NEWSLETTER PRESIDENT S MESSAGE WINTER

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1 NEWSLETTER WINTER PRESIDENT S MESSAGE I hope this issue of the Manorwood newsletter finds your household well as we approach the holiday season and in anticipation of the coming New Year. I d like to take this opportunity to comment on some of the changes our community has seen this year. One of the most significant items the Board addressed last summer was Stacia Marshall s decision to stepdown after more than 20 years as Manorwood s Secretary/Treasurer. Realizing Stacia could not be replaced by one person, our search led us to hire JC Higgins & Associates to oversee our financials, general accounting, and dues collection as well as to offer consistency in covenant enforcement. Your Board of Directors looks forward to the future, but we definitely have our work cut out for us as we guide Manorwood to a more secure financial footing. As a continuation of our Vision 2020 project (and as required by Washington State law) we ve asked Association Reserves to conduct a formal reserve study which will inform us Editor: John R. Adamson how much money we need in savings to maintain our clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts, and RV lot without having to levy special assessments on homeowners. It s impressive how these MOA features add to the marketability of homes for sale in Manorwood. Lately I ve seen homeowners taking more pride in ownership as they make improvements to their property. Many others have commented on these changes too. While we don t currently have a Yard of the Month award, I often think how beautiful some homes in our neighborhood now appear. With new roads, sidewalks, curbs, streetlights, fences and improved traffic flow from the Shaw Road Expansion Project, Manorwood will be an even more desirable place to live in the coming years. Completion of this project is currently scheduled for December 31, A huge thank you to Bob Anderson for his willingness to take on so many projects at the Clubhouse, I can t even name them all. Three of the big ones were; helping install the new gas fireplace, upgrading indoor & outdoor lighting, and repair of a rotting exterior wall. Mark Thurber and Bob also

2 installed irrigation in the Manorwood Drive parking strip where they will be planting new grass soon. There s been lots of catching up to do. In May, we had to replaster the pool. In September, the median at Shaw Road was restored with new trees (provided by the City of Puyallup) and an electrical outlet. In October we replaced the Clubhouse electrical panel to bring it up to code. In moving forward, it is the Board s intention to be a transparent organization and to set best practices on how to conduct the members business. I encourage all homeowners to attend monthly Board meetings (they re listed on our website and contact Shannon Cole at JC Higgins or any Board member with questions or suggestions. There is a mountain of knowledge and experience in our neighborhood with many residents having served on the Board or a committee of some sort, so we encourage your feedback and ideas to improve your Manorwood Owners Association. Kindest Regards, Keith Fabling President, MOA You can reach our management company by using the contact information below: Name: JC Higgins & Associates th Ave. SW Puyallup, WA Manorwood Contact: Shannon Cole (Association Manager) Erin Hrubant (Administrative Assistant) Phone: (253) , ext 108 or 115 (M-Th 9-5:30, F 9-5) Fax: (253) Website: Shannon@jc-higgins.com Erin@jc-higgins.com Thank you everyone for all your patience during the transition. It s truly appreciated and I am excited to work with all of you! Our compliance officer and I have visited your community a couple times and we wanted to thank everyone for working so hard to keep your home in compliance with the Association s rules. I wanted to give a quick reminder about making dues payments. You can set up quarterly ACH payments, set up payments through your bank account or you can send in payment via check or money order. We take credit card payments but there is a 3% fee associated with card payments. You are more than welcome to reach out to me for any questions at shannon@jchiggins.com or ext 108. Shannon Cole, Association Manager

