Courtesy of Community Association Underwriters of America, Inc. Click here for more Risk Management Articles from CAU
Every winter thousands of sprinkler pipes freeze and burst because of lack heat or inadequate insulation. When a frozen sprinkler pipe bursts, the result is always extensive water damage.
A typical loss for a burst sprinkler pipe can involve two or more units and have an average repair cost exceeding $30,000 after the deductible. Nationwide, these losses account for hundreds of millions of dollars of unnecessary property damage each winter.
This article will discuss how sprinkler piping can freeze and burst resulting in water damage and ways that an association or unit owner can protect their sprinkler system from freezing.
Impact of Building Codes
There are approximately 3000 residential fire deaths each year. Statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) conclude that the chance of dying in a home fire decreases by 80% when residential sprinklers are present.
Many municipalities already require sprinkler systems in new one and two family homes, townhomes and condominiums. The 2009 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) requires sprinkler systems in these homes. As more municipalities adopt this edition of the building code, the number of systems will increase and so will the potential for water damage from burst sprinkler pipes.
Building and fire codes are regulatory requirements that establish minimum standards for construction of safe and habitable buildings. The code requirements for residential sprinkler systems seeks to minimize fire deaths by controlling heat, smoke and flames so occupants have time to escape. There is minimal emphasis on preventing frozen pipes and water damage.
While one cannot equate the value of a human life to water damage, you cannot overlook the extensive damage caused by accidental discharges from faulty systems and burst piping, which is often more extensive than fire damage.
When Pipes Freeze
When water freezes at a temperature of 32ºF or below it expands up to 10 percent in volume. Sprinkler pipes tend to freeze before other water pipes because the water is not moving.
Most sprinkler systems are wet systems that contain water all the time. Sprinkler systems include check valves and backflow preventers to separate the sprinkler water from the potable water supply. These valves create a closed system in which the pressure cannot escape.
When water freezes inside a sprinkler pipe, it creates an obstruction that can render the sprinkler system useless in the event of a fire. As the ice expands, it increases the internal water pressure in the pipe and causes the pipe to burst. Interestingly, the burst is often in a section of pipe that did not actually freeze.
Alternatively, the expanding ice can cause a pipe, fitting or sprinkler head to crack but the ice will block the flow of water while it is solid. In this case, the actual water damage will not be apparent until the ice melts and water flows out of the burst section.
Where the pipe bursts and the time it takes to shut off the water will influence the amount of water damage to the unit.
Most residential sprinkler systems use 1” pipe, which, at a typical street pressure of 70 pounds per square inch (psi), will flow about 30 gallons per minute (gpm). In as little as fifteen minutes, almost 500 gallons of water will saturate the unit and adjoining units.
Preventing Frozen Pipes
The best way to protect a residential fire sprinkler system from freezing is to provide sufficient insulation and maintain adequate heat during the winter months. The type and amount of insulation must be suitable for the coldest local temperatures. During construction, sprinkler systems are usually in place before the insulation so there is a possibility that the installer could place the insulation on the wrong side of the pipes thus exposing them to freezing temperatures.
Insulation helps block the flow heat or cold from one space to the next. Most sprinkler pipes are within the walls or ceilings of a home. Cold air can enter these concealed spaces through small gaps in the exterior sheathing and insulation and find its way into pipe chases and soffits that focus the air directly onto the sprinkler piping and accelerate freezing.
It is important to verify that sprinkler piping in walls is located between the heated interior space and the insulation. In attics, piping should be as close to the ceiling as possible with insulation placed over the pipe in the shape of a tent to trap heat around the sprinkler pipe.
When sprinklers are required in unheated spaces such as attics or crawl spaces, the use of a dry system, or special dry sprinkler heads are required.
A dry system has no water in the piping. The pipes contain air or nitrogen under pressure and when a sprinkler head activates, the pressurized gas escapes and allows water to flow.
Dry sprinkler heads have a short, length of pipe with a seal mechanism installed to prevent water from entering the unheated space until the sprinkler head activates. The sprinkler piping is in a heated space and the sprinkler heads extend into the unheated space.
As of August 2010, the NFPA has banned the use of antifreeze in all new sprinkler systems. For existing systems, NFPA recommends draining the antifreeze and filling the pipes with water then providing additional insulation along with other measures to prevent the pipes from freezing.
If you have sprinkler systems that contain antifreeze, contact your sprinkler contractor immediately to drain the antifreeze and refill it with water then verify that there is sufficient insulation, installed correctly, to prevent the pipes from freezing. The contractor should also install any additional protection needed to prevent the pipes from freezing.
What CAU Recommends:
If your association has experienced water damage because of frozen sprinkler pipes, this is the first indication that you need additional freeze protection to prevent this from happening again.
The following points will help reduce the risk of frozen sprinkler pipes.
> Maintain heat in all buildings and units
> Require an annual service and maintenance contract on all fire sprinkler systems
> Provide additional insulation for pipes in unheated areas such as attics
> Install water flow alarms to alert occupants that water is flowing in the sprinkler system
> Install freeze alarms to warn of potential freezing conditions before the pipes freeze
Need More Information? Additional information on freeze protection is available through the National Fire Protection Association (www.nfpa.org). Associations may also request additional information on this topic by contacting CAU’s Loss Control Department.
© 2010 by Community Association Underwriters of America, Inc., All Rights Reserved
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Keeping Properties Safe Over the Holidays
Courtesy of Mary Girsch-Bock on propertymanager.com
We all know that November and December are the busiest months of the year for travel. That means that while your residents are enjoying their holidays, their apartment or home will likely be empty. While most residents are responsible and take proper precautions when traveling, is there anything property managers can do to ensure that the property remains safe when the resident is traveling during the holidays?
While you can’t police the property 24/7, you can provide some guidance to your residents on keeping their apartment or home safe while traveling. You may want to consider providing a sheet containing tips and suggestions for keeping their home safe. This sheet can be provided to your resident upon move-in, as a handy reference guide. While you may have your own suggestions specific to your properties, you should suggest the following to your residents:
* Be sure to leave a light on, preferably on a timer. Studies have shown that 90% of burglars target homes that are dark.
* Stop newspaper delivery. A pile of newspapers on the doorstep or in the driveway is a giveaway to the observant burglar that no one is home.
* Those living in multi-unit housing should consider notifying the resident manager that they’ll be traveling. This way, staff can keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
* Close and lock windows and garage doors. Burglars consider garage doors the weakest point of entry into any home. Back or side windows are also considered a prime point of entry because they are often hidden from street view.
While the possibility of a home burglary is a valid concern for travelers, it’s certainly not the only concern. It’s also important that residents remember to check and double check that all appliances (coffee maker, oven, curling iron) are unplugged. Residents may find it helpful to create a checklist and walk through the house, checking off each item on the list. This way they won’t find themselves trying to remember if they turned off the oven when they’re thousands of miles from home.
Nothing (short of armed guards) can guarantee that your resident’s home or apartment will be safe from burglars or 100% protected against fires. But taking some basic precautions will ease both the residents mind…and yours as well. Providing your residents with these simple suggestions can prove helpful, while keeping the property that you’re responsible for safe and intact.
We all know that November and December are the busiest months of the year for travel. That means that while your residents are enjoying their holidays, their apartment or home will likely be empty. While most residents are responsible and take proper precautions when traveling, is there anything property managers can do to ensure that the property remains safe when the resident is traveling during the holidays?
