~monthly newsletter~ · 2015-04-29 · ter is making it useful to your readers. a great way to add...

Inside this issue:

Memorial Ashford Townhouse Association

~Monthly Newsletter~

May 2015

Giving it another try! President’s message 2

Notes from Manager 2

HPD Courtesy Patrol 3

Pet of the Month 3

Recent Projects 4

Fun Stuff 5

Homestead Exemp-

tion Information

6-7

2014 Financial Sum-

mary

8

Porch Lights & Poop 8

Weep Holes 9

Contact Info 10

Facebook 10

Meeting Schedule 11

Hello neighbors, We are working to get a monthly newsletter established again. It is done by volunteers, so there are times when it might not be “on time” or when we don’t have one at all. We welcome ideas as to what you’d like to see in the newsletter. I will play around with the content & format, so you’ll see changes often. Some months may have more information than others.

If you come across juicy tidbits of information to include (new businesses, restaurants, area events etc.) please email them to our Property Manager, Marion, and we will share them. If you’d like your pet in the “pet of the month” section, send a picture & pet info to her as well: [email protected]

I will still send out urgent info via Facebook & our MATA email list. I’ve asked homeowners to help submit the articles & content and I will stitch it all together in the newsletter. I might even recycle some articles from newsletters a few years back since they are still relevant (i.e. homestead exemptions).

Thank you to those who participated in the voting for the Board of Directors and thank you to those who attended the Annual Meeting on April 23rd. We had 11 homeowners (Board excluded) in attendance. We look forward to seeing

you at the May 28th meeting too!

Thanks!! Kelly Klaus MATA Director


President’s message & Notes from the Property Manger

Board Meetings are NOT a shouting match! It seems the most prevalent reason why homeowners don’t attend Homeowner Meet-

ings is because they are perceived as unruly shouting matches. That simply isn’t true!

The last out-of-control meeting I can recall was in 2008 – SEVEN YEARS AGO. On rare

occasions there have been spirited discussions between the Board and individual home-

owners with a complaint, but they have been civil exchanges of opinion. No blows or

insults were exchanged.

As we move into the fourth decade of our community, we are faced with increasing chal-

lenges to our infrastructure and operating expenses. It is important you understand

these problems. It would be helpful if you could offer some input toward solving some

of them. That is best accomplished by meeting and exchanging ideas. At least 10 times a

year we have open Board Meetings. We meet on the fourth Thursday of every month

except November and December at 7:30pm in the MATA Clubhouse. Please come.

Please be part of the solution.

Ben Kressman - MATA President

Notes from the Property Manager 34 homeowners have not turned in proof of insurance coverage on their homes; 7 have not sent

in their renewal certificates for policies that expired January - March of 2015. The Association

is required to buy insurance on your behalf and will bill it back to you. We do not want to do this as this takes away money that we need to continue making improvements

around our property.

Past due Maintenance fees: $9,127.00 Please do not put “baby wipes or wet wipes” in your toilets. Our pipes are old and some may

have roots and other blockages in them. If your pipe gets stopped up there is a very real chance

your toilet will overflow in your house & in your yard. Not pretty. Avoid putting ANYTHING

but toilet paper in your toilets! Remember that Homeowners are responsible for trimming patio trees away from the carports

and buildings. MATA maintains the trees in the common areas and front yards, but not on pati-

os. If you would like to make improvements to the exterior of your home or yard, please submit

and ACC form for approval. Out of town? You can submit a “vacation watch” request and our MATA Courtesy Patrol offic-

ers will check on your home.

Selling your home? Let us know and we can try to spruce it up a bit to help it move. If you have issues with the landscaping or their crew, please do not address this with the crew.

Let me know what is going on and I will forward your concern to our Account Manager.

PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOGS and please report those who don’t.

HPD Courtesy Patrol

Hi, my name is Mark Millette & I have been the Security Coordinator at Me-

morial Ashford Townhomes for the past 9 years. I am currently a Sergeant

with the Houston Police Department & have over 28 years of law enforce-

ment experience. We currently have 2 HPD Sergeants and 4 HPD officers

that patrol at Memorial Ashford Townhomes. The officer hours and shifts will

vary depending on security & budget concerns.

