2012 Wood siding repairs, part one

This is a picture of the wood siding repairs occurring at Building N (east end and west end).

LID information (continued)

The paperwork that the City of Kent sent to all homeowners states, “The City received a $2 million grant from the Transportation Improvement Board to apply towards the estimated project cost of $7 million.” So I thought that it logically followed that the remaining $5 million would come from the homeowners. There is nothing in the paperwork to imply otherwise.

Only if you attended the meeting would you know otherwise. View the second photo in the posted dated May 11, 2012 (below).

I telephoned the engineer from the City of Kent. I left a message on his voicemail. I asked, “I own a condo at Kenthill Townhomes. I received a notice from the City of Kent regarding the proposed LID. It states that the assessed amount for my condo would be approximately $2,400. Now is that $2,400 every year for 15 years, or is that $2,400 divided up by fifteen years?”

He telephoned me back and left a message on my voicemail. He said, “The assessed amount is the total for that property. A homeowner may choose to pay it all at once, or may choose to spread it out in yearly payments over the fifteen years.”

2012 Proposed Local Improvement District [LID]

I sure everyone received their notice from the City of Kent by now regarding the proposed Local Improvement District (LID) and have read the additional letter from the City of Kent, notifying the homeowner how much of an assessment will be assigned their Unit. The notice also included an invitation to attend an informational meeting so that those affected by the LID could learn more about it and so that they could ask questions.

The meeting was held Wednesday evening at Kent Meridian High School on May 9th from 5:30 to 7:30PM in the gym. I arrived at 6:15. There were about fifteen people there, and about that amount came in and left during the 45 minutes I remained. I walked around and viewed the displays that were mounted on tripods.

2012 Roof installations continue (part two)

This is a picture of the roof installation which occurred at Building B this week.

Bird problems

Woodpecker and starling bird intrusions have occurred.  Repairs are ongoing and will be categorized under the Wood Siding Repair Project.

2012 Roof installations continue

 

This is a picture of the roof installation which occurred at Building A this week.

Significantly raised cost of water

Pre-arraigned agreements govern the division of various for Easthill Apartments and Kenthill Townhomes. Generally speaking, Easthill pays 60% and Kenthill Townhomes pays 40% of all shared invoices, under the Joint Access and Easement Agreement of 1976, signed by both Kenthill Townhomes and Easthill Apartments.

In 2012, The City of Kent significantly raised the cost for water and sewer to all citizens.

The Association has received the 2010 Kenthill Townhomes Audit from the Certified Public Accountant for Kenthill Townhomes (the 2011 Audit is still being worked on).

The audit states that, for the year ending 2010, water and sewer costs totaled $60,577.

Remember, that number reflects what we, Kenthill Townhomes, actually paid in 2010, for water and sewer.

The audit contains 20 line items expenses. No other line item expense even comes close.

[Delinquencies are another matter].

There is a great deal of information on the topic of water and saving money on this blog. As a beginning, homeowners may wish to view the right hand side of the blog, under, "Blog Archive".  Go down to 2005, go down to July, go down to the series entitled, "Investigating cost savings", reading parts one, two, and three.

2012 Annual Meeting

The 2012 Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting was held on March 26th at 7:00PM in the Cabana. The turnout was good. [According to Washington State law, and our Declarations & Bylaws, a minimum of 25% of the owners must attend, either in person, or by proxy]. A lot of topics were covered, a considerable amount of frustration was expressed, some anger was conveyed; many misunderstandings were cleared up, a lot of insight was given; apologies were offered; apologies were accepted. All in all, it was good meeting.

2012 Weather damage

Some pictures of the recent weather damage:

2011 Dry rot repairs continue (more)

This is a picture of the dry rot repairs which occurred at Unit P-5.

Utility work being done

Utility work [telephone line (Quest), cable television (Century Link), internet, water pipe line (Pacific Utilities), etc.] is being done near the southwest corner of our property plat (near 256th Street SE).

2011 Asphalt seal coating

The shared asphalt driveways of Kenthill Townhomes and Easthill Apartments, together with certain parking areas and parking stalls of Easthill Apartments were seal coated this week.