While you can’t police the property 24/7, you can provide some guidance to your residents on keeping their apartment or home safe while traveling. You may want to consider providing a sheet containing tips and suggestions for keeping their home safe. This sheet can be provided to your resident upon move-in, as a handy reference guide. While you may have your own suggestions specific to your properties, you should suggest the following to your residents:
* Be sure to leave a light on, preferably on a timer. Studies have shown that 90% of burglars target homes that are dark.
* Stop newspaper delivery. A pile of newspapers on the doorstep or in the driveway is a giveaway to the observant burglar that no one is home.
* Those living in multi-unit housing should consider notifying the resident manager that they’ll be traveling. This way, staff can keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
* Close and lock windows and garage doors. Burglars consider garage doors the weakest point of entry into any home. Back or side windows are also considered a prime point of entry because they are often hidden from street view.
While the possibility of a home burglary is a valid concern for travelers, it’s certainly not the only concern. It’s also important that residents remember to check and double check that all appliances (coffee maker, oven, curling iron) are unplugged. Residents may find it helpful to create a checklist and walk through the house, checking off each item on the list. This way they won’t find themselves trying to remember if they turned off the oven when they’re thousands of miles from home.
Nothing (short of armed guards) can guarantee that your resident’s home or apartment will be safe from burglars or 100% protected against fires. But taking some basic precautions will ease both the residents mind…and yours as well. Providing your residents with these simple suggestions can prove helpful, while keeping the property that you’re responsible for safe and intact.
The Lighter Side!!
After posing for our annual Thank You card Dawn snapped this gem. Property managers can have fun too!
Friday, November 5, 2010
NARPM National Convention 2010
Wow, what an October! I have been so very excited to share some news of NARPM’s annual convention in downtown Seattle, but we have been busy getting lots of residents moved into their new homes. I’m sorry for the delay.
For those of you who don’t know, we have had a very exciting year here at Bell-Anderson. First of all, our broker (and my aunt) Vickie kicked breast cancer to the curb, all while running Bell-Anderson and leading the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM from here on out) as the 2010 National President. NARPM is an organization of over 3,400 residential property managers nationwide, so this is quite the accomplishment for Vickie. This year, our annual convention happened to be in our own backyard: at the Sheraton in downtown Seattle. Carrie Fjeld, residential property manager, co-chaired the entire event with over 500 attendees. Needless to say, we have been busy, but it was a blast!
Our week started off with the Leadership Seminar given by Dr. Joseph Michelli. He has written several books studying successful organizations: two from our hometown. We learned how the Pike Place Fish Market went from last in sales to first by deciding to treat their customer’s like rockstars, and how Starbucks has created the “third place,” a café that is more than just a coffee shop. What struck me was one of the mottos of the Ritz-Carlton, namely “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentleman.” This type of attitude creates a culture of mutual respect, something everyone could use more of. We rounded off Tuesday evening with a beautiful cruise around the Puget Sound for the President’s Tour.
On Wednesday Morning, 22 golf teams headed out to China Creek at Newcastle for the first annual Past President’s Charity Golf Tournament. Bell-Anderson had four players in the tournament sporting pink polos and matching socks, and we also sponsored the 6th hole. While the majority of the players who men who maybe weren’t big Twilight fans, they were all good sports about our Forks-themed hole run by Debi and Maria. Overall, the tournament raised over $30,000 for Creative Living Services and was a great success and a lot of fun
Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday were a series of workshops and business meetings. My favorites were an economic forecast from local researcher Jim Hebert, and a hilariously entertaining presentation from Bill Stainton (Almost Live) about the best decisions the Beatles made that led to their success. On a more embarrassing note, four audience members including myself were called onstage for a live performance, black bowl wigs and all. (I played George Harrison).
The most exciting part of the convention came Friday at lunch during the award ceremonies. First of all, Vickie passed the baton to the next National President, Tony Drost. I know that Vickie thoroughly enjoyed her time working with NARPM, but we are all excited to get to see her around the office more. Also, all three residential managers in our department earned professional designations this year. Carrie was awarded her Master Property Manager (MPM) designation, and Dawn and I (Kasey) earned our Residential Management Professional (RMP) designations. Also, Bell-Anderson as a whole was awarded our Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation. Yes, this is a lot of letters! What this means is that we have been working hard to educate ourselves so our clients can rest assured that they are getting property management professionals who value education and are very active in the industry as a whole. Finally, I was humbled to receive the Rocky Maxwell award for volunteerism in a new member of NARPM.
The convention closed with a gala and “NARPM’s Got Talent” show hosted by Vickie in her tiara where the membership showed off their skills. Stefanie Octave, Condo AR Bookkeeper played the bassoon, and she was AWESOME!
The entire Bell-Anderson crew was on hand for the dinner gala and then spent the night in the hotel for our annual retreat.
In an effort to not hog the keyboard, here is what a few of the other gals said about the convention:
“I think that it's important to share the fact that we were one of four companies in the state of Washington to receive our Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation. Along with our AMO (Accredited Management Organization) from the Institute of Real Estate Management that makes us, to my knowledge, the only company in the entire US with both designations, signifying our dedication to professionalism and integrity. Also at the awards celebration Carrie Fjeld received her Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and Kasey Medina along with Dawn Hardley were awarded their Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation. This just demonstrates how the Bell-Anderson crew is dedicated to real estate management education as well as maintaining integrity at all times.” ~ Vickie Gaskill
” I always come back to work with a head full of great ideas and a bucket load of new contacts and friends around the country, both property managers and vendors! I am doing my best to treat all of my contacts like "rockstars" (from Dr. Michellis's Leadership course) if even for just a moment, and it has paid great dividends so far, I have picked up 3 news houses in just two weeks!!!” ~Dawn Hardley
“This year was a really special year at convention for me, with my mom, Vickie being the national president this year of NARPM. It was such a joy to watch my mom shine and shine she did at one point even wearing a tiara for our last night. We had a great year and it finally paid off when 3 people in our office, one of which included me, received professional designations. Our office also received the only company designation offered by NARPM that only 5 companies in the King County hold. The designation that I received is the highest professional designation that you can get and that is a MPM, Master Property Manager and the one that Bell-Anderson received is CRMC, Certified Residential Management Company. I am very proud of both of those accomplishments and also my co-workers, Kasey and Dawn who received their RMP, Residential Management Professional designations. The national convention in Seattle was one of the best I have been to and I have been to 6 of them all together. I am not even being biased it was truly a great year. I met some great people and got to catch up with friends that I haven’t seen in a while. Every time we get together it’s like a big extended family reunion along with great education to help us become better property managers. Our business is forever evolving with new laws and new ways of managing property more effectively and efficiently so it is nice to have these conferences so we can catch up. I am looking forward to Dallas in 2011 already.” ~ Carrie Fjeld
“Awesome experience! You should attend if you are a new member!” ~ Maria Garcia
Overall, the convention was fabulous! The hotel was beautiful, the turnout and the network opportunities were amazing. The speakers and classes were helpful and relevant to our business. I can tell that Carrie and the rest of the convention crew put a lot of work into it. Congrats again to everyone who made the week a success!
For those of you who don’t know, we have had a very exciting year here at Bell-Anderson. First of all, our broker (and my aunt) Vickie kicked breast cancer to the curb, all while running Bell-Anderson and leading the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM from here on out) as the 2010 National President. NARPM is an organization of over 3,400 residential property managers nationwide, so this is quite the accomplishment for Vickie. This year, our annual convention happened to be in our own backyard: at the Sheraton in downtown Seattle. Carrie Fjeld, residential property manager, co-chaired the entire event with over 500 attendees. Needless to say, we have been busy, but it was a blast!
