21 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

You know those lame e-mail forwards you get that are full of misinformation? This isn't one of those. Some of this stuff is common sense; other parts you've heard before but it's all valuable information worth reading.

So here you go...

---

THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste. And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door -understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

(NOTE: Dogs over 40 lbs. are prohibited in St. Charles Place. Nosy neighbors are welcome.)

16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

---

This is one reason why we don't allow solicitors into the community; it's a security issue. We have no way of knowing that they're not going door-to-door to case our homes. Plus, the people knocking on doors are often scammers of some sort.

If you see someone passing out literature or going door-to-door, please tell them that they are not allowed here and need to leave. You don't have to debate the merits of their visit here. You just tell them that they are trespassing and that your next call goes to the police.

I also recommend not letting flyers, phone books and the like pile up in neighbors' doorways, either. Damage or theft to any home here hurts the value of the rest of ours.

It Can Happen to Anyone

While Tampa Bay Buccaneer player Sabby Piscitelli helped his team secure its first victory of the season, someone took advantage of a security breach at his South Tampa home, broke in and burglarized it, according to the St. Pete Times.

Point of entry? Rear door.

Wishful Thinking

It's called Chinese drywall so why shouldn't the Chinese govenment pay for the damage it's caused? That's the question Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) asked last night in Tampa.

Nelson was the keynote speaker at a forum devoted to the issue.

The St. Petersburg Times has a story about Nelson's efforts to get President Obama to raise the issue when he meets with China's president later this month.

Don't get your hopes up. Nelson himself approached Chinese officials himself this summer. "They basically blew me off," he said, according to the Times.

Track Sexual Offenders

A Jacksonville-area girl's death reminds us to keep an eye on our children. If you're not aware, 7-year-old Somer Thompson left her school in Orange Park Monday. She never made it home. Police found her body in a Georgia landfill two days later.

Police have not indicated that they have any suspects so we don't know if this is a case similar to that of Jessica Lundsford, the 9-year-old Homosassa girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed by John Couey in 2005.

(You may be glad to know that Couey died earlier this year.)

But it clearly wasn't an accident. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has a website where you can search for for sexual offenders or predators within a radius ranging from 1/4 mile to 5 miles from our commuity. Here it is: http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/searchNeighborhood.do.

A search today turned up none in the community itself, one sexual predator and four other sexual offenders living within one mile of us. It's important not to overreact. It is the rare neighborhood that doesn't have some sexual offenders living in proximity to it.

This story is a reminder to take sensible steps to secure your homes from break-in and to use common sense to keep your children safe — such as making sure they have adult supervision at all times. In addition to keeping children from becoming victims of trouble, having adults around keeps kids from causing trouble too.

New Rules

You might be hearing about community rules that you had never been aware of and wonder about all the new restrictions that your HOA Board of Directors has passed in the short time that your fellow owners have run it.

Here's the thing: The owner-run HOA has NOT WRITTEN A SINGLE RULE. Zip. Zilch. Nada. None. Never.

New rules? There are none. Passing any new rules would require a meeting of all owners -- 30% of whom must show up to reach a quorum.

Any rule we mention -- such as the restriction on the size of dogs allowed in the community -- is something that was in the documents to which every owner agreed before they bought a home in St. Charles Place.

It is apparent that many owners did not read the rules. The HOA board is trying to notify people of the agreements they signed before buying here. The new pool rules sign you might have noticed on the cabana wall contains nothing new. It merely reminds people of the rules that have been in place since the community's beginning.

HOA Fees Not to Rise in 2010

The HOA Board of Directors has approved a preliminary budget for 2010.

Despite a significant rise in electricity costs and the continuing effects of the foreclosure crisis, savings in other areas will let us keep the HOA assessment at $213 per month, while continuing to build reserve funds for necessary maintenance and repairs of our property.

Several mild hurricane seasons gives us a break on our insurance, which is our single largest expense. We also negotiated new contracts and hired new vendors for some of our services, such as landscape maintenance, that we expect will give us both better service and a better price.

