Hose bibs thirteen

What can be done to prevent the pipes from freezing? Absolutely nothing, except to encourage homeowners to keep their Units warm (which we do by the hand-distributed Winter Newsletter). Unless, of course, we want to spend the thousands and thousands of dollars it would take to redesign minor and major structural portions of our buildings, which is fairly unlikely to happen any time in the near future.

Hose bibs twelve

Besides having a 2 year degree in Business, and a 2 year degree in Engineering, I also worked for 7 years in the maintenance department at a structural steel company, so as a matter fact, I do know what I am talking about (smile). But if any owner has any doubts, print out all of the photographs, take them to the nearest HomeDepot of McLendon’s, and find someone there that is trusted. Ask them if what I am writing is true or not.

Hose bibs eleven

I know that I went over these facts when I was on the old Kenthill Board in 2003 and 2004. Although I explained the above facts to them, owners insisted that installing the hose bib protectors did prevent freezing, and, “Were better than nothing.” [I pretty sure I have gone over the above facts with the new Board when the new Board took over in 2005 (and probably since then, in 2006 and 2007)].

Hose bibs ten

Hose bibs nine

If it is for example, 27 degrees outdoors, and there is any gap between the gasket and the wood siding of the building itself of any kind, it will also necessarily be 27 degrees on the inside of the hose bib protector. There is no escaping that fact. Hoses bib protectors are not magical devices, intended to ward off evil spirits of severe cold. The seal between that black soft neoprene and the building itself must be there, with absolutely no leakage, in order for the hose bib protector to capture the (somewhat reduced) warmth from the exterior wall of the building (at that point, probably 40 degrees at the most), and prevent the water inside the hose bib and the water pipe that it is attached to it from freezing.

Hose bibs eight

Hose bibs seven

Hose bibs six

With few exceptions, a good seal between the black soft neoprene gasket of the hose bib protector and the sides of nearly any Kenthill building is difficult if not impossible to attain (view all the photographs).

Hose bibs five

Hose bibs four

The attached photographs show the typical hose bibs on the sides of most of the Kenthill Townhomes buildings.

Hose bibs three

Hose bibs two

Hose bibs one

Hose bib protectors consist of an attaching device (the new style has an elastic rubber band), a black soft neoprene foam gasket, and a white oval Styrofoam core).

Inflation in our area

Seattle had the highest local inflation rate in the country — 5.8 percent — when the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics last measured our region's prices, in June. [Source: The Seattle Times, Sunday, August 24, 2008].

Breaking and entering

Another Unit was broken into. Homeowners should consider taking stronger actions, such as alarms systems, etc. A neighborhood Blockwatch program is discussed at every Annual Meeting, but no one has decided to participate.

Delinqencies

This is from an article in a Seattle newspaper:
Question: When homeowners in our large condominium association fall behind on their dues, our recourse has been to put a lien on the property. Realistically, are there other avenues of recovery we could pursue? Perhaps take them to small-claims court? Or turn them over to a collection agency?
Answer: Has your association been trying to economize by filing liens without a lawyer's help? If so, you've probably figured out that "a lien by itself isn't self-executing," says Mercer Island attorney Kris Sundberg.
In other words, just having a lien doesn't deliver the bucks. Association officers would then have to continue to pursue the delinquent owners.
Alternately, you can take your case to small-claims court. That will put the burden on the board members to file, show up, and present a case - an additional duty they may not be willing to entertain. And even if they do proceed and get a judgment, it won't automatically pay off, which means you must continue to pursue the owner.
As for using a collection agency, be prepared to pay the agency 40 percent or more of anything it collects as service fees.
The final option is hiring an attorney experienced in condominium law.

Water off

The water will be turn off on Friday (click on image above to read fine print).

Plumbing problems continue (part 2)

The work was concluded this week and the water valve was replaced.

Car prowls

The thieves that have been targeting Kent are back. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/news/27745784.html

Plumbing problems continue (part 1)

There was a water problem at Building A today. A water pipe or fitting went bad in the wall separating Unit A-5 and Unit A-6. The water was not able to be completely turned off. This is an indication that the water valve at this building is also defective. Water valves were found to be defective at Buildings E, I, J, K, and B during 2005 and 2006. Costs for replacements averaged between $2,000 and $2,500 each. Because the water valve was not able to be completely turned off at the building, the main valve which feeds the entire property plat had to be turned off. This will have to be done again at a later (undetermined as of this writing) time in order to replace the defective valve.