Standard operations for our officers are to conduct routine patrols on both sides of the property

checking for criminal or suspicious activity. They may also park on Perthshire and monitor foot and

vehicle traffic entering and exiting lanes 2 & 5. I like our officers to be vigilant and to maintain a height-

ened sense of visibility while on property. I believe that good police presence is a great deterrent to

crime and a good way to keep the criminal element from coming on to the property. Our officers

complete a daily activity report at the end of their respective shift detailing their patrol activity.

Due to the proactive patrols, crime at MATA has been relatively low or nonexistent for many years

compared to other properties and businesses in the surrounding area. I attribute this success to our

fine officers and MATA residents working together as a team to diligently keep our community safe.

MATA residents can always access www.houstonpolice.org for crime stats, safety tips, tips on how to

protect your home, Alert Slips, etc. I encourage MATA residents to access this site and implement

these security measures for their townhomes.

Thank you for allowing me to be your Security Coordinator and I look forward to a great and safe

summer here at MATA.

Respectfully,

Sergeant Mark Millette

Our MATA “Pet of the Month” is Miss Tiny Beast. Known simply as “Beast” to most, she was a sweet affectionate miss priss of a cat who never met a stranger and didn’t seem to mind setting her tail on fire.

Often. She never met a bowl or crock pot she didn’t love. Beast crossed the Rainbow Bridge recently and is greatly missed by all who got the chance to know her, and put out her tail flames every now & then.

http://www.houstonpolice.org

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Page 4 Memorial Ashford Townhouse Association


Property Improvements

Recent improvements around our property include

upgrades to our maintenance shed. Our crew in-

stalled a roof that extends over the existing con-

tainer car used to house supplies and tools. Now

they have an extended covered area and it’s so

much nicer to look at. Great job guys!

We are also working

with a contractor to re-

pair and replace our ag-

ing drainage system &

concrete in the alleys.

Around the Town

The month of May is associated with the Lily of the valley flower. It is

generally white in color. The flower conveys sweetness and humility. In

the Victorian era, it was gifted to convey the romantic message 'you have

made my life complete'. This low growing perennial plant has small fra-

grant bell-shaped flowers and two large oblong lanceolate leaves and

bloom in white. Latin words ‘maius’ (May) and anthemon’ (flower), a

reference to when this plant blooms, is how it was named.

Below you will find a list of events so you can get out & enjoy our beau-

tiful city!

Check out the fun events below found at

www.VisitHoustonTexas.com

www.VisitHoustonTexas.com

Becoming Modern: 19th-Century French Drawings from

The Morgan Library & Museum and the Menil

Through June 14, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location: The Menil Collection-515 Sul Ross Street

Birthrights Left Behind

Through June 14, 2015 daily

Location: Holocaust Museum Houston-5401 Caroline Street

30-Minute Glass Blowing Experience

Through June 28, 2015 (Every Sunday)

Location: Three Dimensional Visions - Glass Blowing Houston

Address: 17442 FM 2920 Rd, Tomball, TX 77377

Katy Market Days

Recurring monthly on the 3rd Saturday

Location: Old Town Katy-5725 Second St, Katy, TX 77493

Houston Urban Adventures Heart of the Tunnel Walk

Recurring every week day

Address: 420 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

ComedySportz Match

Every Friday & Saturday

Location: Holiday Inn Houston West-Energy Corridor

Celebrity Mystery Theater

Recurring monthly on the 2nd Saturday

Location: The Spaghetti Warehouse - 901 Commerce St.