3 MANORWOOD WEBSITE: President - Keith Fabling Vice President - Mark Thurber Secretary - Janet Fabling Treasurers - Jami Overby & Jon Rodman COMMITTEE CHAIRS Architectural Control - Janet Fabling Clubhouse & Facility Manager Bob Anderson Pool Jami Overby & Laura Romero Grounds Mark Thurber Tennis Courts Keith Fabling RV Lot Dan Robbs Activities Kim Hawley Welcome Wagon Janet Fabling Communications/Website Josh Goodhead & John Adamson Newsletter John Adamson CO-DIRECTOR Brent Cutrell WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD! Please welcome your new neighbors! Dave & Donna Goodrich th St. SE Chris & Heidi Slaughter rd Ave SE Jim Steves & Kathy Macleod th St SE HOMEOWNERS ARE WELCOME AT ALL MONTHLY BOARD MEETINGS. THEY RE AT THE CLUBHOUSE AT 7PM. CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR DATES. Architectural Control Committee Information WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR HANDLING VIOLATIONS? All potential violations are discussed with Board members before notices are sent. The first notice informs the owner about a specific issue and suggests a remedy. The homeowner corrects the issue or may appeal. If the same finding is made the next month a $50 fine will be assessed. CLUBHOUSE RENTAL PROCESS UNTIL ONLINE CALENDAR IS FUNCTIONAL Manorwood owners or tenants designated by the owner may rent the Clubhouse Linda Carter and Liz Knox will have Clubhouse keys for renters to use to unlock the parking lot gate & office where chairs and tables are stored. Renter contacts Shannon Cole by phone (253) ext 108 or (Shannon@jc-higgins.com) with name, Lot #, desired date, time, & contact information. Shannon checks & notifies renter. If Clubhouse is available, a $75 damage deposit check or money order made out to JC Higgins will be requested. Renter mails check or money order to JC Higgins c/o Shannon Cole at PO Box , Puyallup Alternatively, payment can be

4 dropped off at JC Higgins office at th Ave. SW, Puyallup Shannon gives Linda and Liz the rental event information. Either Linda or Liz arranges with the renter to give them a set of keys Soon after the event, but no later than the next day, Liz or Linda will inspect the Clubhouse for cleanliness and any damage. Garbage should have been carried away. Keys will be retrieved from the renter. NO DAMAGE? Linda or Liz notify Shannon Cole. Shannon contacts the owner who instructs her to either apply the $75 damage deposit to his/her dues account or mail a new check back. Designated tenants will receive a new check. DAMAGE OR CLEANING REQUIRED? Liz or Linda notify Shannon & contact a Board member to arrange necessary work. COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS I thought this would be a good opportunity to refresh everyone on the CCR s for Manorwood. As a reminder, every homeowner within Manorwood Division I is responsible for, and legally bound, to abide by these Rules of the HOA. It is the responsibility of JC Higgins to monitor and the Board of Directors to enforce compliance. For those of you who are new to the neighborhood, or longtime residents who may just need a refresher, I will highlight a few of the most relevant of the issues, along with an easy to understand abridged definition of each and where to locate them for your personal reference. As the ACC Chairman, one of the most difficult responsibilities that I am tasked with is interpreting covenants written in the 1970 s for use in the 21 st century. Believe me, no one wants to be known as The Bad Guy and point out another s oversight, inability or in some cases abuse. However, this task must be accomplished in order for us as a community to maintain the aesthetics and property values that we all enjoy and benefit from. The fact that the Manorwood Board oversees enforcement actions means we are able to keep compliance issues on a more personable and friendly level and not assess a fine for any little oversight by a resident. This is only possible if we ALL continue to exercise our due diligence and abide by the CCR s. The ACC Guidelines are rules and regulations that are updated regularly and interpret/clarify our CCR s and Bylaws. If a reminder notice is received we should all do

5 our best to comply with the request in a timely manner. Some of the issues that are frequently identified: 1. Major changes may not be made to a residence (i.e. structures, fences, walls, landscaping, etc.) without written approval from the Manorwood ACC (Architectural Control Committee). All exterior paint projects must be approved. 2. Trash containers, bins and trash items must be stored in an area not visible from the street, except during designated trash pickup days. 3. No trailers, campers, boats, and/or towable equipment of any kind may be stored on any property so as to be visible from the street. 4. All yards and landscaping shall be maintained in an attractive manner. 5. Window air conditioners that are visible from the street may be in place only between May 1 st and September 30 th. Large outdoor HVAC units visible from the street must be screened from view. These are only a few of The Restrictions within the CCR s, but they seem to be the most relevant and referenced on a day-today basis by residents. The CCR s, Bylaws, and ACC Guidelines may be found on the Manorwood website Items are in dropdowns at the top of the page. Of course, you may contact Shannon Cole, JC Higgins (Manorwood Association Manager) or one of our Board Members for assistance or guidance. Thank you for your cooperation and compliance with all of our HOA CCR s. Janet Fabling, ACC Chairman GARDEN PROJECTS IN DECEMBER (from Ed Hume): WATERING water plants under trees and under the house eaves before winter WINTER PLANT PROTECTION cover rhododendrons, camellias, & azaleas with cloth or burlap if sudden cold weather is expected. Remove when the weather moderates. BULBS there still is time to plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus & other spring bulbs. Mix in bulb fertilizer and plant three times deeper than the greatest diameter of the bulb. PLANTING TREES & SHRUBS fall and early winter is an ideal time because transplant shock will be less during the dormant season. Mix in compost, peat moss, & processed manure. Large varieties should be staked to protect them from strong winter wind storms. PRUNING prune cherries, plums, prunes & peaches. Hold off on everything else. LAWN FERTILISING the first part of December is one of the best times for fertilizing a lawn. If moss is a problem, choose a brand with a moss control product added. IN JANUARY: PLANTING TREES & SHRUBS

