Bay Oaks News

Bay Oaks Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3 Owners Newsletter July to September 2010 - Page 1

Bay Oaks Condominiums Bay Oaks Board 2010/2011 6157 Midnight Pass, Siesta Key, Fl 34242 Vince Delgato – President Beth Mc Cord Rental Manager–Vacation Rentals 941-349-4433 1-800-671-6257 Email [email protected] Mike Favicchio – Vice Pres.

Jacqueline Middleton – Sect/Tres. Bay Oaks Election Results Owners have determined the following: Patti Tebelman and Patti Tebelman – Director Jacqueline Middleton are in for another two year term on the Gary Micco – Director board. Congratulations to both.

The board has elected to keep everyone in the same positions. To the right of this column is the board Directors for 2010/2011 Bridget Spence/Melissa Johnson Crime Prevention Tip Never keep your garage door opener above on your visor, If you Management, Casey Management keep your car doors unlocked and your Insurance card in the glove box, you may tell the criminal where you live and he has the opener to the garage door. He can steal a lot of stuff while you MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR

are not home. The Insurance card has your name & address on AUGIE SMALLWOOD the Insurance Card. Keep the opener out of site and always lock your doors to your car.

Safety Rope in Pool OPEN BOARD MEETINGS A reminder TO ALL, the safety rope in the middle of the pool is not a toy or swing for kids or adults; it has been placed there TAKE PART, CALL 1-800-444-2801 because of the Sarasota health law to show that the deeper end CODE IS 3654735 of pool starts at the rope. It is permissible to remove while in CURRENT BOARD PROJECTS! the pool, but replace the rope when you leave the pool. Failure to do so could get Bay Oaks a summons. NEW POOL COATING (INSIDE) Several Owners; a Vendor Recognized by Bay Oaks NEW POOL DECK Owners Linda Meade & Linda Hoffman were recognized by the board for their observing, and reporting to the Sheriff loud REPAIR OF E- BLDG. behavior on our grounds. It is good to see owners taking action WALKWAYS & RE-COAT and increasing the natural surveillance on the Bay Oaks RE-DO TENNIS COURTS property. Greg Schroeder of Breakfree Technologies received recognition for his advice and assistance to the association. ONGOING BLDG. REPAIRS Greg has helped the association become a safer place and increased natural surveillance. (See pictures in What’s New FOR ON GOING REPAIR WORK AND Section) on the Bay Oaks web site UPDATES SEE “WHAT’S NEW” IN OWNERS AREA OF WEBSITE

WWW.BAYOAKSONSIESTAKEY.COM Bay Oaks Newsletter – July to September 2010 - Vol. 1 No. 3 Page 2

OWNER/RESIDENT HURRICANE PREPARATIONS - From Bay Oaks Manager, Melissa Johnson

What to do now: First and foremost, an inventory of your unit needs to be taken. Insurance companies require documentation of contents prior to any claim settlement. Create a room-by-room inventory. Photograph with an old-fashioned film camera. Insurance companies are questioning digital photography because the pictures can be easily altered. You may also videotape the contents of your unit. Make photocopies of original receipts for big purchases, such as stereo equipment, computer or television. Keep this information in a safe place, preferably offsite.

Insurance coverage: Make sure you have copies of the most current policy for your property. Check with your agent now to make sure you have adequate coverage. Also make sure you understand all aspects of your coverage. Have the local as well as the corporate phone number of the insurance company. If the phone lines are down at the local office, you will need to get in touch with the national representative. You will need the policy number in order to initiate any claim. Other insurance considerations, taken from the February 2006 issue of “O” magazine are: . If you’re in a flood zone or an area susceptible to hurricanes and strong storms, you need flood insurance: Damage from rising water isn’t covered in standard policies. Ask your agent to help, and look into the federal policy offered by FEMA (floodsmart.gov). If you want your flood insurance to cover the contents of your home, you’ll have to pay a higher premium. It’s worth it. . Your possessions should be insured for replacement cost. “Actual value” coverage might leave you dangerously underinsured; you’d be paid only the depreciated value of your lost items. . If you find yourself at odds with your insurer, don’t give up. Ask for a detailed, written account of why your claim was denied, and challenge those findings. If that doesn’t work, contact your state insurance department (look on www.naic.org) and file a complaint. For a loss resulting from a massive disaster, find others who were denied claims from your carrier and fight together – there’s power in numbers.

