Oh No....More Laundry Woes!!!

NOT AGAIN!!! This is just getting out of hand, washers and dryers are going doing again. COIN MACH must suffer for this not us. Let's get them out of here already. DAMN THIS ISSUE WASN'T HARDLY TOUCHED AT OUR LAST MEETING. CHARITY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY REVIEW THE CONTRACT IN ORDER TO TELL US IF WE SHOULD PURSUE LEGAL ACTION. WELL I SAY FORGET THAT!

I'm sure if the Budget Committee reviewed it we would most certainly find out that we could pursue legal action against Coin Mach. EVERYDAY THAT GOES BY IT SEEMS THAT OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS DOING LESS AND LESS FOR US, THIS BEING ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT DRIVES MY OPINION ABOUT THEM. Please report the machines to Coin Mach because us harassing them is the only way were going to get them out.

BUDGET COMMITTEE PLEASE REVIEW THE CONTACT FOR THE GOOD OF M.V.

I'd like to know a little more about Pepe's Towing is anyone has experiences with them please let me hear about it.

THE 2008 DOWNTOWN MIXER! (04/03)

Passing It Along!

Delilah Snell, owner of the eco-friendly Road Less Traveled Store, and Board Chair of the the Downtown Santa Ana Business Council asked me to pass along this invite to residents and friends of the Santiago Street Lofts.

This is an invitation to the Downtown Santa Ana Business and Neighborhood Mixer. Come and meet the many people who make Santa Ana a great place to live and work. Bring information about your business to share and sample delectable appetizers from Jason's Downtown Restaurant and Wine Cellar complimentary of the Downtown Santa Ana Business Council.

• see upcoming branding and marketing images for the area


• interactive website launching


• receive a copy of the area's new map for visitors


• view a list of 2008/09 events


• share your thoughts with business owners, community leaders and residents
  

When: April 3rd from 5-8pm

Where: Jason's Downtown, 416 West 4th Street (across from the Ronald Regan Courthouse)

Who: you and others that you know, please pass this along!

Contact: Delilah Snell, 714.836.8727 for more information.

BEWARE!!! MAIL THIEF!!!

It saddens me to have to post information like this but this is a huge issues which residents need to be made aware of, I received this e-mail today from Joe of the Safety Committee :

Cyrus,

Could you please inform the Monterey Villa residents that we may be victims of mail theft. Yesterday Maria, our cleaning woman and resident, informed me that on Monday afternoon, a female resident observed an older man standing near the mailboxes for an unusual amount of time. The resident was in the laundry room so she decided to step outside to have a better look, as she walked outside she noticed numerous mailboxes open and the man stuffing envelopes into his jacket. She immediately realized that he was not a postman so she asked him what he was doing and he replied, "I'm changing the keys and locks on these mailboxes." The woman, who had been at the recent board meeting, knew nothing of the locks being changed so she went to find help. When she returned with one of the landscapers the man was gone.

Maria knew where the witness lived so I tried to contact her for an interview but she was not home. Today I contacted the United States Postal Inspection Service to report the incident. I was given an incident report number of CO36968270, and told that I would be contacted by either the USPIS or the FBI within a day to further investigate the issue. I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime I would encourage all residents to check their mail and contact me if anything is suspected missing. I can be contacted by e-mail at jegiese@ocsd.org.

Joe
Safety Committee

If you notice anything or anyone suspicious please call 911.

***NEW PARKING POLICY***

AS I POSTED IN MY MARCH MEETING RECAP, THE BOARD IS PROPOSING A NEW PARKING POLICY...AT THAT MEETING CHARITY SAID THAT SHE WOULD SEND OUT THE POLICY WITH THE NEWSLETTER. WELL IT HAS BEEN A WEEK AND NO NEWSLETTER, I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE DOCUMENTATION FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE SO HERE IT IS FOR YOU.

PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS POST YOUR COMMENTS HERE, E-MAIL CHARITY, OR COME TO THE NEXT MEETING APRIL 16TH @ 7PM. THIS WILL BE A RATHER LONG POST BECAUSE THE CC&R CHANGES ARE INCLUDED. I'LL HIGHLIGHT THE MAIN POINTS.

Re: Association Parking Policy

Dear Homeowner:

As we all know, parking is limited and of great concern to many of our residents. With this in mind, the Board of Directors is proposing the following policy in an effort to address parking in the community. In accordance with Civil Code 1357.130, the Board of Directors shall provide written notice of a proposed rule change at least 30 days before making the rule change which must be made at a board meeting.