Willow Waterhole Music Fest 2015

April 25, 2015

Location: Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve

First Saturday Arts Market

Through May 02, 2015 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday)

Address: 548 W. 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008

U-Pick Strawberry Season Open at Blessington Farms

Through May 09, 2015 (Every Saturday)

Location: Blessington Farms- 510 Chisolm Trail, Simonton, TX

Comedy Nights at Houston Public Library

Starting: May 22, 2014 (Recurring monthly on the 4th Thursday)

Location: Houston Public Library

Cinderella

From: May 26, 2015 - June 07, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location: The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Free Press Summer Fest

From: June 06, 2015 - June 07, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location:Eleanor Tinsley Park

Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial

Collections

From: June 14, 2015 - September 13, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location: Houston Museum of Fine Arts

Colombian Fest 2015

July 12, 2015

Location: Downtown - 1000 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002

Motown The Musical

From: July 21, 2015 - July 26, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location: Broadway Across America

Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks

From: July 31, 2015 - August 02, 2015 (Recurring daily)

Location: Minute Maid Park

Farmers Market at MainStreet

Starting: August 10, 2014 (Recurring monthly on the 2nd Sunday)

Address: 18750 Interstate 45, Spring, TX 77373


Homestead Exemptions

Property Tax Exemptions for Homeowners A homestead exemption helps you save on taxes on your home. An exemption removes part of the value of your property from taxation and lowers your taxes. For example, if your home is valued at $100,000 and you qualify for a $20,000 exemption, you pay taxes on your home as if it was worth only $80,000. An Application for Residential Homestead Exemption (same form for over-65, disability, over-55 surviving spouse, or 100% disabled veteran homestead exemptions) can be found at the Forms Page on www.HCAD.org under the Residential Exemp-tion Section (11-13).

What Kinds of Homestead Exemptions Are Available? School taxes — all homeowners.

If you qualify for the homestead exemption, you will receive at least a $15,000 homestead exemption on the value of your home for school district taxes.

County taxes — all homeowners. Harris County currently provides a 20% optional homestead exemption to all homeowners. This means, for exam-ple, that if your home is valued at $100,000, the exemption will reduce its taxable value for Harris County taxes by $20,000 to $80,000.

Optional exemptions — all homeowners. Any taxing unit, including a school district, city, county or special district, may offer an exemption for up to 20% of your home's value. The amount of an optional exemption can't be less than $5,000, no matter what the percentage is. For example, if your home is valued at $20,000 and your city offers a 20% optional exemption, your exemption is $5,000, even though 20% of $20,000 is just $4,000. The governing body of each taxing unit decides whether it will offer the exemption and at what percentage. This percentage exemption is added to any other homestead exemption for which the applicant qualifies.

Application Deadlines You should file your regular residential homestead exemption application between January 1 and April 30. Early applications will not be accepted. If your application is postmarked by April 30, this will allow the district time to process it before your tax statement comes out in the fall. If you miss the April 30th deadline you can still apply: For a general exemption: up to one year after the date taxes became delinquent for the year (usually February 1 of the year following the tax year). For an over-65 or disabled person: if you turn 65, become totally disabled, or acquire a property during the year, you can apply and have the over-65 or disability exemption activated for that year. The deadline to apply for an over-65 or disabled person’s exemption for the year in which you qualify is the first anniversary of the date you qualify. In other words, you have one year from the date you qualify to apply. For example:

If you are already qualified and you purchase a different home, you have one year from the date you occupy the new home to apply.

If you turn 65 during the year, you have until your 66th birthday to apply for the year in which you turn 65. If you become disabled during the year, you have one year from the date you became disabled to apply.

Otherwise, the deadline for applying for the over-65 or disability exemption is the same as the deadline given above.

Homestead Cap An additional benefit of the general homestead exemption, especially in an appreciating housing market, is the homestead cap, or limitation on increases in appraised value. The cap applies to your homestead beginning in the second year you have a homestead exemption. The cap law provides that if you qualify, the value on which your taxes will be calculated (called your appraised value) cannot exceed the lesser of:

This year’s market value; or Last year’s appraised value, plus 10% plus the value added by any new improvements made during the preceding year.

If homes are appreciating at more than 10% per year, the cap can provide substantial tax savings.

Over-65 Homeowners A person who is 65 or older may receive additional exemptions. You are eligible for these exemptions as soon as you turn 65; you don’t need to be 65 as of the first of the year to apply. School districts automatically grant an additional $10,000 exemption for qualified persons who are 65 or older. An additional advantage of the over-65 exemption is the school tax ceiling. Once you qualify, your school taxes will not increase unless you make improvements to the home. Cities, the coun-ty, and other taxing units may, but are not required to, offer over-65 homestead exemptions of at least $3,000 and sometimes much more. Call the Harris County Appraisal District at 713-957-7800 to determine what taxing units in which your home is located offer an over-65 homestead exemption. You can also find this information on www.HCAD.org by going to the page for your account and clicking the blue word “Jurisdictions” in the heading of the table of jurisdictions. HCAD can also can send you a pamphlet on disability exemptions.

