Voices from the Villas #6

The 2009 Christmas Edition

Hello Neighbors!

Happy Holidays to all and my wishes for a safe, happy, healthy 2010!  Over the past two years we have accomplished so much.  Video surveillance (not one break-in since!)  Residents and neighbors all agree that our desert landscaping is amazingly beautiful.  The plants are still immature.  Once they grow taller, the desert landscaping will be the envy of the neighborhood.  The money it is saving us is considerable.  And our recyling program gets better and better.  It, too, is saving us money.  Combined, they are some of the reasons we have not had to raise HOA dues for two years in a row.  And we intend on keeping the dues the same for a third year!  Many kudos to the L&A committee for their dedication to this project and to our treasurer for keeping a keen eye out for our financial security.

I have a lot to cover so I will try to be as succinct as possible, usually very difficult for me to do… haha.

1.     INSURANCE – Though the Ramona Villas HOA carries substantial insurance, keep in mind this insurance only covers common and exclusive use areas.  We have learned that legally, common areas also include pipes, which run under a condo’s slab.  We have had a number of these pipes break, causing water damage to the interiors of a few condos.

The HOA is responsible for fixing the broken pipe, but not for any damage to the interior of a condo that is the result of a broken pipe under the slab.  Therefore it behooves all home owners to carry insurance on their condo that will cover interior damage to the dwelling and personal property, as well as liability.  Though the HOA also carries earthquake insurance, it is also wise to carry your own earthquake insurance.  The HOA earthquake insurance might cover the cost of rebuilding Ramona Villas, but the deductible alone would force us to impose an assessment on each owner in the $20-30K range.  Those with large mortgages might be inclined to just walk away and leave the rubble to the bank.  But for those who own their condos outright or have a lot of equity in their home, would be losing, perhaps, much of their investment.  A secondary earthquake insurance policy would help cover that deductible.  So investigate the possibility of getting earthquake insurance along with homeowner’s insurance that would cover the dwelling, personal property, and liability.

NOTE TO TENANTS:  If you are a seasonal renter, it is the landlord’s responsibility to have homeowner’s insurance.  You should find out if your landlord has this insurance and if not, encourage him or her to get it.  If you are a tenant with a long-term lease, then it is YOUR responsibility to have insurance and should inquire about getting some.

2.     PREVENTION:  Some patio slabs have cracked due to water seeping under the slab and weakening                                       the ground.  The original design of these condos was not perfect.  Most importantly, make sure that during heavy rains, the water from your roof is draining properly.  That means AWAY from the yard, not directly into it, and THAT means gutters!  As I walk around the complex, I see various kinds of gutters or none at all.  You will notice that the square spouts coming off your roof, spill directly onto the patio areas.  This is a simple and inexpensive fix.  You needn’t have the entire eave guttered, you just need about a foot and a half of gutter going off to each side to get the water flowing away from your yard, away from the condo.  I had this done to our condo.  It cost only $120 and looks great.  I can’t encourage you enough to check into having your condo properly guttered.

3.     RENTERS: Your HOA Board recognizes there are many tenants who have been a welcome addition to our community.  They are active in our community and contribute greatly.  We want our tenants to feel part of the community, because they are.  News of upcoming events or notices about Ramona Villas is sent to the owner who should pass the info onto their tenants.  This is not always the case, however.   If you are a tenant, feel free to offer your services, volunteer for committees, come to our meetings and parties.  We are all one community, owners and tenants alike.  Please provide Jimmy G. with your email address if you have one, and you will be notified directly of any events or news that may concern you.  We want to accomplish as much as we have in the past couple of years, and that means we need everyone to get involved.  We encourage ALL of you to be well informed and generous with your time in volunteering to be on a committee.

4.     PING-PONG: Bruce and Heather Levin (Villa 58) have donated a new ping-pong table, complete with paddles, nets, and balls.  We thank them for their generosity and as an avid ping-pong player, I look forward to making use of this wonderful gift.

5.     POOL SHOWER: Almost all pool areas have a sign that says, “Please shower before entering pool.”  This is to prevent oily suntan lotion and sand from getting into the pool filters.  Jacqueline, the new owner of Villa 67(?) has donated a shower.  My personal suggestion is to remove the drinking fountain, which is almost never used, thereby saving money on its operation, and replacing it with a shower.  Many of us would like to shower before and AFTER we swim, to rinse off the chlorine, rather than waiting to go home to do it.  Just an idea.  But we have the shower thanks to Jacqueline.