The reason for the rule change is to allow members who live and pay association dues to have equal access to the common area and reduce the amount of stored vehicles on site. If you have any questions or comments regarding this proposed policy, please submit them in writing to the board, e-mail management or come to the upcoming board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00 P.M. in the clubhouse.

Please review the proposed rules in their entirety and we expect these rules to be in effect by April 19, 2008.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors

Monterey Villas HOA

P.S. Applications will be processed on site on April 19, 2008 & April 26, 2008 from 11:00am to 1:30pm near the club house. Upon approval of the application, parking permits may then be picked up.

Monterey Villas

Parking Rules and Regulations

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Monterey Villas Maintenance Corporation, the Board of Directors has established policies to curb abuses of the rules and to safeguard the proper use of the parking lot and spaces for the benefit of Monterey Villas Maintenance Corporation unit owners. These policies are provided here and can be amended at any time; any changes to the policies will be disseminated to the unit owners.

All unit owners shall observe and abide by all Monterey Villas Maintenance Corporation (Association) policies, as well as municipal parking and traffic law and regulations. Failure to observe and abide by these policies, laws, and regulations may result in vehicles being removed from the parking lot by an independent contractor at the unit owner’s risk and expense, for which the Association accepts no responsibility or liability.

I. General

A. The parking lot within Monterey Villas is for the exclusive use of Monterey Villas unit owners, visitors, and for those having business with the Association.

B. No open parking spaces are assigned (the only assigned spaces are the privately owned and covered carports).

C. Additional parking permits will be issued by the Rules and Regulations Committee on a case by case basis.

D. Fines may be imposed and parking privileges may be revoked as a result of consistent and/or repetitive infractions of the rules and covenants.

E. A unit owner who is a landlord may transfer the parking permit to the unit owner's tenant, and the tenant shall observe and abide by these policies.

II. Restricted Uses

A. Vehicles may park in any unrestricted uncovered space.

B. Restricted areas include but are not limited to: fire lanes, pedestrian access areas (striped areas), in front of trash bin enclosures and fire hydrant zones.

C. Vehicles must be in working condition. Vehicles in open spaces may not remain in one spot for more than 96 hours unless a written request is submitted in advance to the Board of Directors.

D. Only ordinary light maintenance on vehicles may be performed in the parking lot. (Such as cleaning interior or removing trash, changing a flat tire.)

E. Vehicles may never be driven or placed on curbs or grassy-garden areas.

F. Each unit owner (with two vehicles) who is current on dues and has no violations will be allowed to apply for a valid parking permit, only one parking permit per unit will be issued after the application has been reviewed, and the vehicle for which the permit will be used must have current registration. A valid parking permit is defined as one issued by the Monterey Villas rules and regulations committee to the individual unit owner, and one that contains a permit number that has not been voided.

(1) Parking permits will be issued only to unit owners who are current in condominium fees, late fees, and other financial obligations to the Association.

G. A unit owner who transfers a parking permit to a tenant must retrieve the permit from the tenant upon termination of the rent or lease.

H. Vehicles must display a valid parking permit when on the premises.

I. The parking permit must be displayed in the designated location, hanging from the rear view mirror or fixed to the top left driver’s side corner of the rear window. (Convertibles should display the permit in the top left driver’s side corner of the windshield or of course hanging from the rear view mirror as a hanging permit will be issued.

J. You may park your motorcycle, without a permit, in any of the marked motorcycle spaces. You may not park your motorcycle in any other parking lot space unless a motorcycle area has not been designated.

K. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of rule, regulation, or policy, upon receipt in writing from the Sheriff of Orange County, the Police Department of Santa Ana, the Fire Chief of Orange County, or their respective designees attesting that:

(a) a unit owner or tenant is an employee of that official's agency,

(b) a government vehicle has been assigned to the unit owner or the unit owner's tenant,

(c) such vehicle is to be operated exclusively by the unit owner or the unit owner's tenant in the execution of official duties, and

(d) such duties are in the furtherance of public safety, the Board of Directors may issue a parking permit for that vehicle upon approval of the aesthetics committee if the vehicle is not in violation of the association’s CC&R’s or Rules and regulations.

(2) A parking permit issued pursuant to paragraph (1), shall be affixed to vehicle in the above prescribed manner. The parking permit is transferable. If the Board of Directors finds that the parking permit has been illegally duplicated and affixed to multiple vehicles, the Board of Directors shall revoke the parking permit and cause the number to be voided. The Board of Directors shall not issue another parking permit for that unit owner or any other government vehicle assigned to the unit owner or the unit owner's tenant during the remainder of period during which the original parking permit would have been valid.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), in the event that the government vehicle to which the parking permit was issued is temporarily or permanently replaced during the period for which a parking permit is valid, the parking permit may be transferred after the official provides notice to the Board of Directors.