6 January is an ideal time to plant fruit, flowering and shade trees and a great month to select and plant roses. PRUNING: January is a great month to prune most deciduous trees & shrubs, including fruit, flowering and shade trees. Do not prune spring flowering plants like quince, forsythia, etc. WEEDING get rid of weeds before they scatter over the garden. EQUIPMENT REPAIR does your mower need sharpening; does the oil need changing; what about the filters; is the engine running properly? It will take much longer to get the work done if you wait. SLUG CONTROL get rid of them. Each one reproduces 200 off-spring. BULBS although it s getting late, take time to get tulips, daffodils, hyacinths or crocus in the soil. IN FEBRUARY: FERTILIZING fertilize trees, shrubs and evergreens in mid to late February. Use a rhododendron type fertilizer to feed evergreens like junipers, conifers, broadleaf evergreens, rhododendrons, azaleas & camellias. Use a rose or all-purpose fertilizer on roses, fruit & flowering trees. PRUNING basic pruning is done to improve the shape of the plant, open it up for good air circulation & better sun exposure. This is one of the best months to prune fruit, flowering and shade trees. Wait awhile to prune early spring flowering shrubs. STARTING SEEDS late this month & early next are good times to start seeds indoors of summer annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables. VEGETABLE SOIL PREPARATION weather permitting, February is the month to begin tilling or spading the soil. Be sure the soil is dry enough to work, then add compost or well-rotted manure. PERENNIAL VEGETABLES plant rhubarb, asparagus, & artichokes this month. PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING this is an excellent time to plant or transplant almost any garden tree or shrub. Likewise, berries can be set out now. Roses can be planted or transplanted this month. LAWNS late this month or early next are good times to feed the lawn. COLD WEATHER remember, many years the coldest weather of the entire year occurs between February 1 st and March 1 st. Protect early flowering or tender plants by covering them with cloth.

7 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER December 16 2 nd Annual Santa Visit and Food Drive, 11AM-1PM at the Clubhouse December 1 Saturday, 12-7 pm, Puyallup Holiday Market, Pioneer Park Pavilion December 1 5 pm, Hometown Santa Parade on Meridian followed by the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree in the Park. December 4 & :30 am, Puyallup Public Library, children 6 & under, Play to Learn December 4 6:30-7:30 pm, National Cookie Day, Entire Family, Puyallup Public Library December 11 3:30-4:30 pm, Puyallup Public Library, Reading with a Doggie Friend. Children of all ages practice their reading skills with a therapy dog January 8, 15, & 29 10:00-11:30 am, Puyallup Library, children 6 & under, Play to Learn January 11 Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day January 19 Popcorn Day January 24 Compliment Day, easy to give & receive February 5, 12, 19, & 26 10:00-11:30 am, Puyallup Public Library, 6 & under, Play to Learn February 9 Toothache Day. They re no fun. Make an appointment with your dentist. February 14 Valentine s Day February 16 Do a Grouch a Favor Day. Get them out of their funk. February 17 Random Act of Kindness Day December 16 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Santa Visit and Food Drive, Manorwood Clubhouse December 25 Christmas Day December 28 10:30-1:00 pm, Puyallup Public Library, Minecraft Build Competition. Ages 8-12, register by calling January 1 New Year s Day January 4 Trivia Day