FHA and VA approvals

In December of 2010, the FHA changed the way that their approval process worked, and as of that date, all condominium approvals either expired or were set to expire within a specific time frame. The FHA approval for Kenthill Townhomes was set to expire on May 31, 2011. As you know, having an FHA approval is very important to the marketability of each individual Unit in our condominium complex, and therefore extremely important to value. Because of all the recent changes made in the lending field, FHA financing is currently being used on close to 40% of all purchase transactions. Without FHA approval, owners at Kenthill Townhomes limit the marketability of their Units and thus decrease the value of all the Units in the condominium complex. Furthermore, in addition to the above mentioned change, individual approvals for a specific owner Units (often referred to as, “spot” approvals) in a condominium complex are no longer available from the FHA. In other words, an individual owner can no longer obtain FHA approval for just their individual Unit. In conclusion, it became imperative for the Board to renew Kenthill Townhome’s FHA approval before it expired. After extensive research, the Board was able to acquire assistance with this endeavor at considerable cost savings. It should be noted that current guidelines now require application for recertification every two years. Part of the purpose of this rule is to ensure that condominium complexes have a low delinquency rate as well as a low “owner-occupied” to “rental/tenant” ratio. More information about this topic will be provided in the coming weeks and months. Please scroll down and review the May 14, 2011 and June 12, 2011 posts on this website for additional links and photos concerning not only FHA approval but also VA approval.

Note to real estate agents who may read this: All parties and any current listings should revise their MLS to include both the FHA and VA approval notice since it may increase the buyer prospects immediately.

Kenthill Townhomes approved for VA

There has been some question as to whether Kenthill Townhomes was approved for VA. We are. Please view the above photo (click on photo to enlarge). This is a valuable piece of information for those seeking financing in today's market. Please also note the post on this website dated 05-14-11. It shows that we are approved for FHA as well.

More asphalt repairs (near Building R)

This is from Easthill Apartments:

June 6, 2011 Re: Parking lot repairs
Dear Resident or Kenthill Bldg. R,
We will be doing asphalt repair in several areas of the parking and roadways on Thursday June 9th. This will include tear out of the old asphalt and replacement with new asphalt up to and including parts of your parking area. To allow clearance for the heavy equipment and avoid possible damage to your vehicle please park elsewhere until the work is completed. Part of the repair does include roadway that is a shared asset for Easthill Apts. and Kenthill Townhomes. Your parking space is in one of the larger repair areas and will need to be removed until the work is completed. Please do not park in this area on Thursday June 9th. Workers will arrive on the property and begin repairs at 7:00 AM. Vehicles must be removed from the repair area before 7:00 AM and not use the area of repair until the work is completed. Please use guest parking for that day. Kenthill residents of Bldg. R may use Easthill Apts. Guest parking (along the roadway) for that day if necessary.Vehicles that are left parked in the area that interfere with the repairs will be relocated by tow truck at the owners expense. If you have questions please feel free to contact me at the Easthill Apts. Office. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Darla Goodman Manager
Easthill Apts.
253-854-1820

2011 Dry rot repairs continue

This is a picture of the dry rot repairs which occurred at Unit B-2.

2011 Roof installations continue

These are some pictures of the roof installation which occurred this week at Building R.

2011 Roof installations continue

This is a picture of the roof installation which occurred at Building Q this week.

Kenthill Townhomes approved for FHA

There has been some question as to whether Kenthill Townhomes was approved for FHA. We are. Go to Google. Type HUD. Go to Quicklinks. Go to Find FHA Approved Condos. Select Find By Name. Select Washington. Type Kenthill. [Alternate information: The correct condo number is S010416].

2011 Dry rot repairs continued (side)

Dry rot repairs continue on the exterior of certain buildings. This is a picture of the repairs which occurred at the east end of Building J.

2011 Dry rot repairs continue

Dry rot repairs continue on the exterior of certain buildings. This is a picture of the repairs which occurred at Building C (Unit C-2).

2011 Dry rot repairs continued

Dry rot repairs continue on the exterior of certain buildings. This is a picture of the repairs which occurred at Building J.

2011 Dry rot repairs continue

Dry rot repairs continue on the exterior of certain buildings. This is a picture of the repairs which occurred at Building C [This is a,"completed" (after the repairs are nearly all done) photo of Unit C-1].

2011 Annual Meeting

The 2011 Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting will be held at 7:00PM in the Cabana on March 28, 2011. Homeowners are urged to sign proxies if they are unable to attend. Homeowners may wish to re-read the December 2008 Newsletter (additional copies may be found on the doorstep of Unit J-4).