6.     WISHES, COMPLAINTS, GRIPES:  For what it’s worth, here are some things I’ve overheard while walking the complex or at the pool.  Vending machines?  On the veranda or inside?  Could be an income generator for the HOA.  During the high season or special weekends, I think many would buy a drink or snack.  Worth looking into, I’d say.  The shuffleboard is very beat up and looks ugly.  Do we have any shuffleboard equipment?  It would be nice if that area were repainted and even nicer if people used it if it were spruced up.  Dog owners walking their dogs in that area have mentioned how nice it would be to have a few benches in front of the tennis courts so they could rest mid-walk.  With the looming possibility we may be required to have all the mailboxes in one area, the most likely area would be in front of the tennis courts.  Once again, a few benches, perhaps in front of the mailboxes, may be nice for people to sit and go through their mail, or just chat.

7.     PERSONAL PEEVE: Our clubhouse is very beautiful, but for as long as I have lived here, the walls were barren of any art whatsoever.  Now a number of people have donated very nice prints and paintings and maybe some of you have noticed these nice additions to the clubhouse.  However, one print was a very beautiful photograph by a famous photographer of a male nude.  It is really a study in dark and light.  It is hardly a revealing or even erotic photo.  It is a work of art.  It is not pornographic, and really is a very tasteful photo emphasizing shape, form, line, and light.  It was hung behind the door in the men’s room and could only be seen when the door was closed.  Many people commented on how beautiful it was.  Nevertheless, some cowardly person, who I can only think is a homophobe, chose to take it upon himself to remove it and replace it with a note that simply said, “Disgusting!”  I find this act to be cowardly and offensive.  Would the man (I assume) who took down the photo, be so MANLY as to identify himself?  Our community is a very diverse one.  I like to think we embrace diversity.  In any event, NO ONE should take it upon themselves to remove a painting, print or photo just because they don’t like it.  If you are truly offended by something hanging on any walls, then use the proper channels.  Put in a request to have it removed.  You should not, may not, take it upon yourselves to decide what is tasteful and what is not, what is art, and what is not.  Can you imagine going into the PS Art Museum and taking down a painting of a nude woman because it offends you?  Nonsense.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and just because the viewer does not see the beauty, does not mean you can remove the piece.  Come forward and tell us who you are, YOU, who have found the human body to be distasteful!  Be a man!  (Unless you are a woman who snuck into the men’s room!) Then be a woman!  The photo should be put back!  One person should not have the power to deem what is beautiful and what is not!

8.     ON THE HORIZON:  Some projects on the drawing board include painting the entire complex, possibly starting as soon as this Spring.  No final decision has been made about replacing the pool furniture and umbrellas, but we are working on it.  We think we can do with less lounge chairs and add a few more side tables.  We will very shortly be backlighting the Ramona Villas sign with LED colored lights.  The sign will look very beautiful, distinctive, is inexpensive, and will save us electricity by not using the flood light.  Speaking of lighting, have you noticed the new LED rotating colored lights in the pool after dark?  Go and see how wonderful it is.  Once again, it is saving us a considerable amount of money, using LED lights instead of large wattage bulbs.  Kudos to Jimmy G.!  These are the most salient projects, but more are in the works, such as redecking the pool and spa areas and replacing pool/spa drains.  Projects under consideration are mentioned in the attached minutes to our last meeting.  And from this day forth, we will not refer to UNITS, but to VILLAS!  The signage saying units #3-9 eg. will now be replaced with signs that say Villas 3-9!  (Every little thing like this classes up the place and improves YOUR property values.  And the L&A committee, which has been of such help, continues to find ways to improve the over-all look and design of our beautiful complex.  I am writing this to you from stormy Seattle, and I can say for all of us who are currently spending time in inclement weather, Ramona Villas never looked so beautiful!

CHEERS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL!

Thanks for listening,

Phil Polizatto, Villa 89

scrivo@comcast.net (or drop a line addressed to me in the box in the laundry room!)