Find Your Main Water Shutoff Valve

Do you know what this is? Or where to find it? Here's why you need to know:

We had a resident tell us recently about a burst pipe that flooded her upstairs bathroom and damaged her kitchen ceiling. What made the problem worse is that she could not find the main water shutoff valve. This is the valve that cuts off water to the entire unit — specifically for emergencies like this.

The shutoff valve will be outside your unit, inside a covered plastic box. It may also be covered by mulch. Dig around near your driveway or walkway until you find it.

While the affected resident also notified our property manager and asked that the landscapers make sure that they make sure all the shutoff valves are uncovered, the issue there is that the landscapers probably don't know where the valves are, either. Even if they uncover them, the next mulching could hide them again.

But you can protect yourself. Take a few minutes to go outside and find your shutoff valve. It could save you a ton of headache later.

Trespassers at Our Pool & HOA Meeting Tonight

UPDATE: Lightning knocked out power to the church where we are scheduled to meet tonight. Right now, the plan is to meet outside then decide what to do -- postpone the meeting until Thursday or wait until next month to meet.

It's summer. Kids are hot, they're out of school and even ones who don't live here are cooling off in our pool. Beyond the trespassing when they jump the fence, they have also damaged the pool area and the cabana. What can we do?

That will be one discussion topic at our HOA meeting tonight. Sometimes the offenders are residents under 16 there without their parents, as required under community rules. Often they are kids who don't even live here but find our pool a convenient place to play.

We could buy a new, stronger, taller and harder-to-climb fence. We could hire security guards to monitor the pool. We could buy a video surveillance system. Those are some the ideas bandied about so far. What do you think?

It really is an important element in the community's quality of life, whether rule-abiding residents feel uncomfortable going to the pool because of rowdy kids. Or residents who live near the pool who can't sleep because people are there after dark, when the pool is supposed to be closed.

Also, should unit owners be allowed to install storm shutters? And some residents have reported problems with ants. The board will consider what measures beyond the usual pest control it needs to take.

The meeting happens 7 p.m. at the usual location -- River of Life Christian Church, 6605 Krycul Ave., Riverivew.

Tree Line Approved

At the most recent HOA meeting, the board approved planting a hedge along two roads to increase the community's privacy, and to prepare for the day that developers destroy the trees and green space on the property between US-301 and Dartmouth Hill Road.

The first will be on the eastern side of Dartmouth Hill. When mature, the plants will provide a solid hedge line that will help block light — and some of the noise — from businesses and US-301.

We don't know when that property between Dartmouth Hill and US-301 will be developed, and when those trees that buffer us from US-301 will come down. But the land is zoned commercial and plans are already on file with Hillsborough County for a bank and a gas station to go in there.

It's going to happen; it's a matter of when.

By planting a hedge line now, when development appears to be years away, we buy plants when they're small and easy to install, and give them time to grow into a green privacy wall.

The other location is behind the units on Dartmouth Hill north of Johanna that back up directly onto US-301. Their homes are exposed to anyone driving by as well as noise and light from both the highway and the shopping center across the street.

As with the other hedge line, its benefits will not come immediately. But the board believed that making an investment now would pay much bigger dividends in the future.

Water Intrusion

A unit owner on Great Carlisle Court has reported water leaking into her unit. This is the fourth case that we've heard concerning water intrusion.

The builder, KB Home, has told owners that the homes are out of warranty and that this is a maintenance issue for the HOA.

However, it happens that HOA board member Beth Burns had water leaking into her unit. It was caused by a defect in the original construction, which meant that it was not a warranty issue, and KB Home repaired the damage at no cost to Beth.

Dave Page from KB Home inspected the unit on Great Carlisle. He told the unit owner that the roof was sound and that the water was coming in through a broken seal in a window area. Page told our property manager that this is not a construction defect because the building is four to five years old and any defects would have been apparent before now.

It seems not unreasonable that a construction defect could take five years to manifest itself. We don't know how long the building has had a leak. We know only that it has progressed enough that damage is visible inside the unit.

This promises to be a topic of discussion at the board meeting this Thursday.

Also, if you have any problems with the construction of your home, please notify our property manager. You can also call Alex, KB customer service rep, at 813-846-5552.

St. Charles Place Now On Facebook

The consensus of owners at the HOA meeting last night was that a Facebook page would be an effective way to reach people with important community news.

Here it is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Charles-Place/136759319697981

There's not much there, yet, but it's enough to get started. If you're on Facebook, please click the "Like" button on the page. Once we reach 25 fans, we can get a short URL for it (like www.facebook.com/StCharlesPlace) that will be easier to publicize.

New Grass and New (Sort-of) Web Site

The website operated by board member Ed Palmer www.stcharlesplace.us is back up and running. Among its pages is a list of the HOA board members with e-mail addresses to reach them.

If you notice something that needs urgent attention, you should contact the association's property manager listed in the right-hand column of this page. Contact board members to express feelings about issues that affect the community on a longer-term scale.

Such as the new sod being installed. You'll notice, especially along Johanna Ave near the pool, large chunks of our sod missing. They have been torn out and will be replaced. You might not have noticed a need for its replacement.