Shed installation violation

Before reading on, please view and refer to the August 1, 2010 post on this website (with its picture), entitled, "Shed building season".
Recently, a homeowner installed an exterior shed without first obtaining the drawings form the property management company and without obtaining Board permission before commencing construction. Needless to say, the shed was not built according to the approved drawings.
The shed was removed and the expense was charged back to the homeowner. Please read the following excerpt from the Rules & Regulations:
9.1 Storage Sheds. A copy of the Board approved uniform patio storage shed design is available from the property management company. Installation of the storage shed does require prior Board approval.
9.7 The Board reserves the right to require the homeowner to remove any unapproved alterations and restore the Common Areas or Limited Common Areas to their previous condition at the homeowner’s expense. Violations will be handled according to the Declarations, Section 11.

Tree removal project

Kenthill Townhomes will be having two trees removed on November 1, 2010. One tree is located between Kenthill Townhomes Building B and Building C. The other tree, which is more closer to Easthill Apartments, is located at the east end of Kenthill Townhomes Building R, at the east end of Unit R-5. This tree is now in danger of harming the foundation (and maybe the nearby sidewalk). Our landscaping company typically comes to service Kenthill Townhomes on Wednesdays. They will be handling the raking and cleanup of the sawdust, etc., from this project.

2010 Dry rot repairs continue

Dry rot repairs continue on the sides of certain buildings. This is a picture of the repairs occurring at Building E.

New concrete wall

Easthill Apartments has completed their work on the new concrete retaining wall near the Cabana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcCkt1g47-Q

New delinquency fee

The following letter was sent to all 82 Kenthill Townhomes homeowners on 06-30-10. Just to be 100% clear, this new fee is in addition to the regular $15 late fee for paying late one's homeowners dues.

to: ALL KENTHILL TOWNHOMES homeowners
from: KENTHILL TOWNHOMES board of directors
subject: delinquency statement processing fee
date: JUNE 30, 2010

Due to the increased scope of work resulting from efforts in collecting on delinquent accounts, SUHRCO Residential Properties, LLC has instituted a Delinquency Statement Processing Fee. This Delinquency Statement Processing Fee is $15.00 per month for each month a First Notice or Second Notice is sent to any homeowner whose account is not paid in full. No Delinquency Statement Processing Fee will be charged on the initial delinquency statement.
Your Association Board of Directors has the authority to pass on the Delinquency Statement Processing Fee to each owner receiving a First Notice or Second Notice. Therefore, in addition to your Association’s established Late Fee, each delinquent account will be assessed the $15.00 Delinquency Statement Processing Fee.
In order to avoid this additional fee, please pay your account in full each month by your Association’s established grace period.
Please contact your Property Manager with any questions regarding the Delinquency Statement Processing Fee.
Thank you!

Shed building season

Summer is when homeowners traditionally install new exterior sheds. Above are two examples. The shed on the right is built according to the drawings. The shed on the left is not built according to the drawings. The shed on the left is unacceptable. Please read the following excerpt from the Rules & Regulations:

9.1 Storage Sheds. A copy of the Board approved uniform patio storage shed design is available from the property management company. Installation of the storage shed does require prior Board approval.

9.7 The Board reserves the right to require the homeowner to remove any unapproved alterations and restore the Common Areas or Limited Common Areas to their previous condition at the homeowner’s expense. Violations will be handled according to the Declarations, Section 11.

Water leak

This is what happens when there is a water leak upstairs.

Here is a 1:39 second video that was taken to document the damage (outside only): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ILUqWSQGE

Here is a 4:20 second video that was taken to document the damage (inside only): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWy7Vfxzt8E

Cabana repairs and painting

Dry rot repairs and a painting job have recently occurred at the Cabana. Per the Joint Access and Easement Agreements covering the shared maintenance of recreational items, signed when both Easthill Apartments and Kenthill Townhomes were built in the 1970's, Easthill Apartments will be paying for 60% of the invoice, and Kenthill Townhomes will be paying for 40% of the invoice.

2010 dry rot repairs (con't)

This is a picture of the dry rot repairs occurring at Building K.

2010 dry rot repairs (con't)

This is a picture of the dry rot repairs occurring at Building O.

