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Nottingham Country Newsletter April 2008 …
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NOTTINGHAM HAPPENINGS
We have some great news for the homeowners in
Sections One, Two and Three. For years the NCCIA Board of
Directors has struggled with the cost of repairing the concrete
alleyways and the storm sewers that lie under some of those
alleyways. At this time it appears we have a solution to the
problem and we will embark on a major repair on the alleyways and the
storm sewers in those sections. Please watch our website and the
newsletter for more information on that topic as it comes available. As of February 15th, there are approximately 250 Nottingham Country homeowners who still have not paid their $200 annual homeowner’s assessment for 2008. Of that number, 30 homeowners still owe for more than one year. We encourage those roughly 220 homeowners that owe only for 2008 to make their payment and avoid the $30 fee that will be assessed for the register letter you will be receiving shortly. For the other 30 homeowners, it’s too late as liens have been filed against those homes and the Association has filed lawsuits against 13 of them. Thus far the Association has not had to file foreclosure action against any homeowner in Nottingham Country as the “serious delinquents” seem to get the message at the very end and end up paying a great deal more due to legal fees and penalties. Allen Hess, our Architectural Control Chairman, has indicated that there has been an increase in applications from homeowners seeking to do room additions and other major renovations to their homes in Nottingham Country. This is great news as the primary method of increasing home values is to add square footage and update the interiors. Let’s face it, our homes are 20 to 35 years of age and the construction methods have changed along with styling. There are some things that cannot be changed on older homes, such as ceiling height, but that does not stop renovations for flooring, appliances, painting, etc. All of this does not come cheaply but in the long run homeowners who renovate their homes realize increased values down the road. Also keep in mind the taxing authorities do not go inside homes when assessing values so those improvements for the most part are not always known to the tax man! Don Mach NCCIA President and Legal Liaison LETTER FROM SCS MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC
Hello Nottingham Country! We have been working with your Board of Directors for many years now. One of the services that your Board has contracted us for is Deed Restriction inspections. We are out on a monthly basis to drive through the neighborhood. Over the years, we have seen many changes in Nottingham Country. We would like to take this opportunity to share some of them with you. It is likely that one of the main reasons you moved to Nottingham Country is because of the beautiful trees. All those trees add to the humidity in the neighborhood and, therefore, create a perfect environment for mildew. Walk outside and take a good look at your brick, siding and roof. There are many commercial products that can be applied to remove and kill the mildew. You won’t believe what a difference it will make to your home and the overall appearance of the neighborhood! The trees also shade our lawns to the point that sunlight cannot get through to the grass, so it dies. The best way to a healthy lawn is to trim and thin out your trees. We also see damage to sidewalks from tree roots. Remember that you are responsible to maintain your property in a healthful and safe manner. If someone trips on your sidewalk, you will be liable. One last thing about trees, please keep the limbs trimmed over the sidewalks and the streets and away from street signs. School buses and emergency vehicles need to be able to safely drive down the street and not be hit by overhanging limbs. When we drive the streets, we see more parked cars in the street than we used to. The streets are county property and, although parked cars are permitted, we would ask that you move them into the driveway whenever possible. Children cannot be seen crossing the streets when there are many parked cars in the street. It would just be awful if someone got hurt because car owners cannot park their cars where they are supposed to be. The age of the homes in Nottingham Country is lending itself to the replacement and repair of siding. Most of the homes were built prior to “hardi-plank”, and the wood is deteriorating. We will be evaluating siding repairs as we drive through the neighborhood. If you get a letter about that, please call us. The letter sent will give a time limit to correct the violation and you will likely need more time. We are happy to give that time extension once we know that you plan to make the repairs. The aging process takes its toll on fences, too. They age from the top down and from the bottom up for different reasons. Either way, top to bottom or bottom to top, you need to take a look at your fences and replace them. SCS is contracted to process the Architectural Review applications. Any exterior change you make to your property needs to have approval from the Committee. Please send your application directly to our office at 7170 Cherry Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77095, and we will forward it to the Committee for review. You can access our website at www.scsmgmt.com to obtain an application. One last comment, if you see a property that you think has a violation that concerns you, please call our office at 281-463-1777 and let us know. We will monitor it to be sure it is a consistent problem or verify the violation before sending a letter. Your call will be confidential. But remember, it is not SCS, nor the Board’s role to get involved in neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, so please call in only violations. In addition, there are some issues that are not deed restriction issues, but rather law enforcement issues. When you call our office, we will let you know if it is something that we can enforce and, if it is not, we will suggest who you might contact. We are looking forward to continuing to work with all of you. Please call us if you need more time to correct violations. We are happy to work with you. The Board’s goal is to improve the home values and to have Nottingham Country looking first class. We are happy to work together with your Board and you to make that goal happen. your Board and you to make that goal happen. Nancy Lee Callaway Association Manager CONSTABLE REPORT STATISTICS
Recently, there have been inconsistencies in the format of the statistics reported by the Constable. While there has been no increase in crimes in Nottingham Country, some of my reports may have erroneously indicated such an increase. We are revising the reporting method and should have a better format with a consistent method tracking of incidents available in next month’s newsletter. Rennie Park Hours Enforcement
Residents are reminded that Rennie Park closes at 10 PM on Sunday through Thursday, and 11 PM Friday and Saturday. The Constable’s officers have been directed to enforce these hours with actions they feel to be appropriate. The options available to the officers include verbal requests to leave, written warnings, and citations. Please respect the Park hours and the requests of the Constable’s officers. Ken Gentile NCCIA Security Director NCCIA Web Site Report - March, 2008
Thanks to all of you who visited http://www.nottinghamcounty.org/ and offered suggestions and comments on the web site content in the past. If you visited the site since January 20, 2008, I'm sure you noticed that it has a whole new look! If you are or have had ANY problems accessing portions of the web site, please email: webmaster@nottinghamcountry.org and let me know. As always . . . if you would like to offer your comments or suggestions, please email the webmaster directly by sending an email to: WebMaster@NottinghamCountry.org. We appreciate any and all ideas from our neighbors as to how we can improve our Internet presence and make our web site a useful tool for our neighborhood. If you see something in the neighborhood you like - log onto the website and tell us about it. Especially, if you see something in the neighborhood you don't like, logon and let us know. There is contact information for all the board members and the webmaster and we are all here to help residents with problems and in improving our community. The latest happenings in Nottingham Country are posted on the Website first. Items like Heavy Trash Pickup dates, Election Results, Lost Pets and Safety/Security Incidents in our neighborhood are posted on the site. We also have applications and forms posted on the website Tired of seeing all the unsightly, "Lost Pet" signs posted around the neighborhood? Send an email to: WebMaster@NottinghamCountry.org and we will post your lost (or found) pet on our website. We will also notify our email subscribers or your loss. That will go along way in keeping our neighborhood neat and clean while assuring the loss of your pet gets even more coverage. As a reminder, the Deed Restrictions for All NC sections, as well as, the By-Laws, are posted on the web site. Also, as a reminder, we do have a link to Sex Offenders on our site called Predator Check. Please check it out if you haven’t already. It’s good information especially for all parents and grandparents. Sam Cresap NCCIA Webmaster |