STRATA LMS 128 NEWSLETTER E version. November 2007

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1 STRATA LMS 128 NEWSLETTER E version. November 2007 The Strata Newsletter tries to provide helpful and timely information and a perspective on the neighbourhood. Strata Website home page - Bookmark it for easy access. FROM THE PRESIDENT It is the festive time of year when lights are added to brighten the longer dark days of winter. They may be put up anytime now and may remain up until January 31st. Please also make sure that all outside lights beside the garage doors remain as they are year round. Also please keep in mind that each unit is responsible for any power used in any display. Sometimes the displays are truly dazzling. The balance of the painting of the units will be completed as quickly as possible in the spring. Lets hope good spring weather comes early and is dry so that the rest of the job can be accomplished as soon as possible. So far it looks great. Preliminary budget figures are being put together for the upcoming year. A lot of things were accomplished this year but, as with any home, there is always something that needs attending to. Please Take Special Notice: Recently, the Maintenance Committee sent out notes regarding the sprinkler system and about general unit maintenance. Please pay special attention to this information. It will not only save money, but a lot of inconvenience. More Maintenance notes to follow. The Strata Council has had a couple of changes since our last AGM. We wish to thank those who have contributed so much to our Strata and also to those who have volunteered to participate and take on the assignments of those who are stepping down. Thanks very much to Rudy for all his time and effort on Strata Council. Rudy is taking some time for himself and Carolyn and a well-deserved rest from Council. He will continue on as a member of the Maintenance Committee, the Amenity Centre, and remains our Insurance representative. We must also say so long to our Secretary, Yvonne who, along with husband Steve are pursuing a wonderful opportunity in Dubai. Although it s sad to see them go so soon, we certainly wish them well in their new adventure. Thanks to Ian Griffiths and Carol Brown who have generously volunteered to come on board to help. We re happy to report that Cheryl is healthy and has decided to keep up her duties as Treasurer. Ian will assist Cheryl and will also assist Rudy and Geoff on the Amenity Centre Board as well as continuing as a member of the Maintenance Committee. We are so fortunate that a few members of our Strata are so conscientious. It would be 1

2 nice if a few more could participate just a little to lighten the load of those who take their community responsibilities seriously. Carol will take over the secretary duties from Yvonne. Strata Council: Bunny MacKay (#35) President, Legal & Bylaws, Newsletter John Bourdeau (#10) Vice President, Gardening Ted Skodje (#5) Maintenance - M Committee members: Rudy, Sieg, Les, Ian, Sandy, Bill. Ian Griffiths (#12) Amenity Centre - A/C Committee member Geoff Sale (#42) - Rudy Diedrick (#28) Cheryl Hadden (#2) - Treasurer Carol Brown (#7) - Secretary Les Brown (#21) Social - S Committee members: Sheila Baker (#31), Carol Brown (#7) Anyone wishing to help out on any committee is asked to please contact the appropriate Committee Chair. PLEASE NOTE: The preferred method of contacting members of Strata Council is via . Phone calls in emergencies are acceptable. MAINTENANCE Here are the notices recently sent by the Maintenance Committee: Strata Living Information November 2007 Common property and individual lots: The Strata Act provides a system of title, which gives exclusive ownership over part of a building known as a lot and supporting rights over other parts of a building known as common property. Common property is all the areas of the land and building not included in any lot. In most strata schemes, a strata lot or limited common property is allocated to an owner for their exclusive use, the owner owns the inside of the unit but not the main structure of the building. Usually the four main walls, the ceiling, the roof and the sub-floor are common property. Floor coverings, appliances, counters, bathtubs, toilet bowls, washer & dryer, hot water tank, furnace, taps, valves, drains, seals etc. and all attachments and visible (exposed) piping and connections that are required for the proper functions of the 2

3 noted items, as well as the electric door opening unit and the required accessories inside the garage are all the property of the lot owner. A lot owner effectively owns the airspace and anything included in the airspace inside the boundary walls, floor and ceiling of the lot. Water leaks within a Strata lot: Clarification has been provided by the Condominium Homeowners Association regarding the responsibility for repairing and correcting water leaks within Lot. (Townhouse) Should a water leak or water related problem occur in any area within a strata lot or limited common property designated for the exclusive use of an owner, the lot owner is responsible for the costs of repairing the water leak and the resulting water damage. Should the water leak be coming from the adjoining strata lot or from a common area, it may then be the adjoining owner s or the Strata Cooperation s responsibility to assume all costs for rectifying the resulting water damage. Furnace / Hot Water Tank and Piping: Clarification has been provided by the Condominium Homeowners Association regarding the responsibility for maintaining or replacing the hot water tank, furnace and all visible piping, fittings and attachments required for the proper functions of the noted items. As the noted items are located in an area designated for the owner s exclusive use, they remain the unit owner s responsibility should a repair or replacement be necessary. Hot water tanks (and to a lesser extent boilers) are aging (16-17 years old) and while some unit owners have been pro-active in maintaining and replacing these units, there are a number of owners that have not. Neglecting servicing the boiler and the exhaust vents regularly may result in poor heat distribution and blockage of the venting pipes, causing exhaust leakage into the furnace room. A leaking or bursting water tank could potentially cause water damage, not only to an owners unit, but also to the adjoining units. Should any failures or damage occur, it would be the individual homeowner s responsibility to assume all costs for the resulting repairs and/or replacements?

