Financial Records Archive

Dear Residents,

Now that urgent and immediate building repairs and maintenance have been addressed, which was discussed in the Budget Meeting earlier this month, we can now begin to focus on other areas to keep you abreast of your Association and be transparent to you, our resident, with regard to financial year-end reports, etc.

I also included the comparison for the last five years which demonstrates that your Board of Directors has addressed building neglect over the previous number of years and urgent repairs to the building such as replacing the roof and securing the building from the fire. If you will recall, the building, for almost two years, had plywood on the unit which had been destroyed by fire (through two hurricane seasons).  Additionally, the second floor railing cement was falling apart and had to be restored.

Also, during this time, we endured a recession referred to now as the GREAT RECESSION in which we had a large number of vacant, deserted and delinquent units and unit owners.  Not only was the Board of Directors able to make the above urgent repairs to the building, but do so fiscally responsibly and avoided having to implement large special assessments , what many condo associations had to do, in order to meet general operating items.

Not only has all the above been done, but the building is now well maintained to the level in which it was when many of you first moved into Hillcrest 11.  And, it has now become a beautiful place we all enjoy coming home too.

I’m happy to report that there are now no bank owned units now in Hillcrest 11 or units in bank foreclosure.  As you may know, anytime a unit in our building was foreclosed on, it depressed the property value of all our units.  Units now on the market have been upgraded and many haven’t remained on the market for long.  Also units have been selling for asking price.

That being said, to be more transparent to our residents, we will begin to post year-end financial statements on this site.  Additionally, to make our financial statements less confusing, we will work with the IRS to have our financial accounting changed from the accrual methodology to the cash basis methodology which is the standard with under 50 unit Associations.

We will put more archive financials on the site and then continue to add year-end statements going forward.

To access this page, please go to the RESIDENT section on the main menu or click this link -> Year End Financial Reports

However, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me as I’ll be happy to discuss “our” Association with you.

Regards,

E. Jeffrey Ladner,

President, Hillcrest Building 11

 

Board of Directors & Fiduciary Responsibility

The Role Of HOA Board Of Directors

To be effective, a homeowners association needs a strong board of directors that understands its role and pursues it with passion and a concise mission in mind. The following outline provides an overview of board roles and responsibilities.

To form an effective board, directors must have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the association, its history and what is to be accomplished. Every homeowner association should have responsibility for its assets as well as its operation in accordance with standards established by state and federal law, local ordinances, and the governing documents upon which the entity itself was created. To the extent that the association has such authority and control, it is the board of directors that makes certain these responsibilities are fulfilled.

Understanding the association concept:

The homeowners association is the cornerstone of a planned residential community. It brings continuity and order to the community, it preserves the architectural integrity and it maintains the common elements. Properly run, the association promotes the concept of “community” and protects the neighborhood’s property values. In many cases, it collectively makes available recreational and other facilities that might not otherwise be affordable or available to homeowners and residents on an individual basis.Deed-initiated homeowners associations have become an essential part of the overall concept of residential property ownership in today’s marketplace. Purchase of a home or lot often brings with it mandatory membership in an association which then provides the structure for operation and management of the residential development. With membership comes certain maintenance obligations, financial responsibilities, and a commitment to abide by use restrictions and other rules of the association. To a degree, it necessitates individual conformity for the good of the whole.

The association’s responsibilities may be limited to basic maintenance functions or they may be expanded to include sophisticated and extensive upkeep of the property as well as delivery of special services to individual homes (e.g. back door trash pickup). To be successful, its officers and directors must uniformly and fairly govern the community, and it must have a reasonable level of participation by each of its members over time.

Board of Directors

The association has responsibility for its common elements as well as the management and operation of the association’s business affairs – – all in accordance with standards established by the governing documents created when the community was first developed. To the extent that an association (typically a non-profit corporation) has such authority and control, it is its board of directors that carries out these duties and responsibilities.Members of the board of directors of an association serve without compensation unless the bylaws of the association provide to the contrary. The board’s authority includes all of the powers and duties enumerated in general law, as long as these powers are not inconsistent with the provisions of the documents governing the association.

NEW RESOURCE LIBRARY OF FORMS

Dear Hillcrest Building 11 Residents:

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce a new resource library of forms, requests and applications needed by residents to submit to the Association for various items such as:

1. Request of water valve shut off
2. Request to have AC pump turned off
3. Parking permit application
4. Extended stay guest registration
5. Request for access to common areas by contractors or for the delivery of large items to your unit.