2010 dry rot repairs

Significant dry rot continues to be discovered at our buildings. In order to address this dry rot (where the roof line meets the vertical wood siding on the building), wood siding repairs are being accomplished at Buildings M, K, and O. This is a picture of the dry rot repairs occurring at Building M.

Paint job in the future

The long term projects of Kenthill Townhomes have been 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).

Tree trimming

Pre-arraigned agreements govern the division of expenses with respect to shared roadways and recreational facilities for Easthill Apartments and Kenthill Townhomes. Generally speaking, Easthill pays 60% and Kenthill Townhomes pays 40% of all shared invoices. Trimming of trees along shared roadways is considered a shared expense.

Free doors

Free louvered doors. These are from downstairs at my condo. The two on the left are from the downstairs storage area. The one on the right is from the downstairs closet area (the measurements are: 29 3/4” wide X 78 3/4” high). They are, “unfinished”. They would look even better, if they were stained (or even painted). I am at Unit J-4. Knock on my door or leave me a note, if you are interested. Otherwise, they’re going to be discarded.

[Update, 04-23-2010: Someone came and got them. Thanks].

2010 beauty bark project completed

Beauty bark has been applied at Kenthill Townhomes.

Beauty bark applied today

Barking will occur today. Please move any plants, etc., so that they do not get bark on them.

Handed out at the Annual Meeting, and discussed.

The following is an excerpt from the 2010 Annual Meeting Handout:

Kenthill Townhomes has had many difficulties and has faced several challenges in the last twelve months. The Board of Directors has been very busy addressing these various issues. Below is an abbreviated list of projects and ongoing projects accomplished in 2009 and early 2010. [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 2008 audit; audit is pending but should be completed by the end of the year.
2. Continuing to work with our neighbors on all sides to regarding various issues including trespasser and fence problems.
3. In order to address dry rot problems (where the roof line meets the vertical wood siding on the building), wood siding repairs were accomplished. Since 2005, work has occurred at Buildings A, B, J, L, N, P, Q, R, C, E, D, and I.
4. Worked with plumbing contractors to address a number of significant (and costly) plumbing problems; these included major water leaks. Since 2005, repairs to water valves have occurred at Buildings A, B, C, D, E, I, J, L, and O.
5. Worked with contractors to have all chimneys inspected and cleaned as necessary.
6. Working with contractors to have all dryer vents inspected, cleaned, and repaired as necessary.
7. Continued repairs to outside water faucet hose bibs.
8. Cleaned gutters and downspouts on all 15 buildings.
9. Worked to address the ongoing issues surrounding delinquencies and foreclosures.
10. Coordinated with Easthill Apts. to assist contractors in the installation of new asphalt at the southeast corner of the complex.
11. 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.

The long term projects of Kenthill Townhomes have been 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 dry rot on all of our buildings. As the Budget has allowed, repairs have occurred at Buildings A, B, J, L, N, P, Q, R. C, E, D, and I.

Each year since 2005, we include in the upcoming 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 2008 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, as mentioned above, these plans have been put on hold, as significant dry rot discoveries and their related repairs have taken precedence.

2010 Annual Meeting

The 2010 Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting will be held at 7:00PM in the Cabana on March 22, 2010. Homeowners are urged to sign proxies if they are unable to attend. Homeowners may wish to re-read the December 2008 Newsletter (additional copies may be found on the doorstep of Unit J-4).

2010 Dryrot repairs

Dry rot repairs continue on the sides of certain buildings.

Re-printing of a newsletter

The following is a re-printing of a newsletter that was distributed in July of 2008:

JULY NEWSLETTER

An article appeared in the Seattle Times newspaper on April 27, 2008 which should be read and understood by all homeowners. [It is reproduced here in its entirety without editing and by permission from the Seattle Times]. In light of the passage of this new law by the legislature, the Executive Summary of the Reserve Study completed for Kenthill Townhomes in 2006 is included in this handout. Certain sections of the Executive Summary [which are in brackets] have sentences added for clarification. Also included is a reprinting of the cover letter from the Kenthill Board of Directors regarding the Executive Summary, dated September 7, 2006.

