Bunker Lane Condominium Association Handbook of Rules and Regulations
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION....1 2. BRIEF HISTORY OF BUNKER LANE....1 3. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT....2 4. CONDOMINIUM FEES....3 5. BOARD MEETINGS....4 6. Monthly Meetings....4 7. Annual Meetings....4 8. RULES AND BYLAWS....4 9. INFORMATION FORM....5 10. PROPERTY CONDITION FORM....6 11. DIG SAFE....8 12. MADBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT...8 13. COMPLAINTS RELATIVE TO DOGS, NOISE AND OTHER DISTURBANCES...9
1. Introduction. We hope this handbook will be helpful to you in providing a ready source for rules, regulations and other information about your community. You are an important member of the Association, and hope you will become actively involved in our community, and also consider becoming a board member as current terms expire. It is our desire to provide a pleasant, attractive and affordable place to live. The attached rules and regulations of the Bunker Lane Condominium Association are not intended to be unnecessarily restrictive, but are meant to help provide you a safe, tranquil environment in which to live. The future value of your home rests, to a great degree, on our community s appearance and its reputation in the community at large. The handbook will be updated from time to time as its content changes. If you have ideas for improvement or additional content, your input will be greatly appreciated. 2. Brief History of Bunker Lane. The original builder and owner, Richard Hebbard, created Bunker Lane Mobile Home Park in the 1960s. The Park was sold in the 1980s to Richard DuFour, with a few minor improvements made by the new owner. This owner created a condominium in 1990, with the condominium comprised of land and common areas sort of a reversal of the usual condominium in that the land and not the home comprise the Condominium. Each condominium unit is approximately ½ acre in size. Following creation of the Condominium, the owner required those paying a monthly rent to purchase the land where their home was situated for approximately $33,000 and become a Unit Owner or face eviction. Those that did not purchase the land began to receive eviction notices, requiring them to move their home from the land so the condominium Owner could sell the land to others. - 1 -
Those who could not afford to purchase the land and become part of the condominium created a Cooperative, obtained a loan through the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund (NHCLF) and purchased the properties that were not under the condominium. Shortly after, it became apparent that the majority of the properties had failing septic systems and required immediate remediation or persons residing at those properties would be forced to move because of unsanitary conditions. At this point, the Condominium successfully obtained a $200,000 grant from New Hampshire s Block Grant Program and borrowed an additional $200,000 to install a central sewage system and to purchase the Cooperative so we were all living under the same roof so to speak. The Condominium has sold 49 of the 51 Units, with the remaining 2 currently rented to the original homeowners. te that no additional Units may be created under the Condominium Declaration, nor is there any common area land that could be used to do so. The Condominium is currently paying off the loan, and the loan payment is included in the monthly condominium fee of $200. It is important to note that as a condition of the loan, an amendment was made to the Bylaws that anyone selling their Unit can only sell to a lower-income individual or family during the first 60 days the Unit is on the market. If a lowerincome individual or family offers to purchase at the asking price, the seller must sell the Unit to them. If no offers are received and the Unit remains unsold after the 60 days, the home may be sold to other than a lower-income person or family. Please see Amendment 3 to the Bylaws to read the full requirement and your obligations if you are planning to sell your Unit. The Condominium finances are healthy, including an emergency fund for unforeseen and unbudgeted issues that may arise. te that we have not had to increase the fee beyond $200 for the second year in a row. 3. Capital Improvement. The one item of infrastructure we are currently planning to improve is the water system. We are fed from the City of Portsmouth water supply system; however, the Condominium owns all piping from the water meter where the water enters and throughout the Condominium. The piping and valves are approximately 60 years old and will require replacement in the near future. We have had numerous water leaks requiring repair due to nylon joints breaking, with some significant - 2 -
repairs ongoing since about 2004. Additionally, the water system was poorly designed, resulting in low water pressure to many residents. In 2014, the Condominium applied for and was successful in obtaining a grant for a $10,000 feasibility study which is the first step in applying for and obtaining another Block Grant for water line replacement as we obtained for the sewage system. The feasibility study is an engineering evaluation and plan, including detailed drawings, prepared by a Civil Engineer. This was completed last year, and we are pursuing the next grant. The study included investigation of other items of infrastructure requiring repair or replacement, so includes such items as repaving of roads, individual water meters, etc. The study also provided alternatives to complete water line replacement in the event we are not successful in obtaining another Block Grant in the near future. We have been informed that a Block Grant this year (2016) for replacement of the water lines is highly unlikely due to diminished funds from the State for the Block Grant Program, and considerable competition for the funds that were set aside. The Board is reviewing the suggested alternatives and will keep all residents informed on the status of our water lines. Any decision regarding the water lines will be by majority agreement of all Unit Owners. 4. Condominium Fees. The monthly fee is $200 and is due no later than the 5 th of each month. There is a $10 late fee if received after the 5 th. If remaining unpaid after the 5 th of the following month, the late fee increases to $50 and remains at $50 each month until all arrears are paid in full. The monthly fees are our only source of income, and pay for maintenance of common areas (such as roads and office/garage building), water, septic, street lighting and plowing/sanding, tree maintenance, and refuse collection. This fee may be placed in the Condo Mailbox located by the door entrance of the office, or you may mail it to the following address if you find it more convenient: Bunker Lane Condominium Association 52 Bunker Lane Madbury, NH 03820 Please make checks payable to Bunker Lane Condominium Association, or BLCA. - 3 -
