villas of wedgewood townhouse association newsletter ...helpful tips to ensure your home is ready...
TRANSCRIPT
2014-15 Contracted
Snow Removal Program
Don’t Winterize Your
Golf Game!
Weekly Trash Procedures
Villa Resident Home
Insurance Requirements
Mailbox Repair Guidelines
Villa Board Election
Villa Board Contacts
2015 Association Board
Meeting Schedule
Request for Comments
Directory Update Notice
NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR
Dear Neighbor,
It’s hard to believe, but winter is just around the corner. In preparation
for the months ahead, we’ve specially prepared this newsletter with
helpful tips to ensure your home is ready for cooler temperatures and
freezing conditions.
Amidst holiday preparation, winterizing your home may be the last thing
you feel like doing. We assure you though, it will be the first thing you’ll
be thankful for once snow and ice arrive.
will make your seasonal home
prep easy:
Top 9 Ways to Winterize Your Home
3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters this Fall
Understanding Our Neighborhood Covenants
Important ARC Reminder
As always, if you require assistance with any of your winterizing or
maintenance needs, an authorized vendor list is included on page 1.
Wishing you a warm and happy holiday season,
Your VWTA Board
Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association Newsletter November 2014
ALSO INSIDE
PLUS
Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association P.O. Box 1657 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-1657
Thanks GIVING Made Easy
1
The holidays offer countless opportunities to give back to our community. Here are just a few ways you can make a local difference this season.
Crystal Lake Community Harvest Help host a memorable Thanksgiving meal for area
families in need. Donations are being accepted at the CL Chamber 427 W Virginia St. Home of the Sparrow Monetary and goods donations support McHenry County homeless women and their children. For donation information, call (815) 271-5444. Salvation Army Have clothing or goods to donate? Salvation Army will come to your
home and pick them up. Local donations support adult rehabilitation centers (800) 728-7825.
THESE HELPFUL TIPS INSIDE
Top 9 Ways to Winterize Your Home
Properly winterizing your home will save you hassle and money once cooler temperatures set in. Expert handymen from Handy Home Services in Crystal Lake, highly recommended by villa residents, shared these top 9 home winterizing tips. You can call Handy Home Services today at (815) 347-0507.
1. Clean Your Gutters This is the #1 way to winterize your home for more than 1 reason. Page 2 lists “3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters.”
2. Stop The Draft Slide inexpensive draft guards beneath your doors to keep unwanted cold air out and much needed warm air in.
3. Redirect Your Ceiling Fans Update your fans to turn in a clockwise direction. This will help push warm air near the ceiling back into your living space.
4. Replace Heating & Air System Filters Change your heating and air filters every month or two during periods of high use to ensure your system’s peak performance.
5. Check Your Insulation Don’t risk losing valuable heat through your ceiling and walls. For maximum heat retention, have insulation levels checked, and ensure attic vents aren’t blocked.
6. Program Your Thermostat Lower temps while you’re sleeping or away from home. The U.S. Dept. of Energy says you can save up to 1% in energy costs for each degree lowered.
7. Turn Off Water to Exterior Spigots Shut off water to exterior faucets via inside valves. Let the remaining water in the pipe drain outside and shut off exterior spigot when water stops draining. This will rid the pipe of residual water so it does not freeze nor cause cracking. Remember to turn off water to exterior faucets if you’re going to be gone for a long period of time.
8. Flush Your Water Heater Over time, sediment can build up at the bottom of your water heater. A pre-winter flush will ensure maximum efficiency during winter months.
9. Clean Your Chimney Excess soot can cause creosote buildup in your chimney, which increases the risk of fire. Have your chimney cleaned to enjoy worry-free fires all winter long. .
Association Authorized Vendors These vendors are authorized by the association to complete your home renovation projects. Should you wish to make any exterior additions or changes, please remember to submit an ARC form for board approval. For more information regarding ARC forms, see page 4.
Electricity & Gutter Heating Coils O’Connor Electric (815) 923-4050
Garage Doors Herb’s Door Service (847) 658-4812
Landscaping & Snow Removal Acres Group Steve Swanson (847) 878-7940
1
An Important ARC Reminder
With winter approaching,
maintenance of decks,
screened-in porches, patios,
staircases, mailboxes and
gutter heat coils is each villa
homeowner’s responsibility.