Homestead Exemptions continued

Homeowners with Disabilities A person with a disability also may get exemptions. "Disabled" means either (1) you can't engage in gainful work because of physical or mental disability or (2) you are 55 years old and blind and can't engage in your previous work because of your blindness. If you receive disability benefits under the federal Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program adminis-tered by the Social Security Administration, you will qualify. Disability benefits from any other program, including a disabled veterans' pension, do not automatically qualify you for this exemption. You may need information on disability ratings from the civil service, retirement programs or from insurance documents, military records or a doctor's statement. Also read information about the disabled veterans' exemption. If you qualify as a disabled person, you can receive a $10,000 exemption for school taxes, in addition to the $15,000 ex-emption for all homeowners. And, any taxing unit can offer an exemption of at least $3,000 from the home value of disabled homeowners. Disabled homeowners also qualify for a school tax ceiling, the same as for those who are over-65. Call the Harris County Appraisal District's Telephone Information Center at 713-957-7800 to determine what taxing units in which your home is located offer a disability homestead exemption. We also can send you a pamphlet on disability exemp-tions.

100% Disabled Veteran’s Homestead Exemption You can qualify for this exemption on your homestead if you have a disability rating of 100% or individual unemployability from the Veterans' Administration and you receive 100% disability payments from the VA. Your disability must be service connected. If you qualify, 100% of the value of your residence homestead will be exempted.

Selling or Buying a Home with an Existing Homestead Exemp-tion When you sell or buy a home, the taxes for the year will generally be prorated at the closing. This doesn't actually change your tax liability; the tax assessor will calculate that later in the year. The proration at closing will be based on estimated taxes due. You should be aware of the rules regarding homestead exemptions so that you are prepared if your actual tax liability turns out to be different. If you buy or sell a home that has only a general homestead exemption on it, the exemption normally stays in place for that entire tax year. The final taxes for the year will reflect the exemption. However, the new owner will have to qualify for the exemption by filing an application in his or her own name for the following year. There is one exception. You should be aware that in January of each year, HCAD sends a postcard to each person who has a homestead exemption to confirm that they are still occupying the property. If the card is returned undeliverable, the homestead exemption will be removed and it will be necessary to file a new application to reinstate it. If the home you buy has had a cap in place for several years, be aware that the value of the home, and the taxes, may increase substantially in the year following the year you purchase it. This is because your cap won't take effect until the second year after you purchase the home. If you buy or sell a home that has an existing over-65 or disability exemption, the rules are different. Whether the over-65 or disability exemption stays in place depends on whether the person who qualified for that exemption transfers it to a dif-ferent homestead during the same year.

If the over-65 or disabled person does not establish a homestead exemption on a different homestead, the exemption

stays in place for the entire year. If the over-65 or disabled person does establish a homestead exemption on a different homestead, then when the tax

assessor calculates taxes on the sold home for the year, the assessor will prorate the taxes to reflect the over-65 exemption or disability for only the portion of the year that the over-65 or disabled person owned it. In short, if the seller is over-65 or disabled and establishes an exemption on a different home, taxes for the year will be higher than they would if the seller does not establish another homestead exemption. If both the buyer and the seller are over-65or disabled , the buyer can avoid the proration problem by applying for the over-65 or disability homestead exemption in his/her own right.

In the first quarter of each year, the Harris County Appraisal District develops a list of all properties with a prior year home-stead exemption which, during that same year, were sold to a new owner. Then, as required by law, the district cancels the old exemption as of January 1 of the new year and mails the new owner an exemption application form. However, you should act to protect your rights by ensuring that we have transferred ownership on the new home and that you have timely filed the homestead exemption application. For any questions or additional assistance, you are encouraged to call an HCAD representative at 713-957-7800.