5. Board Meetings. All condominium members are welcome and encouraged to attend Board Meetings. If you have an item for discussion that you would like added to the agenda, please provide the information to the Board Secretary at least a week prior to the meeting. This will ensure the agenda is accurate, and provide time for the Board to be prepared for the discussion. You do not need to wait until a Board meeting if you have questions or concerns. Please contact any of the following Board members in writing: Fabian Lahue, President (603)953-4222 or 603-343-1677 (Vacant), Vice President Kathy Boyd, Secretary (603)343-1677 Ken Gray, Treasurer {603)742-3704 or (603)233-0138 Paul Gustin, Infrastructure (603)743-3611 6. Monthly Meetings. Unless a notice is posted rescheduling a meeting, Board Meetings are held the 1 st Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. The time and location will be posted at the mail box and the door to the office a few days prior to each meeting. 7. Annual Meetings. In accordance with the Bylaws, an Annual Meeting is held the first Tuesday in December for election of Officers and to approve the following year s budget. A letter will be sent to each Unit Owner with the location, date and time of the meeting. The following year s proposed budget and Board positions whose terms will expire at the end of December will be included, as well as nomination forms for Unit Owners interested in filling any vacant positions or positions whose terms are expiring. 8. Rules and Bylaws. Please familiarize yourself with the attached Bylaws and Rules, as they are the primary documents governing the Condominium. - 4 -
9. Information Form. Please complete the following form as soon as possible to update our files. The form is extremely important to ensure your safety and the safety of other persons and pets living in your home in the event of fire or other casualty. This page is intended to be removed when complete and placed in the Condo Mailbox at the Office Building. UNIT # Owners Name Address if different : Telephone Cell Phone Email: HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION Residents: Adult Names Tel/Cell# Email: Tel/Cell# Email: Tel/Cell# Email: Tel/Cell# Email: Tel/Cell# Email: Residents: Children Names 1. 2. 3. 4. Do you have Internet access? 5. Would you be able to monitor a Web Site if we were to create one? - 5 -
10. Property Condition Form. The condition of your property affects the value of your property and the value of your neighbor s property as well. We should all desire for our community to be appealing to anyone passing through. Toward that end, we are including a checklist for you to use on the following page. The checklist is a summary of the various Rules regarding maintenance of your property, and will be used by the Board of Directors periodically to ensure compliance. As specified in the Rules, you will receive notice of any infractions, the date by which they must be corrected, and the fine to be assessed if not corrected by the date specified. Failure to be in compliance by that date will result in a second letter, fines being levied, and added to your next monthly condominium fee. See Article IX of the Rules. - 6 -
PROPERTY CONDITION FORM Condo : Date: 1 Home exterior is in good condition overall 2 Home is skirted if it does not have a foundation 3 Home exterior appears clean and painted in a manner in keeping with the general appearance of the Condominium 4 Shed(s) in good condition and in good repair 5 Oil tank or propane tank not rusty and in good condition 6 Rubbish barrels have covers. There must not be any trash bags piled anywhere on your property. 7 Fence maintained in good condition and not falling down, leaning and if stained or painted is a uniform color 8 Permanent swimming pool in good condition, properly painted, not rusted 9 Utility trailer(s), truck cap(s), boat(s) on trailer neatly lined up in back yard 10 Tarps in use neatly covering or folded on roofs or ground 11 Wood or fire wood neatly stacked 12 Is there more than one unregistered or un-inspected vehicle on property. According to Madbury Ordinances not more than one not used for agricultural needs, are allowed. 13 Yard neat and free from unused items, such as lawn equipment, toys, sport equipment, bikes, etc. 14 Any vehicles on lawn, except in backyard where either utility trailer, truck cap or boat on trailer are lined up neatly 15 Any construction products such as lumber, rocks, bricks, etc., must be neatly piled 16 Lawn mowed, trimmed and free from brush - 7 -
11. Dig Safe. Planning home improvements? Planting a tree? Installing a fence or deck? Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, a safe job starts with a call to Dig Safe at 811. Dig Safe is a not-for-profit clearinghouse that notifies participating utility companies of your plans to dig. In turn, these utilities (or their contract locating companies) respond to mark out the location of their underground facilities. Dig Safe is a free service, funded entirely by its member utility companies. (te: Dig Safe does not mark utility lines.) It's a risk to make faulty assumptions about when to notify Dig Safe. That's why state law requires you to notify Dig Safe for even small projects, like installing a mailbox or planting shrubs. The depth of utility lines vary, and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. It's important to know what's below. Call 811 to avoid utility service disruption to an entire neighborhood, harm to you and those around you, as well as fines and repair costs 12. Madbury Fire Department The Madbury Fire Department has jurisdiction in the Condominium. Fire permits are required for any and all outside burning when the ground is not completely covered by snow. - 8 -
13. Complaints Relative to Dogs, ise and Other Disturbances Board Members met recently with the Town of Madbury Police Department to discuss the increasing number of calls for assistance from residents. The majority of calls concerned dog control complaints (leash law violations) and noise complaints (disorderly conduct). The Police Department has been lenient in issuing citations to date, but are advising that they will begin issuing citations, especially in the case of repeat offenses, and may issue citations at first offense, depending on the severity of the violation. They will notify the Board when citations are issued. Please note that violating Condominium rules also subject the resident to fines issued by the Board. Among other things, the rules clearly require dog owners to control their animals, and residents to refrain from creating noise that disturbs other residents. We have experienced dog attacks in the past resulting in injury to dogs that were on leash from dogs that were running free and not under the control of the owner. The town of Madbury has a leash law and we will abide by it. You must keep your dogs under control and on your own property. Many residents have expressed fear about walking through the park and being chased by a dog. Please be advised that you must contact the police department with any complaints regarding a civil matter. Board policy is that it will not get involved in disputes among Unit Owners. - 9 -