Volume 6 | Issue 2 - Hawthorne Management Company

Volume 6 | Issue 2 | May 2015
Paying Dues Reminders
Please Share With Your Owners!
Many owners use their bank’s online bill pay feature to pay routine bills. Banks
process and send these payments to larger, well known and frequently used
recipients like the power company, cable providers, credit card companies and
others ELECTRONICALLY via ACH. These electronic ACH payments are received
instantly by the larger groups without delay. Banks do not send payments
electronically to smaller, less recognized groups such as the XYZ Homeowners
Association. Instead, a physical, PAPER CHECK IS PROCESSED and placed in the
US mail adding additional time to the process.
For this reason, owners paying dues through their bank’s online bill pay feature
should allow additional time and be aware that the date the bank shows “paid”
or “received” is in most cases the day a check was placed in the US mail and
sent off to smaller groups like homeowners associations.
Homeowners can also pay dues online directly via ACH/eCheck, Debit Card or
Credit Card at www.hawthornemanagement.com. Similar to most non-profit
groups, homeowners associations cannot afford to absorb credit card and
other electronic payment processing fees. A third party payment processing
group is used and charges the following fees to assist your community with
processing payments via ACH/eCheck, Debit Card or Credit Card.
The processing fees are as follows:
ACH or eCheck $1
Debit Card $2.95
Credit Card $7.95
Your Community is
Our Priority
*****Please feel free to include
the articles in this publication in
your community newsletters,
eblasts or websites!
Board Business................ 1
Paying Dues Reminders
Maintenance Matters...2-3
MAN VS. WEED
HMC Happenings...3
KUDOS
BOWLAPALOOZA 2015
DID YOU Know? ............. 4
CLEANER INDOOR AIR
Man Vs. Weed!
Millions of homeowners prepare for battle each spring, waiting to draw their
landscaping swords to go toe-to-toe with the terrible, horrible, no good, very
bad weeds that seem to grow overnight in their yards. Hopefully they can find
comfort knowing that they are not alone in this fight. Many warriors before
them have gathered information on the most common weeds and the best way
to treat them. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the
information below and feel free to share it with your allies in this hard fought,
ever constant war.
CRABGRASS
Annual weed; tends to appear in weak or bare areas;
over and under watering favor its growth, as well as
consistently mowing your lawn too short. Treat in the
spring with pre-emergent herbicide to keep the weed
from sprouting.
CHICKWEED
Annual weed; prefers shady, moist soil; appear in lawns
that are thin or have poor drainage; pull the plants to
control them; also helpful to a pre-emergent herbicide
in early spring and fall to help prevent seeds from
germinating.
ANNUAL BLUEGRASS
Appears where soil drains poorly, overwatering is occurring
and the lawn in scalped; tends to blend in with fescue but
stands out in other grasses; seeds germinate in late
summer so a pre-emergent herbicide put down then can
help prevent seed germination;
-continued to page 3
WHITE or DUTCH CLOVER
Perennial weed; grows where soil is poor and low in nitrogen;
Hand dig small patches, and apply fertilizer to those areas;
bringing up soil fertility can help eradicate white clover; apply
broadleaf herbicide with several seasonal applications in both
spring and fall to eradicate this weed.
Congratulations are in order for Heather Spielman and Drew Green who passed their
Community Association Institute (CAI) M-100 course, the Essentials of Community
Association Management. Continuing their education and designations through CAI is
their goal! Also, Pamela Williams earned her AMS (Association Management
Specialist) and Jamee Gregory earned her CMCA (Certified Manager of Community
Associations) designation. Continue the good work!
3 cheers for Marie Gray who chaired the Steering Committee for the Annual CAI-NC
Conference and Trade Show held on April 16-17 in Concord, NC. Her hard work paid
off! Everyone had a great time and the conference was a success! Thank you also to
Cass Shapard for chairing the Thursday evening social event.
2015 Bowlapalooza was HMC’s spring team building event! The movie theme was
celebrated and well represented! Do I hear Hollywood calling?
Women in Black
JAWS
American Sniper
Q.
The air outside has been filled with pollen! How can I keep the air
inside my home clean?
Believe it or not, the air inside your home may be less
healthy than the air outdoors. From pollutants like volatile
organic compounds (e.g., chemicals in paints, cleaning supplies,
waxes, building materials, furnishings, pesticides, air fresheners and
dry-cleaned items) to gases (like radon and carbon dioxide) to
second-hand smoke, modern, well-insulated homes can actually trap
pollutants, thus raising their potential for harm. Several common
houseplants, however, can help you breathe easier by increasing
oxygen levels and removing toxins from the air.
A:
Below is a list of ten natural air purifiers. For maximum effectiveness,
aim for at least two plants in 10- to 12-inch pots per 100 square feet
of space. And be sure not to overwater your plants, which can lead
to mold—another pollutant to watch out for.
English Ivy
Golden Pothos
Lady Palm
Wax Begonia
Boston Fern
Red Edged Dracaena
Snake Plant
Spider Plant
Peace Lily (This variety is poisonous to pets, so place with caution.)
________________________________________________________
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www.hawthornemgmt.com
*** Click on the various county links provided on pages 2-3 for other
possible county alert systems.