Nottingham Country Newsletter July 2008 …
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NOTTINGHAM HAPPENINGS
In the event some of you did not see it in the media, Kellogg/Brown Root is relocating their corporate campus to the Katy area, near I-10 and the Grand Parkway.  This will certainly bring many new highly educated homebuyers to our area.  For those of you seeking to sell your homes, the timing could not be better.  For those of us in Nottingham Country it is an opportunity to get new families in our community.  We all need to be aware that poorly maintained homes and yards are a turn off to potential homebuyers so it is advantageous to the entire community to take the necessary action to make your home look great.

We continue to receive complaints about the lack of maintenance on rental properties in our community. The best way to get rid of rental properties and slumlords is for the price of homes to increase over $175,000.  Once homes are priced in that range, they normally become less attractive to real estate investors for rental purposes.  If you look at many of the rental properties in our area, they are valued below $160,000.  Now is the time to put some money back into your home in order to increase values in our neighborhood.  

It is interesting to note that the Board is receiving complaints from homeowners regarding such matters as:  neighbors playing loud music, neighbor’s dogs barking incessantly, neighbors parking their vehicles on the street and block access to driveways, neighbors running a business out of their home, etc.  There is an old saying that if you expect others to solve all your problems, you will be seriously disappointed.  The Board is very interested in what is taking place in the community and we do welcome those calls but some of the complaints just listed are matters best handled by neighbors meeting face to face to discuss their differences.  We often hear such statements as, “I have never spoken to those folks and have no intentions of doing so”.  One has to question why it is so difficult for neighbors to go and tell another homeowner there is a problem with the dog barking or loud music or whatever?  Perhaps it’s time for the good folks of Nottingham Country to meet and talk to their NC neighbors.  Who knows, you may find that they are might fine people!  

Recently the Board was informed of a homeowner who was running a physical fitness business out of the home with numerous patrons coming and coming.  A Board member met with the owner and the business will be closed down shortly.  We appreciate the neighbors letting us know about this problem.  Let’s eliminate all home based businesses in our community! 

Don Mach
NCCIA President and Legal Liaison

JULY 4TH AND FIREWORKS

Each year we hear comments from NC homeowners about the danger and nuisance of fireworks. A few years ago I spoke to the Harris County Fire Marshall about this problem. I was told that years ago the Texas legislature in Austin allowed for the legal use of fireworks within the state of Texas. However they did authorize municipalities to set their own laws and guidelines concerning the usage of fireworks.  As a result cities such as Houston banned the sale and usage of fireworks within their city limits.  Nottingham Country is not in the city limits of any municipality. We are in an unincorporated area with a Katy mailing address.  Therefore we do not have the ability to ban the sale and usage of fireworks.   If a subdivision lies within the city limits of a city that bans fireworks, then fireworks are prohibited.

As a result I am certain we will continue to see firework displays in our subdivision. Parents, please supervisor your children and even some adults when shooting off fireworks!!  Each year we seem to have accidents in NC from the improper usage of fireworks.  Also please note that we have advised our Constables that it will be considered Disturbing the Peace if fireworks continue after 11:00 PM.   Lets all do our best for a fun and safe July 4th and be respectful of our neighbor’ property.
Don Mach
NCCIA President and Legal Liaison

DEED RESTRICTIONS STRICTLY ENFORCED

We all see these signs when we enter our subdivision.  However, not everyone understands that they mean exactly what they say.  We, in Nottingham Country are a COMMUNITY, and as such have a responsibility to maintain our homes for the common good of ourselves as well as our neighbors.

Deed Restrictions are written to give us guidelines as to what is permitted within our subdivision. The Deed Restrictions are legal documents that insure our neighborhood against activities that are detrimental to the welfare of the residents and our property values.  The Homeowner’s association is required by law to oversee compliance with these legal documents that have been filed with government.

Do not be offended if you receive a letter of violation at your residence.  Those letters are sent out by our management company, SCS Management, upon their drive-through our neighborhood.  Please help the Board and your neighbors by giving violations prompt attention.  If you need help, call us and we will help any way we can.  After all, it is a common goal for all of us to live in a great neighborhood.

NCCIA Deed Restriction Committee
WHAT IS RECYCLABLE TRASH?

A number of residents have raised the question of just what can be recycled when they put the weekly recycle container on the curb.  Listed below are all of the do’s and don’ts, but one of the major don’ts are no plastic bags.  When the recyclables reach the processor each item is sorted and if they are in a plastic bag it really slows down the processing time and is not acceptable.  That said, here we go with the list:
   
YES ITEMS

Paper - Dry & clean; loose (not in plastic bags)

Newspaper & insert
Magazines & catalogs
Junk mail, envelopes, file folders
Office white, colored and computer paper (staples & paper clips ok)
Corrugated cardboard boxes
Cereal & gift boxes, etc. that tear brown or grey (remove liners)
Paper bags & phone books
Wrapping paper (remove metallic paper, bows, etc.)

Containers – Empty & Clean; Loose (not in paper bags)

Aluminum cans (beer & soda)
Aluminum foil & foil plates, etc.
Plastic bottles, (such as soda, water, milk, juice, liquor, shampoo, detergent, condiments, salad dressing yogurt, margarine, pet food, etc.
Metal food cans (tin/steel); metal lids
Metal pots and pans   

Unacceptable Materials

Ceramics, dishes, coffee cups, drinking glasses
Glass cookware/bake ware (Pyrex, Vision Ware, etc.)
Window glass, mirrors, light bulbs
Plastic bags, Styrofoam containers, packaging peanuts
Take out contains, plastic cups, and plastic table ware
Containers of hazardous or toxic materials
Tissue or paper towels, books
Tyvek envelopes, carbon paper
Paper cartons for milk or juice
Wax coated boxes

Remember that our MUD, Mason Creek Utility District now manages the trash pick up contract with WCA. If you have questions concerning the service, please contact the MUD at 281-578-7272.  The NCCIA Board thanks all NC homeowners for their great support of the recycling program.
NCCIA Web Site Report -  March-April, 2008

Thanks to all of you who visited http://www.nottinghamcounty.org/ in the past month.
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.
 
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 a long 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.
 
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