New Owner Guide Management: Pages 1-2; Fees & Utilities: Page 3; Access: Page 4-5; Policy Summaries: Pages 5-6; Maintenance: Pages 7-9, Tenants: Page 9 Mixed Use Facilities THE DEVELOPMENT Established in 2004, Eagle Square Plaza was developed by New England Expedition, a division of Feldco Development Corp. The square is comprised of commercial, retail, and residential spaces. Feldco retains ownership of the commercial and retail spaces in all buildings (excluding the Price Rite) as well as all surface parking lots. Residential Condominium Association The Lofts at Eagle Square Association is comprised of forty (40) owners of residential units located in both the Crawford and American Wool buildings. The Association has responsibility for the common areas on residential floors of both buildings and for the parking garage located in the basement of the American Wool building. For more about the association, please visit: www.eslofts.com. The Condo Board GOVERNANCE An Executive Board that is elected by a vote of owners governs the Association. The Board conducts monthly meetings which all owners are welcome to attend. Any owner in good standing is eligible for election to the board. Elections to fill expiring board member terms are conducted at the annual meeting of the Association. Professional Property Management MANAGEMENT The Board has engaged Great North Property Management Inc., a property management firm, to conduct the day-to-day management of the Association s business. The Great North representative assigned to our assoication is Ms. Robin Desonie. Owners may learn more about the services offered by Great North by visiting the company website at: http://greatnorth.net. They may also access information pertaining to the operations of the Lofts at Eagle Square and pay monthly fees and utilities electronically by setting up an account on Great North s website. All owners are encouraged to do so. 1
Contacting Management Owners first point of contact for issues pertaining to residence at the Lofts at Eagle Square should always be made to Robin Desonie at Great North. Robin may be reached by email at robin.desonie@greatnorth.net or by calling 401.244.7420 (the receptionist will connect you to Robin s line when you ask for her by name). In the event that it is necessary to contact Management after business hours or on weekends, your call will automatically be forward to an emergency contact person. The By-Laws CONDOMINIUM DOCUMENTS The Lofts at Eagle Square Condominium Documents, also sometimes referred to as the Condominium Declaration, are legal articles filed with the state of Rhode Island that establishes the nature, scope and by-laws for the operation of the Condominium Association. Furthermore, the Condominium Documents divide the space into layers of ownership, and state several provisions regarding the use of condominium units and common areas. Reviewing the Condo Docs A copy of the Condominium Documents should have been provided to each new owner for review prior to the closing at which your unit was purchased. A complete version of up-to-date documents is also available on the Great North website. Altering the Condo Docs Alterations or amendments to the Condominium Documents require a majority vote of all condominium owners in good standing. The Operational Procedures RULES AND REGULATIONS With authority provided in the Condominium Documents, the Executive Board has been charged with developing operational procedures that all owners must observe. Reviewing the Rules and Regulations A copy of the Rules and Regulations should have been provided to new owners prior to the closing of your unit, but it is also available on the on the Great North website. It is the obligation of each owner to read and understand the Association Rules and Regulations. Failure to abide by these rules can result in penalty fees that will be added directly to an owner s account. See the Rules and Regulations document for details pertaining to penalty fees. Alterations to the Rules and Regulations Alterations or additions to the Rules and Regulations require a majority vote of the members of the Executive Board only. 2
Dues MONTHLY CONDO FEES Great North posts individual invoices for monthly condominium dues and utility reimbursements on or about the first day of each month. Owners have thirty (30) days to make monthly payments in full. Owners who fail to pay fees in a timely manner will incur penalty charges that will be directly billed to their account. Owners are encouraged to contact Great North to make arrangements for electronic billing and/or electronic payment options. General Utility Information ELECTRICITY & GAS CHARGES New owners need not contact National Grid for utility service. Great North pays all monthly utility bills immediately from Association funds. Owners are then billed individually by Great North for their portion of total monthly utility expenses for the building in which they reside and the Association is reimbursed. These individual monthly electric and gas utility costs, which are posted on or about the first of each month along with monthly condominium dues, must be paid within thirty (30) days. Electricity Charges Electricity is individually metered for each owner's unit. Thus, electricity charges are derived, in part, from the amount of electricity an individual owner consumes. However, a portion of each owner's electricity bill also covers common area electricity uses for the building in which they reside. (e.g. elevators, lights, hallways space heaters). Natural Gas Charges Natural gas (heat) is not metered individually for each unit. Thus, all owners are charged 1/20th of the monthly gas bill for the building in which they reside. This means that individual savings cannot be realized by reduction of in-unit heating. Nevertheless, in order to keep gas charges and the Association s collective impact on the environment as low as possible, the Association strongly recommends conserving heat use. Parking Garage Utilities Electricity and gas (heat) for the garage are billed separately to Great North. These costs are not billed directly to unit owners. Rather, garage utilities are included in the monthly condominium dues paid by all owners. Questions About Utility Bills Any question regarding individual-owner utility charges, or common area utility charges, should be sent to Management. A detailed accounting of utility charges can be summarized for you on an as-needed basis. 3