This makes up for big rate hikes from Tampa Electric, which you will also notice on your own power bills. Foreclosures will cost the community because people not paying their mortgages are also not paying their HOA Fees.

Final approval of the budget happens at the Oct. 27 HOA meeting. Homeowners will receive copies of the budget with notice of the meeting in the mail in about five days.

Here again is the location of the HOA meeting:

River of Life Christian Center
6605 Krycul Avenue
Riverview, FL 33569
(813) 677-4453


View Larger Map

Secure Your Sliding Glass Door

I mentioned seeking ways to secure my sliding glass door, which has been the entry point for crimes in other units St. Charles Place. A fellow owner did some of my homework for me. Here are his thoughts:

---

I've had multiple conversations with the police with regards to the implementation of security devices and have also done a lot of my own research before installing our stuff so hope some of this helps.

Security Features:

1. Brinks / ADT / Other actively monitored security system. Be sure to use sign and stickers in highly visible areas.


2. Yard Sticks. In the area above the sliders you can get $.61 yard sticks at Home Depot and screw them into the frame, which blocks the sliders from being popped off the track.


3. Door Pin. Get the door pin - $3.75 - and (carefully) drill a hole through both doors to install, which will make it easier to control the double sliding doors we have.


4. Sliding Door Security Bar. Cost: $16.47. Install one end on the inside slider door and install the receiving end on the outer sliding door (Rather than the wall across from the inside door). When you lower the bar it not only adds stability, but actually works on both doors instead of just one.


5. One thing that people often neglect is blocking that space on each side of the sliding door blinds where individuals can come up to the doors and peer right into the spaces where TV's and the other valuables they are looking for would be located. In the cross piece along the top and front of the blinds there is an extra blind piece that is inside the framework. You can take that piece out of the frame and then secure it along the side of the blinds with tape or some other fastener to limit the space available for thieves to peer inside your living rooms. I really don't have a visual for this, but hopefully my description works well enough.

Notes:

1. When using larger diameter pins or locks, be very careful with the drilling process. I actually popped one of my windows on my first attempt. It ran $300.00 to fix and took a week.


2. When you get a new alarm system installed, be sure to test it out occasionally by setting it off during the day with the doors open and allowing the community to hear.


3. If you take time and do it on your own, you can keep the expenses below $25.00 and it will save you so much more in headaches and stress.

---

The only thing I'd add is that a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy advising us on starting a Community Watch group told us that monitored security systems don't do a lot of good. Criminals know they can get in and out before the police arrive. If you get a security system, he said, get one with a siren alarm.

Before Criminals Come Calling

Though written for those who rent out their properties, the article, Before Criminals Come Calling Have a Security Plan, is good reading for anyone in the community because it has information about basic steps to secure your property.

It also has food for thought especially for owners who rent their properties. It explains that you want to keep the unit as safe for tenants you would keep it for yourself because of the potential liability involved.

It also spells out why you want to perform criminal as well as credit background checks. If you rent to someone who turns out to be a known criminal who does his misdeeds here, you could get sued! It might cost you a bit of money in the short run but could save you -- and those who live near your unit -- a lot in the long term.

Professional Security Patrols?

A victim of a break-in theft today proposed hiring a professional security guard to patrol the neighborhood during times crimes have typically happened in our community.

I have asked that the issue of hiring a security patrol be added to the next HOA board meeting's agenda. That meeting is Oct. 27 and is also our budget meeting. All owners are welcome to attend.

I have also sent our property manager a list of questions about whether it is common for HOAs to take on hiring security patrols, what the liability would be if either the guard or someone else was injured during the course of a patrol, what the cost would be and where we find qualified people to provide such a service.

Security is expensive. In a brief discussion on the matter at a previous board meeting, it became clear that we will not be able to afford to hire someone to cover all the hours that people are typically away from their homes. We'd have to hire someone to work different shifts on different days each week to ensure that criminals could not predict when we were unprotected.

Be aware that this may or may not be something that is in the board's power to consider. You should also know that even if it is something that the HOA can -- and wants to -- take on, action will not happen immediately. If the board is convinced of the merits of the idea, the vote at the meeting would likely be to solicit bids for security service.