Hopefully, this will allow a more convenient means for our residents to access these documents in order to submit timely to the Board of Directors.

The Resource Library is located at the top of the main page menu.  Or you can click here –>  Hillcrest Building 11 Resource Library

 

No Smoking in Common Areas

 

Dear Hillcrest Building 11 Residents and Guests,

Due to Florida Chapter 386, which regulates and prohibits smoking in public places, please be aware that smoking is NOT permitted in the common areas of our building.  This regulation is specifically drafted to prevent secondhand smoke dangers to others.

Therefore, smoking is not permitted in the elevator, along the walk-ways, stairways, sidewalks, or any other outdoor common area.  This includes when walking to and from your car and from or to your unit.

Although this regulation does not prohibit you from smoking within your unit, please be mindful and courteous of your neighbors when smoking on your balcony.

Also, as we all live under the same roof, to prevent the possibility of a fire please be  careful with disposal of cigarette butts in your trash to ensure they are completely extinguished and avoid smoking in bed.

Additionally, littering of any kind is strictly prohibited which includes the disposal of cigarette butts on the lawn, landscaping areas,  over the railings, parking lot or any other common area.

Smoking in or along common areas, or the disposal of cigarette butts in common areas will result in fines being accessed to the owner.   The Board of Directors have observed discarded butts along our building entrances and walkways.  This is both unsightly and prohibited per rules and regulations with regard to littering.

Please advise your guest of these restrictions as per our condominium rules and regulations, owners are responsible for the conduct of their guests.

Thank you for your cooperation,

The Board of Directors

SAFETY & STORAGE ADVISORY

 

Photo of alarm in each unit.

During the mandatory testing of our building’s fire alarms last week, the agent observed and confirmed that the alarm inside one unit on the eastern side of our building appears to have been deliberately disconnected.  If you disarmed the alarm in your unit please reconnect it now so you are adequately notified in the event of a fire emergency.  The disconnection appears on the control panel that will be checked during the upcoming inspection by fire prevention officials, and can cause our Homeowners Association to be charged a penalty.

The HOA Board advises residents who stored items outside of their cabinet in the storage rooms that those items were disposed over the weekend of Oct. 31.  In this instance the disposal was done as a courtesy.  Future disposal of items inappropriately stored in the storage rooms may incur a disposal cost for the property owner.

 

 

Reminder:  Announcements and updates from the HOA Board and Hillcrest Presidents’ Council are posted on the bulletin board near the elevator on each floor.

LONG TERM GUESTS-OCCUPANY USE RULES

Every unit owner should have received a mailing that addresses the Hillcrest 11 bylaws that pertain to long-term guests.  Recently, our HOA Board encountered four unit owners who did not register their long-term guest or had guests (renters) live in their unit in a manner that was sneaky.  In one instance,  unauthorized tenants were discovered when a realtor came to show a 2-bedroom unit advertised as a rental.  The new parking permit policy has been useful in identifying such misconduct.  These incidents are alarming and triggered swift response from the Board to discourage further breaches.

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE

Dear Hillcrest 11 Residents,

As you are aware, being an owner in a condominium building means you are a cooperative owner, along with the other residents in the building.  Your monthly maintenance payments  pay bills for the building: electric, water/sewer, waste collection, cable TV, elevator service, landscaping and janitorial, to name a few.

There are also annual bills such as, certification and inspection of  fire alarms and extinguishers, the elevator, as well as building insurance.  Each year these costs are presented and approved during an annual budget meeting and incorporated into your monthly maintenance payment based on your percentage of common ownership.  When an owner of our building does not pay, or fails to pay their monthly maintenance in a timely manner this causes an unfair situation to the remaining residents of our building.

CONTRACTORS & DELIVERIES

 

HOA Board members have repeatedly appealed to residents to take responsibility for the condition they leave common areas in when doing construction in their unit.  It is unfair and discourteous to others who are invested in this community, to not clean up after your renovation work.  And be mindful of how you can minimize the debris and residue placed in common areas.   The above photos were taken last week.  Fernando pitched in with the cleaning staff to mop up the mess near unit #110 after the contractor attempted to clean up without appropriate cleaning liquid.