The Reserve Study is a very large document. Preparing it took many months and many hours of interaction, feedback, studying, and information gathering on the part of the vendor, countless contractors, and question and answer sessions with Board members. Having said that, the Reserve Study is only a guide. It is a very useful guide, but only a guide. It does not dictate, nor will it dictate, future actions and decisions. It came with useful tools which can be used to manipulate data to produce various current and future outcomes. The Board has spent many hours reviewing the document. It has proved to be very helpful in the short time that it has been implemented in assisting with composing a rough draft of future projects and issues which will need to be considered in the short term future and the long term future.

That said, this is the law in Washington State now.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.

New state law requires condo associations to report money set aside for long-term maintenance
By Elizabeth Rhodes

Seattle Times business reporter

Attention, condominium shoppers: Washington soon will become one of a half-dozen states requiring condo associations to provide a financial-wellness check that can predict whether the place is a potential money pit.

The check, called a reserve study, estimates how much money an association must set aside to pay for expensive long-term maintenance, such as repaving a parking lot, replacing a roof or rebuilding rotting decks.

Although many associations require reserve studies, many have ignored their own requirements, local condo experts say. That will have to change June 12, when updates to the state's condo law take effect and associations must prepare and annually update such a study and make it available to buyers.

Calling it the "biggest thing to happen since the Condominium Act of 1990 was passed," longtime condo attorney Kris Sundberg says the new provisions will address "the dirty little secret of the condo world: Most condos are severely underfunded."

However, what the law does not do is to require that associations actually save the money their study finds is needed to cover future maintenance. Laws in a few states, including Hawaii, do.

"While this law may not put Washington in the vanguard, it clearly puts them toward the top of the list in being progressive on the issue," says Frank Rathbun, of the Community Associations Institute, a national nonprofit educational organization for homeowners associations and their members.

The reserve study must be done by a professional and can be waived only if it would "impose an unreasonable hardship," something the law does not define. Still, the associations group, condo attorneys and property managers call the change necessary, if somewhat overdue, for a growing segment of the housing market. A quarter of King County home sales are condos, and many buyers are homeowner novices.

"It will act as consumer protection for a lot of potential buyers and give them a better perspective of the true costs of ownership in a condominium association," says Marshall Johnson, president of The CWD Group, which manages about 90 condo associations in Seattle and Bellevue.

Sundberg, of Mercer Island, says that's been sorely lacking.

"We're seeing a substantial increase in litigation from unhappy purchasers who bought a condo then found out there's a huge special assessment being levied," he says. These irate buyers "go after the board, the manager, the real-estate agents, the seller," he says.

Considered a one-time cost to pay for major repairs, a special assessment is what associations turn to when they haven't built sufficient long-term savings in what's called a reserve account.

The account is separate from the annual budget, which pays for regular, ongoing expenses such as insurance.

When a special assessment is levied, owners are billed for their portions.

"We regularly see assessments in the $60,000 to $80,000 range per unit," Sundberg says. "Most condominium associations have neither a current reserve study nor adequately funded reserves."

That wouldn't surprise Jim Talaga, president of Association Reserves Washington, a reserve-study provider. Many 20-year-old communities have had little serious maintenance, he says.

An older 50-unit building could face $200,000 for a new roof and $70,000 for new exterior paint — with no money set aside to pay for them.

A first-time reserve study, on the other hand, costs about $2,500, although that depends a lot on the size of the community, Talaga says.

Matt Reed had first-hand experience with the reserves issue when he served on the board of a South Everett condominium. His underfunded complex faced at least $1 million in serious repairs because of delayed maintenance," he says.

The root of the problem, Reed says, was a membership of mostly first-time owners who hadn't made the mental transition from apartment dweller to homeowner.

"They were trying to defer all the responsibility and remain renters," he says.

After the board voted to levy a substantial special assessment, a group of angry owners successfully voted to override it, and the work went undone.

Faced with an emotionally draining stalemate, Reed sold his condo and bought a house.

The new law will make it harder for condo associations to conceal from buyers a lack of long-term financial planning. Those that use the hardship exemption to forgo a reserve study must disclose that to prospective buyers along with this warning:

"The lack of a current reserve study poses certain risks to you, the purchaser. Insufficient reserves may, under some circumstances, require you to pay" a special assessment.

Sundberg thinks having that in print may dissuade some buyers and lenders from investing in underfunded condos.