Whether hiring professional security happens or not, we still have the responsibility to look out for each other and to protect ourselves.

One Day - Two Break-Ins

Two residents reported break-ins to their properties today. Both were end units; both times the criminal or criminals popped the rear sliding glass doors off with a crowbar.

From accounts I have heard, that is the entry point for all these crimes. When we met with a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy earlier this year at the Riverview library, either he or someone else there mentioned a device that you can attach to your sliding glass door that makes it much more difficult for someone to pry it out of its frame. If anyone remembers what that was and where you can buy one, I'll mention it on the community blog.

These crimes have happened during the day, mostly between 10am-2pm. One of the affected residents suggests hiring security to patrol the community during that time.

The idea was broached at a previous HOA board meeting and the advice we got was that hiring someone every day would probably be cost prohibitive, even at just 10am-2pm.

However, we may not need someone every day. We could hire someone to work 2-3 days a week -- making sure that they aren't the same days every week so that criminals can't predict when we're unprotected.

I have asked that we address this issue at the next board meeting. If this is something you have ideas about and want the board to hear them, please plan to attend. The meeting has been moved to October 27. It will also be our annual budget meeting.

Ah, the Glory of Garbage

I am learning that serving on an HOA board of directors involves a significant amount of cleaning up other people's garbage. Sometimes more literally than others.

Notice anything odd about where the dumpster at the junction of Johanna Ave and Hawthorne Trace is right now?



Right. It's sitting outside its normal container. You're very astute. Why would the garbage truck driver put it there? Hint:



Correct! Because it wouldn't fit with all the garbage left there that people didn't bother to put inside the dumpster.

So guess who got to spend part of his late afternoon doing trash duty? Right again, amigo! Your humble blog author - slash - friendly neighborhood garbage man. Much to the great disappointment of the ants, flies, roaches and at least one toad that had come to feed on the insects.

By the way, if you're trying to diet but struggle to curb your appetite, clean up a dumpster area. That'll clear your food craving right up!

I could have waited for the person we pay to pick up trash around the community to do it. Didn't know we had one of those? Yep. We pay someone roughly $200 a month to pick up the trash that we're too lazy to put into the dumpsters ourselves.

Maybe I should have. Maybe if more people see how disgusting the dumpster areas get, they'd put the trash inside the dumpsters, like the sign on the gate instructs. As it is, there is some sentiment among board members to install surveillance cameras to identify the people who seem to insist on trashing our community.



They won't get any argument from me.

Community Security

One of the efforts discussed at the last HOA meeting was to set up a list of people willing to be called to help handle routine security matters that don't rise to the level of something that requires police involvement. They would be things such as confronting people at the pool after hours, people causing minor disturbances and solicitors.

People who noticed such activity could call people on the list until two or three who were available could go as a group to greet the offender.

Again, we're not asking that people who volunteer for this do police work. Nor are we discouraging people from not calling the police if they see criminal activity. This would be for matters in our community that need not involve the police but that should be addressed.

People willing to do this can e-mail communitywatch1@verizon.net.

Parking Tickets

Cars parked illegally in the streets here in St. Charles Place were ticketed earlier this week. That was the first warning. Violators get one more.

Then they get towed.

Parking must be in driveways, garages or marked spaces.

Also, the prohibition on commercial vehicles is not simply a community rule. It's a county ordinance. Note:

Sec. 6.05.02. Parking And Loading Standards.

Q. Parking of Domestic and Commercial Vehicles, Private Pleasure Crafts, Recreational Vehicles, Utility Trailers and Hobby Vehicles on Residential Property

2. Commercial Vehicles. The parking of commercial vehicles in any residential district is prohibited. This requirement shall not be interpreted to prohibit vehicles from loading and unloading in any residential district. However, on residentially developed parcels in the AM, A, AR, AS-0.4, AS-1 and ASC-1 zoning districts, the parking of one commercial vehicle per deeded lot shall be permitted provided the lot is at least one acre in size and legally recognized under the provisions of this Code. In such cases, the commercial vehicle shall be exclusively operated by a resident of the deeded lot. These requirements, except for minimum lot size, shall not be varied. However, these requirements do not apply to the parking of commercial vehicles on agriculturally zoned parcels when such vehicles are utilized for permitted non-residential activities on the parcel.