(4) Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to compel the Board of Directors to issue a parking permit. The decision to issue or revoke a parking permit is reserved exclusively to the Board of Directors and/or the Rules & Regulations Committee..

III. Enforcement

A. Failure to follow parking policies. Failure to abide by any Monterey Villas parking policies, rules and regulations may result in towing and/or the revocation of parking permits or privileges.

B. Counterfeit parking permits. Any duplication or facsimile of the original parking permit will be considered counterfeit, and the vehicle will be subject to towing and additional penalties. The parking permit will be confiscated and the number voided when the permit holder is found counterfeiting a parking permit. Revocation of the one allotted parking permit per unit means that the unit owner must pay $250.00 to get a new valid parking permit. In addition, the permit holder will lose the right to park in the Monterey Villas parking lot for 30 days, incrementing in 30-day periods per incident (e.g., 30 days for the first incident, 60 days for the second, and so forth).

C. Financial delinquency. If a unit owner is more than ninety (90) days delinquent in meeting financial obligations to the Association, regardless of the amount, the Board of Directors shall provide the unit owner with notice and grant the unit owner an opportunity to be heard. The unit owner may respond by appearing in person before the Board of Directors at such time and place as provided in the notice or replying in writing by the date as provided in the notice. Failure to respond shall constitute waiver of all privileges, and the Board, shall revoke the parking permit and void the permit number, and the vehicle shall be subject to towing. A new valid parking permit may be issued if, at the time such permit is issued, the amount necessary to bring the account current has been paid and recorded on the books of the management company. Revocation of the parking permit shall result in the unit owner paying $250.00 to get a new valid parking permit.

D. Towing. Towing of the vehicle will be carried out by an independent contractor. The Association accepts no responsibility or liability for the actions of the independent contractor.

IV. Voiding and Replacement of Permits

A. A parking permit can be exchanged without charge for a new parking permit if it becomes damaged.

B. Parking Permit numbers are voided when—

(1) The unit owner sells the unit.

(2) A parking permit is exchanged.

(3) A new parking permit is issued.

(4) The unit owner is 90 or more than ninety (90) days delinquent as described in III.C.

(5) A parking permit holder is found to have counterfeited a parking permit.

C. The replacement cost for a permit is $100, regardless of reason. (Free if damaged)

D. The Board of Directors will consider appeals upon submission of a written request.

URGENT!!! THIS WILL SAVE YOU MONEY!

ATTENTION, DON'T PAY MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO, FILLING OUT THIS FORM WILL SAVE YOU A BUNCH OF MONEY. ITS SAD TO SAY BUT OUR PROPERTY VALUE HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, HAVE YOUR PROPERTY REASSESSED SO THAT YOU PAY TAXES ON THE CURRENT VALUE.

Click here to view and print the Informal Property Tax Review Form, fill it out and postmark it by April 30th.

The form is a request for a reassessment of your property value. When you purchased your condo, the county reassessed your home at the purchase price. Your property taxes are a percentage of that assessed value. Now that values have dropped so dramatically, a reassessment would benefit you by resetting the value of your home to better match market conditions. The county tax rate will remain the same, so the same percentage of a lower assessed value means a smaller total tax burden for you.
-Pumkin828

As an FYI, the form asks for comp sales in the area, but you do not need to fill that out since the information is not readily available. I was told by the Assessors Office to put "Not Available" and that they would pull it up on their own. They have the information, but we do not since the auction prices were not identified by the converter in the grant deeds.

-Sarah

Kudos to Sarah for presenting this information at our March meeting. Tell your fellow neighbors about this ASAP. Also don't forget to spread the news about the BLOG. It is the best form of communication we have.

More Retail Space Nearby: Homeplace

I'm sure everyone has seen the recent construction taking place next to OSH on 17th, well thanks to Mr. Ben Dayhoe and Dr. Jason we have been given some insight on what's going to be erected there.Red Mountain Retail Inc is the developer on the project. They are the ones who are responsible for the construction which is taking place in front of Target on 17th and Grand. Good company in my opinion and here is what they had to say about what they are referring to as HOMEPLACE.

Homeplace Shopping Center is located west of Tustin Avenue on 17th Street in Santa Ana, California at 1935, 1943, and 1975 East 17th Street in close proximity to the 55 freeway.Located in the heart of the Santa Ana Enterprise Zone, this center will feature an approximately 21,000sf food court with patio space which will accommodate the high professional and medical daytime population. Traffic counts are very strong, with an estimated 68,500 cars ADT.