It will also affect their prices, Johnson predicts. "The unit that has minimal reserves is going to be cheaper than one with high reserves, so what they're saving by not putting into reserves will be lost in the price they get for it," Johnson says.

Once associations realize the true cost of scrimping on savings, reserve accounts will grow and the problem will correct itself, Sundberg says.

Meanwhile a real concern for associations is finding a qualified pro to do a reserve study. Several firms exist locally, but demand may overwhelm supply as associations attempt to comply with the new law.

Condo lawyer Brian McLean, of Leahy.ps in Kirkland, worked on the law's passage. He recommends that associations address this issue in their next budget cycle, research whether a reserve specialist is available and find out what the cost will be.

"This is a great planning tool, but no one wants this to cause a sense of undue urgency," McLean says. "I'm comfortable saying everyone has time to do this and do it right."
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Fire extinguisher instructions

Fire extinguisher instructions are easy. Remember the anacronym, "PASS".

"P" stands for "pull" - hold upright, and pull the safety pin.
"A" stands for "aim" - start back 8 - 10 feet, and aim at the base of the fire.
"S" stands for "squeeze" - squeeze the lever on the fire extinguisher.
"S" stands for "sweep" - while aiming and squeezing, sweep side to side, to put out the fire.

Plant life

The summer of 2009 was especially hot and broke many records for length of days without rain. This took a heavy toll on the decorative plants, shrubs, and other folliage at Kenthill Townhomes.

Attention condo buyers

The following is directed towards potential condo buyers at Kenthill Townhomes:

Statements have been made and some statements have been written to the effect that only half of Kenthill Townhomes homeowners are paying their dues. These statements are not based on any facts. Please ask your real estate agent to investigate these statements. By contacting Suhrco Residential Properties, Inc. and requesting the appropriate official Lender Questionaires, Resale Certificates, etc., you will discover that these claims are unfounded.

Speculative statements such as these only make it more difficult for homeowners who are struggling and are trying to be responsible and who are attempting to sell their Units and move on to alternative living situations.

Situations in which homeowners who are delinquent in their homeowners dues are dealt with with privacy, confidentiality, and respect, in accordance with the Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners Declarations, and according to the laws of Washington State, which include liens, foreclosures, Sheriffs Sales, and Trustees Sales, and all of these official processes must work their way through the King County Court system (a very, very lengthly, and time consuming process).

Satellite installation rules

The Kenthill Townhomes Rules & Regulations with respect to satellite dishes are as follows:

9.9 The Rules and Regulations concerning no alterations to the Common Area or Limited Common Areas and/or exterior appearances without prior approval of the Board extends to and includes satellite dish placement. Satellite dish placement is not prohibited, but their placement is permitted to be regulated in accordance with Federal Law.

Satellite installations at Kenthill Townhomes are typically occurring on the privacy fences or on metal stands.

For more information on this subject, go to:

http://kenthillwebblog.blogspot.com/search?q=satellite

Northwest cotton wood tree

Our neighboring condominium complex, Highland Park, which is located at the northwest corner of our property plat, has recently cut down the large cotton wood tree that was in their backyard (the branches of this tree had been a safety issue, as many of them used to overhang onto the Kenthill Townhomes driveway, near Building P). The top photo was taken in 2009; the bottom photo was taken in 2008.

Mailing mistake

There was a mis-communication between our property manager and a new assistant at Suhrco Residential Properties, Inc. (Suhrco is the property management company for Kenthill Townhomes). The January, February, and March homeowners meeting minutes were mistakenly mailed out to all 82 Kenthill Townhomes homeowners (these were already mailed out in early April). There will be no charge to Kenthill's Operating Account for this error.

In a few days the April, May, and June homeowners meeting minutes will be mailed to all 82 Kenthill Townhomes homeowners. [Two other items will also be included in the mailing. Homeowners will wish to read them carefully].

Status of the SE 256th St. LID

Early this year, the City of Kent proposed the formation of a Local Improvement District (LID) for the purpose of funding the S.E 256th Street Widening Project. Letters were sent to affected homeowners at Kenthill Townhomes, homeowners of ordinary houses, and most apartment owners (Easthill Apartments was included) whose residences are on or near S.E. 256th Street. [According to mailed paperwork and maps, certain particular apartments were excluded, having signed a previous agreement when constructed]. Letters were later sent which stated the predicted amount that each affected homeowners or apartment owner would be expected to pay to the City of Kent.