That means that the HOA Board of Directors does not have the leeway to make exceptions. This rule is not new. It was in the documents every homeowner got when they signed the contract to buy the home.

Violators who have not been ticketed or towed before now should think of themselves as having a really long grace period. It has now ended. The community itself could face trouble from the county if commercial vehicles are found parked here overnight.

HOA Issues Clog Court Dockets

I came across an interesting article in the St. Petersburg Times today.

It concerns how disputes between homeowners and their HOAs can balloon into major and expensive legal cases for both sides. It's interesting reading from a number of perspectives. Some of them don't apply to us because, for instance, we aren't individually responsible for lawn care around our homes.

It discusses a State Representative from Tampa's effort to create an inexpensive way to resolve HOA disputes. Kevin Amber's Home Court Advantage program would allow mediation within 90 days at a cost of $300. Governor Crist vetoed the law last year and the state senate adjourned before considering the matter this year.

Another point it raises is how HOAs are compelled to enforce community rules without exception to protect the integrity of the HOA and the community rules.

One thing the article doesn't mention saliently is how the HOA is not some nebulous secret entity out there somewhere designed to cause people trouble. If you own a property here in St. Charles Place, YOU are part of the HOA. The board members you elected are your fellow owners. All of the current board members live in in the community.

The community rules aren't imposed on you from some invisible, faceless force. They're the rules to which you agreed when you bought your home here. In some cases, such as the requirement to pick up after your dogs, the community rules merely repeat county ordinances. (That's right! It's illegal in Hillsborough County to leave your dog's poop on the ground.) We could not change the rule if we wanted.

If you have concerns about the HOA and how it's run, get involved. Stay in contact with the board members. Show up to HOA meetings -- the next one is next Tuesday. The board does not -- and cannot -- meet without you being invited.

No Street Parking. No Kidding.

Apparently not everyone is aware that parking on the streets here in St. Charles Place is not allowed.

Some residents have reported problems passing parked cars on streets. More than an inconvenience, it's also a safety hazard. We have to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles. There is not enough room for a fire truck to pass a car parked on one of our streets.

If your cars don't fit in your driveway, you need to park in a designated space. I know for some people that's not convenient but it has to be done. You can get ticketed or towed.

When you bought your home, you got a big sheaf of documents that detailed all the DOs and DON'Ts of things like this. Buying the home meant agreeing to these rules. If you haven't read through them, you should. It's important because the community has to enforce them. If you have questions about them, contact Mary Fritzler at Leland Management. Her number is 727-451-7908. Or you can reach her by e-mail at mfritzler@lelandmanagement.com.

If you're a landlord renting out your property, make sure your renters know the rules so that they don't get nailed with a parking ticket or towing fee they didn't expect.

Garage Sales and Home-Based Businesses

It appears that a home on Kensington Park Ave. is hosting the world's longest moving sale. Each of the last several weekends you might have noticed signs at our community's entrances advertising the event.

One minor problem: It violates county codes. According to the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement Department:

Garage sales are allowed in residential districts. However, there should be only one sale in a six-month period and each garage sale should be no more than three days long.

You can read this information from its source on the county website. Click here to download the PDF document, which answers other common questions, including several about home-based businesses, which this marathon moving sale appears to be. Again from the county code enforcers:

Only small home businesses are allowed in residential areas. They must be unobtrusive with very little impact on surrounding properties and must be permitted by Hillsborough County. A few examples of this use would be sewing, ironing, private tutoring, domestic crafts and professional services. Examples of what would not be allowed as a home occupation would be auto repair, kennels, catering or a physician’s office. Additional conditions placed on a home-based business include:

Noise levels, traffic and property appearance must remain normal

Employees, other than occupants, are not allowed

Warehousing of goods is not allowed

From Humble Beginnings

This was the site of where homes now sit along Johanna Avenue in the fall of 2005. We have come a long way since then. A few buildings sprang up and the first residents were far outnumbered by construction workers piecing together the concrete blocks and upper floor wood frames of their future neighbors' homes.