Blog Ads!

In light of recent changes to the clubhouse rules, and inspiration again from Ben Dayhoe, I have decided to add ads to the blog. The revenue generated from these ads will help purchase items for our clubhouse/recreational use. These items will be donated to the Monterey Villas on behalf of all the blog visitors.

HOW IT WORKS:The way the ads work is that every time someone clicks on them it adds a few cents of revenue toward our purchase goal. Once we have enough money the item will be bought, donated and a new goal will be set.

WHAT ITEMS?: You might be asking what are we going to buy and who decides, well that's the best part YOU DECIDE, ( we'll after the first one, I had something in mind already.) While each goal is being fulfilled I will post an ongoing poll on the site to see which item the revenue will go for. The items in the poll will be realistic suggestions that you the resident provide. This has nothing to do with the Association Board or the Monterey Villas Budget, it's simply a way for us residents to get what we want and not have to get anyones approval.

WHAT IS THE FIRST ITEM: Like I said before I had something in mind is something that I feel is missing in our clubhouse, a ping pong table. I thought of getting a conversion kit which would just turn the pool table into a ping pong table when needed, but having a stand alone ping pong table will allow more things to do in there. So here is an example picture of what the table will look like:

Clubhouse Use

I just got this info, beginning next weekend and on weekends only, when not reserved for private parties, the clubhouse will be open for general use & locked at 11:00pm.

Thanks to some helpful input I've updated a few issues in the March recap so look for the "*UPDATE*" located in the last post to see whats new. There are some important changes regarding parking.

March Meeting Recap!

Wednesday Night's meeting was the most productive meeting to date, and the attendance, 27 residents, reflected it. I made it just in time to catch the committee reports and here is a summary of what was talked about:

Committee Reports-
Adam spoke on behalf of the Architectural Committee and had some big news, he told us that the permit parking proposal along with some corresponding amendments to the CC&R's had been completed and would be submitted to the board. The proposal and amendments would be sent to all homeowners to review and an implementation date would be selected to start permit parking enforcement. The board approved the measure, and it was decided that the paperwork would be distributed with our next bill, so look for it soon. I'm not sure if the permits would also be sent with the letter but I'm sure they are soon to follow. Hopefully Adam or someone on the Architectural Committee could further elaborate on this matter.*UPDATE*Permits will not be sent with the proposed rule change. To get a permit homeowners will have to apply for one. Only homeowners with two vehicles need apply. Registrations must match the address here. Applications will be accepted on site on the weekends of April 19 & 26 near the club house between the hours of 11am & 1:30pm. Permits will be distributed on a first come first serve basis as there are only 109 free spaces, no sense in issuing more permits than there is room for.*UPDATE*

Adriana spoke on behalf of the Social Committee and informed us that the social committee would like to host a Cinco de Mayo party for the entire complex on Saturday May 3rd. The event was described as a way to unite the residents and enjoy a good time through music, games, and great food. In order to host the party the social committee was requesting $1,000.00 from the board. The board was hesitant to let the money go but through the strength in numbers, and comments, the residents were able to persuade the board members to allow the funds for the party. Judging from the Winter party we had, I'm sure the Cinco de Mayo party is sure to make a positive impact. The event has been listed as B.Y.O.B!

Charity spoke on behalf of the Landscape Committee and started brining in the Landscaping Contract into the conversation and it got a little confusing. But what I got from it was this; several walk-throughs have been conducted to determine current lighting and landscape issues. These issues will be targeted with upcoming vendor visits. Please direct any outside lighting or landscape issue to either Charity or Saul. The rocks under the stairways were briefly mentioned but I wasn't able to distinguish what was said about them, could someone clarify on that matter.*UPDATE* the committee will have to find a different style, when the original order was to be placed the vendor raised the price by $12,000.00 over what was agreed and the board refused to pay that much, so there will be a delay in getting the rocks under the stairs.*UPDATE*


Joe spoke on behalf of the Safety Committee and told us that the garage conversion idea had been thoroughly researched over the last month. As a result, it seems that although it is possible it doesn't appear to be probable. This is due to the overwhelming cost and lack of space which we would be left with if we did pursue this route. You can read more in-depth on this by reading the previous update the Safety Committee presented to us or click here. Those in attendance appeared to be satisfied with the research and results that he presented. As an alternative Joe suggested that we pursue security cameras as an immediate attempt to minimize our current vandalism situation, but also further research the possibility of adding gates to our facility. In reference to the security cameras, the board agreed to have one vendor do a presentation at the next association meeting.