You can find all this information & more online at www.hcad.org/resources/exemptions/homeowners.asp


Walking my dog at night I notice many homes that do not have the front porch light

turned on. All residents voice concerns about our safety & security on property and

yet, many of us are not taking the simplest of actions to do our part! Not only does it add safety and beauty but it will also help with keeping MATA a

cleaner property. What?

How does turning on your porch light make MATA cleaner? By turning on your porch light those of us with dogs can actually SEE the waste our

dog leaves behind and can then more effectively clean it up! I can’t tell you how many times I have gone

walking through the courtyard by house to find only 2-3 porch lights on. Due to the darkness I try to stay

extra aware of my surroundings for my own safety, but when my dog “goes #2” it’s kind of hard to see it

in the dark. Yes, carrying a flashlight is an option but a lit porch light will solve more issues. Do you think the people who are care-free about picking up their dog’s waste make an extra effort to

pick it up in the dark?

No. Maybe if we all turn on our porch lights they will feel more self conscious about doing it

and we can actually catch the people doing it at night. Many mornings I’ve gone on a

walk to see evidence of the “night poopers”. If you’re saying “Well, I don’t turn on my light because I always forget to turn it off in the

morning” try using a low wattage/energy saver bulb and just leave it on all the time or

stop by Ace Hardware and pick up a “dusk to dawn” sensor that you can install in the

socket. Voila - problem solved!

Pennies & Porch Lights

2014 actual Expenses

Weep Holes & Foundations

Regular home inspections made by YOU, the homeowner, are an easy, effective way to ensure that your home is in tip-top shape and to

prevent the cost of unexpected home repairs.

First let’s cover Weep Holes. Our townhomes are “brick veneer” homes. This means that structurally they are built with wood supports and then covered with a layer of bricks on the exterior. This is great for preventing termite damage to the outside of your house but brick

veneer is not structural; it doesn't support anything, including the roof. Brick veneer is, in fact, mostly cosmetic. What supports the roof

structure is the wood frame wall that lives behind the brick veneer. In a brick veneer installation, the very first row of bricks is laid upon

the portion of the foundation or "beam" that is referred to as the "brick shelf" or "brick ledge." When inspecting a brick veneer home you

will notice that this first row contains gaps every several bricks where the vertical mortar joint has been omitted. These gaps or omissions are called "weep holes" (see picture). Weep holes

allow excess water that collects in the brick wall to trickle down and exit the

building, thus preventing damage to the interior of your house. Weep holes allow the space between the brick and frame walls to breathe. In

order to facilitate the water exiting the walls and out into your yard, frequent

inspection of your weep holes is mandatory! Over time debris (dead leaves,

small sticks, dirt etc.) can accumulate in the weep holes, thus blocking the

excess water’s exit from the walls. Take time once a month to go outside and

inspect your weep holes. Take a small screwdriver or the end of a wire coat

hanger and scrape out any debris that is in there. Maintaining a low level of dirt

in the flowerbed in front of these weep holes is key to preventing the debris

from piling up in there. The level of the dirt needs to be at least 3 inches be-

low your weep holes and should preferably be 6 inches below them. Wind will

also blow debris into the weep holes, so don’t neglect to check even in dry

weather. Also, make sure your flowerbed does not “mound up” in front of your house

because when we get heavy rains, this will essentially cause a moat in front of

your house and that water will likely go into your weep holes and INSIDE your home. For most of us our weep holes are located only in the front of our homes, but for those of you in end units, you need to inspect the brick veneer along the side of your home as well. If you

are unable to see your weep holes, please contact our Property Manager immediately so she can remedy the situation. Please remember, if

you don’t report it, it can’t get fixed!

Now let’s discuss the foundation under your home. Any repairs to the foundation under your home are the HOMEOWNER’S RESPONSI-

BILITY so in order to avoid costly repairs, take care of it. Proper care of your foundation is very important in preserving the integrity of

your structure. Soils have the ability to expand when wet and to contract when too dry. This requires that an even and relatively

constant level of moisture be maintained in the soil supporting the foundation. Defects in foundations occur when the supporting

soil is too wet or too dry or when one area around the foundation is overly wet while other areas remain dry. Improper foundation

maintenance can result in severe movement in just a few days. This is true regardless of the type or age of the foundation.

