The Lamppost Vol. 2006/5
May 2006
The Official Newsletter of the Walden Pond Homeowners' Association
On the Internet at http://waldenponddurhamnc.org
Regularly Scheduled HOA Board Meeting
Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 7:00pm
McMannen United Methodist Church
4102 Neal Road, Durham
All Walden Pond owners and residents welcome
• New HOA Internet Site
• Powerwashing in May
• Neighborhood Watch
Walden Pond HOA Has New Property Manager
Property Management Team, Inc., a firm specializing in homeowners associations, will take over management of the Walden Pond HOA effective May 1, replacing Cone Properties, Inc.
The HOA board signed a 12-month, renewable contract for the services of the company and its principal, Harold White, after soliciting bids from two other companies.
“We were looking for personal involvement, dependability, and a good track record,” said HOA president Don Barry. “Harold White was the unanimous choice of the board.”
The board was especially impressed that, prior to his interview, White had walked through Walden Pond and had noted several features that needed improvement.
“Mr. White has many good ideas about reducing fee delinquencies, bettering the neighborhood's appearance, and doing something about the pond,” Barry said. “He demonstrated that he has a ‘hands on' approach and a commitment to making Walden Pond a great place to live.”
White's firm, which he runs from a home office, also has managed communities like Coventry in Chapel Hill, The Ridges in Parkwood, and Landfall in Wilmington.
White will be paid a management fee of $1,905 monthly from the HOA, about $200 more than was paid to Cone Properties, Inc. The HOA will continue paying for mailings, meeting spaces, etc.
The increased management fee breaks down to roughly $1 more per homeowner per month. However, the HOA board has no plans at this time for any monthly fee increase.
White is scheduled to attend the HOA's monthly board meetings and annual membership meeting, and he will be available to HOA members by E-mail, phone and voicemail.
“The board is optimistic that we will have better communication, a quick response time in dealing with questions and concerns, and more personal involvement from the property agent,” Barry said.
“Since his company only does property management – no real estates sales or rentals – we feel that his focus will be on managing Walden Pond.”
White has sent out a letter (at his expense) to all HOA members with contact information and information about future payment of monthly fees. He has set up a system through which HOA members can pay their fees through a monthly bank account draft.
The letter also includes a data sheet that owners should fill out and return to White, to update the HOA's database of members.
Phyllis Cone of Cone Properties, Inc., informed the board on Feb. 22 that she was terminating her contract with the Walden Pond HOA.
In seeking a new agent to manage the HOA, the board members talked to two other firms. Allenton Realty declined to submit a bid, stating that Walden Pond was too large for its services.
South East Real Estate Management Co. submitted a proposal at a somewhat lower fee, but the board considered White's proposal to be one that promised superior service to the HOA.
Meet New Property Manager Harold White on May 3 --- Ya'll Come!!!
Walden Pond's new property manager, Harold White, will be attending his first HOA board meeting on Wednesday, May 3, at 7pm. Here's your opportunity to meet Mr. White and ask any pertinent questions you have about Walden Pond and the HOA.
A slight editorial:
The HOA board has instituted a new time and place for its regular monthly meetings – 7pm on the first Wednesday of the month, at McMannen United Methodist Church – in an effort to make it more convenient for you to attend.
Four HOA members met with the four board members at our first “convenience” meeting, on April 5. That's a good start. It was a productive evening.
But there's room for many more. Several HOA members have expressed dissatisfaction in recent months with the board's old meeting time. Now, it takes only a short stroll across Neal Road to let the board know what's on your mind.
Remember – the HOA is you! It's your responsibility – not the board's, not the property manager's, but yours – to see that the HOA runs to your satisfaction and benefit. Put the first Wednesday night of the month on your calendar and YA'LL COME!
waldenponddurhamnc.org Is Here!
The HOA has set up its own official website to provide information to members and others about the community.
The site, http://waldenponddurhamnc.org , includes downloadable copies of the HOA's Bylaws, Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions, and other pertinent documents with which all HOA members should be familiar. Contact information for the HOA's board members, including E-mail addresses, also is listed.
Past monthly issues of the Lamppost, minutes and agendas from HOA board meetings and a directory of community services and contacts also are posted on the site.
HOA vice-president Laura Atkinson created the official website.
The official site is not intended to replace the Yahoo “ListServ” website, on which members can post messages and other information. It's at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldenpondhomeowners
Powerwashing Set for May, Scheduling Letters to Come
The HOA has engaged Advance Cleaning Systems, Inc., to powerwash all 206 townhomes in the Walden Pond community during May and early June.
The HOA will pay Advance $45 per unit for the washing, using funds accumulated from monthly homeowners' fees. The washing will cover
siding, façade, and window exteriors, but not decks.
Owners will be notified in a special mailing of the schedule for the powerwashing. Units will be scheduled on a court-by-court basis.
Owners who don't want the powerwashing on their units can opt out by responding to the schedule letter.
Advance Cleaning Systems has done work for some Walden Pond owners and was recommended by HOA members.
“ Advance Cleaning Systems, Inc., has been operating throughout North Carolina for 12 years,” said its president, Wynn Wheelis. “Our success is attributed to our unique cleaning process. We rely on a neutralized cleaning process to achieve superior cleaning results. Our system is designed to use one-tenth the pressure and one-tenth the water as our competitors.”
Wheelis added that the process used by Advance is biodegradable and is not harmful to plants or pets. (More information about Advance and its cleaning process can be found on its website at http://www.lowpressurecleaning.com .)
Durham Police to Discuss Neighborhood Watch Program For Walden Pond on May 3
Officer T.A. Paylor of the Durham Police Department will be at the HOA board meeting on May 3 to talk briefly about re-establishing a Neighborhood Watch program in Walden Pond.
All interested residents are encouraged to attend.