Agenda Items
Landscape Contract-
Our current landscaper is requesting an $800.00 per month increase in pay. The board is offering a $400.00 increase but will not give them anything more.

Laundry Contract-
The board researched whether to seek legal action against Coin Mach but found that it would be too expensive to pursue. As an alternative Charity is requesting that a representative from Coin Mach attend our next Meeting to achieve a compromise for our problem. All residents are encouraged to present their laundry woes and wishes to the Coin Mach Rep.

Tree Trimming-
Trimming will start on April 10th, and will cover the entire facility.

Pest Control Contract-
There hasn't been anymore pest problems reported to Charity, so it looks like this issue has been resolved if you have a problem please let us know.

Fire Extinguisher Service-
A residential request to have the fire extinguisher replaced was denied, hopefully we never need to use them as a malfunction could result in a serious lawsuit.

Tennis Court Wind Screen Replacement-
A residential request to replace the torn wind screen was denied but the board agreed to look into having the screen repaired. Residential Tennis players attending the meeting to motion to have the actual game net be replaced, I'm not what was decided on this matter. *UPDATE* The tennis nets/ windscreens will be repaired not necessarily replaced.*UPDATE*

Janitorial Contract-
Filmore services, aka Maria, has asked for a $200.00 per month increase in pay. The board was skeptical on granting her this amount until we all heard how much work she does for us. Upon hearing her job duties the board did grant her the pay increase. One of Maria's concerns was who picks up the dog poop which is left behind by the pet owners. The answer is THE PET OWNERS. IF YOUR DOG POOPS OUTSIDE PICK IT UP!!! No one should, as a job duty, should have to pick up after your dog. OWNERS CAUGHT NOT PICKING UP AFTER THEIR DOGS WILL BE FINED!!!

Budget-
Talk started about us being over budget, and needing a revised budget for the next fiscal year; with this talk came a proposal to form a Budget Committee. The board approved the formation and four residents, (Sarah, Emilo, Gerald, Tom), volunteered to be on the Committee and develop a new budget by months end. Good Luck, and Thank You! This is much needed and overdue.

Homeowner Presentation
Here is a quick summary of what homeowners had to say:

1. Security Company
   
   • The purpose and success rate of our "Security Guard" was questioned and the phone number for Securitas Inc. was requested. The number I found was 714-705-1530. If anyone has another number please post it.
2. Save on Property Taxes, Posted Yesterday
   
   • Sarah gave us all some useful information which needs to be addressed immediately. Read the previous post or click here. Act now to request an informal property reassessment.
     
3. Clubhouse Usage
   
   • A request to have the clubhouse open for general use when not reserved was requested.
     
4. Notification Signs
   
   • Request to have signs posted on dumpster and the near the pool were requested. The signs would read "Private Property..." and "Animals not allowed in the Pool."
     
5. BBQ's
   
   • A request to have the CC&R's amended to allow the use of propane BBQ's on balconies and porches.
     
6. Termites
   
   • If you have any termite issues call Charity ASAP as this is still covered by the converter.
     
7. Pet Owner Provisions
   
   • According to the CC&R's, Pet owners are not allowed to leave pets unattended on balconies and porches. Don't be surprised to see a fine in the mail, or a visit from Santa Ana P.D. if you violate this. Hint Hint: white dog owner in "P" building.

The next association meeting will be held on April 16th, at 7pm.

URGENT! SAVE MONEY ON PROPERTY TAXES!!!

I don't have time to post a full recap right now but I did want all homeowners to be aware of this tax break which Sarah brought up.

Click here to view and print the Informal Property Tax Review Form, fill it out and postmark it by March 30th.

As an FYI, the form asks for comp sales in the area, but you do not need to fill that out since the information is not readily available. I was told by the Assessors Office to put "Not Available" and that they would pull it up on their own. They have the information, but we do not since the auction prices were not identified by the converter in the grant deeds.

-Sarah

Kudos to Sarah for presenting this information at last night's meeting. There is a lot more to come about the meeting. Tell your fellow neighbors about this ASAP.

Totally off the subject but I wanted to tell Mrs. Cyrus that I love her, and thanks for putting up with all the time I spend on the blog.

What A Meeting

Wow! Tonight's meeting went great. We seemed to address a lot of issues, and there was a great amount of attendance, I'd say at least 25 residents. It's getting late so I'll have a full meeting recap posted sometime tomorrow.