Shared driveway work (part 2)

Installed new asphalt.

Shared driveway work (part 1)

Removing old asphalt.

Asphalt maintenance to occur

Asphalt resurfacing will occur at the southeast shared driveway area on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. This includes the area which lies east and west between 108th Avenue SE & 106th Avenue SE. Every car must be removed from this road. Before 8:00AM on Wednesday. Any car that is not moved from the road will be towed at the owner’s expense. No exceptions. The road will be closed to thru traffic while this work is in progress so an alternate entrance to the property must be used. [Maintenance of these items is considered a shared expense under the Joint Access and Easement Agreement of 1976 signed by both Kenthill Townhomes and Easthill Apts. If you have any questions regarding this notice or the project, please contact the Easthill Apts. Office at 253-854-1820, as they will be the contact persons for the project. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter].

Questions

There have been some questions about the July Newsletter. This is what the Executive Summary from the Reserve Study says:
"Based on this starting point, Your anticipated future expenses, and your historical Reserve contribution rate, we are forced to recommend a (multi-year) Special Assessment of $205,000 in 2006 and a Special Assessment of $225,000 in 2007.
"Additionally, our recommendation is to increase your monthly Reserve contributions [now at $2778 per month] to $4,830 [per month]. with annual inflation offsetting increases thereafter [every year, this figure would also increase, to keep pace with inflation]".

This is the first sentences from the letter to the homeowners about the Reserve Study dated September 7, 2006, that was included in the July Newsletter:
"As you may know, the yearly budget is composed of two parts. The first part is the “Operating Account”, in which funds are placed to address monthly billings, utilities, etc., as well as maintenance issues such as lights, landscaping, etc. The second part is the “Replacement Reserves” Account."

So the $2,778 is what we were putting away over in our Reserve Account each month, saving it up, for things like a roof, etc., after we paid off all our monthly bills, like garbage, sewer and water, insurance, etc., out of our Operating Account. The writers of the Reserve Study were saying that's not enough money to be setting aside and saving up each month, and recommended that it be increased by 75%.

Reflection

The following is an excerpt from the letter written to homeowners dated November 4, 2006:

We have also included in the 2007 Budget the estimated cost to continue the inspection/repair of dry rot project, the estimated cost to continue the replacement of entry doors/screen doors project, and the continued commitment to have two roofs installed each year (until all 15 building are completed). In September of 2006, homeowners received a copy of the Executive Summary of the Reserve Study for Kenthill Townhomes that included a listing of 29 major line items which the writers of the study deemed as those which the Association should consider beginning funding. It should be noted that with the exception of the continuing repairs to the wood siding and the ongoing commitment to replace two roofs every year, no monies are presently being set aside to fund these listed items. The Net To Reserves line on the 2007 Budget (bottom of page), the line from which these major expense items are typically taken [and not normal monthly maintenance expenses (the Operating Budget)] only rises by $420.In order to address these needs and meet the above stated objectives, the 2007 Budget includes an approximate 10% increase, effective January 1, 2007. The coupons are included in this mailing – please start using the new coupons as of January 1, 2007.

Sincerely,

The Kenthill Board of Directors

The following is an excerpt from the letter written to homeowners dated November 4, 2007:

We have included in the 2008 Budget the continued commitment to have two roofs installed each year (until all 15 buildings are completed) as well as the installation of gutters & downspouts at these buildings. As covered at the 2007 Annual Meeting, the Board has discussed plans to begin the replacement of all the windows in all the buildings (some already have been replaced by individual unit owners in past years), one building a year, until all 15 buildings are completed, at the conclusion of the Roofing Project. However, these plans have been put on hold, as significant dry rot discoveries and their related repairs have taken precedence.

