VILLAGE ONE VOICE Vanderhaven Farm Condominium Association August 2012 BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Trustee Elaine Ungerleider Marci Steinberg JoAnn Malloy Chris Paparteys Christine Wynkoop COMMITTEES All committees are seeking additional members. Recreation: Thio Jenkins, Chairperson Architectural Control ADR Active WEBSITE www.vanderhavenfarm.com Management Midlantic Property Management Phone: 908-707-0760 Fax: 908-722-6966 Office Hours: M-F 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Should you have an emergency after hours call (732) 828-7200. Please use this number for true common area emergencies only. MEETINGS Board Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month, unless otherwise posted at the mailbox stations. Anyone wishing to have an issue placed on the agenda must request it in writing and supply management with the necessary paperwork by the Thursday before the meeting. The next board of trustees meeting is September 20th at 7:00pm in the clubhouse. Come over, join in and learn about what s going on in your community. Dryer Vent & Chimneys Not Much Time Left! Here s your monthly reminder 2012 is the year that this work is required to be done again. The closer it gets to the fall and winter, the more difficult it will be to get this scheduled on time with a contractor. Currently, 115 units have completed this requirement. The association will accept any proof of cleaning/inspection anytime between now and the deadline dates as indicated below. Dryer vents must be cleaned and/or inspected and proof must be provided to the association NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1, 2012. Units that have fireplaces must provide proof of inspection/ cleaning to the association NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 31, 2012. THERE IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS REQUIREMENT AND DEADLINE. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN A FINE OF $500.00!! Pool Season To date, the pool is continuing to be a success. I m sure it s a pleasant way to spend these hot summer days this year. Please remember to clean up after having food or beverages at the tables. The lifeguards are not responsible for this. Parents, do not leave your children unattended at the pool for any reason. The lifeguards are not babysitters and must focus on watching the pool.
Can You Please Remember? Geese The association is working with a vendor with regard to attempting to reduce the population of the geese in the community. This is an ongoing project and your assistance with this is greatly needed in order for this to be successful. PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE GEESE ON THE PROPERTY. This provides them with a food source and has them coming to Vanderhaven for their food needs. Cigarettes I still see many cigarettes being thrown in the common grass and mulched areas. This is important! DO NOT throw cigarettes, lit or unlit, into the shrub (mulch) beds or lawn areas. This presents a fire hazard and endangers everyone around you. Barbecues Condo residents can only use an electric grill and it must be kept away from the siding when in use. Town home residents may have a propane or charcoal grill, as long as it is kept 5 from any point on the building (this includes the privacy fence) for storage or when in use. But, if you have a wooden deck in the back of your unit, you may only have an electric grill on the deck. Hoses All hoses should be kept neatly rolled up when they are Continued on page 3 2 Arrrrr.. Service is great! Dryer Vent Cleaning Fireplace Inspections Special Summer Rates 732-627-8461 FULLY INSURED / Somerset, NJ State Lic.13VH04722900 EPA & NATE Certified (ID# 1028102) License #13VH04279000 Specializing in residential heating and cooling systems for over 15 years Servicing all Brands All work guaranteed and completed with owner on site 908.642.0444
Continued from page 2 in the front of the unit. I have found many hoses thrown behind shrubs with sections of the hose entangled in the shrubs. I have also found hoses left out in the grass area. The association absolutely appreciates the efforts of any resident who waters their shrubs, flowers and grass areas. However, please remember to roll up the hose when it s not in use. Also, please remember not to leave any chemical applicators (fertilizer or the like) attached to the end of the hose. A child, playing in the front of the unit might get into it and that would be disastrous!! Patio or Deck Installations I ve seen during the course of my property inspections many brick-type patio installations in the back of the units. When I see them, I will usually return to my office and check the unit files to confirm that the association granted permission to the unit to install the patio. Please know, the following modifications MUST be approved BEFORE it can be modified or installed: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Deck installation Paver patio installation Any change to the patio area Window replacement(s) Storm door installation/ replacement Satellite dish installation Continued on page 4 24 HR Emergency Service HOT WATER HEATERS PLUMBING FIXTURES FAUCETS & VANITIES TOILET REPAIRS GARBAGE DISPOSALS HUMIDIFIERS HEATING REPAIRS FROZEN PIPES THAWED PROFESSIONAL WORK RELIABLE SERVICE SEWER AND DRAIN CLEANING PLUMBING & HEATING SUPER SERVICE NJ Lic # 6956 722-5525 ANTHONY'S PLUMBING HEATING DRAIN CLEANING, INC. Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning Breathe cleaner air Eliminate indoor air pollution Furnace, air handlers, A/C coil cleaning Dryer vent cleaning & repair Bird nest removal & mold inspection Sanitizing programs Fully insured, free estimates AIR DUCT CLEANING 10 Vents 1 Main 1 Return $89.95 REDUCED PRICE! DRYER VENT CLEANING $69.95 Toll Free: 866-912-3828 UNITED AIR DUCT Senior citizen & group discounts, local 3