Maintaining these items is
important for the safety and
aesthetics of your home. An
ARC form must be submitted
to the villa board prior to
making any changes or
additions to your unit. This
form protects homeowners
from incurring further costs
due to covenants violations.
Additional ARC forms are
included with this newsletter.
For more details regarding the
architectural responsibility
clause, as outlined in our
VWTA covenants, see page 4.
Don’t Winterize Your Golf Game!! You CAN teach a mature player a new trick or two! Don’t let incorrect
thinking (or winter weather) keep you from playing better golf. Come over to
the Crystal Woods Indoor Learning Center (banquet hall) for a free clinic to all
Wedgewood Villas residents.
J. Anderson, PGA Director of Instruction (and Wedgewood resident) is offering
2 convenient times to choose from.
1. Saturday, November 22nd | 11:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m.
2. Monday, November 24th | 6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m.
J. is a 35-year member of the Illinois PGA, Titleist Performance Institute 3 Level Certified Instructor, member of the Certified Golf Coach’s Association and an IL PGA tournament winner.
Call J. today at (815) 592-4340 to secure your spot!
3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters this Fall Clogged gutters are the #1 cause of serious issues, such as ice
damming. As mentioned in the “Top 10 Ways to Winterize Your
Home,” gutter cleaning is the first step in preparing your home for
freezing conditions.
As if ice damming isn’t enough, here are 3 key issues you can
avoid by simply cleaning your gutters this fall.
1. Basement Water Damage Clogged gutters can
cause damaging water overflow. When water cannot be
channeled away from your home, excess water against the
foundation can weaken footings, causing cracks and leaks.
2. Rotted Exterior Wood Gutter debris piled above the
flashing or shingle line holds moisture on the fascia board.
Over time, the excess water can seep beneath the roof
sheathing and ruin framing beyond the fascia board.
3. Unwanted House Pets Wood-destroying insects,
plants, birds and mice consider un-cleared gutter debris an
ideal home. Cleaning your gutters will keep these unwanted
house pets away.
2
2014-15 Contracted Snow Removal Program VWTA has, once again, contract with Acres Group for community
snow removal. Below outlines the basics of our partnership for the
coming season, November 14, 2014 through March 31, 2015.
Contracted service provides snow removal for driveways,
sidewalks, stoops, service and public walks and mailboxes.
Streets are plowed by the village. Plantain Court is a private
street handled by the master board, Howe Management.
Acres Group will install and remove driveway markers in
areas identified as critical.
Driveway & Vehicle Procedures Please park cars in your garage to ensure complete driveway snow
removal. To avoid liability, Acres Group will only clean driveways
from the back of parked cars to the street. Homeowners will be
responsible for removal of any remaining snow. If you remove your
car while Acres Group is plowing, they will complete your driveway.
Meet Steve Swanson Steve Swanson is our new Acres Group Account Representative.
A graduate of SIU with a Bachelors Degree in Plant and Soil, he
has more than 10 years’ experience in the landscape industry.
Known for customer satisfaction and quality work, the VTWA is
lucky to count on Steve for our snow removal needs.
Weekly Trash Procedures Homeowner trash, recyclables
and refuse must be placed
outside no earlier than 7 p.m.
on the evening prior to pickup.
The day of pickup, empty bins
must be placed back inside by
7 p.m. per Crystal Lake City
Ordinance No. 258.
Arrangements with the
scavenger service must be
made for prompt pickup of large
items, following the same
guidelines as above.
Any expense incurred by the
association to remove or pickup
inappropriately placed trash will
be billed to the homeowner.
Villa Resident Home Insurance Requirements
Changing your insurance? Please remember, villa homeowners are
required to maintain insurance on their unit at all times. Within your
policy, “Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association” must be
listed as an “interested party” for property coverage. Insurance
coverage should be in an amount not less than the current
construction cost replacement value of the unit.
Each year, please be sure your insurance agent sends a copy of
your homeowners declaration certificate to:
Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association
P.O. Box 1657
Crystal Lake, IL 60039
For Assistance...
