assessment

Hi – I fell off my soapbox and I’m back….see last month’s article if you don’t know what I’m referring to. Thanks for all the positive comments to last month’s rant! Sometimes we just have to vent and I guess I felt it was just my turn – thanks again for “listening”.

First, I want to remind everyone that the PGA POA Special Events Committee has been working very hard organizing the 4th Annual Art Festival and Craft Fair to be held Saturday, December 12th in Masters Park. You do NOT want to miss it this year! In addition to more than 60 very talented artists and crafters, there will be food and great weather (do you think the weather sprites would let us down after the cold event last year?). Seriously, stop by between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. – even if you just stop to say hi to me while I sell the jewelry I make in all my “spare” time!

So, what’s up?

Paving
A few months ago I reported that NPBCID would be paving Tournament Blvd. Well, they are going to but it seems it will happen later than I anticipated so I will have to let you know when I hear something

Entry
The POA is still working with the PGA Resort to try to enhance the entry at Avenue of the Champions. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance all entries but that one will be first. Did you notice the new tile roofs on all the guardhouses? The next minor project will be repainting the monument walls and the Northlake Blvd wall.

Turnpike Buffer
Although it has taken longer than expected for the ficus hedge to grow in, I am happy to report that it is thickening up and getting taller. Who knew that White Fly was going to attack Ficus and that we would have the worst drought ever right after the hedge was planted? Speaking of White Fly, if you have a Ficus hedge or tree anywhere on your property, call a pest control company to treat it right away. I’m sure you have seen sections of beautiful, full hedges suddenly turn brown and die…its most likely White Fly! It will kill a previously thought indestructible Ficus in weeks.

Dogs
Many owners have stepped up (which is so much better than stepping in) and are now cleaning up after their pets – thank you! Wackenhut Security is going to start handing out bags to any owner seen walking a pet without visible means of cleaning up. This doesn’t mean you should stop carrying a bag so you can get one from them: if it happens often enough with the same person, it is possible that you could be subject to fining for not following the rules so please continue doing a great job on your own.

Security
Wackenhut has its own article but now that everyone is back in town I wanted to remind you: LOCK YOUR DOORS – SET YOUR ALARM. Please do not leave anything valuable in your car and by all means, lock the door to your car and your home! Leaving the garage door open while you walk to the group of mailboxes two doors down is a great way for someone to slip into your house and you won’t even know it. Keep your garage door closed and stay safe.

A BIG SECRET!!!!
The PGA POA Annual meeting will be held Thursday, January 21, 2010. Sign in starts at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. NO, that is not the secret, silly – we send everyone a notice about the meeting! The secret is that the POA will be raffling off
Two tickets to the Honda Classic Champions Club on the 18th Fairway (yep, the expensive ones). All you have to do is attend the meeting (sorry, you can’t sign in and leave, you have to stay). The meeting will only take about an hour and the public officials who diligently attend each year and give a report will be happy to see you there taking an interest (even if we did have to bribe you). Hope to see you there!

In closing I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. We are all going through difficult times and those who can afford it should think about sharing whatever they can: clean out a closet and donate to the local charity; spend a day working at a food bank or “soup kitchen”; make a cash donation; pick up a toy and put it in the “Toys for Tots” bin or buy some extra food for the bin at Publix; or just hold the door and smile at someone if that’s all you can give. Believe me, every little thing means a lot!

POA ANNUAL MEETING –WHY YOU NEED TO BE THERE
The Annual Meeting and election for PGA POA will be held Thursday, January 21st. Every year the POA Board begs residents to attend. This year is no different! Please mark your calendar and plan to stop by the PGA Resort for the 6:00 p.m. meeting. Aside from the fact that you should vote for board members to protect your biggest investment (your home), there are also various City and County Officials who give their annual report and share information regarding your community outside of PGA National.

There may come a time when you need the various officials to support or deny something that may have a direct impact on the residents of PGA National. If you can’t take an hour out of your schedule to listen to what they have to say, it might be perceived as an “I don’t’ care” attitude when we know that isn’t the case so please, please, please join us at the POA Annual meeting. The official meeting notice with all details will be mailed in mid-December.