Continued from page 3 Any replacement of an existing exterior light fixture (front or back) or replacement of the front door numbers do not require approval so long as you follow the guidelines in the rules and regulations. If you re not sure of the guidelines, please contact management and I ll be happy to provide you with the guidelines to avoid any issue with an improper installation. The general rule of thumb to remember in a community such as this is any change (addition or removal) of a homeowner area of responsibility that is located in an area that can be seen from the outside must obtain approval before adding, removing or modifying. If you are unsure if you need approval to do something, please call management in the clubhouse office or send me a quick email at vhfmanager@mpm-nj. com. This will save everyone from a headache! One final note on this, if I see that you have modified the back of your unit by installing a patio or deck and your file does not indicate approval, you will receive a letter from the association and as long as the modified area meets the current guidelines you will only be asked to submit a required Restrictive Covenant. This is a form that the County requires for such modifications, because the modification must be noted with the County as an addition to the unit. The form is simple to fill out and a fee of $30.00, payable to the County Clerk is required for processing. Parking Please remember to register your vehicle with the association. It s as simple as bringing your vehicle registration or a copy of the registration to the management office in person, dropping it into the clubhouse mailbox at the front door, faxing a copy or emailing a copy to VHFMANAGER@ MPM-NJ.COM. I will then provide you with a yellow and black parking sticker that must be displayed on the back of the rearview mirror while parked in the community. If you change vehicles please be sure to let management know about this so that a new sticker Continued on page 5 FHA Approval Vanderhaven Farm is now FHA approved for many of you who have been waiting patiently to sell or refinance your homes. For additional sponsors, please visit our website www. vanderhavenfarm.com 4
Continued from page 4 can be issued or the records in the office can be revised to reflect that you will be using the same sticker on a different vehicle. The tracking of vehicles is important so that VHF doesn t end up with abandoned vehicles, vehicles in disrepair or vehicles that need to be moved for the purpose of working on projects or work orders in the community that might affect the parking spaces. Also, US Lawns has asked that you be sure not to park your vehicle over the curb. Many vehicles are parked in such a way that the front or rear bumpers are way over the curb. This prohibits the landscaping crew from cutting the grass in those areas neatly. They do not want to take the chance of bringing machinery or trimmers to this area due to the chance of causing damage to the vehicles. Which, in the end when the vehicle pulls out of that space after the community has been landscaped, the grass in these areas is not manicured and the curb area is not edged. Please be sure to pull your vehicle as far as you can into the parking space WITHOUT going over the curb with the front or rear bumper. Stop By! Please stop by each month to read the association Minutes of each monthly Open Session meeting. These Minutes are posted each month on the bulletin board, by the front doors of the clubhouse. Locks (Condo Bldgs.) The side closets that house the electric meters for the units, on the condo buildings and the drop down stairs to the common attic space, in the upper breezeways have locks placed on them. This was done to protect the common area from vandalism that had been occurring. Should you need access to these areas to service your electric meter, cable, satellite dish or ac condenser unit, please call management. You or your contractor will be provided with a key. This key must be returned to management immediately upon completion of whatever service was performed. Servicing of these areas must be scheduled during normal management business hours (Mon-Fri, 8 am 4 pm). Management is not available on the weekends to issue keys or open these areas for you. If you cannot schedule your work during regular business, you may sign out the key from management on Friday or earlier in the day that the contractor will be there and return it immediately upon completion of the service to the locked, clubhouse mailbox or directly to management on Monday morning (if signed out on Friday). You, as the unit owner requesting the key will be responsible for returning this key. Please be sure to do so. 5
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