Our week started off with the Leadership Seminar given by Dr. Joseph Michelli. He has written several books studying successful organizations: two from our hometown. We learned how the Pike Place Fish Market went from last in sales to first by deciding to treat their customer’s like rockstars, and how Starbucks has created the “third place,” a café that is more than just a coffee shop. What struck me was one of the mottos of the Ritz-Carlton, namely “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentleman.” This type of attitude creates a culture of mutual respect, something everyone could use more of. We rounded off Tuesday evening with a beautiful cruise around the Puget Sound for the President’s Tour.
On Wednesday Morning, 22 golf teams headed out to China Creek at Newcastle for the first annual Past President’s Charity Golf Tournament. Bell-Anderson had four players in the tournament sporting pink polos and matching socks, and we also sponsored the 6th hole. While the majority of the players who men who maybe weren’t big Twilight fans, they were all good sports about our Forks-themed hole run by Debi and Maria. Overall, the tournament raised over $30,000 for Creative Living Services and was a great success and a lot of fun
Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday were a series of workshops and business meetings. My favorites were an economic forecast from local researcher Jim Hebert, and a hilariously entertaining presentation from Bill Stainton (Almost Live) about the best decisions the Beatles made that led to their success. On a more embarrassing note, four audience members including myself were called onstage for a live performance, black bowl wigs and all. (I played George Harrison).
The most exciting part of the convention came Friday at lunch during the award ceremonies. First of all, Vickie passed the baton to the next National President, Tony Drost. I know that Vickie thoroughly enjoyed her time working with NARPM, but we are all excited to get to see her around the office more. Also, all three residential managers in our department earned professional designations this year. Carrie was awarded her Master Property Manager (MPM) designation, and Dawn and I (Kasey) earned our Residential Management Professional (RMP) designations. Also, Bell-Anderson as a whole was awarded our Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation. Yes, this is a lot of letters! What this means is that we have been working hard to educate ourselves so our clients can rest assured that they are getting property management professionals who value education and are very active in the industry as a whole. Finally, I was humbled to receive the Rocky Maxwell award for volunteerism in a new member of NARPM.The convention closed with a gala and “NARPM’s Got Talent” show hosted by Vickie in her tiara where the membership showed off their skills. Stefanie Octave, Condo AR Bookkeeper played the bassoon, and she was AWESOME!
The entire Bell-Anderson crew was on hand for the dinner gala and then spent the night in the hotel for our annual retreat.
In an effort to not hog the keyboard, here is what a few of the other gals said about the convention:
“I think that it's important to share the fact that we were one of four companies in the state of Washington to receive our Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation. Along with our AMO (Accredited Management Organization) from the Institute of Real Estate Management that makes us, to my knowledge, the only company in the entire US with both designations, signifying our dedication to professionalism and integrity. Also at the awards celebration Carrie Fjeld received her Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and Kasey Medina along with Dawn Hardley were awarded their Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation. This just demonstrates how the Bell-Anderson crew is dedicated to real estate management education as well as maintaining integrity at all times.” ~ Vickie Gaskill
” I always come back to work with a head full of great ideas and a bucket load of new contacts and friends around the country, both property managers and vendors! I am doing my best to treat all of my contacts like "rockstars" (from Dr. Michellis's Leadership course) if even for just a moment, and it has paid great dividends so far, I have picked up 3 news houses in just two weeks!!!” ~Dawn Hardley
“This year was a really special year at convention for me, with my mom, Vickie being the national president this year of NARPM. It was such a joy to watch my mom shine and shine she did at one point even wearing a tiara for our last night. We had a great year and it finally paid off when 3 people in our office, one of which included me, received professional designations. Our office also received the only company designation offered by NARPM that only 5 companies in the King County hold. The designation that I received is the highest professional designation that you can get and that is a MPM, Master Property Manager and the one that Bell-Anderson received is CRMC, Certified Residential Management Company. I am very proud of both of those accomplishments and also my co-workers, Kasey and Dawn who received their RMP, Residential Management Professional designations. The national convention in Seattle was one of the best I have been to and I have been to 6 of them all together. I am not even being biased it was truly a great year. I met some great people and got to catch up with friends that I haven’t seen in a while. Every time we get together it’s like a big extended family reunion along with great education to help us become better property managers. Our business is forever evolving with new laws and new ways of managing property more effectively and efficiently so it is nice to have these conferences so we can catch up. I am looking forward to Dallas in 2011 already.” ~ Carrie Fjeld
“Awesome experience! You should attend if you are a new member!” ~ Maria Garcia
Overall, the convention was fabulous! The hotel was beautiful, the turnout and the network opportunities were amazing. The speakers and classes were helpful and relevant to our business. I can tell that Carrie and the rest of the convention crew put a lot of work into it. Congrats again to everyone who made the week a success!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Foreclosure Process in Washington
By: Rebekah Near, ORCA Information, Inc.
www.orcainformation.com
This report is to provide you with the information on how the foreclosure process works in Washington State and how long it takes for a bank for a bank or mortgage company to foreclose on your property under Washington’s deed of trust act (RCW Chapter 61.24).
The foreclosure process set out in the legal statue is known as a nonjudicial foreclosure, meaning it is a foreclosure conducted without having to go to court and have a judge order a sheriff’s sale of your property. Instead of a judge, the foreclosure is handled by a trustee who is appointed by the lender. The entire process is basically a series of notices given by a trustee to the borrower and anyone else who has an interest in the property, followed by a public auction (also known as a trustee’s sale). The highest bidder at the trustee’s sale is entitled to a trustee’s deed to the property and to possession of the property 20 days after the sale.
The first step in the process is usually to name a new trustee, since most of the deed of trust forms name a title insurance company as trustee and the title companies in this state do not do the foreclosures. The trustee named can be an attorney or a corporation, but cannot be the same person or company as the beneficiary under the deed of trust (the beneficiary is the lender).
The trustee must follow exactly the procedures set out in the deed of trust act. The basic steps are listed below. There are specific requirements in the law covering what must be included in each notice sent to the property owner.
STEP ONE
Notice of Default
The Notice of Default must be mailed by first class and certified mail to the borrower and must also be personally served on the borrower or posted at the property. The Notice of Default must tell the borrower what the default is (usually failure to make payments), how much is owed for the delinquent payments, trustee/attorney’s fees and other costs that would have to be paid to bring the loan current. It must also advise the borrower that if the default is not cured in 30 days, the property will be scheduled for sale at an auction by the trustee.
The Notice of Default must be mailed/served on the borrower at least 30 days before the Notice of Trustee’s Sale.
STEP TWO
Notice of Trustee’s Sale
If the default is not cured, the trustee schedules the property for a sale at a public auction. The Notice must be given at least 90 days before the sale. The notice must be mailed first class and certified and served on the borrower, the occupant of the property and on anyone else who holds a recorded interest in the property. The trustee must order a title report (Trustee’s Sale Guarantee) from a title insurance company to find out who holds a recorded interest so the trustee can give notice to all parties entitled to receive a notice. The notice must also be published twice in the newspaper (a month before and a week before the scheduled sale). The Notice advises the borrower and anyone else that the loan is in default and if the default is not cured the property will be sold to the highest bidder at the time and place set out in the Notice. In Skagit County, the sale must be held on a Friday at the court house.