For snow removal assistance, please contact our Acres Group Account Representative.
Steve Swanson (847) 878-7940
3
Villa Board Election In true election season fashion, these 2 Villa Association Board
positions are open for appointment. Each consists of a 2-year term.
● Frank Ciangi, Villa Board President
● Al Jordan, Director | Insurance & ARC Manager
Both Frank and Al are running for re-election. However, if you
would like to run for either of these Villa Board positions, interested
candidates must submit their interest by midnight on December 5th.
Please include the following information:
● Name
● Address
● Phone Number
● Short Bio or Resume
Mail applications to:
VTAW
P.O. Box 1657
Crystal Lake, IL 60039
Mailbox Repair Guidelines
An influx of holiday cards is
right around the corner. If
damaged, follow these steps
to ensure your mailbox is
ready to receive them.
1. Call Steve Swanson, our
Acres Group Account Rep, to
file a repair request. Steve’s
number is (847) 878-7940.
2. Schedule an inspection
with Steve to determine the
quoted cost for repair.
3. Confirm the estimate,
and Steve will order any
parts required for repair. The
vendor typically takes 2-3
weeks to deliver parts.
4. Await mailbox repair.
Acres Group will complete all
fixes once parts arrive.
Mailbox Pricing *Please Note: Prices below
are not marked up. Please
account for additional cost of
freight and labor.
Complete Unit: $279
Aluminum Base: $76
Post & Box Holder: $76
Mailbox Only: $189
Bracket to Hold Box: $39
Replacement Door: $29
Flag Assembly: $10
Brass Numbers: $5
Latch Assembly: $4.50
Labor: $44/Man Hour
(Maximum of 2 man crew)
4
Understanding Our Neighborhood Covenants In an effort to ensure our neighborhood is kept uniform and in good
taste, Article X, 10.1 of our VTWA Covenants outlines homeowner
responsibilities in regard to additions, changes or alterations to the
exterior villas.
More specifically, this article requires homeowners to submit an
Architectural Review Committee (ARC) form to the Villa Board prior
to making any exterior changes to their unit. This includes written
plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, height,
materials and location of the alterations to be made. Following
submission, including all required supporting documents, villa
owners will receive pre-approval within 48-hours of receipt.
Although a slight inconvenience, properly submitting an ARC form
for Villa Board approval protects homeowners from incurring further
costs or required corrections due to covenants violations.
Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association P.O. Box 1657 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-1657
Comments & Suggestions
Your feedback is welcome!
Comments or suggestions
may be submitted, in 100
words or less, to the Villa
Board. Please include your
name and address. Send to:
“Comments”
P.O. Box 1657
Crystal Lake, IL 60039
Villa Board of Directors
Frank Ciangi, President…..……………………….…(847) 280-4208 Dick Moran, VP | Financial Chairman……………...(815) 455-8214 Jody Anderson, Secretary……………………….….(815) 353-1196 Al Jordan, Insurance & ARC Manager………….…(815) 685-2026 Ron McHone, Neighborhood Watch Chairman….(847) 280-4208 Bill Godar, Welcome Committee Chairman……....(815) 459-7629 Dave Olsen, Directory Coordinator Sarah Wirth, Newsletter/Marketing Coordinator
Notice: It is time to update our resident directory for 2015. You
will soon receive a request for updated contact information in the mail. Each villa homeowner is required to complete and return this form. If you will be living elsewhere for the winter months, please remember to provide your out-of-town contact information.
2015 Board Meeting Schedule Association Board meetings are held every other month. All villa
homeowners are welcome to attend.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Home State Bank
611 S. Main Street
Crystal Lake, IL
Dates: February 11
April 8
June 10
August 12
October 14
December 9
*The final board meeting of 2014 will take place at 6:30 p.m. on
December 10, 2014 at Home State Bank.
A Friendly Reminder
Villas of Wedgewood
Townhouse Association is
NOT affiliated with Howe
Real Estate Services Inc.
All questions, dues, ARC
forms or villa-related
matters should be mailed
directly to the Villa Board:
P.O. Box 1657
Crystal Lake, IL 60039
Only common ground and
wetlands matters are to be
directed to the master
board, Howe Management
Company of Woodstock.