Santa Ana puts teeth in barking-dog law

This is in reference to the comment about the lonely white dog in building "P". This is also a great issue to bring up at the Association Meeting Tonight.

BY DOUG IRVING

The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SANTA ANA –The city has created a new category of public nuisance: dogs that bark incessantly for no apparent reason.

And under the law, the owners of such dogs may have to pay.

The city has received nearly 1,000 complaints of noisy animals since 2001, but only three rose to the level of a criminal proceeding. The new law, adopted late Monday, allows the city to issue citations to the owners of barking dogs without pursuing a criminal case.

The law describes a nuisance dog as one that barks or "makes any noise" incessantly for 30 minutes or intermittently for 60 minutes in any 24-hour period. It gives dogs a break when they're barking to protect their property against possible trespassers, or when someone is teasing or provoking them.

The city's law allows enforcement officers to write citations based on a signed complaint, without seeing or hearing the offending dog. Owners would get a warning for the first offense; they could face a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail after that.

The law also sets down minimum requirements for shelter, water and food for dogs. And it requires owners to clean up the mess "in a sanitary manner" when their dog takes a bathroom break on someone else's property.

More Action Needs To Be Taken!

This is a direct comment from user "Blueprint", it is a prime example why action needs to taken immediately. I know there are other stories out there, please bring them to the association meeting tomorrow night @7pm. THE BOARD, MADE OF CONVERTERS ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR US....LET US RESIDENTS SHOW OUR STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.

I am having a problem with the parking spot next to mine -- no one owns this parking space because the unit it belongs to is still vacant. However, one of our neighbors regularly use this spot for visitors/outsiders who doesn't have respect for property. I had an encounter with a group of teenagers once because I caught them drinking beer and leaning on my car around 11:00 p.m. at night. The next day, I saw that my car's been keyed badly. After that, my car's been dented twice. Until this day, I still see different cars park in that spot but it seems like the visitors were from that one neighbor only.

My suggestion is to give each household 2 detachable parking permits. One that has our parking spot number, and the other one for guest parking.

This serves 2 purposes: First, we can avoid outsiders from parking in covered stalls that are non-owned. Second, the detachable parking permit that has a printed parking spot number can be our identification with the towing company should someone else use our space.

I want to emphasize the word "detachable" because my sister and I take turns in using our parking space. Certain days I park in our designated parking spot, and some days she is scheduled to use it instead.

MARCH ASSOCIATION MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT!

Tomorrow Night's Association Meeting begins @7pm in the Clubhouse:

AGENDA ITEMS
• Landscape Contract
• Laundry Contract
• Tree Trimming (Additional Work Proposed) Start Date April 10, 2008
• Pest Control Contract/Scope of Maintenance
• Fire Extinguisher Service (Additional Service Request)
• Tennis Court Net Replacement
• Janitorial Contract
• Roof Leak Repairs

Please come and voice your concerns during the homeowners' Discussion Period. If you have a complaint we want to hear it.

Back to Being Funny!

I haven't posted a movie trailer in awhile so here's one that I'm looking forward to:

Art Walk Tonight

Every third Saturday Night of the month, our Santa Ana neighbors over at Santiago Street Lofts host an art walk, and each month gets better and better. If you need something to do tonight I encourage that you stop by. Why? Its local, its new, and the people are great. Location information is available via the Santiago Street Lofts blog site, or Click Here. It is recommended that you park in the Santa Ana Train Depot which is located directly across from the Lofts.

Clubhouse Reservations

Thanks to Adriana and Joe for sending me the new Clubhouse Reservations, check out the MV EVENTS CALENDAR to see if the Clubhouse is available for your next event. If anyone else has an event, i.e. yard sale, art show, or anything else you'd like to share with the community, post it here and I'll put it up on the calendar.

More Committee updates!

Yesterday the Safety and Landscape Committee's did a walk through to pin-point certain light poles that need replacement or repair, the contractor checked and found different light sources (yellow or white) and wattage. He recommended that we standardize the wattage and select a white light which will illuminate more surface area. Once these repairs and changes are made, another walk through will take place in the evening to better survey the lighting situation. I will inform you of such date.

They also met the with the converter; below is a list a suggestions that were discussed, Charity will be here Friday the 14Th, to post the agenda for the next HOA meeting.

