Nottingham Country Newsletter May 2008 …
====================================================================

NOTTINGHAM HAPPENINGS
Last month our management company posted an excellent newsletter article about mildew on homes.  Mildew is not pretty and it makes properties look ugly.  It’s amazing to see homes listed for sale that have mildew all over the bricks.  Mildew is a turnoff to potential homebuyers!  This is the time of the year to get out the power washer or hire someone to clean off the mildew from your home.  The management company will cite homeowners who have excess amounts of mildew on their homes.  Removing mildew is not a difficult task so make the effort to get it done!  Why pay fees and potential legal costs for not removing mildew!

The Board is fielding emails from homeowners who see suspicious activity in the neighborhood.  Some of the emails are pointing out certain homes that have problem juveniles and even adults.  While the Board appreciates knowing about this, we encourage you to report these matters to the Harris County Constable #5’s office at 281-463-6666.  We pay over $200,000 per year to these folks and they will follow up on reported matters if you just take the time to report them.  They are better qualified to handle these matters than your tired old Board members.  Some homeowners are reluctant to report activities to law enforcement personnel.  The Constable’s office will not use your name but if you do not make reports, the problems cannot be resolved.   If we have serious law violators in the community, let’s report them and get them out of here as quickly as possible.

Another agency which we have found very helpful when contacted is the Harris County Health Department.  When SCS Management makes its monthly deed restriction drive by they do not go into homeowner’s back yards. If you know of a situation whereby a homeowner’s swimming pool looks and smells more like a cesspool call the Harris County Health Department at 713-439-6000 and report the matter.  A badly maintained pool is a public health hazard and the County has been effective in getting these matters resolved in a timely manner. They will take a violator to court if necessary.

We continue to receive numerous complaints about the lack of maintenance on rental homes.  This is a problem.  We have about 125 rental homes in Nottingham Country but a large number of them have deed restriction violations.  We will continue to aggressively go after the owners.  Please continue reporting violations to the following Directors:  Allen Hess-Sections 4 and 7; Bruce Hamelin-Sections 1, 2, 3, and 6; and Carol Neef-Brown-Sections 8 and 9.  Also let our management company, SCS Management, know about potential violations.

Finally, within the next several months homeowners in Sections 1, 2 and 3 will see completely renovated alleyways and storm sewers beneath the alleyways. This should have a significant positive effect on home values in those sections.  With the major improvements, we ask the homeowners in those sections to make a concerted effort to upgrade their fences, eliminate trash and take the necessary action to make the back of their properties look as good as the new alleyways.   Alleyway renovations have long been a major issue in Nottingham Country and through the combined efforts of the NCCIA and the Mason Creek Utility District; it is really going to happen.


Don Mach
NCCIA President and Legal Liaison

OPEN HOUSE AT THE NOTTINGHAM COUNTRY CLUB
On Sunday May 18, 2008 all Nottingham Country residents are invited to the Mason Creek Community Center Open House to enjoy the swimming pool, have a quick lunch and view the facilities.  The Community Center is located at the intersection of Houghton and Kingsland and is owned and operated by our MUD, Mason Creek Utility District.  The Open House is an annual event to encourage residents to take advantage of and use this asset in our community.  There will be registration, information and some door prizes at the event.  The center will be open on Sunday May 18th from noon until 8 PM.  Please make plans to come by and view this completely renovated facility.

ATTENTION SECTION 10 RESIDENTS

The NCCIA Board and our management company, SCS Management, continue to receive calls and emails from homeowners in Section 10 asking for assistance.  Please be advised that Section 10 has a separate Board of Directors and the affairs of Section 10 are handled by Sterling Management.  You can reach Sterling Management by calling 281-447-3388.  If you do not know in which section you reside, go to www.nottinghamcountry.org and there you will find links with the maps of all sections of Nottingham Country.


NCCIA SEEKS A NEW DIRECTOR

NCCIA Director Shanon Hole recently resigned from the Board of Directors due to family time constraints.  The Board is sorry to see Shanon leave as she has been very active in her former role as Social Chairman of the NCCIA.  Shanon’s effort the past two years has resulted in two excellent Back to School Pizza Parties at the Nottingham Country Community Center.

As a result of Shanon’s resignation, the Board is seeking candidates to fill the vacant position.  We strongly encourage residents from Sections 1, 2 or 3 to apply as we do not have anyone from those sections on the Board.  If interested, please go to WWW.Nottinghamcountry.org and there you will find a link with an application.  Please complete the application and forward it to Carol Neef-Brown, the NCCIA Board Secretary.

NCCIA Board of Directors
Fred Sanford, Where Are You????

The DR report from the February 28th inspection resulted in 209 first or second letters being sent out to Nottingham Country homeowners.  After reviewing the report, members of the Board were amazed to find that 54 violations in January or February were related to either trailers or vehicles.  Trailers should be out of sight of the street, in the garage, or stored out of our subdivision.  Vehicles were in violation if they were immobile, appeared inoperable, or had expired registration and/or inspection stickers.

We are all aware of the fact that Houston and Harris County are among the largest areas in the U.S. with no zoning laws.  When we bought our homes in NC, we did our best to locate where we would be away from auto body shops, auto salvage yards, junk-hauling businesses, etc.  Through the years, urban sprawl has caught up with our area, and commercial properties surround us.  We welcome the convenience, but not the traffic and congestion.   We have no control over the types of businesses surrounding Nottingham but we can all help keep our neighborhood from appearing “junky” due to old cars and overflowing trailers, boats and RV’s.

The appreciation of property values in Nottingham will be hindered if we allow vehicles to be stored on our streets and alleyways that should be repaired, sold, or donated.  Put your vehicle in your garage!  Trailers, full or empty, should also be kept out of sight from the street.  Let’s keep our homes looking as if they were on the market --- your neighbor’s might well be.  Don’t bring the blight into Nottingham Country that we moved here to avoid!!

P.S.  If you are NOT a violator, feel free to put a copy of this article on the vehicle near your home that is in violation.

Thanks,

NCCIA Deed Restriction Committee



NCCIA Web Site Report -  March-April, 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 month.

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.

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