If the above plea doesn’t help, here’s a secret: Two passes to the Honda Classic will be given away at the POA Annual Meeting. These passes are for one day at the Champions Club overlooking the 18th Fairway with unlimited food and beverage service. Other ground passes will also be given away.

DON’T RUN THEM OVER!
Who? Anyone! I reminded everyone that school started a few months ago and now that Thanksgiving and other holidays are arriving there are even more people walking, skating and bicycling in PGA National. We have a lot of environmentally conscientious residents who ride scooters or bicycles on the road and (especially in the early morning or late afternoon) when the sun is in our eyes, it is sometimes hard to see them. They don’t bounce well so please give them room when sharing the road. Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the walking/bicycle paths so they must use the street.

The same courtesy is needed for those using the paths/sidewalks: When riding or skating up behind someone, a simple shout out of, “on your left”, or “coming up on your right” will allow that person to step out of the way and hopefully in the proper direction! Simple courtesy, please!

DOGS
OK, this is really for dog OWNERS since if your dog could read you would be so rich you wouldn’t be reading this! If you like to bring your pet to the parks in PGA National, especially the two that have playground equipment: KEEP THE DOG(S) ON A LEASH AND CLEAN UP AFTER THEM!!!! Aside from the fact that the rules of PGA require this, please consider that the two parks with swings and playground equipment are primarily used by people with children. This means lots of little, miniature people easily knocked over by a dog who “just wants to play”. Also, keep in mind that really little ones like to put things in their mouth – I’m not even going to explain that any further but be a responsible pet owner!!!!

A REQUEST FROM THE “YOU PEOPLE”
I’ve been threatening to address this for almost 12 years and after having to call security twice this month when residents threatened staff or became abusive, I felt it was time.

Part of our job in the property management business is accepting that many people will call (or stop by) to “vent” their frustrations. We understand this and we are happy to listen and help in any way that we can. It is expected and isn’t a problem until the caller (or visitor) becomes abusive. There is absolutely no situation that warrants anyone being verbally abusive to any employee of the POA and it is not acceptable.

Please keep in mind that the staff at the POA does not have any power to approve or disapprove anything; we take our direction from the Board and we are here to uphold the provisions of the governing documents and directives from the Board. Since the Board and Committee members are all unpaid volunteers and your neighbors, a separate staff handles the day-to-day affairs within the office.

Yes, we are paid and our favorite expression is “I pay your salary” (its right up there with being called a “you people” since an average salary of $30,000 per year divided by 5,000 homes only works out to about $6.00 per home per YEAR). I received a call this week from someone who insisted that JoAnn O’Mara personally approved a paint color that they objected to. They tried to tell me I was not telling them the truth because they “saw evidence” of her approval which was actually her name on the letter. She did sign the letter but it was “on behalf of the PGA POA Architectural Review Committee” and the matter was brought before the ARC meeting and voted on by the ARC (note: no member of the POA staff votes on any committee or board matter). The date of all meetings of the POA is published on Channel 63 and the door of the POA office and all owners are permitted to attend any meeting. As the Property Manager, I sign letters “on behalf of the PGA POA Board of Governors” but that doesn’t mean that I personally have any opinion on the open garage door, trash violations, overgrown plants, improperly maintained home or anything else…I am simply upholding the governing documents on behalf of the Board AND the residents and sign the letter “on behalf of” whatever committee the matter relates to (or on behalf of the Board).

Here are some matters that come up frequently:
The documents require the board to charge interest on assessments that are not paid on time (July 1st each year). It is not optional, the documents state interest WILL be charged (not may be charged). In order to be fair to everyone the board cannot “waive” interest. It is like your mortgage: due at the same time whether or not you received a statement or invoice. It is the owner’s responsibility to find out why they didn’t get a bill if not received before July 1st.