CABLE/PHONE/INTERNET SERVICE Scheduling the Service Provider It is the owner s responsibility to call the appropriate service provider(s) and set an appointment time. Owners must be present during service activation for their unit. (Note: The Ethernet wall outlets in units are not active and are not required in order to receive service.) Informing Management As soon as an appointment with the service provider has been scheduled, owners must notify Management so that arrangements may be made to provide access to building utility rooms. Providing Utility Room Access Every effort will be made to assign a board member to provide utility room access free of charge to the owner. However, in the event no board member is available at the scheduled date/time, a Great North representative will be dispatched to open the utility room(s) and Great North will bill the unit owner directly for this service. Owners have the option to reschedule the utility provider for a date and time that would allow a board member to provide utility room access at no charge. ACCESS TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Keys, Fobs & Garage Door Opener When purchasing selling or renting a unit, it is expected that the following will be provided to the new resident: Garage door opener Exterior building fob, access code and key to the building in which your unit is located. (Important: Crawford owners also require a fob and back-up key to access the American Wool parking garage and a separate fob to access the rear exterior door of the Crawford building.) Unit door key(s) Mailbox key Stairwell key (in the case of Crawford units) Access Codes New owners should contact Management to establish code access for call boxes that are located building entrances. Crawford residents also require code access to the American Wool building in order to access the underground parking garage. 4
Emergency Exterior Access In the event of keypad/fob malfunction (e.g. power failure), it is every owner's responsibility to carry back-up keys to the exterior door of the buildings they access. If one was not provided to you at closing, inform Management immediately. If an owner is locked out and requires an onsite visit by a Great North technician to provide building or unit access, a service fee will be billed directly to that owner's account. Floor Access from Stairwell in Crawford Crawford owners: Due to the mixed-use nature of the Crawford building, entrance to a residential floor from the stairwell requires a key. The exterior door key will not open the stairwell doors. Stairwell doors require a separate key. Every Crawford resident should carry a stairwell key. Owners who lease their units must provide this key to their tenants. In the event of a power failure or elevator malfunction, the stairways become the only means by which to access residential floors. Emergency Access to Individual Units All owners are required to provide the Executive Board with a key to their unit for the purpose of accessing the unit in the event of an emergency. Unit owner keys are kept under double lock and never used except in the event of a building or medical emergency, and then only after an attempt has been made to contact the owner by telephone. See the Rules and Regulations for details. Structural and Liability Insurance INSURANCE The Lofts Association provides insurance that covers the building structure and liability in common areas. Flood Insurance The Lofts Association also provides flood insurance for both the American Wool and Crawford building. Documentation of flood insurance, which is required by financial institutions holding mortgages on condominium units, is available to owners by contacting Management. Unit Owner Insurance Owners are required to obtain and maintain individual HO6 condominium homeowner s insurance. Within fifteen (15) days of the date of closing, all new unit owners must provide Management with a copy of the declaration pages of their HO6 policy or a certificate of insurance listing the Lofts at Eagle Square Condominium Association as a certificate holder. Owners are also responsible for providing Great North this information annually, every time the HO6 policy is renewed. 5
Scheduling Moves MOVE IN / MOVE OUT To ensure the wellbeing of the building and to accommodate parking lot traffic that large trucks may impact, all move-ins, move-outs and large deliveries must be scheduled in advance with Management. Conducting the Move In/Out There is a detailed process specified in the Association s Rules and Regulations by which move ins/outs are managed. Failure to follow the regulations governing move ins/outs by an owner or by his/her tenant will result in a fine charged to the condominium owner s account. Please review the move in/out procedures carefully. Garage Parking PARKING One parking space in the underground garage located in the American Wool building is assigned to each residential unit. Surface Parking Feldco owns all surface parking lots at Eagle Square. Lofts residents and their guests are allowed limited use of surface parking spaces. The Association s Parking Policy provides a detailed explanation of surface parking lot restrictions. The complete parking policy document is available on the Great North website and is also posted in the lobby of both residential buildings. Owners who ignore the surface lot parking regulations risk having their vehicle towed by Feldco. Non-Smoking Policy SMOKE FREE BUILDINGS The Lofts at Eagle Square residential buildings are smoke free facilities. Smoking is not permitted within residential units or common areas in both the American Wool and the Crawford buildings. For details see Condominium Documents. Pet Policy PETS Pets are welcome at the Lofts at Eagle Square. However, there are restrictions concerning pets specified in the Condominium Documents and the Rules and Regulations. All residents who own pets should consult the appropriate sections of these documents to ensure that they are in compliance with the Association s pet policies. 6
