Spring 2015 Newsletter - The Farms Condominiums of Worthington

The Farms Condominiums of
Worthington Woods Association
Spring 2015 Edition
Welcome New Neighbors!
The Farms Association wants to ensure that anyone who moves into a unit on Farmlane Drive
is welcomed to our community! 4 Units went up for sale this past fall/winter and were sold
to new owners. 2 are owner occupied and 2 are rental units. And whether you occupy or
rent your unit, you are part of this community. As a new owner if you have any questions or
concerns please reach out to one of the board members or submit questions via the
Farmlane Owners website: www.farmlaneowners.weebly.com
Ten Reasons to Volunteer for the Community
−
Protect your self-interests. Protect your
property values and maintain the quality of
life in your community.
−
Have some fun. Association work isn’t
drudgery. It’s fun accomplishing good things
with your neighbors.
−
Correct a problem. Has your car been
towed, or do you think maybe maintenance
has been neglected?
−
Get educated. Learn how it’s done—we’ll
train you.
−
Be sociable. Meet your neighbors, make
friends, and exchange opinions.
−
Express yourself. Help with creative projects
like community beautification.
−
Give back. Repay a little of what’s been
done for you.
−
Earn recognition. If you would like a little
attention or validation, your contributions
will be recognized and celebrated.
−
Advance your career. Build your personal
resume by including your community
volunteer service.
−
Try some altruism. Improve society by
helping others.
The more we all work together, the stronger our association and our neighborhood becomes!
Association Declaration and By-Laws
The Farms Condominiums of Worthington Woods Association Declaration and By-Laws are being
reviewed and updated by the Board at this time. Should amendments to these governing documents be
necessary or warranted owners will receive a packet in the mail that will require action. Also, #3 of the
Collection Policy that was sent in the Owners packet was reordered. See attached for your records.
Why Does Our Community Need a Reserve Fund?
Common Area items must be replaced from
time to time, regardless of whether we plan for
the expense. We prefer to plan and set the
funds aside now. Reserve funds aren’t an extra
expense—they just spread out expenses more
evenly. There are other important reasons we
put association monies into reserves every
month: Reserve funds meet legal, fiduciary, and
professional requirements. Reserve funds are
1|Page
required by Ohio Law to be maintained unless
voted otherwise by unit owners.
Reserve funds provide for major repairs and
replacements that we know will be necessary at
some point in time. Although a roof may be
replaced when it is 25 years old, every owner
who lives under or around it should share its
replacement costs.
Reserve funds minimize the need for special
assessments or borrowing. For most association
members, this is the most important reason.
Reserve funds enhance resale values. Lenders
and real estate agents are aware of the
ramifications for new buyers if the reserves are
inadequate. Many states require associations to
disclose the amounts in their reserve funds to
prospective purchasers.
The Farms association has taken care to
maintain a healthy reserve fund and hopes to
continue doing so.
Maintenance
The board is requesting bids to do some repairs on the road. There are several potholes that have
emerged over the winter as well as the spot that needs filled due to waterline repairs last year. A major
water line repair was completed in February on the south end of the street.
Parking
Parking is not permitted on any grassy area. It is the owner/residents responsibility to instruct guests
not to park on the grass. Tires damage/kill the grass and cause unsightly ruts in the yards as we can see
on the south end. The parking situation has been a problem for years with no viable solutions
presented. We’ve discussed curbs, widening the road, landscape timbers and rocks. If anyone has ideas
to share please reach out to a board member or attend the next board meeting on May 18.
Recycling
We are pleased to see a number of The Farms residents utilizing the curbside recycling
program offered by the City of Columbus. Please take time to pick up any items that may
have dropped on the ground around your bin during collection or if you notice trash on
the ground in general on the lawns or on the perimeter please take the time to pick it up.
It benefits all of us. Thanks in advance!
Why Scoop the Poop?
Besides being a nuisance, uncollected dog
waste is a serious problem for our association.
Next time you’re tempted to leave your dog’s
droppings on the lawn, please remember this:
1. The appearance and quality of the grounds
are known to affect home sales—not just
whether and for how much they sell, but how
quickly.
4. It’s just not fun (or fair) to step in or clean up
after someone else’s animal.
5. A reminder to cat owners - many times we
see cats roaming the neighborhood, so please
keep your cats contained properly and respect
your neighbor’s property - because cats poop
too.
2. The more residents complain about dog
waste, the more time the board must spend on
enforcement rather than serving the
association.
3. Uncollected dog waste spreads disease and
attracts rodents who feed on pet waste.
Thank you to the many pet owners in the neighborhood who have been considerate of both their pet
and their neighbors!
Rental Units:
•
If you rent your unit, you are responsible for providing the rules & regulations to your tenants. You
may direct them to www.farmlaneowners.weebly.com to find it and save on printing and postage.
2|Page
•
It is a requirement of Ohio Condo Law that you provide a copy of your lease to the Board*. Please
send or drop off a copy to: Becky Kay, 1127 Farmlane Drive, Worthington 43085 or email a copy to
[email protected]. We are out of compliance by not having copies of rental leases.
•
To date, we have collected the leases for 2 units.
Contact Information - Email Saves Money
The 2015 Owners packet requested contact
information for all owners of units on Farmlane
Drive. Ohio Condominium
Law requires that the Board
have complete contact
information for owners and
tenants. Please complete
the enclosed form* and
include your contact
information as well as tenant information if you
rent your unit. If you have an email address
please include it. Your email and/or phone
number will not be shared with anyone and will
save on the expense of mailings such as this one
which is very costly. It also allows for you to be
contacted in case of an emergency
Please complete and return the form or email
your information to [email protected] as
soon as possible so the association records can
be updated.
All information provided to the Board will be
held in the strictest of confidence.
As of this mailing we have 9 of 20 possible email addresses and those owners have received this
newsletter via email. Thank you!! The rest are sent via snail mail. If you do not have an email address
please indicate that on your contact form.
*We have contact information for the following units and unless something changes you need not send
in an additional form:
1085/1089
1093/1097
1101/1105
1109/1121
1124/1128
1127/1136
1144
Garage Sales
It’s that time of year for Spring cleaning of the house and garage. If you would
like to have a garage sale please inform a board member first. In past years
when owners show an interest several units have held sales at the same time.
This makes for more traffic = more sales = more space to fill up with more
stuff!
Please visit The Farms website: www.farmlaneowners.weebly.com
Contact Us:
www.farmlaneowners.weebly.com click on the Contact page
[email protected]
3|Page
CONDOMINIUM INFORMATION UPDATE FORM
State Law (House Bill 135) requires the following information to be furnished to the
Association. Please print legibly. Please complete each applicable line below and return
this form to: R e b e c c a K a y , S e c r e t a r y , 1 1 2 7 F a r m l a n e D r i v e ,
Worthington, 43085or scan and email to [email protected]
Condominium Address:
Owner Occupied / Rental
(please Circle One)
Primary Owner Information:
Last Name
First Name
Initial
Home Mailing Address
Home Telephone Number (
)
Work Telephone Number (
Email Address
Cell Phone Number (
)
)
IF APPLICABLE
RENTAL PROPERTY INFORMATION: Tenant(s) Name(s) , or Residents living in unit if not the owner.
Last Name #1
First Name
Middle Initial
Last Name #2
First Name
Middle Initial
Home Telephone Number (
Cell Phone #1 (
)
Cell Phone #2 (
)
)
Work Telephone Number #1 (
)
Work Telephone Number #2 (
)
Emergency Contact Information:
Name:
Relationship:
Daytime Phone:
Evening Phone