STEP THREE
Notice of Foreclosure
This step occurs simultaneously with Step Two since the Notice of Foreclosure is sent to the borrower along with the Notice of Trustee’s Sale. This Notice gives the borrower the amount necessary to reinstate the loan and also an estimate of how much will be owed 11 days before the sale. The 11th day before the sale is the borrower’s last chance to reinstate the loan by making up back payments and any additional costs. After that date, the lender does not have to accept anything less than full payment of the entire loan balance, plus costs.
STEP FOUR
Trustee’s Sale
The trustee’s sale is a public auction held at the court house, with the sale to the highest bidder. Only cash, cashier’s check or a combination of cash and cashier’s check are accepted. Usually the sale is to the lender for the amount owed to the lender at the time of the sale.
STEP FIVE
Trustee’s Deed and Possession
Following the sale, the trustee issues a trustee’s deed to the highest bidder. The new owner is entitled to possession of the property 20 days after the sale. If the borrower does not move out by then, the new owner can evict them using the same procedure a landlord would use to evict a tenant.
www.orcainformation.com
This report is to provide you with the information on how the foreclosure process works in Washington State and how long it takes for a bank for a bank or mortgage company to foreclose on your property under Washington’s deed of trust act (RCW Chapter 61.24).
The foreclosure process set out in the legal statue is known as a nonjudicial foreclosure, meaning it is a foreclosure conducted without having to go to court and have a judge order a sheriff’s sale of your property. Instead of a judge, the foreclosure is handled by a trustee who is appointed by the lender. The entire process is basically a series of notices given by a trustee to the borrower and anyone else who has an interest in the property, followed by a public auction (also known as a trustee’s sale). The highest bidder at the trustee’s sale is entitled to a trustee’s deed to the property and to possession of the property 20 days after the sale.
The first step in the process is usually to name a new trustee, since most of the deed of trust forms name a title insurance company as trustee and the title companies in this state do not do the foreclosures. The trustee named can be an attorney or a corporation, but cannot be the same person or company as the beneficiary under the deed of trust (the beneficiary is the lender).
The trustee must follow exactly the procedures set out in the deed of trust act. The basic steps are listed below. There are specific requirements in the law covering what must be included in each notice sent to the property owner.
STEP ONE
Notice of Default
The Notice of Default must be mailed by first class and certified mail to the borrower and must also be personally served on the borrower or posted at the property. The Notice of Default must tell the borrower what the default is (usually failure to make payments), how much is owed for the delinquent payments, trustee/attorney’s fees and other costs that would have to be paid to bring the loan current. It must also advise the borrower that if the default is not cured in 30 days, the property will be scheduled for sale at an auction by the trustee.
The Notice of Default must be mailed/served on the borrower at least 30 days before the Notice of Trustee’s Sale.
STEP TWO
Notice of Trustee’s Sale
If the default is not cured, the trustee schedules the property for a sale at a public auction. The Notice must be given at least 90 days before the sale. The notice must be mailed first class and certified and served on the borrower, the occupant of the property and on anyone else who holds a recorded interest in the property. The trustee must order a title report (Trustee’s Sale Guarantee) from a title insurance company to find out who holds a recorded interest so the trustee can give notice to all parties entitled to receive a notice. The notice must also be published twice in the newspaper (a month before and a week before the scheduled sale). The Notice advises the borrower and anyone else that the loan is in default and if the default is not cured the property will be sold to the highest bidder at the time and place set out in the Notice. In Skagit County, the sale must be held on a Friday at the court house.
STEP THREE
Notice of Foreclosure
This step occurs simultaneously with Step Two since the Notice of Foreclosure is sent to the borrower along with the Notice of Trustee’s Sale. This Notice gives the borrower the amount necessary to reinstate the loan and also an estimate of how much will be owed 11 days before the sale. The 11th day before the sale is the borrower’s last chance to reinstate the loan by making up back payments and any additional costs. After that date, the lender does not have to accept anything less than full payment of the entire loan balance, plus costs.
STEP FOUR
Trustee’s Sale
The trustee’s sale is a public auction held at the court house, with the sale to the highest bidder. Only cash, cashier’s check or a combination of cash and cashier’s check are accepted. Usually the sale is to the lender for the amount owed to the lender at the time of the sale.
STEP FIVE
Trustee’s Deed and Possession
Following the sale, the trustee issues a trustee’s deed to the highest bidder. The new owner is entitled to possession of the property 20 days after the sale. If the borrower does not move out by then, the new owner can evict them using the same procedure a landlord would use to evict a tenant.
7 Easy Steps for Email Etiquette
by Jennifer Corp, Condo AP Bookkeeper
We write emails every day, probably more than we talk on the phone. Since emailing has become a part of our daily work routine it is always good to get an etiquette refresher. Listed below are the top 7 important etiquette tips (taken from www.ehow.com):
We write emails every day, probably more than we talk on the phone. Since emailing has become a part of our daily work routine it is always good to get an etiquette refresher. Listed below are the top 7 important etiquette tips (taken from www.ehow.com):
- Begin each email with a greeting. No matter how pressed for time you are, a simple greeting such as "Hi," "Hello," or "Dear X" is good etiquette. Otherwise, if you launch into your email without a greeting or introduction you run the risk of seeming impolite or impatient.
- Take the time to ensure your subject line accurately reflects the contents and nature of your email. This will go a long way to ensure that your email gets the attention and consideration it deserves.
- Be as concise as possible. Your recipients will appreciate it if you keep your email short, sweet and to the point, and you'll also increase your chance of getting a timely reply.
- Ask permission before forwarding another person's email correspondence. Even if you're confident that the other person wouldn't mind if you forward their email to someone else, it's good etiquette to check first so you don't risk violating their trust.
- Reply to emails in a timely fashion. If you know in advance that you can't give an email the attention it deserves at the moment, give the sender a quick heads-up that you have received their email but haven't had time to review it yet.
- Send personal emails from your non-work account. Sending personal emails from work is generally "frowned upon" in business, but occasionally we all need to send a personal email during working hours. In this instance, use a web-based email account such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
- Remember that your work email, both the address and all correspondence, is the property of the company you work for. Anything you've ever sent or received--even if you've deleted it--could potentially be retrieved from the system by a database administrator at any time.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Office Closure
The Bell-Anderson office will be closed on Friday, October 15th. The company will be attending the NARPM National Conference in Seattle. If you have an emergency, meaning fire, flood or blood, please call our office at 253-852-8195 and you will be directed to the emergency pager. Thank you in advance for your patience!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
60 Mile Breast Cancer Walk
by Vickie Gaskill, CPM®, MPM@, Owner/Broker
Many of you have very generously supported two of our colleagues (who just so happen to be my daughters) in their quest to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen 60 mile Walk for the Cure. As most of our friends and associates know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer last December and underwent a bilateral mastectomy on Jan. 12th. In my case, the girls saw how much breast cancer research has improved over just the past couple of years. They wanted to do something to give back to that research. I sincerely thank all of you for the support that you extended to them.
Well, the girls did it. They walked all 60 miles this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was probably on of the most emotional events of theirs as well as my life. I was out of town and had to miss the first day. But Tim and I found where they were on Saturday and Sunday and cheered them on every chance we got. They call people like us “walker stalkers” and I don’t mind the title one bit. Now if you know anything at all about the greater Seattle area, they walked from Bothell to Everett, all around Everett, and then were bused into Seattle, walking all over Capital Hill and down to the Seattle Center. A good visual would be walking from Seattle to Olympia. That’s a heck of a long way.