Yesterday two residents interrupted the delivery of furniture to unit #303 (see photos above)  when a delivery crew attempted to use our passenger elevator.  They were instructed to use stairs.  (If  delivery staff refuse to obey, document their truck identification then call the company or post a complaint on their company’s Facebook page.)  Time and again, HOA Board members have said DO NOT transport heavy and hefty items in our elevator because it is not designed for such use and is costly to repair.  When moving or receiving appliances and furniture tell the delivery crew or movers which staircase to use.

WASTING WATER COSTS MONEY

The water you waste costs you money.  It’s that simple.

That leaky toilet you forget to fix, running water when you’re not using it, and the water you don’t recycle show up in our monthly water bill.

Please notify a Board member if you notice a water leak or the toilet in your unit continuously runs as if the tank is still filling long after it was flushed.

Fixing a leaky toilet saves HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER a day, and that saves money. A leaky, running toilet wastes more water than a dripping faucet.

Building water bills are our biggest expense.  Remember, each of us is responsible for paying building bills through our monthly maintenance payment.  If building bills increase that can hike up your monthly maintenance dues.

A handy tipsheet that was delivered to your door to help get you into the GOOD HABIT of SAVING WATER and keeping our water bills reasonable.  No one wants higher HOA dues, so stop flushing money down your toilet.

CONSERVE WATER & SAVE MONEY

1. Take shorter showers; baths use more water.
2. Don’t run water while shaving or brushing teeth.
3. Only run laundry machine and dishwasher with full load.
4. Replace old toilets, shower head and faucets with water-conserving fixtures.
5. Don’t leave faucet running while soaping dishes or rinsing fruits/veggies.
6. Recycle old water by using it on plants instead of throwing it down a drain.

Give yourself an applause if you already practice 4 or 5 of these tips every day or encourage neighbors to get hooked on these good habits.

Saving water to lower our bills is everyone’s responsibility and should be taken seriously when you consider the high cost for wasting water.

CONTRACTOR REGULATIONS

NOTICE FROM HILLCREST 11 HOA BOARD

Per Association by-laws, any work by a contractor which is done on or within the common areas, or outside the confines of your unit, MUST be communicated to the Board of Directors and must be approved in writing by the Board of Directors.  If any work is done without approval, the resident can be required to endure the cost to return the common area back to its original condition.

This includes attachments to the building, cutting into any common wall, roof or any other building element, and access to the common attic (via access ports on 3rd floor, see photos) or electrical meter room.

Request must be submitted in writing along with detailed information on the scope of work, along with copies of the contractor’s license and insurance. Additionally, any major work within a residential unit must also receive Board of Director approval, per Association by-laws.  This includes electrical, plumbing or major structural changes. 

Request must be submitted in writing along with copies of contractor’s license and insurance information. These guidelines ensure the protection of common property and other residents who could be effected by inadequate, improper or sloppy workmanship or unlicensed work. Your cooperation and assistance is expected and appreciated

 

Board of Directors

WATER SHUT-OFF REQUEST FORM

NOTICE ROM HILLCREST 11 HOA BOARD

In an effort to establish guidelines to schedule services and to minimize inconvenience to residents, please adhere to these guidelines:

Non-emergency water valve and AC pump shut-off will only happen on Wednesdays and Thursdays after 10 am (if there’s no water leakage).   Request form must be received 48 hours prior to scheduled work.

Urgent service (where there is water leakage) must be scheduled Monday—Friday after 10 am and request form must be received 24 – 48 hours prior to scheduled work.  Must be verified by Board member.

If repair work is done after a unit shut-off valve, service will NOT be turned off.

If repair work is done at or before the unit shut-off valve, then click the blue link below to download the form you must complete and submit.

Please click there >> SERVICE INTERRUPTION REQUEST FORM

 

1.  All requests must be received by a member of the Board allowing for 48 business hours notice in advance of work.

2.  The contractor/unit owner MUST CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER BEFORE work begins to grant access to turn the water or AC pump off.

3.  The contractor/unit owner is responsible for contacting a Board member when work is  completed.  The service will be restored upon completion of scheduled repairs, but no later than 3 pm.

4.  Any work that involves the interruption of service MUST be completed by a licensed and insured contractor, a copy of contractor’s license must be submitted with your service interruption request form.