• The converter suggested and will supply the HOA I.D. cards, the HOA will issue (2) I.D. cards to each homeowner/tenant currently living here. The proposed I.D. is to question and provide proof when asked if individual resides here at M.V. during use of the pool/jacuzzi, fitness room, and facilities. They believe this should reduce non-resident use of our facilities.
• Lighting contractor given O.K. by Charity to install timer on the T.V. and lights in the fitness room
• Lighting contractor given O.K. by Charity to install light sensor in the both laundry rooms
• To investigate installation of a flood light illuminating the tennis courts (when not in use) by lighting contractor, end corner by laundry room
• Painting to be done by the converter soon (no specific date given)
• Contractor hired to replace mulch with river rock, unable to deliver rock selection, increased cost by 12k to complete job per rock selection (NOT ACCEPTABLE). Alternate solution to select another type of rock to without increase to original quote/price submitted. Get completion date once selection is finalized
• Parking tags are ready, Charity indicated that Adam recommended that all homeowners be present to complete agreement form stating the rules and conditions along with the year, make, model, and type of vehicle, etc.

Freedom of Speech

I understand that by leaving the comments section open to anybody can be a hazard but it's a risk I'm willing to take. The reason I like it is because everyone has their own interpretation of certain subjects and it usually takes some discussion to reach an agreeable outcome. This is what a community is all about. The window discussion is a prime example, just read the comments, some where thoughts, other were ideas, and then there were facts. I would like to see more peoples thoughts in the comments section. Don't be afraid to voice what you're thinking. If you're wrong hopefully someone will have the right answer. The only way to get more people to participate in the blog is to have the comments section open, the average resident doesn't want to register a new account, they would rather just input their name or put anonymous; and that's fine as long as we hear something. Please don't hesitate just contribute.

Safety Committee Updates

Yesterday the Safety Committee seemed to generate quite the conversation, through e-mails, with Charity. (I appreciate them including me in on the e-mail list.) They brought up some topics which I feel everyone should hear before our next Association Meeting so you can make an effort to show up if you have concerns. What you see below is from the e-mails:

Charity, can you provide a status on the following; parking tags, a completion date in the installation of the river rocks between the buildings and most important grounds lighting. FYI, many the ground night lights along Cabrillo Dr. are not working, this is a safety issue that need immediate attention.

I know that lighting has been discussed already but is there anything happening with that? I keep hearing that we’re looking at vendors but do we have anyone yet?[Charity Okonkwo] Yes he’ll be here tomorrow. He just needs keys to get into some of the panels. I would urge that we not only fix the existing lighting, but add a lot more lighting throughout the complex. I took a drive through our neighboring complexes the other night and noticed that they have more lighting than we do. Half of the lights give off an amber glow that is worthless; we need brighter lighting in the parking areas. Safety is becoming a huge issue amongst residents due to the amount of vandalism that is taking place; action needs to be taken before it’s too late. [Charity Okonkwo] We’ll be sure to ask them to change lighting to white as they go out.

All homeowners MUST maintain a clean and orderly area around their car ports. No items shall be left exposed as storage, all homeowners should utilize their upper storage space and if not in use, and/or secure with a lock.The smoke detector chirping sounds is very annoying in the laundry room next to the tennis courts and needs to replaced, this is a safety matter that requires immediate resolution.

These were the main topics of the conversation, I'm glad to see that someone seems to care about this community. Keep up the good work Safety Committee, we'd still like to hear from the other Committees so if you have info e-mail me.

Window Replacements

How much does it cost to have our windows replaced? Can someone give the location of a replacement so that we can see how they look? Hopefully you get your answer Brian - I'm curious to.

Pet Waste Station

Sorry I don't have an actual picture, it was too dark when I finally got to see the new pet waste disposal station. It's nice to see these arrive I only hope that pet owners actually use them. There isn't anything else we can do to make people pick up the poop.

Honestly, I don't think the Association should have provided these because pet owners should take the full responsibility of picking up after their pets. But more power to you pet owners, less money you need to spend on baggies.

Hopefully seeing these up encourages all to help beautify our home...please, a lot of effort went into getting these put in, use them wisely.

Good to Go

I must admit that the new apps on the blog aren't the prettiest but they get the job done. They are self explanatory, Click the "Report a Broken Laundry Machine" button and you'll be taken Coinmach's Service Request page where you can report one of the many broken machines on our complex. The other addition to the blog is the Contact Charity form. This is an easy way to e-mail our property management group without having to leave the site. I'm always open to suggestions that will improve your reading of the blog so please post your ideas.

Almost Done

Once again I apologize for not posting anything recently but I'm still working on a few more things for the website. I plan to have mini application that allows residents to report broken washers and dryers with just a few clicks. The other thing I'm working on is a form that will allow you email Charity, Beacon Property Representative, without leaving our site. If you have any other request please let me know.

