed, along with AMF forms for painting the home.      

05/07/14 - A master association was held at Parc Court, this was the annual meeting.    I stayed on as a director.  Michelina Piracci stayed on as President, Jeff Brighman as Vice President.   Ton Yeagar stayed on as Treasurer, and the Secretary position was defaulted to Shirl Stout of Jacaranda Lakes (who didn't show up to the meeting).   They asked if I wanted to do it, but I said no.    This is what they get for firing Terry from Top Shelf.    The property manager from J&L (CiCi) took the minutes.    That's right, the property manager was taking the minutes.      After the annual meeting, items of discussion were adding park benches along the walk ways between QIII, QIV, and Parc Court.   Designs were presented with discussion.    I mentioned that kids would probably throw the benches in the lake, because QIII used to have benches next to the jungle gym.    Do you know where that bench is now?   It's in the lake.  The next item of discussion was replacing the lights on the signs with LED lights.     These lights are very expensive, one light can cost $400.   QIII has one of these lights at the entrance of 99th ave, it cost $400 to install with the light.   Tom said he would visit a lighting store and check into this.   Yep, I'm holding my breath.       Next item of discussion was the directional sign across from Central Park, it's busted up and needs repair.      In the open forum Michelina asked what is causing the horrible mess on the sidewalks in front of QIV.      There are puddles that are forming.    I know the answer to this, and it involves the sprinkler system, but I didn't say anything.   CiCi said they could get an engineer out there to figure it out.       We never had this problem when Terry from Top Shelf was taking care of the system.   The meeting ended, Michelina and Tom left,  and I told Jeff I knew the answer, but if they wanted to use Victor to do the sprinklers, they could figure it out.      Jeff said he wished I had spoken up in the meeting.     The next meeting probably won't happen for six months, so the sidewalk puddles in front of QIV will stay that way.   And if they want to re-hire Terry from Top Shelf, that will solve the problem.   

 04/23/14 - A meeting was held at Volunteer park.   Maintenance issues were discussed at length.   The faucets in the women's bathroom were pulled up from the sink, new faucets will be installed by Pedro (the maintenance man) or a plumber.  Renters who placed boards on the outside of their fence were notified by letter this is not allowed.   Tree trimming is underway, the cost of this job is $9,356.      It was mentioned that the maintenance man needs to nail fence slats back up that have fallen down.   It was also mentioned that Pedro can clean the backs of the pool chairs.   Once tree trimming is done, future plans are to pressure clean the sidewalks, then mulch the community.  


03/24/14 - My roof was pressure cleaned by Continental Painting.     Check out the 1st picture for their web site and phone number.   The mail box pads were also painted green by the new maintenance man.  

02/26/14 - The annual meeting was held at Volunteer Park.   6 Homeowners were present in the audience, 7 board members, and the property manager.   A total of 25 were present when proxies were included.   This was not enough for a quorum and the current board rolled over.    The annual membership meeting was adjourned and the regular board meeting happened.    Violations and financials were discussed.  For those who don't know, the list of violations is 5 pages.  At this time, 28 people are on the violation list, most for dirty roofs, followed by the home needing to be painted.     Regarding financials, deliquent accounts are down to 20k, it was 50k a few years ago.      For upcoming projects, Trees will be trimmed in April by McKenna, followed by pressure cleaning the sidewalks.  A homeowner mentioned that leaving bulk garbage on the grass kills it, or the claw from the bulk pickup truck grabs the grass and leaves a dead spot.   Therefore, it would be nice if homeowners leave bulk pickup in the street on Saturday morning of bulk pickup, instead of in the grass circles.          

Before the annual meeting, I met the owner from Continental Painting to discuss various projects around the community that involved painting and pressure cleaning.   I also spoke to one of the owners who lives across from the tot lot about painting the new fence they installed.     Future projects are painting the mailbox pads green, and roof at the pool house pressure cleaned.   Once tree trimming is done, the sidewalks and curbs will be pressure cleaned. 
http://continentalpaintingfl.com/index.html

The previous year is here.

Year 2013      

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