In 2006, homeowners received a copy of the Executive Summary of the Reserve Study for Kenthill Townhomes that included a listing of 29 major line items that the writers of the study deemed as those which the Association should consider beginning funding. It should be noted that with the exception of the continuing repairs to the wood siding and the ongoing commitment to replace two roofs every year, no monies are presently being set aside to fund these listed items. The Net To Reserves line on the 2008 Budget, the line from which these major expense items are typically taken [and not normal monthly maintenance expenses (the Operating Budget)] must at some point begin to increase to meet these other challenges. In the coming years the Association will have to begin to enlarge the amount on this line in order to set aside monies for the funding of major projects (one of which will be the next painting project).

In order to address these needs and meet the above stated objectives, the 2008 Budget includes an approximate 10% increase, effective January 1, 2008. Coupons and envelopes will be mailed out at a later date. Please begin using the new coupons as of January 1, 2008.

Sincerely,

The Kenthill Board of Directors

Highland Park [part two]

This picture show the rear of Highland Park ( the camera is pointing northwest). The builder is installing a fence that runs north and south along the back of the property. This is a welcome addition, and should deter trespassers who have been cutting through onto Kenthill Townhomes property.

Highland Park [part one]

Highland Park, a condominium complex located near the northwest corner of the Kenthill Townhomes property plat, is nearing completion. [The driveway entrance for this new condominium complex is near the Dairy Queen on 104th Avenue].

Hedge trimmed

The hedge which lies east and west along the northern border of Kenthill Townhomes was trimmed (photo show the section behind Building K).

Dry rot repairs

In order to address dry rot (where the roof line meets the vertical wood siding on the building), wood siding repairs were accomplished at Buildings A, B, J, L, Q, and R.

June 9, 2008 windstorm

The tree near Building D and Building E was blown down during the windstorm.

Shared roadways maintenance

Every few years work is done on certain areas of the Easthill Apartments/Kenthill Townhomes shared property plat. This year, this work will be performed again. Small repairs to certain areas of the driveways will occur. Also, the trees which border 106 Ave SE will be trimmed. Maintenance of these items is considered a shared expense under the Joint Access and Easement Agreement of 1976 signed by both Kenthill Townhomes and Easthill Apts. Although contractors are being contacted, the exact dates for the accomplishment of these projects are unknown at this time.

Memorial Day

For May, the Kenthill Townhomes monthly homeowners meeting falls on May 26th. May 26 is Memorial Day. The homeowners meeting has been changed to Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 7:00PM.

2008 Rough Draft

As stated in previous posts below, during any given year, the homeowners who are present at the Annual Meeting approve the Annual Meeting minutes for the previous year's Annual Meeting. Therefore, the 2008 Annual Meeting minutes will not be approved and mailed out until March of 2009, and only then after the homeowners in attendance at the 2009 Annual Meeting approve them. However, below is an unapproved rough draft of those minutes, based on prepared speech notes by the President:

KENTHILL TOWNHOMES ANNUAL MEETING 03/24/08
Present:Thomas Flynn, Marie Kinney, Nancy LeMay
[The Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting uses the Agenda included in the letter mailed to all homeowners announcing the date and time of the Annual Meeting].
The 2008 Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting was called to order by the President. A quorum of 25% was eventually achieved after late arriving proxies were obtained. The President gave the Treasurers Report (as the Treasurer was absent). The Association had a very tough year due to the large amount of delinquencies. Using the November 2007 minutes, these were stated to be over $21,000. This does not include the nearly $24,000 cost of attorney fees to pursue homeowners who did not pay their homeowners dues. The process was reviewed again, which includes liens, foreclosures, and eventually the Sheriffs’ Sale, as well as current Washington State law which, after the property goes thru the court system, allow a homeowner to stay in the Unit one year after the Unit is foreclosed on. The President gave the President’s Report. The long term projects of Kenthill Townhomes were reviewed. Kenthill Townhomes received a painting job in 2002 (it was of poor quality). Another painting project will need to be scheduled in the future, but sooner than within a 15 year time span (well before 2017). The window replacement project has also been put on hold indefinitely. Beginning in 2003, we have been replacing roofs, two roofs each year. All scheduling of these projects are now under review. Over the past several years, we have found increasing amounts of serious dryrot on all of our buildings. As the Budget has allowed, repairs have occurred at Buildings K, N, P, A, & R. Serious dryrot has been discovered when the installation of the roofs has occurred, resulting in numerous full sheets of the underlying plywood needing replacement. Severe dryrot has been discovered on the vertical sides above the roofs, resulting in substantial water intrusion. Serious dryrot has been discovered at areas surrounding windows, resulting in at least one entire window system needing replacement. The concrete area to the west of the Cabana, many sections of the concrete area surrounding the swimming pool, the interior lining of the swimming pool (has not been replaced for about 10 years), and the wooden fence which surrounds the swimming pool are all in poor condition. According to the Joint Access and Easement Agreements signed in 1976, Easthill Apartments and Kenthill Townhomes share operating expenses for recreational facilities (with Kenthill paying 40%). A Special Assessment to cover upcoming expenses for possible repairs to these areas is under consideration. Ongoing parking issues throughout the complex were discussed. Two homeowners resigned from the Board. One homeowner present at the meeting was elected to be on the Board.
Homeowner’s discussion:
A homeowners discussion time occurred which included a question and answer time covering the above topics. It was stated that a six page handout regarding the swimming pool issues was distributed (and mailed to off-site owners) to all 82 homeowners in 2006 (and that additional copies are again currently available on the doorstep of Unit J-4).
Meeting Adjourned: At 8:30PM. The next HOA meeting is scheduled for 04/28/08 at 7:00PM.