Social Committee Update

The Social Committee is pushing for a "Cinco de Mayo " celebration to be held on Sat. May 3rd. The party would include: a taco guy, mexican dishes and pinatas as well as a D.J. They also discussed non-party usage of the clubhouse. We hope to hear more updates soon.

Excuse Me

I'm sorry if you were having trouble accessing the blog today, I've been trying to work on a couple design issues with the site. As of right now I've added an events calendar to the blog and hope to get information from the Social Committee to fill it. I hope to have the calendar reflect the days when the clubhouse has been booked so that residents can quickly check for availability. I will also be using it to post any Committee Meetings. The calendar is simple to use, simply hover your mouse over an indicated date and you'll get a pop up of whats going on. For instance the 19th of this month is our Monthly Association Meeting in the Clubhouse @7pm. I'm still working on a couple issues and hope to have the blog back to normal within the next two days.

THE DUMPSTER IS GONE!

The large dumpster which was between buildings P and M has now been removed. Feel free to park there, I drove by at 10pm tonight and there were still some empty spots there.

Laundry Room Woes!!!

Wow! Our current laundry rooms situation is beyond ridiculous. I appreciate the comments over the weekend of those who were going through hell in our laundry rooms. It appears that a significant number of washer and dryers are down in both of our laundry facilities. At the most recent Association Meeting we learned that Coin Mach has us in a contract bind and the board is researching if they should seek legal action against Coin Mach. In the last two months Coin Mach has come out to repair machines but where were they six months prior to that. One resident informed me that he sent our cries for help to the Better Business Bureau, and he will continue to pester Coin Mach for better service. Thank You we appreciate the time you put in but we need to do more. If you see a broken machine call it in, write down the machine number, date & time you called so that we can have record of it in the event that we go to court against this horrible company. I'll try to come up with a form for the blog where you can list broken machines but in the meanwhile just use the comment section under this post. We Need Everyones help to get a better company in here.

CARPORT CONVERSION NEWS

This afternoon I received an email from our Safety Committee who met with three contractors in regards to the recent inquiry of converting our carports into garages. Here is the email:

Just an update, I met with 3 different contractors this weekend regarding the carport to garage conversions. All of them told me that although there is a possibility in erecting garages only one of the companies was willing to do a conversion instead of a complete rebuild. Each contractor had the same concerns: the amount of space we have and cost.

The first contractor I met with told me that he has done similar projects like this so he was very familiar with what we were looking for. He told me that he would surround the existing carport structures with cemented walls and an automatic aluminum roll-up door. The garages would utilize the existing roof which would be reinforced during the conversion. He told me that there would be two drawbacks; the length of the garages wouldn't accommodate long trucks, and the garages would have to be two car garages. Meaning that homeowners would need to share their space. The garages would be separated at the six inch beam that runs in between every two cars. The separation would be made of two by fours and drywall. The only internal work that would be done on the garages is the separation and minor electrical work to run power for the door and a light. The architectural design of the garages would match the existing Spanish style design found in the Monterey Villas. It would take him about four months to start, allowing him time to receive permits and get a design together. The construction would be done in stages and take six months total. Total Cost would not exceed $650,000 about $2,500 per unit.

The second contractor started off by telling me that he hopes we have a lot of money because this project would cost millions. He said that he would need to demolish the existing structure and rebuild to extend the garages a couple feet and to proceed with a preliminary design he would need about $5,000. I slowed him down before he started demanding any more money and asked him if he could give me a ballpark price for the project. He said that in total he saw the project running about $4,000,000, and it would take around 18months to complete. Before he left he asked why we just wouldn't put in security gates. I told him the reason which I've heard, we need 60ft of clearance to install the gates. He said, as far as he knows its only 21ft. and we shouldn't have to remodel too much and a project like that would only cost about $250,000 for 4 gates. I'm going to look into this.

The third contractor said that he did not do conversions and would only be interested in the project if he was able to rebuild it from the ground up. He stated that he would need to relocate the garages for space and we would loose about half of the free parking spaces throughout Monterey Villas. He gave me a lot of construction jargon and said that he saw the price somewhere around $2,900,000.

According to the first contractors' quote the conversion does seem like a possibility. Personally I thought all the quotes we'd receive would be in the millions. It would be very interesting to see how the board approaches this. Where would all the money come from? Would we see an increase in our monthly dues? Would the converter be willing to put up some more cash to sale the rest of the units? How do you now that we got some numbers back? Would you like the idea of sharing a garage with one of your neighbors?

As much as I'd like the conversion to take place I still think the garages would be too small. We appreciate the quick update Safety Committee, keep it coming.