Before you leave your condo for the summer season, or when a storm threatens:

Be sure to remove all outside loose furniture, potted plants, wall art or any/all other materials from your lanai and secure inside. Also remove any outside decorative items from your unit entry such as door mats, potted plants, wall hangings and any/all other materials and secure inside.

Back up and unplug your computer. Most damage to computers is done when the power goes out or switches back on suddenly. Place the computer up higher where it will not be affected by rising water.

Secure all windows that are accessible. If you plan to secure windows, make the preparations now. Place fasteners and measure windows for the correct fitting prior to the storm. You may not have time or materials to purchase these items once we enter a storm warning. Do NOT tape windows – it doesn’t work and the tape residue is difficult to remove. Web site www.bayoaksonsiestakey.com Install Soundproofing Under New Floor If you live on the second floor in a multiple story Bay Oaks Newsletter – July to Septemberbuilding 2010 at BayVol. Oaks, 1 No. make 3 sure Page soundproofing 3 is installed first before installing new hardwood floor, Evacuation: tile or carpeting. Moving furniture around a table or The decision to leave your home and go to a shelter is yours to make. If you have a friend or relative just plain walking can be very annoying to residents living in a safe area, consider going there first. The local number for shelters is (941) 861-5000. below you. Shelters will require you to have photo identification to check in. If you will be leaving your home, the most important thing to do is mark your front door with painter’s tape (easily~~~ removable) stating that the unit is “VACANT.” This is importantLighting in case Certified of search and rescue – they will not break down the door on units that are marked. This will prove valuable if this is the case and will save your doorjamb. Sarasota County Health Department has advised the board that the pool must be shut down and no If you do go to a shelter, you will need the following:swimming allowed after dark unless the area around . Your family’s survival kit our pool met Sarasota legal lighting standards. The . Bedding and pillows board felt that it would be punitive to shut down . Medication swimming at sundown because the pool had always . Cards, crosswords, magazines or books to helpbeen pass open the time till 10:00 P.M. The board hired an electrician to certify our lighting at the pool. If you have pets, you will need to contact (941) However861-5000 if torecent find vandalismout which continues shelters we are will shut open to pets. You must also take supplies thefor poolyour down pet toand the close shelter, bathrooms. as well as a current record of vaccinations. Your pet must be kept in a cage or carrier. Bring a ~~~ collar and leash to walk your pet when possible. Reminder! When leaving your unit empty for a long Things to keep in mind after a storm: period of time, remember to saran wrap the toilet bowl “No utilities, no reentrance” – you will not be allowedand to closereenter toilet any bowl community cover to thatavoid has drying been out under of the mandatory evacuation until public utilities have beentoilet restored. bowl preventing rodents from entering. You will need photo identification with your local addressRemember, to gain your access unit isto in the the community tropics. once the mandatory evacuation has been lifted. ~~~

If your property has damage: Don’t forget to empty your U.S. mailbox Do not throw anything away until the insurance adjuster has seen the damage and says you can. Once carpet gets wet, it must be removed from the unit. Wet carpet is the fastest way to have mold growing inside your home. If you cannot get someone to help you remove it, get it out yourself. You may take the carpet outside right away. As long as it is not thrown out, your adjuster will still work with this.

There are three kinds of debris that should be removed immediately after a storm: 4. Raw refuse – food and other items that will spoil 5. Normal household trash and yard debris 6. Construction debris

The city or county will resume raw debris collection as soon as possible after a storm. Normal household trash and yard debris removal will begin shortly thereafter. Construction debris will be removed as soon as possible.

All trash must be separated. If not, none will be picked up. Everyone in the community must abide by these standards so the entire community will not suffer.