4 Sprinkler Information: To all Unit Owners: IMPORTANT In case this hasn t been completed, please make sure the instructions are followed regarding the Sprinkler System. BM To reduce the possibilities of any more frozen rear taps this winter, the maintenance committee needs the corporation of every unit owner to assist in making this possible. We are asking that: 1. Every unit owner that has a rear tap inside shutoff must turn the water off, remove the outside attached hose and open the tap to allow the water to drain out. This task is addressed to units # 1, 3, 8, 9, 18, 19, 21, 25, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42 and any other unit that has an inside tap shutoff. 2. Every unit owner that has a self-draining tap (all owners that do not have an inside tab shutoff) must remove the outside attached water hose from the tap. This action will allow the remaining water inside the tap to drain out. Members of the maintenance committee will insure that all sprinkler connections are disconnected and will attach a tag to every tap thereby signifying proper winter conditioning of your rear tap. It will be the owner s responsibility to conduct periodic inspections, insuring that the rear tap is free of any hose attachment. THE MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE Additional Reminders: The Maintenance Committee has become aware of a situation that needs to be reviewed by all units. Bathroom fans must be cleaned regularly in order that they provide the function they are intended for. These fans play an important function in regulating humidity in the unit. Proper attention to humidity levels will prevent not only comfort with regard to heating, but more importantly in the prevention of molds and other rotting processes. Inside the unit maintenance and upkeep remains the responsibility of the Strata Unit Owner including any neglect that causes damage to any other unit or Strata Common property. We ask that everyone be diligent with maintenance and up-keep items. The documents regarding owner s maintenance responsibilities as well as other useful information are readily available on our Website. 4

5 GARDENING: The gardeners have almost finished their season and are doing final clean up. The Gardening committee is working on plans for next year and will accept suggestions regarding new plantings for review. The budget process is well underway so time is short. The planned trimming or removal of several large or overgrown trees has been accomplished recently. Plans are in the works for improvements to several affected areas. Please remember, trees must have approval from the Gardening Committee and Strata Council before being planted. As reiterated at the AGM, requests for additional gardening services must go through the gardening Committee Chair (John #10) and should not be directed to the gardener. COMMUNITY RELATIONS: Thanks to those who participated in our last wash-down and the Fall Pot Luck. It was another decent turn out with several delicious choices and great company. The event list: Wine & Cheese Annual General Meeting, Sunday, Dec. 9th Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 2:pm The Social Committee will send notices prior to events. Amenity Centre: Contact number is Additional info is available on the Strata Web site and go to the Glenbrook Park Amenity Centre link. Block Watch Our Block-watch Captain is Sheila Baker. She is the liaison with the New Westminster Crime Prevention Unit. In General: Security alarm system should be used. Mail should be checked daily. Front door mailboxes cleared regularly. It is always a good idea to let the neighbours know when you ll be away. Providing a key along with a security code is also encouraged. Most importantly, do not hesitate to call the police if anyone does not legitimately belong here or other suspicious activity is noted. 5

6 INSURANCE Please remember, members must not directly contact the Strata insurance company as this could affect our rates. Should the need arise, the Strata Council representative (Rudy Diedrick) will liaison. Bylaws: Complaints have been received regarding items stored outside. Please make sure you observe the Rules (as follows) regarding this. Balconies shall not be used as storage areas or to hang or dry laundry. Balconies shall only be used for balcony furniture and plants. Items other than patio type furniture, BBQ s, and plants must be removed from Balcony and patio areas immediately or be subject to fines as prescribed in our Bylaws. Please continue to watch your speed. Several vehicles have been violating limits. Some of these are regular visitors and must be informed by unit owners. Please remember that we all have to back out of our garages. We thank you for your cooperation Wishing everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday Season. ***As usual we ask that #12 provide a copy to #14, #26 provide a copy to #27, and #24 to provide a copy to #23. Thanks*** 6