Thanks to the housing bust, it took longer than projected for KB Home to complete the build-out but here we are. Almost four years in the making, the St. Charles Place townhome community passed a milestone last night when we elected a board of directors comprised of our fellow owners. We now stand on our own.

We have a lot going for us. We have well-designed, visually appealing homes. We are less than two miles from I-75 and the ramp to the Crosstown Expressway. We can walk to the grocery store and several restaurants. Brandon mall shopping is less than a five mile ride away.

Yet we also face challenges that confront every community. We have to protect ourselves, our neighbors and our homes from criminals. We have to make sure all residents know the community rules to ensure the rights and comfort of their neighbors. Future development along US-301 could bring more traffic and people onto our streets.

Now that we have our own board of directors, we can better address issues that we must deal with as a community. But there is no magic potion, no silver bullet, no panacea that, with one swipe of a hand, we can make any problems we have disappear.

It will take everyone's continued involvement and effort to make the community that rose from the dirt in the last few years one in which we're all safe, secure and proud to call our homes.

St. Charles Place Townhomes

View Larger Map

St. Charles Place is a townhome community in Riverview, Florida. Conveniently located a half-mile north of the Alafia River along US-301, St. Charles Place residents have easy access to I-75, the Selmon Crosstown Expressway and are a mere five miles from the Brandon Mall.

An array of restaurants and a grocery store sit within walking distance with public parks and the Riverview branch of the Hillsborough County Library less than two miles away.

Homebuilder KB Home began construction in 2005 and completed the last of the 268 homes in 2008.

Property Manager

Excelsior Community Management is our property manager. If you have questions about maintenance of the common areas of the community, contact  Jennifer Robertson at Excelsior Community Management at either stcharlesplacehoa@excelsiorcommunity.com or by phone at (813) 349-6552..

This Blog

St. Charles Blog is written by a resident/owner in the community. This blog contains opinions and commentary that may not represent the views of the the St. Charles Place Homeowners Association, Inc. 

Utilities

Electricity

Tampa Electric (TECO)

Customer Service: 813-223-0800
Power Outages: 877-588-1010

Telephone/Cable TV

BrightHouse Networks

Cable: 813-684-6400
Internet: 813-316-2626
Phone: 352-848-2580 (611 for BrightHouse customers calling from home)

Verizon

FIOS Sales: 888-881-8161
Billing/Repair: 800-837-4966
Orders: 800-483-4000
FIOS Customer Service: 888-553-1555

Water

Water for St. Charles Place is a common utility paid through HOA fees and is supplied by Hillsborough County Water Resource Services. Non-emergency issues should be referred to the Property Manager

The emergency number for Hillsborough County Water Resource Services is 813-744-5600.

Pest Control

The HOA contracts for pest control outside the buildings.

Hughes Exterminators is the current contractor supplying pest control services to St. Charles Place. They will treat the inside of a townhouse upon request from the owner during one of their regular visits to the community. This is being provided as a courtesy to the community and is not part of their contract, so the offer may be withdrawn at any time.

To schedule service, contact Allen at 813-334-5846 or 813-884-1555.

Area Public Schools

Symmes Elementary School
6280 Watson Rd.
Riverview, FL 33569
(Directions)
813-740-4182

Giunta Middle School
4202 S. Falkenburg Rd.
Riverview, FL 33578
(Directions)
813-740-4888

Spoto High School
8538 Eagle Palm Dr.
Riverview, FL 33578
(Directions)
813-672-5405

Hillsborough County Public Schools
901 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33602
813-272-4000

School Calendars

Property Manager

Excelsior Community Management is our property manager. If you have questions about maintenance of the common areas of the community, contact Jennifer Robertson at Excelsior. Phone: 813-349-6552

stcharlesplacehoa@excelsiorcommunity.com