The men and women who participated in this event were absolutely inspiring. Firemen in full gear were walking for the loved ones in their lives who died of this dreadful disease. One lady pushed an empty wheelchair the entire way for a special friend of hers. I saw women on canes and crutches. I saw tears and a whole bunch of cheers. If you ever have the opportunity to volunteer, walk, or finance a 60 mile walk in the future, I encourage you to do so. You will be totally moved by doing so.
Many of you have very generously supported two of our colleagues (who just so happen to be my daughters) in their quest to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen 60 mile Walk for the Cure. As most of our friends and associates know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer last December and underwent a bilateral mastectomy on Jan. 12th. In my case, the girls saw how much breast cancer research has improved over just the past couple of years. They wanted to do something to give back to that research. I sincerely thank all of you for the support that you extended to them.
Well, the girls did it. They walked all 60 miles this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was probably on of the most emotional events of theirs as well as my life. I was out of town and had to miss the first day. But Tim and I found where they were on Saturday and Sunday and cheered them on every chance we got. They call people like us “walker stalkers” and I don’t mind the title one bit. Now if you know anything at all about the greater Seattle area, they walked from Bothell to Everett, all around Everett, and then were bused into Seattle, walking all over Capital Hill and down to the Seattle Center. A good visual would be walking from Seattle to Olympia. That’s a heck of a long way.
The men and women who participated in this event were absolutely inspiring. Firemen in full gear were walking for the loved ones in their lives who died of this dreadful disease. One lady pushed an empty wheelchair the entire way for a special friend of hers. I saw women on canes and crutches. I saw tears and a whole bunch of cheers. If you ever have the opportunity to volunteer, walk, or finance a 60 mile walk in the future, I encourage you to do so. You will be totally moved by doing so.
Help is on the way; stay prepared this flood season!
September 3, 2010Dear Floodplain Property Owner,
I’m pleased to share good news with you – President Obama recently signed legislation that funds improvements to strengthen the Howard Hanson Dam, reducing the risk of flooding to the Green River Valley. The funding allows the dam’s operator, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to complete repairs by the 2011/2012 flood season. Once these measures are in place, the Corps believes that the dam could be operated at full flood-control capacity for decades.
Storms in January 2009 weakened the dam, causing the Corps to restrict the water level in the reservoir behind the dam and increasing the risk of flooding in the valley. Given the significant public safety and economic threat that a weakened Howard Hanson Dam would cause, the King County Flood Control District, along with the Corps, Governor Gregoire, King County and valley city elected officials, quickly came together to prepare for the potential impacts of flooding and to advocate for emergency repairs.
Our local congressional delegation responded and we are very appreciative of their efforts to secure the necessary funds to provide additional repairs. The repairs will provide critically needed protection and time for the Corps to evaluate whether additional long-term repairs are necessary. We must all continue to be diligent to protect the people, businesses and infrastructure of the Green River Valley and to minimize devastating economic impacts from potential floods.
What does this mean for you?
While last year’s temporary improvements were successful at lowering the risk of flooding in the Green River Valley, the dam will continue to operate at a limited capacity during the upcoming 2010/2011 flood season. Therefore there is still a heightened risk of flooding. It is important for you to get ready and stay ready.
• Buy flood insurance, if you have not already done so;
• Establish or update an emergency plan for your family, business, pets or livestock; and
• Have emergency supplies on hand.
Please help us spread the word about the continued risk of flooding during the 2010/2011 flood season and the importance of being prepared. Share this information with your family, neighbors, friends and coworkers.
For more flood preparedness information, please go to www.kingcounty.gov/floodplans. If you have questions or comments please contact info@kingcountyfloodcontrol.org. For information about the King County Flood Control District please go to www.kingcountyfloodcontrol.org.
Sincerely,
Julia Patterson, Chair
Board of Supervisors
King County Flood Control District
The King County Flood Control District is a special purpose government created to provide funding and policy oversight for flood protection projects and programs in King County. The Flood Control District’s Board is composed of the members of the King County Council. The Water and Land Resources Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks develops and implements the approved flood protection projects and programs. Information is available at www.kingcountyfloodcontrol.org.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tacoma Concert Band Fundraiser at Joseppi's in Tacoma
Stefanie Octave, our Condo AR Bookkeeper, has been invited to play bassoon with the Tacoma Concert Band for their summer series, and hopefully more performances in the future! All of the band members are volunteers for this non-profit group, and to raise money, there will be a special evening at Joeseppi's Italian Ristorante in Tacoma.
On Tuesday, October 12th, from 4-8pm, if diners say they are there to support the Tacoma Concert Band (and 100 diners show up throughout the evening), the group will receive 20% of the entire night’s proceeds. There will also be a silent auction at the restaurant. Take your family out to dinner for a great cause! For more information on the band or the event, click here.
Small Claims Court - One Association's Experience
By: Yvonne Thompson, Applewood Condominiums
A Board member in an association Bell-Anderson manages wrote this great article for our Newsletter. The Association has been successful once in Small Claims Court and will very likely be successful again. This article shows to other struggling Boards that there is a way to collect a prior debt without paying out to an attorney.
Here is what happened:
1. The Board reviewed the account and decided to pursue the delinquency in small claims court. The maximum amount that can be claimed in small claims court is $5,000.00.
2. I visited the county website to get information on the small claims process and downloaded the required packet. The forms are located on the right-hand side of the page in PDF format at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/DistrictCourt/SmallClaims.aspx
3. I completed the required form (be sure to check with Bell-Anderson for the delinquent amount owed and name/address information on file.) After completing the form, I visited the courthouse on 4th in Kent to file. The filing fee is $35.00. Once filed, you are given the small claims form back with a court date and receipt. You will also receive a duplicate copy of the form that must be served upon the delinquent party. Both forms are forwarded to Bell-Anderson; however I also made copies for the court date.
4. Bell-Anderson serves the delinquent party via certified mail or you may hire someone to physically serve them. You must be sure the party is served a minimum of ten days prior to the court date. At this point, you may need to hire an investigator to locate the delinquent party, especially if they have already vacated the property (as in a lender foreclosure.)
5. In preparation for court, Bell-Anderson forwarded all required documentation via email attachment to me. I printed it and took it with me on the court date as evidence of our claim. Bell-Anderson also provided the original postmarked certified return receipt to take to court as proof of service.
6. The trial took place in Renton. The court offered an "out of court" mediator service to try to negotiate/satisfy the delinquency prior to going through with the trial. If the association plaintiff decides to move forward with the trial then you will appear before the judge when called and provide all documentation for the claim. In our case, the delinquent party (defendant) appeared and the judge granted a judgment against them in our favor. Note: Be sure an actual Board member, preferably the Board President, goes to court because the plaintiff must have authority to represent the association or the case will be thrown out.
7. The defendant has 30 days to pay the judgment plus interest to Bell-Anderson on the association’s behalf. If the defendant fails to pay the judgment, Bell-Anderson and our attorney will pursue a garnishment against the defendant.
8. If the defendant fails to pay within the allotted 30 days, a Board member must re-visit the courthouse to have the judgment transferred to a civil docket for a $20.00 filing fee and forward the receipt to Bell-Anderson who will advise the attorney so they can initiate garnishment proceedings.