American Wool Building TRASH DISPOSAL Residents of American Wool may use the chute located on each floor to dispose of trash. Please make sure that trash bags are secure before disposal. Larger items and recyclables must be brought to the trash room manually and placed in the appropriate bin. Crawford Building Residents of Crawford must bring all trash to the Crawford trash room manually. There are five dumpsters in the Crawford trash room three of which are designated for use by residents (one for recyclables and two for trash) The remaining two dumpsters are used by commercial tenants and are unavailable for use by residents. Trash Pick-up The Association maintains a contract with a licensed commercial waste hauling company. Trash and recyclables are picked up once a week at the Crawford building. The janitorial service employed by the Association transports trash from American Wool trash room to the Crawford trash room prior to the weekly pick-up. Ownership of HVAC Units HVAC UNITS Each residential unit is equipped with a dedicated rooftop mounted heating, ventilation and air conditioning, (HVAC) appliance. HVAC appliances are the property of the unit owner. HVAC Semiannual Filter Maintenance HVAC units require filter changes prior to the heating and cooling season each year. In order to consolidate the roof access necessary to facilitate filter maintenance, the Association maintains a contract with an HVAC systems vendor to provide semiannual filter changes for all residential HVAC units. The expense for this service is included in the monthly condo dues. HVAC Repair Periodically, HVAC units malfunction and require mechanical repairs and replacement parts. The expense for this type of repair is the responsibility of the unit owner. Unit owners may engage an HVAC vendor of their own choice, however, it is highly recommended that owners use the HVAC contractor recommended by the Association. Roof access for HVAC repairs must be coordinated well in advance with Management. 7
Restrictions & Access ROOF ACCESS Due to safety considerations, access to roof areas in buildings is restricted. Owners requiring roof access for the purpose of HVAC repair or other maintenance matters may contact Management and access arrangements will be coordinated. Common Areas JANITORIAL SERVICE The Association engages a professional janitorial service that is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of common areas in both residential buildings. Halls, stairwells, lobbies are cleaned a minimum of three times per week year-round. Requesting the Ladder COMMON USE LADDER The Association owns a 12 ft. stepladder available to any owner for in-unit use. Requests to borrow the ladder should be sent to the Board President. A liability waiver must be signed before any owner or contractor may use the ladder. Transporting the Ladder Moving the ladder is a two-person job, it is the responsibility of the owner borrowing the ladder to arrange for assistance necessary for transport. It should not be expected that the board member providing the ladder assist in ladder transportation. Common Areas MINOR MAINTENANCE The Association also employs a part-time general contractor to perform maintenance and other tasks around the property in common areas. Within Units The Association s general contractor is available for hire by individual owners for inunit tasks. Management will provide the contractor s name and contact information to owners upon request. All expenses with regard to in-unit minor maintenance tasks are the responsibility of the individual unit owner. Alterations Request UNIT INTERIOR MAJOR RENOVATION Owners who wish to make significant renovations to the interior of their units must submit an alterations request to the Executive Board of the Association before any renovations may begin. For details see the Association s Unit Alterations Policy. 8
Window Washing & Repair WINDOWS The Association schedules periodic exterior window washing. With the exception of those second floor units on the south side of the American Wool building where exterior window surfaces may be accessed from decks adjoining the unit, it is not feasible for owners to arrange exterior window washing individually. Windowpane and screen repair are the responsibility of the individual unit owner. Lock Replacements MAILBOXES A mailbox is located in or near the lobby in each building for each unit. Neither the Association nor individual owners have the authority to initiate lock replacements nor any other repairs associated with mailboxes. In the event that there is a problem with a mailbox, it is the owner s responsibility to contact the Post Office directly. Snow Removal SNOW Parking lot and sidewalk snow removal at Eagle Square Plaza is the sole responsibility of Feldco. In the event that an owner encounters problems with regard to snow removal, inquiries should be directed to Management and the information will be conveyed to the Feldco property manager assigned to Eagle Square. Building Access OWNER RESPONSIBILITY TO TENANTS It is the responsibility of owners who lease units to provide the following to tenants: Building access codes and fobs, exterior emergency access keys, floor access keys (Crawford only), unit key(s), mailbox key and garage door opener. Problem Solving Protocol In the event of a mechanical or systems problem within a unit, tenants should be instructed that their first point of contact is the owner of the condominium. It is then incumbent on the owner to make whatever arrangements are necessary to address the issue promptly and to contact Management as necessary. Association Procedures Owners must provide their tenants with information contained in the Association s Rules and Regulations that pertains to their residence. This includes but is not limited to limited to: Move In/Out Procedures, Pet Policy, Parking Regulations, and Trash Disposal Procedures. 9