The board accepted a recommendation by Gulf Coast Outdoors, our lawn maintenance vendor, to replace perfectly healthy grass because the original St. Augustine grass was being invaded by more aggressive Bermuda grass.

The board's vote was not unanimous. John McQuiston (your humble blog author) thought that the Bermuda invasion did not justify $9,000 in new sod when the grass we had, whatever kind it was, was healthy and green.

True, there were patches of brown that needed to be addressed. But those areas were just a small part of the sod being torn out and replaced. A question about why laying down new grass seed should be tried first was not answered.

The majority of board members believed that it was important to maintain a uniformity in the lawns of the community.

What do you think? The HOA board is simply a group of homeowners here in St. Charles Place that fellow owners elected to answer such questions.

However, your opinion matters — whether it's the type of grass we have, whether it's how we better secure the pool area from the kids who are breaking through the fence (literally) to use our pool, or whether we should get recycling dumpsters to replace the discontinued curbside recycling — your input is not only welcome, it is needed.

HOA Board Opening

First, the site of the next HOA meeting is confirmed. It will take place at the River of Life Christian Center on Krycul. Map and directions are in the next post below. As mentioned there also, it's July 29 at 7 p.m.

At that meeting, the board will select a new member to replace Melissa Cosby, who has resigned. If you are interested in serving your community, email a letter of interest telling the board about yourself to Brian Wade at Leland Management. His e-mail is bwade@lelandmanagement.com. You must be a homeowner in the St. Charles Place townhome community to serve on the board.

Recycling Discontinued

Because we don't have curbside garbage pickup, we are not eligible for curbside recycling. The Hillsborough County Solid Waste Department says it had furnished recycle bins and provided the service for the last three plus years by mistake.

The HOA board is researching other recycling options with Waste Management, the company that hauls our trash away. The most likely solution is to get recycling dumpsters. The problem is that there are few places in the community to put them.

In the meantime, if you are determined to recycle, the nearest recycling center is at 6209 County Road 579 in Seffner.


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Another New Property Manager

Leland Management notified the St. Charles Place HOA board that Brian Wade is now our property manager. You can reach him at bwade@lelandmanagement.com or by phone at 727-451-7908.

New Property Manager

Mary Fritzler is leaving Leland Management. Her replacement is Gary Vosselmann. You can reach him at 727-451-7906 or gvosselmann@lelandmanagement.com.

He's a good first stop for anything concerning the community and the first person to call in case of emergency, such water gushing from an irrigation sprinkler.

The property manager also issues citations for HOA rules violations and where you apply to make any renovations to the exterior or your unit.

Use Craigslist to Get Rid of Large Items

When people move out or upgrade large furniture items, they often dump the pieces they don't need at or near one of our dumpsters. Never mind that it reads on the signs at the dumpsters not to do this. They don't care.

The problem is that these items don't disappear magically. The trash collectors don't take anything that is not inside the dumpster. All they do is drive up, open the gate to the enclosure, drive the truck in and empty the dumpster. That's it. They don't clean up trash around the dumpster or outside the enclosure.

The HOA (that means YOU) currently pays someone to come clean out the dumpster areas a few times a week because people can't bother to put their trash inside it. The HOA (that means YOU) also has to pay for someone to come haul away any large items that can't go in the dumpsters.

There is another way. And here' the best part: IT REQUIRES LESS EFFORT THAN DRAGGING SOMETHING TO THE DUMPSTER!

Try craigslist. If you have a piece of furniture or any large item -- a grill, for instance -- that still works but you don't want any more, go to http://tampa.craigslist.org. Click on the "post to classifieds" link in the upper left corner and follow the directions. You'll have to sign up for an account but it takes about 60 seconds and it's free.

When you get to the page that asks "What type of posting is this:" Click "for sale." When you create your ad, list the price as "FREE" and people will come to you to pick up your item. It really is that simple.

I know this because yesterday a neighbor moved out and dumped a reasonably new Serta king mattress and box spring set as well as an RCA widescreen TV by the dumpster. I posted an ad to craigslist with "CURB ALERT" in the title to let people know that the items were sitting outside awaiting pickup, listed the items and their location.

Less than two hours later, I heard a truck rumble outside. I didn't think anything of it but when I looked at the dumpster, the stuff was gone. Sometimes one person's trash really is another one's treasure.

Heat

OK, it's warm again and this would have helped you more a week or two ago when Florida was mysteriously doing its best impersonation of Iowa. But should we plunge into another freeze, here are some things to keep in mind.

Suzanne Grant of Progress Energy said it costs about $10 more a day in 30-degree weather to heat an 1,850-square-foot house with the thermostat at 68 degrees than when it's 50 outside.

Kenneth Hernandez of Tampa Electric said the typical Floridian, with no furnace, will use emergency heat, which costs almost triple.

He notes:

Every degree under 70 on the thermostat saves 10 percent on your heating bill.

You'll save by turning it down to 65 if you're leaving the house for at least two hours.

Running a 1,500-watt heater all day costs $149 a month.

Information from the St. Petersburg Times. More information at tampaelectric.com and peoplesgas.com.

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...

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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.

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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


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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:

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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.

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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.