It is necessary that I be redundant and repeat my comments on the rusting door problems discussed in the November 12, 2008, President’s Report as follows:
         
Rusting Doors:  Many owners have questioned the status of the rusting doors.  The Board has received many emails, letters, memos, etc. regarding the rusting problem. The Board has had many meetings in the last year with the door manufacturer’s representatives and the door distributor, from whom we purchased the doors.

The question has been asked, “…What warranty did the association receive when they purchased the doors?”  The answer is a ten-year warranty from the door manufacturer.

Suffice it to say, all parties involved in this matter acknowledge a ten-year warranty is in force however, all parties also know there are serious rusting problems with the doors exposed to major sun and salt air.  The condensed version of the meetings held in the last year has all parties trying to avoid responsibility for the rusting.  Each party contends they are not totally responsible, as they do not want to bear the cost of repair or replacement.

The Board has filed a legal notice to the door manufacturer, the door supplier and the painting contractor as required by the Florida statute.

Once the notice of deficiency was filed, the noticed parties had a statute specified time period to respond to the notice and to investigate the doors on site.  This procedure was followed and directed by our legal representatives.

Monday, February 10, 11 and 12, 2009, was scheduled for the manufacture to visit the property and investigate the rusting doors.  Three representatives of Therma-Tru, the door manufacturer, accompanied by our legal council, were on property during February 10 and 11, 2009, and inspected each of the doors involved in all our 161 units.  They took over 2000 pictures and we feel they captured the severity of the rusting and deteriorating doors.

Our legal council advises us the statute allows the manufacturer thirty-days (30) to suggest repair, replacement or to deny all responsibility for the doors.  The condominium association by statute is allowed forty-five days (45) to accept the manufacturer’s findings or to file a legal action for monetary relief.

We cannot predict the outcome or the cost of this problem.  However, legal action appears to be the only alternative at this junction in the process.  Legal action will be expensive and will have to be shared by all unit owners.

Installation of T-Mobile Cellular Antennas on West Building Roof:
All unit owners received a request in mid-January from the Board of Directors for consent for the Board to enter into a lease with T-Mobile for the installation of cellular antennas on the West-building roof.  The Board supports entering into a five-year lease with T-Mobile. 
The lease will contain four (4) five- year lease renewals.  At inception the lease will provide an income to the association in the amount of $2,000 per month that would be adjusted annually.

During the Initial Term and any Renewal Terms, monthly Rent shall be adjusted, effective on the first day of each year of the Initial or Renewal Term, and on each such subsequent anniversary thereof, to an amount equal to one hundred and four percent (104%) of the monthly Rent in effect immediately prior to the adjustment date. 

The Board respectfully request and solicits your support of the proposal to enter into a T-Mobile lease.

Trash Disposal:
We again request owners to properly dispose of construction debris and household goods.
Not down the trash chutes!  Paint cans are to be disposed by owners off the property not in the trash chutes.

Parking:
Parking in guest slots is by permit only.  Please have your guests check into the office for a Guest Permit.  If your guest is to arrive in the evening or the weekend we request the owner register their guest’s car in advance in the office and obtain a guest permit.  The guest parking will be strictly monitored this winter and violators will be towed.

All potential unit owners and renters are advised during their interview that only one vehicle may be registered per unit for a reserved parking space. 

We have owners and renters who are abusing the parking rules both in owner’s reserved spaces and in Guest parking spaces.  The time limit for guest parking passes is a maximum of two-weeks.

Some people are trying to extend expired two-week guest passes multiple times for live-in companions or friends.  These extensions are not allowed.

Parking Lot Pavers:
Many cars are leaking oil and antifreeze in paring slots with new pavers.  Owners are being advised, by letter from the Management Company, of the damage to the pavers in their reserved parking space.  They are requested to have their vehicles inspected and the leaks repaired.  The expense of cleaning and resealing the brick pavers will be billed to the offending owner.  This procedure is necessary to maintaining a first class parking appearance that owners have requested.

Security:
Increased security measures are being investigated by the Board.  The Board is revisiting the owners desire to install security-parking gates and fences in our parking lots.  Gates and front entry doors would be operated by a keychain fob issued by the association to each unit owner.  It is anticipated that one fob would operate both the parking lot gate and the front door.  A system of guest admittance would be incorporated into any scheme proposed for installation.

Better control of entry into our properties for service men, repairmen, guests, etc. would result.  This method of security would help control illegal parking, entry to our buildings, and entry to our pool and beach.

One of our owners recently experienced a robbery as a result of persons posing as AC repairmen being indiscriminately admitted into our building.  The owner was robbed unknowingly by the AC repairmen while in the apartment and was not discovered until after they left the building.

If the T-Mobile antenna proposal is approved by seventy-five percent (75%) of our owners the Board will then continue to investigate new security measures and report back to the with a proposed plan and a cost proposal.

Respectfully submitted,

Samuel M. Bowling
President of the Board of Directors