Wood siding dry rot repairs

Work to repair the dry rot which has been discovered at many of our buildings has commenced again in 2008, beginning with Buildings A and B.

2008 Annual Meeting handout

This was handed out to all homeowners who were present at the 2008 Annual Meeting:

March 24, 2008

Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners,

Kenthill Townhomes has had many difficulties and has faced several challenges this year. The Board of Directors has been very busy addressing these various issues. Below is an abbreviated list of projects and ongoing projects accomplished in 2007. [Further details concerning these projects may be obtained by viewing the webblog at http://kenthillwebblog.blogspot.com].

1. Worked with certified public accountant to assist in the completion of the required 2006 audit.
2. Continuing to work with our neighbors on all sides to regarding various issues including trespasser and fence problems.
3. Repairs hazardous sidewalks.
4. Continued wood siding repairs to various areas on our buildings that are affected by dry rot.
5. Inspected and approved requests from homeowners for the maintenance (including replacements) of a number of windows, entry doors and screens, in accordance with our new homeowner approved governing documents.
6. Continued to work with arborist to trim trees at our property complex including those which present a hazard during windstorms. These efforts included correspondence with neighboring complexes.
7. Worked with the City of Kent regarding hazardous walkway conditions along 256th St SE. [Note: This roadway is scheduled for major repair/replacement beginning in 2008].
8. In 2006, worked with plumbing contractors to address a record number of significant (and costly) plumbing problems; these included major water leaks discovered at Buildings E, I, J, and L. In 2007, this work continued and included repairs done at Buildings A and B.
9. Continued repairs to outside water faucet hose bibs.
10. Cleaned gutters and downspouts on all 15 buildings, applying moss control on roofs as needed.
11. Worked to address the ongoing issues surrounding delinquencies and foreclosures.
12. Installed new street address signs on those buildings where they had become missing.
13. Painted the concrete curbing which surrounds certain parking islands at various places throughout the complex.
14. Installed new building letter signs on those buildings where they had become missing.
15. Purchased and distributed new, improved Parking Tags for all owners and their tenants.
16. Installed new bark near landscaped areas throughout the complex.
17. Worked with contractors to install new gutters and downspouts on all buildings that have had new roofs installed since the Roofing Project began in 2003. [New gutters and downspouts will be completed at the conclusion of each remaining roof installation from this point forward].
18. New roofs installed on Building N and Building P.
19. New gutters and downspouts installed on Building N and Building P.
20. Major dry rot repairs completed at Building N and Building P.

2008 Annual Meeting

The 2008 Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting will be held at 7:00PM in the Cabana on March 24, 2008. Homeowners are urged to sign proxies [that will be sent out soon] if they are unable to attend. Homeowners are strongly urged to review the Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners Meeting Minutes dated 11/26/07 & 11/29/07 prior to the meeting. Homeowners may wish to re-read the December Newsletter (additional copies may be found on the doorstep of Unit J-4).