Please save these guidelines for future reference. We hope they will never be necessary, but by knowing what do before, during and after a major storm will enable everyone to recover from the devastation as soon as possible. Bay Oaks Newsletter – July to September 2010 Vol. 1 No. 3 Page 4 Insurance Request from Your Bank - Useful info If your bank or mortgage holder sends you a letter requesting proof of Bay Oaks Association Insurance on your condo building, please do the following: Call  Insurance Services of Sarasota 941-966-5606  Ask for Rea Phillips  She will most likely ask you to fax the banks letter to her at Fax-941-966-6124 - Insurance Services of Sarasota handles the Insurance for Bay Oaks Condominiums Keep Supply of Light Bulbs & Emergency lights on Hand – Beth McCord If you rent, it is a very good idea to keep a supply of spare light bulbs, spare batteries, several flash lights. You can obtain battery operated table lights at Wall Mart for as little as $9.99 - During the hurricane season, it is a good idea to keep spare lights for those that are renting your unit. It is a good idea to keep spare bulbs on hand for renters in case lights blow out. “E” Building Walkways to Be Worked Keep in touch with Manager Melissa Johnson or Beth McCord. Preliminary work will be done on some walkways making repairs. Eventually all five floors will be resurfaced. There is no way to do all this work without inconveniencing someone. We ask for your help in getting this badly needed work done. Fantastic Finishes is working all floors to level and fill in low spots. They will not try to inconvenience anyone. The floor people will work with anyone and not inconvenience you. Pool Deck & Interior of Pool to Be Renewed The interior of the pool will be rebuilt starting July22nd. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone. However, it is very difficult to do this kind of work without inconveniencing someone…We ask for your support…It is only for a short while to bring Bay oaks back to pristine shape again. Service Your Air Conditioner during the Summer Season Change filter often. Call for a service call at the very least once a year to have your air conditioner serviced and to have your Freon pressure checked also. Some people don’t spend the money to check condensate drain and the general service of the air conditioner. It is quite simple, pay now or pay later for the neglect. This is all part of maintenance on your unit… High School Kids Congregating On Pier & Picnic Tables If you see illegal behavior at Bay Oaks taking place, call the Sheriff at 941-861-5800. Owners have complained that kids are congregating at the picnic tables late at night. Please call the Sheriff! Talking about it at the pool several days later doesn’t stop this illegal behavior. If you owned a home and found kids in your back yard congregating at your picnic table, I’m sure you would call the Sheriff. Why is it any different at a condo??? CALL! Do the right thing and call the Sheriff.

Bay Oaks is not a late night hang-out for high school kids smoking grass or underage drinking – Where are the parents of these kids??? Beth McCord has refrigerator magnets with the Sheriff phone number on them. Ask her for a magnet for your refrigerator. Bay Oaks does not support illegal drug activity or underage drinking…This has to stop!!! Diapers in the Swimming Pool Any one at any age wearing a diaper is not allowed in the Bay Oaks swimming pool. Many adults do not follow this rule. If you see someone of any age wearing a diaper, please inform them of this health rule. Swim diapers do not protect anyone from urine or feces. Bay Oaks Newsletter – July to September 2010 Vol. 1 No. 3 Page 5

Put it in writing If you have some request or communication regarding Bay Oaks, it should be placed in writing. So many times owners see someone in charge and mention a particular project in passing. This is not the way business should be done. We suggest the following: Please address your communication to the Manager, Melissa Johnson, at [email protected] or Bay Oaks President, Vince Delgato at [email protected] , stipulate if you want to go to all board members. Put it in writing – It lays a paper trail. By law the board should respond within 30 days advising that there is additional work or they had to contact the attorney for further clarification. If need be the board can respond to one question with an answer every month as long as they are responding to your questions 2008 – 2009 audits are done – Requesting a copy of both can be done by writing or calling Casey Management - Write to Casey management, 4370 S. Tamiami Trail, suite 102 – Sarasota, FL 34231 or Call Melissa Johnson @ 941-922-3391 and ask for a copy of both audits… Have You Talked to Your Insurance Company Lately? If you haven’t talked to your insurance agent lately, it may be a good idea to do so. Questions:  Do you have replacement value insurance for your contents?  Do you have enough coverage for your furnishings?  Do you need a rider for accidents that may occur in your premises? Board/Manager Working Hard to Bring Bay Oaks Back to the Jewel it was When New Over the years since 1973 there obviously was a lot of neglect at Bay Oaks. Rest room lighting, plumbing, outside lighting, broken gates, old leaking electric water heater, old carpets etc. Augie has been working very hard to bring Bay Oaks back, slow but sure! We thank Augie for his ingenious fixes and his know how in fixing things… The Board, Manager, Rental Manager & Augie, all working hard to bring Bay Oaks to New again. If Your Bank Needs Proof of Insurance If you receive a letter from your mortgage holder requesting proof of insurance  Call Insurance Service of Sarasota 941-966-5606  Ask for Rea Phillips  Fax your letter to her at 941-966-6124 Attention! When leaving your unit empty When leaving your condo unit empty for a long period of time, it is imperative that you do the following:  Pour some liquid cleaner in toilet bowl  Saran wrap toilet bowl  Lower toilet lid  Place phone book on top of cover