A Board member in an association Bell-Anderson manages wrote this great article for our Newsletter. The Association has been successful once in Small Claims Court and will very likely be successful again. This article shows to other struggling Boards that there is a way to collect a prior debt without paying out to an attorney.
Here is what happened:
1. The Board reviewed the account and decided to pursue the delinquency in small claims court. The maximum amount that can be claimed in small claims court is $5,000.00.
2. I visited the county website to get information on the small claims process and downloaded the required packet. The forms are located on the right-hand side of the page in PDF format at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/DistrictCourt/SmallClaims.aspx
3. I completed the required form (be sure to check with Bell-Anderson for the delinquent amount owed and name/address information on file.) After completing the form, I visited the courthouse on 4th in Kent to file. The filing fee is $35.00. Once filed, you are given the small claims form back with a court date and receipt. You will also receive a duplicate copy of the form that must be served upon the delinquent party. Both forms are forwarded to Bell-Anderson; however I also made copies for the court date.
4. Bell-Anderson serves the delinquent party via certified mail or you may hire someone to physically serve them. You must be sure the party is served a minimum of ten days prior to the court date. At this point, you may need to hire an investigator to locate the delinquent party, especially if they have already vacated the property (as in a lender foreclosure.)
5. In preparation for court, Bell-Anderson forwarded all required documentation via email attachment to me. I printed it and took it with me on the court date as evidence of our claim. Bell-Anderson also provided the original postmarked certified return receipt to take to court as proof of service.
6. The trial took place in Renton. The court offered an "out of court" mediator service to try to negotiate/satisfy the delinquency prior to going through with the trial. If the association plaintiff decides to move forward with the trial then you will appear before the judge when called and provide all documentation for the claim. In our case, the delinquent party (defendant) appeared and the judge granted a judgment against them in our favor. Note: Be sure an actual Board member, preferably the Board President, goes to court because the plaintiff must have authority to represent the association or the case will be thrown out.
7. The defendant has 30 days to pay the judgment plus interest to Bell-Anderson on the association’s behalf. If the defendant fails to pay the judgment, Bell-Anderson and our attorney will pursue a garnishment against the defendant.
8. If the defendant fails to pay within the allotted 30 days, a Board member must re-visit the courthouse to have the judgment transferred to a civil docket for a $20.00 filing fee and forward the receipt to Bell-Anderson who will advise the attorney so they can initiate garnishment proceedings.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Bell-Anderson Earns CRMC® Designation
Continuing the chain of exciting announcements...Bell-Anderson & Associates LLC, AMO can now add another set of initials...CRMC®! Short for Certified Residential Management Company, this designation is awarded by the National Association of Residential Property Managers to management firms that demonstrate a high standard in both procedures and customer service, and pass a detailed examination of the company with recommendations from clients and peers.
For more information on NARPM® or the CRMC®, click here. Congratulations to Vickie and the whole crew for their hard work!
For more information on NARPM® or the CRMC®, click here. Congratulations to Vickie and the whole crew for their hard work!
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Corp
On August 14th, our Condo AP Bookkeeper, Jen Collins, married her best friend Justin and became Mrs. Corp! She looked stunning and we are so excited for her. Congrats Jen and Justin!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Congrats to MVP Lamar Neagle and The Charleston Battery
Last Saturday, the Charleston South Carolina Battery won the United States Soccer League Division Two Championship against the Richmond Kickers, and one of our own has reason to celebrate! Maintenance Coordinator Maria Garcia's step-son, Lamar Neagle, helped lead his team to victory and was named league MVP!! To see the story and video interview, click here. (Courtesy of Live 5 News)
WELL DONE LAMAR!!
WELL DONE LAMAR!!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Carrot Approach to Collecting Assessments
Courtesy of Valerie Farris Oman, Attorney with Condominium Law Group, PLLC
Association attorneys can talk all day long about the “stick” approach to collecting delinquent assessments, because that’s what we do – we get involved after a delinquency already exists. However, the “carrot” approach to collecting assessments – essentially preventing or at least reducing delinquencies – is equally important and can save associations a lot of time and money spent trying to collect delinquent dues.
The first way an association can adopt the carrot approach is to educate and inform your owners about the reasons behind a particular budget decision. Are you raising the dues? Educate your owners as to why. Considering a special assessment? Hold an association meeting to discuss the reasons for the special assessment with your owners. Well-informed owners are far more likely to pay both regular and special assessments than owners who feel like they are being “taken for a ride.”
The next piece of the carrot approach is to make paying assessments as easy as possible for your owners. Some ideas include:
Have the option of automatic withdrawal for monthly dues;
Have a drop box on the property where owners can put their monthly payments;
Use payment coupons so owners have a concrete reminder they can see.
Next, consider somewhat unusual strategies that encourage payment and even pre-payment of dues. For example, at your annual budget meeting, discuss the idea of offering prepayment incentives, such that owners who prepay their dues for a year in advance can receive a “rebate” or “discount” of 5%. Or, offer prizes for on-time payment of dues or for pre-payment. You might purchase raffle prizes and give all owners who pay that month’s dues on time the opportunity to win a prize. A more valuable prize, such as a free round-trip plane ticket or a free annual gym membership might be a tantalizing incentive for owners who can pre-pay their dues a year in advance.
Finally, consider offering “amnesty” from penalties under certain circumstances to reduce a high delinquency rate. An association with 200 units with a 25% delinquency rate, for example, might offer that for a period of 60 days, all delinquent owners who pay their accounts in full may receive a one-time forgiveness of all accrued late fees and interest charges. We have heard of at least one association that successfully reduced their delinquency rate as a direct result of an “amnesty” program.
Collecting assessments on time is (Captain Obvious alert!) much easier than collecting delinquent assessments. Associations should employ all strategies available to them to educate owners and make paying assessments easy and convenient.
If you have any questions we can answer, please feel free to leave a comment on the Condo Law Group Blog or contact us directly.
Association attorneys can talk all day long about the “stick” approach to collecting delinquent assessments, because that’s what we do – we get involved after a delinquency already exists. However, the “carrot” approach to collecting assessments – essentially preventing or at least reducing delinquencies – is equally important and can save associations a lot of time and money spent trying to collect delinquent dues.
The first way an association can adopt the carrot approach is to educate and inform your owners about the reasons behind a particular budget decision. Are you raising the dues? Educate your owners as to why. Considering a special assessment? Hold an association meeting to discuss the reasons for the special assessment with your owners. Well-informed owners are far more likely to pay both regular and special assessments than owners who feel like they are being “taken for a ride.”
The next piece of the carrot approach is to make paying assessments as easy as possible for your owners. Some ideas include:
Have the option of automatic withdrawal for monthly dues;
Have a drop box on the property where owners can put their monthly payments;
Use payment coupons so owners have a concrete reminder they can see.
Next, consider somewhat unusual strategies that encourage payment and even pre-payment of dues. For example, at your annual budget meeting, discuss the idea of offering prepayment incentives, such that owners who prepay their dues for a year in advance can receive a “rebate” or “discount” of 5%. Or, offer prizes for on-time payment of dues or for pre-payment. You might purchase raffle prizes and give all owners who pay that month’s dues on time the opportunity to win a prize. A more valuable prize, such as a free round-trip plane ticket or a free annual gym membership might be a tantalizing incentive for owners who can pre-pay their dues a year in advance.