The same documents require owners to get ARC approval for all changes to the exterior of their home. The By-Laws even go into some detail about the type of changes “including but not limited to” decorative plaques or accessories, statues, lighting, asphalt, driveway treatment, basketball hoops, etc. There is no provision for skipping this application process because your “neighbor has the same basket ball hoop so you thought it was OK”; or “no one can see in my back yard”. All changes require written approval from the POA ARC (even if the HOA/condo ARC has given their approval)

The bottom line is that everyone who purchased a home in PGA National agreed to abide by all governing documents. We all know that rules are great as long as they don’t interfere with what you want to do. No one likes to receive a letter of violation or be told that what they want to do isn’t permitted. Because the POA Board continues to require owners to abide by these documents the homes in PGA National (some that are 30 years old) can still compete with newer homes…..well, once the market picks up! You are fortunate to have a board that will truly listen to your suggestions and comments. The staff will be happy to listen to you too and pass along your comments…but not if you are verbally abusive so please take a breath before calling us. If you are so angry that you must shout at someone, please do NOT yell at my staff – ask for Dawn.

Finally, if you have a question (like the one taped to the POA door about a house color in Glengary) please PUT CONTACT INFO ON IT unless you don’t really want an answer and just want to “vent”. If you don’t want anyone to know who is complaining, you should still give me your name with a request that I not disclose the info …if the Air Force gave me a Top Secret clearance, I assure you I DO know how to keep things to myself. Please also note it is policy that we NEVER tell anyone we contact about a matter that it is because so-and-so complained.

Thanks for listening to me vent. I hope you will read this in the spirit it was written: That the PGA POA staff is here to help you and we will do whatever we can for you….just please ask nicely because we really are on your side!

ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTION
It’s that time again! The POA is looking for candidates to run for election to the POA Board of Governors. If you are interested, please contact Dawn at 627-2800.

By the way, the Annual meeting will be held at the PGA Resort on Thursday, January 21st. It’s a 5:30 p.m. sign in with a 6:00 p.m. meeting. It is important that residents attend!!! The City and County representatives that attend take time from their busy schedule to give reports of interest to the PGA National community. When one hundred or less of FIVE THOUSAND homes are represented, it sends a clear message that you just don’t care. Of course, that may not be the case, but it is how it is perceived. What do you think will happen when those same officials need to make a decision on something that may impact the community?

The Board looked into serving refreshments but the cost would be in the neighborhood of $11,000.00 and with the economy today and the Board trying their best to control costs, they could not justify this expense. The meeting rarely lasts more than an hour. Why not stop by the meeting then enjoy dinner out?

HOW COME THAT HOUSE LOOKS SO BAD?
As indicated above, today’s economy is affecting everyone. Unfortunately, this means there are a number of foreclosures. Homes are vacant and falling into a state of disrepair while the banks wade through red tape and the courts before they can take title and assume responsibility. Fortunately, the City of Palm Beach Gardens’ Code Enforcement Division can and does assist with keeping grass cut and putting chemicals in pools to prevent them from smelling (even though they are still green).

If you are wondering why the HOA or POA doesn’t do something and start maintaining the property it is because the money to do so can’t be recovered! There is one home partially constructed and at least two others where stucco is cracking and there are holes in the fascia. While either the HOA or POA might have the right to enter the property and correct the violation, do you want to start paying for each situation. Right now there are approximately seventy foreclosures in PGA National and it is anticipated the number will only increase. If it costs only $500.00 to fix the house (or cut grass several times and this is a very conservative estimate when it usually takes more than a year for the foreclosure to go through) when you multiply that $500. by 70 homes you get $35,000.00 that comes out of your pocket. Remember, that annual assessments for that property are not being paid either so you are covering that cost too!

The whole point is to explain why we rely on the City’s help when possible and to ask you to please be patient (as you have been) and understand that the foreclosure process is a very slow one…… Thank you for your patience!

FLASHERS…
No, not men in raincoats….those who flash their headlights to warn oncoming drivers of police presence. Did you know that you can be issued a ticket for flashing your lights to warn other drivers? It’s true! Also, for those who like to be ‘helpful’ to their friends and neighbors in PGA National to warn them of the police, please be aware that most officers won’t stop you for driving less than 10 miles over the speed limit. This means in the 25 mph sections of PGA, you have to be going at least 35 mph.