DRAINAGE

Maintain the grading and planting beds around the foundation to slope away from the structure. For foundation, it is best to keep at

least two to four inches of concrete showing below the brick or siding. Soil above the brick line will allow water, wood ants and termites

to penetrate into the house, which can deteriorate wall and floor systems. Avoid ponding or standing water in the area of the

foundation. The yard should have drainage channels (often called swales) to route rainwater away from the structure. Gutters should be

maintained and free of debris. All runoff water should be diverted well away (2-3 feet) from the foundation. Water from flowerbeds

should be carefully diverted away from the foundation.

WATERING

If the soil around the exterior of the home becomes excessively dry, it will shrink or crack, many times leaving a gap between the soil

and the foundation. These cracks admit air which cause more evaporation and more cracking. When heavy rains come, the crack allow excessive amounts of water to be introduced directly to load bearing soils beneath their foundation. When the soils become supersaturat-

ed, they lose their bearing capacity and rapid settlement can result. (In most instances of foundation failure, damage will occur

slowly over a period of years.)

The goal for proper foundation maintenance should be to maintain a consistent high level of moisture in the soil to eliminate the swelling

and contracting cycles that out soils continually go through. This can be somewhat accomplished through a proper watering program.

Our landscape company waters our lawn for us, but it is highly recommended that homeowners take the responsibility of watering

their lawns into their own hands and make sure the lawn/ground doesn’t get dried out. Whether you have an underground sprinkler

system, an above ground manual sprinkler system, or a black porous hose, you should monitor the system daily to ascertain the moisture

content of the soil. In periods of hot, dry weather conditions, daily watering will probably be necessary; in cooler weather once or

twice a week. The key is not to allow cracking to occur within four or five feet or your foundation.

foundation

Weep hole

MATA is now on Facebook!

You can find us at:

www.facebook.com/MemorialAshford

and “like” us to receive instant

notices and calendar events.

Contact Information


MATA Office/Property Manager: 281-531-8699 [email protected] www.MemorialAshford.com

Please sign up for emails on the MATA website!

MATA Courtesy Patrol: 713-471-5882 Creative Management Co. (CMC) 713-772-4420 www.cmctx.com

HPD non-emergency: 713-884-3131 Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 MATA Staff Marion Bennicoff - Property Manager Lorenzo Colorado Jose Castillo Juan Bravo

Board of Directors (with term expiration) Ben Kressman - President (4/2016) Russell Elder - Vice President (4/2018) Shanna Williams - Secretary/Treasurer (4/2016) Cindy Cremona (4/2017) Lori Jacobs (4/2017) Kelly Klaus (4/2018) Terry Thompson (4/2018)


words.

One benefit of using your

newsletter as a promotional

tool is that you can reuse con-

tent from other marketing

materials, such as press releas-

es, market studies, and reports.

While your main goal of dis-

tributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service,

the key to a successful newslet-

ter is making it useful to your

readers.

A great way to add useful con-

tent to your newsletter is to

develop and write your own

articles, or include a calendar

of upcoming events or a special

offer that promotes a new

product.

You can also research articles

or find “filler” articles by ac-

cessing the World Wide Web.

You can write about a variety

of topics but try to keep your

articles short.

Much of the content you put in

your newsletter can also be

used for your Web site. Mi-

crosoft Publisher offers a sim-

ple way to convert your news-

letter to a Web publication. So,

when you’re finished writing

your newsletter, convert it to a

Web site and post it.

“To catch the reader's attention, place

an interesting sentence or quote from

the story here.”

Caption describing

picture or graphic.

Page 11

2015 Monthly Meetings

Meetings are held at 7:00pm on the fourth Thursday of each month at the MATA Clubhouse.


2015 Board meeting schedule

January None July 23

February 26 August 27

March 26 September 24

April 23 October 22

May 28 November none

June 25 December none

~monthly newsletter~ · 2015-04-29 · ter is making it useful to your readers. a great way to add...

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