Finally, consider offering “amnesty” from penalties under certain circumstances to reduce a high delinquency rate. An association with 200 units with a 25% delinquency rate, for example, might offer that for a period of 60 days, all delinquent owners who pay their accounts in full may receive a one-time forgiveness of all accrued late fees and interest charges. We have heard of at least one association that successfully reduced their delinquency rate as a direct result of an “amnesty” program.
Collecting assessments on time is (Captain Obvious alert!) much easier than collecting delinquent assessments. Associations should employ all strategies available to them to educate owners and make paying assessments easy and convenient.
If you have any questions we can answer, please feel free to leave a comment on the Condo Law Group Blog or contact us directly.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Why Use Bell-Anderson?
by Vickie Gaskill, CPM®, MPM@, RMP@, Owner/Broker 
As you can see, our properties are spending about 22.1% of their income in operating expenses. There are a number of items that are not included in this analysis. Collection costs as well as Professional Services for the owner were less the .2% so I didn’t see a need to add them. Also, because we do not pay the mortgages of our owners, one would have to include their debt service when looking at a complete income and expense analysis.
A friend of mine did this same type of analysis for the properties that he manages in Boise, ID. He found that his total expenses were running at about 30% of the income collected. That might seem a bit higher then my figures. However, Tony included the apartment communities that he manages as well as his single family homes in his overall analysis. Multi-family communities will tend to have higher turnover rates then single family thus lending themselves to slightly higher operating costs. His figures also did not include debt service.
As far as how Bell-Anderson is doing in the marketplace, here’s a couple of graphs that demonstrate that overall in the past seven months we (green line) are slightly below the surrounding area (yellow line) in our vacancy rates. Also, our rental rates were running above the local and national rates but seem to have tapered off to meet other management firms in the local area, yet are still above the national average for rents. As you can tell, this is a great area of the country to invest in single family home rental property.
Recently, I had the opportunity to evaluate the income and expenses of the single family rental homes that we manage. If any of you are thinking about investing in real estate and want to take advantage of present day purchase prices as well as lower interest rates, here’s what I found out after looking at the past five year’s history:
As you can see, our properties are spending about 22.1% of their income in operating expenses. There are a number of items that are not included in this analysis. Collection costs as well as Professional Services for the owner were less the .2% so I didn’t see a need to add them. Also, because we do not pay the mortgages of our owners, one would have to include their debt service when looking at a complete income and expense analysis.
A friend of mine did this same type of analysis for the properties that he manages in Boise, ID. He found that his total expenses were running at about 30% of the income collected. That might seem a bit higher then my figures. However, Tony included the apartment communities that he manages as well as his single family homes in his overall analysis. Multi-family communities will tend to have higher turnover rates then single family thus lending themselves to slightly higher operating costs. His figures also did not include debt service.
As far as how Bell-Anderson is doing in the marketplace, here’s a couple of graphs that demonstrate that overall in the past seven months we (green line) are slightly below the surrounding area (yellow line) in our vacancy rates. Also, our rental rates were running above the local and national rates but seem to have tapered off to meet other management firms in the local area, yet are still above the national average for rents. As you can tell, this is a great area of the country to invest in single family home rental property.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Letter to the Lakes at Kent Regarding Flood Levies
Reprinted with permission from the City of Kent.
July 14, 2010
Dear Lakes Community Resident:
The City of Kent has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the King County Flood Control District on rebuilding the Green River levees in Kent. We have successfully partnered with these agencies to repair two significant levees in the last two years. One, the Riverbend Golf Course Levee, protects the Lakes Community.
Another levee that we planned to rebuild with the Corps is the Upper Russell Road Levee (URRL). It is the north extension of the Golf Course Levee and is located along the west side of the Lakes Community. The URRL project was included in the federal Green Duwamish Ecosystem Restoration Program, which has restoration of fish and wildlife habitat as its primary objective. A major challenge in funding the URRL through the federal program has been planning and designing the project to meet the program’s wildlife habitat objective while also complying with federal levee safety standards.
The federal levee safety standards require the areas around the levee to be devoid of all vegetation except grass, while habitat restoration goals include the placement of large numbers of native trees and plantings. The types of rock and soil materials built into the levee also differ between levee safety standards and ecosystem restoration goals. These design challenges are being dealt with nationwide, but have an immediate real impact here in Kent to our public safety, economic stability and environmental health.
The City is working with the Corps to resolve the conflict. However, the federal funding that was in place for the Ecosystem Restoration Project required the URRL to be under construction by the end of September, 2010. Due to the inability to resolve the vegetation conflict prior to that deadline, the Corps has returned the project funding to its headquarters, and new funding will need to be acquired to restart this project as a partnership.
Due to these developments, while we intend to keep working with the Corps, the City is now planning and designing its own project to repair this levee to federally certifiable standards. I want to assure you that the City’s flood protection is of the highest priority, and we will continue to pursue every avenue to improve your protection. We will keep you apprised of any new developments through your Neighborhood Council.
Questions or comments? Please direct questions or comments to Patricia Graesser, Public Information Officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
206-764-3760 or email patricia.graesser@us.army.mil
For questions about the City’s planned levee improvements, feel free to contact Mike Mactutis, Environmental Engineering Manager:
253-856-5520 or email mmactutis@ci.kent.wa.us
Sincerely,
Suzette Cooke
Mayor
July 14, 2010
Dear Lakes Community Resident:
The City of Kent has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the King County Flood Control District on rebuilding the Green River levees in Kent. We have successfully partnered with these agencies to repair two significant levees in the last two years. One, the Riverbend Golf Course Levee, protects the Lakes Community.
Another levee that we planned to rebuild with the Corps is the Upper Russell Road Levee (URRL). It is the north extension of the Golf Course Levee and is located along the west side of the Lakes Community. The URRL project was included in the federal Green Duwamish Ecosystem Restoration Program, which has restoration of fish and wildlife habitat as its primary objective. A major challenge in funding the URRL through the federal program has been planning and designing the project to meet the program’s wildlife habitat objective while also complying with federal levee safety standards.
The federal levee safety standards require the areas around the levee to be devoid of all vegetation except grass, while habitat restoration goals include the placement of large numbers of native trees and plantings. The types of rock and soil materials built into the levee also differ between levee safety standards and ecosystem restoration goals. These design challenges are being dealt with nationwide, but have an immediate real impact here in Kent to our public safety, economic stability and environmental health.
The City is working with the Corps to resolve the conflict. However, the federal funding that was in place for the Ecosystem Restoration Project required the URRL to be under construction by the end of September, 2010. Due to the inability to resolve the vegetation conflict prior to that deadline, the Corps has returned the project funding to its headquarters, and new funding will need to be acquired to restart this project as a partnership.
Due to these developments, while we intend to keep working with the Corps, the City is now planning and designing its own project to repair this levee to federally certifiable standards. I want to assure you that the City’s flood protection is of the highest priority, and we will continue to pursue every avenue to improve your protection. We will keep you apprised of any new developments through your Neighborhood Council.
Questions or comments? Please direct questions or comments to Patricia Graesser, Public Information Officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
206-764-3760 or email patricia.graesser@us.army.mil
For questions about the City’s planned levee improvements, feel free to contact Mike Mactutis, Environmental Engineering Manager:
253-856-5520 or email mmactutis@ci.kent.wa.us
Sincerely,
Suzette Cooke
Mayor
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
EPA Delays Lead Certification Requirement
On Friday, June 18th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will provide additional time for contractors to become trained and certified under the new Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. They have moved the deadline back to October 1st and will make exceptions regarding enforcement for workers who have applied to enroll or are enrolled in courses as of September 30th. Although it has delayed the certification deadline, the EPA will continue to enforce the work practice requirements set forth in the rule.