I know I keep harping on this but there are a lot of kids, pets, wildlife, etc in PGA National and it is important that you drive at posted speed limits for your safety and theirs. Thank you for your cooperation with this important matter.

ARTS….CRAFTS…FUN….ANYONE?
I WARNED YOU! I am going to keep telling you about the December 12th Art Festival and Craft Fair in Masters Park. The POA Special Events Committee is still looking for artists and crafters to participate. It isn’t too late but it soon will be!

Get an application on line at pga-poa.com or call 627-2800 and ask us to send you an application….tell your friends! If you go to other events or have a favorite artist or crafter, mention this event to them. You don’t have to live in PGA National to participate. The whole cost is only $40.00 so how can they lose? Hope to see you there: whether you are buying or selling!

STORMS
Yes, I’m bringing it up again and I am not allowed to use the “H” word until after November 30th.    We’ve noticed a few owners have closed their storm shutters and have “headed north” or are on vacation. While the POA rules state that accordion shutters, clear panels, or shutters that are factory finished to match the surface they are attached to, as approved by the POA ARC, can be closed between June 1st  – November 30th, you might want to reconsider.  Closing up your house for weeks or months lets everyone know you are away.  While you may believe the shutters give you an extra level of security, I can tell you if someone wants to get in they will!  Now they are in your house and don’t need to be secretive or worry about the lights – the shutters are closed and your neighbors can’t see in.  I’m sure you understand the concern so please give careful consideration to this before closing up your house for long periods of time.

Along the same lines, whenever you go away it is important that you discontinue the newspaper and you should notify Wackenhut Security.  They provide a property check (upon written request) and will walk around the perimeter of your home to conduct an inspection in addition to their regular street patrol of the community.  You can obtain a form by clicking here.  All owners are encouraged to have someone go inside their home to be sure everything is secure and there are no leaks or other problems.  A simple thing like the air conditioner not working can result in thousands of dollars in mildew restoration to owners who are away for a few months and don’ t know their air is off!

DRAINAGE
Although we are very happy to have the rains, we are now getting calls from owners who “need a boat to get the mail”.  Two things to remember, if you have a large metal storm grate on or near your lot, please be nice enough to take a rake and clear the debris from the surface of the grate after the first rains.  Leaves and other debris wash away with the rain and these items get stuck on the top of the grate.  If you don’t clear the debris, the water can’t flow properly.

In addition, many owners have installed a “yard drain” which looks like a small grate on each side of the driveway.  These are typically tied into a horizontal pipe that runs from house to house then into a storm drain.  They were never designed to be installed and left alone.   They too fill up with leaves and debris and stop working.  If you have NEVER had the drain cleaned out, you might want to consider calling a company who can clear it with a high pressure hose.  Otherwise, you should use your hose with a high pressure nozzle once per month to be sure the line stays clear and, of course, encourage your neighbors to do the same so the whole line remains clean.

ASSESSMENTS
If you haven’t sent your $624.00 payment to PGA POA, it is now late.  Please be sure to get the payment to the office to avoid interest that will begin accruing this month.  The POA Board has worked with residents who are having financial difficulties so please don’t “ignore” the bill.  Give me a call (all info is kept confidential) so you don’t end up with a lot of legal fees and collection costs when you are already having difficulty.  The Board understands what these difficult economic times are doing to everyone and we thank you for your efforts to keep your account current and your property looking great!

SPECIAL EVENTS
In closing, I want to address all you closet artists!  No, not the ones who redecorate their closet every month….those who are wonderful artists and crafters and are easily intimidated or afraid to take the first step.  Just do it!  The POA Special Events Committee is holding the 4th annual Art Festival and Craft Fair on December 12th.  It was intended to get some of PGA’s talented residents showing and selling their items but after speaking with a few people it is evident that some of the best talents are just afraid to take the first step.  Why not take it here with your friends and neighbors?  Take a look at the application (and photos of last year’s event) here on our website.  We hope you will give it a try.  If you don’t want to participate quite yet, stop by and take a look around and maybe we will see you next year?

Have a happy summer!