It has been seen where owners have left the toilet seat cover up, the water has dried up in the toilet bowl and rodents have entered the unit. Please do you part in keeping Bay Oaks rodent free. Bay Oaks Newsletter – July to September 2010 Vol. 1 No. 3 Page 6 New law benefits associations - Sarasota Herald Tribune Published: Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 12:40 p.m. Q:I read and clipped your May 9 column on the Florida Legislature passing bills affecting condominiums and homeowners' associations. One section deletes the requirement for individual owners to carry . Has the governor signed these bills, including Senate bills 1196 and 1222 identified in your column as the major bills covering community associations, and, if so, when do the changes go into effect? -- PVOR, via e-mail A:Gov. Crist signed the major bill affecting community associations (consolidated as SB1196) on June 1, 2010. The changes become effective on July 1, 2010. The new law contains significant, and, for the most part, positive changes. Tamela Wiseman is a Florida Bar board-certified real estate attorney and serves as of counsel to the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. She concentrates her practice on the law of community associations and general real estate transactions, including the issuance of title insurance. The subjects discussed in the above article are not intended as specific legal advice to anyone and are subject to principles that may change from time to time. Questions may be modified for clarity or for brevity. Reader questions may be directed to Mrs. Wiseman for possible inclusion in a future column via e-mail to [email protected].

The Legislature also has given condominium associations more tools in dealing with delinquent owners. Many non- resident, non-paying owners lease their units, pocketing the rent while the association continues to pay the costs of maintaining the common property. Now, the associations can demand future payments of rent from the tenant to offset the owner's share of association assessments without having to file a lawsuit. Also added to the condominium associations arsenal is the right to suspend use rights to recreational facilities if assessments are more than 90 days past due. Associations would still not be able to cut off utility services to the unit or to prohibit an owner from gaining access to the unit.

Lender liability for past-due assessments also has increased. A bank that takes title to a unit by foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure is now obligated to pay the association 12 months of past-due assessments (up from six months) or 1 percent of the original mortgage amount, whichever is less.

A big part of the new law: sections added to the Condominium Act titled "Distressed Condominium Relief Act." The intent is to encourage investors to buy unsold developer inventory with the goal of stabilizing the condominium market. The law protects lenders from assuming developer obligations when they take title to foreclosed units. The law also will allow a "bulk" purchaser -- one who acquires more than seven units and receives and assignment of developer rights -- to escape warranty liability for work performed by the original developer, as well as liability for unpaid assessment obligations. Bulk buyers will have to supply the association with an audit for the time period they control the association, and be responsible to warrant their own work. The law will sunset on July 1, 2012, at which time its effectiveness on the market can be judged.

The new law continues the trend of bringing Chapter 720, Florida Statutes, which governs homeowners' associations, more in line with condominiums. Homeowners' associations will have to go to a secret-ballot election system like that used by condominiums. Also, they will have the right to suspend use rights for delinquencies and collect rent money directly from tenants. Homeowners' association budgets and reserve funding will be more strictly regulated, too. The complete text of the new laws is available at www.myflorida.com.

Tamela Wiseman is a Florida Bar board-certified real estate attorney and serves as of counsel to the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. She concentrates her practice on the law of community associations and general real estate transactions, including the issuance of title insurance. The subjects discussed in the above article are not intended as specific legal advice to anyone and are subject to principles that may change from time to time. Questions may be modified for clarity or for brevity. Reader questions may be directed to Mrs. Wiseman for possible inclusion in a future column via e-mail to [email protected]. The board & Casey Management are looking into what our options are??? We have received this information days before this article. Consulting our attorney is on the agenda… There are regular classes & schools that Casey Management & some board members attend and bring back information to others.