As you may remember from the Annual Meeting, one of homeowners at Kenthill Townhomes volunteered to head up a committee to organize homeowners at Kenthill Townhomes as well as homeowners of houses and owners of apartments whose residences are on or near S.E. 256th Street in order to gather opposition to the City of Kent's Proposed Local Improvement District.

The City of Kent held informational meetings concerning the proposal. Statements in letters and at these meetings included the fact that unless a 60% opposition from affected homeowners was achieved, and this needed and was required to be in verifiable writings, from every homeowner and/or apartment owner, that the City of Kent was going to go ahead and proceed with the Proposed Local Improvement District and begin assessing these citizens for the monies to fund this project.

The committee has recently concluded their work concerning this issue. The Kenthill Townhomes Board has received written confirmation of the success of this effort. Last week, the committee that was formed to oppose this Proposed Local Improvement District presented the City of Kent with a cover letter and documentation, including signed letters and petitions, indicating to officials, clerks, attorneys, city council members, and the mayor, which demonstrated that a 67% opposition vote to the proposed LID had been achieved.

According to calculations which were studied, by defeating this proposed LID, the residents of Kenthill Townhomes (alone) have saved slightly less than $171,000.00. Members of the committee that was led by the above mentioned Kenthill Townhomes homeowner have spent considerable time and effort to reach this goal. To say that they deserve our appreciation would be an understatement. On behalf of every homeowner belonging to the Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners Association, both onsite and offsite, the members of the Kenthill Townhomes Board would like to thank the members of this committee for their diligence in seeing this endeavor through to its completion.

2009 Driveway improvement (Part 3)

This photo shows the driveway improvement near Building I (photo is taken facing west).

2009 Driveway improvement (Part 2)

This photo shows the driveway improvement near Building R (photo is taken facing south).

Frost free

Most of the hose bibs at Kenthill Townhomes are ordinary, standard, non frost free hose bibs. Over the past thirty years, when there was a problem with these hose bibs, such as when they leaked, etc., they were replaced. Some of these were just replaced by ordinary, standard, non frost free hose bibs. But others were replaced by the better, but more expensive frost free hose bibs. These new exterior faucets are “frost-free” meaning the shut off, or point in which water is not exposed to the exterior elements, is within the insulated portions of the house, or in our case, condo, thus minimizing the potential of the faucet to freeze. If the hose bib is of the frost free variety, the process of turning the water on and off drains the remaining small amount of water in the system, and this occurs every time the valve is closed, as the stop itself is located 12 inches or more away from the spout. That distance is usually always inside a wall in a heated space. No additional freeze protection is required.

However, these new frost free hose bibs are not without their faults. They can and do fail, and when this happens, it is almost always because the homeowner did not disconnect and remove the garden hose from the hose bib. Even when this happens during the winter months, garden hoses, having been disconnected by Board members or nearby homeowners, are often reattached by other homeowners to wash their vehicles or to water their plants. Then these garden hoses are not disconnected when they are done. This condition is the Achilles heel of these new frost free hose bibs: All garden hoses must remain disconnected from them during cold weather, otherwise the frost free feature of these hose bibs is defeated; it is simply the way they operate and how they are engineered to work. A garden hose will cause a frost free hose bib to freeze when the water in the garden hose freezes.

[Also, a related piece of information is that the average plumbing company today charges $250 per hour. Not only is this a factor, but this particular task of installing a new frost free hose bib usually (but not always) involves acquiring access to the interior of the Unit. All obstructions, such as hot water heaters or appliances, etc., must be moved out of the way. Then the dry wall or sheetrock inside the Unit must be cut in order for wrenches to be applied to the pipe on the other (the interior) side of the wall, as well as to the hose bib, located on the outside of the wall. Later the dry wall must be repaired, mudded, sanded, and painted. Historically, over the years when this type of project has been undertaken, the total project costs have proven to be very expensive].

Pest control

Due to economic reasons, the contract with Willards Pest Control, Inc. (the contractor that has been used by Kenthill Townhomes for over a decade to address pest issues. such as ants) was cancelled in late 2007. Homeowners are encouraged to use the many aftermarket products available at local hardware stores to deal with problems with insects, such as ants.