This announcement is a result of trade groups and elected officials voicing concern that contractors did not have proper access to the necessary certification courses. Contractors working on the pre-1978 target housing were originally required to be certified by April 22nd of this year.
For more information please visit the NARPM® webpage dedicated to the new lead based paint rules. There you will find helpful links to websites and important documents. Local and state governments have also started working on additional laws regarding lead-based paint. Please be sure you are monitoring updates from your local and state chapters of NARPM® to ensure compliance with all necessary laws regarding lead-based paint and residential property management.
This information is courtesy of NARPM®. For more information including contact information, Click Here.
This announcement is a result of trade groups and elected officials voicing concern that contractors did not have proper access to the necessary certification courses. Contractors working on the pre-1978 target housing were originally required to be certified by April 22nd of this year.
For more information please visit the NARPM® webpage dedicated to the new lead based paint rules. There you will find helpful links to websites and important documents. Local and state governments have also started working on additional laws regarding lead-based paint. Please be sure you are monitoring updates from your local and state chapters of NARPM® to ensure compliance with all necessary laws regarding lead-based paint and residential property management.
This information is courtesy of NARPM®. For more information including contact information, Click Here.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Summer Property Checklist
Courtesy of Richard Dobson, owner of The Master's Touch Painting Service. 253-988-6055
The general upkeep of rental properties is essential both in maintaining the value of a property and in attracting quality tenants to lease the property. Property owners depend on their property managers to help them identify items of concern that need to be taken care of. The days of summer is the best time to address certain items of concern that are easy to overlook.
Here is a short summer property checklist:
DRIVEWAYS / WALKWAYS / PATIOS: Horizontal brick, concrete and paver surfaces should be cleaned on a regular basis. Dirt, mold and moss can quickly build-up during the winter months. A quick pressure washing of these areas can easily brighten the appearance of any property.
DECKS: Wood decks usually need to be cleaned and stained every 2 to 5 years. Mold and moss build-up will not only deteriorate decks, but it will also make them slippery and dangerous to walk on. Regular cleaning is essential. Checking the decking for rotten boards is also important for safety concerns.
FENCING: Like wood decks, wood fences ought to be cleaned and stained in order to keep their durability and beauty. Replacing an entire fence can be expensive, so regular pressure washing, staining and repairs can extend the life of a fence by years.
ROOFING: Composite, tile and shake roofs should be treated with a moss killer treatment to prevent moss growth. Long term moss growth can rot composite and shake roofs. All roofs can be pressure washed if needed. Shake roofs need to be cleaned and treated every 5 to 10 years in order to preserve their beauty, life and durability.
TRIM / SIDING: The appearance of a building not only adds curb appeal, but also adds value to a building. Vinyl siding and trim need to be routinely cleaned. Ideally, a new paint new coat should be added before paint peeling occurs. Once peeling begins, deterioration speeds up rapidly. The trim still needs to be painted on buildings with vinyl siding.
GUTTERS / DOWN SPOUTS: In the Evergreen State, gutters and down spouts can fill quickly with leaves, branches, mold, grime and even plant life. Cleaning them out not only helps preserve them, but it also protects wood trim and siding from the damage caused by sitting and over flowing water due to clogged gutters and down spouts.
WINDOWS / SKYLIGHTS: These ought to be checked for leaks, cracks and cleanliness, both on the inside and outside. Even minor leaks can cause extensive damage where building surfaces get consistent exposure to unwanted moisture.
SHEDS / GARAGES: Detached buildings that tenants do not live in still need to be cared for. Neglecting these pieces of property can not only be a real eye sore, but can also cause the overall value of a property to decline. Regular repairs, cleaning and painting can go a long way in maintaining these buildings.
Maintaining the appearance of a property not only adds curb appeal for potential tenants, but it also adds to the long term value of the property. Your clients will appreciate your input on any recommendations you may have in helping them maintain the value of their investment they have entrusted you to oversee.
The general upkeep of rental properties is essential both in maintaining the value of a property and in attracting quality tenants to lease the property. Property owners depend on their property managers to help them identify items of concern that need to be taken care of. The days of summer is the best time to address certain items of concern that are easy to overlook.
Here is a short summer property checklist:
DRIVEWAYS / WALKWAYS / PATIOS: Horizontal brick, concrete and paver surfaces should be cleaned on a regular basis. Dirt, mold and moss can quickly build-up during the winter months. A quick pressure washing of these areas can easily brighten the appearance of any property.
DECKS: Wood decks usually need to be cleaned and stained every 2 to 5 years. Mold and moss build-up will not only deteriorate decks, but it will also make them slippery and dangerous to walk on. Regular cleaning is essential. Checking the decking for rotten boards is also important for safety concerns.
FENCING: Like wood decks, wood fences ought to be cleaned and stained in order to keep their durability and beauty. Replacing an entire fence can be expensive, so regular pressure washing, staining and repairs can extend the life of a fence by years.
ROOFING: Composite, tile and shake roofs should be treated with a moss killer treatment to prevent moss growth. Long term moss growth can rot composite and shake roofs. All roofs can be pressure washed if needed. Shake roofs need to be cleaned and treated every 5 to 10 years in order to preserve their beauty, life and durability.
TRIM / SIDING: The appearance of a building not only adds curb appeal, but also adds value to a building. Vinyl siding and trim need to be routinely cleaned. Ideally, a new paint new coat should be added before paint peeling occurs. Once peeling begins, deterioration speeds up rapidly. The trim still needs to be painted on buildings with vinyl siding.
GUTTERS / DOWN SPOUTS: In the Evergreen State, gutters and down spouts can fill quickly with leaves, branches, mold, grime and even plant life. Cleaning them out not only helps preserve them, but it also protects wood trim and siding from the damage caused by sitting and over flowing water due to clogged gutters and down spouts.
WINDOWS / SKYLIGHTS: These ought to be checked for leaks, cracks and cleanliness, both on the inside and outside. Even minor leaks can cause extensive damage where building surfaces get consistent exposure to unwanted moisture.
SHEDS / GARAGES: Detached buildings that tenants do not live in still need to be cared for. Neglecting these pieces of property can not only be a real eye sore, but can also cause the overall value of a property to decline. Regular repairs, cleaning and painting can go a long way in maintaining these buildings.
Maintaining the appearance of a property not only adds curb appeal for potential tenants, but it also adds to the long term value of the property. Your clients will appreciate your input on any recommendations you may have in helping them maintain the value of their investment they have entrusted you to oversee.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Kent Summer Concert Series
Throughout July and August, enjoy a variety of the region’s best live performances in some of Kent’s most beautiful parks – for free! Call 253-856-5050 or visit www.kentarts.com.
TAKE-OUT TUESDAYS:
Noon - 1pm
July 6 - August 10
Kent Station
July 6 - Blue 4 Trio
Eclectic music, including '30s and '40s swing and jump blues.
WEDNESDAY PICNIC PERFORMANCES: -Especially for Kids
Noon - 1pm
Sponsored by Allied Waste
Town Square Plaza
July 8 - Tickle Tune Typhoon
Dancing vegetables, larger-than-life robots and award-winning music! This Northwest favorite delivers positive messages and educational topics cleverly disguised as silly fun!
THURSDAYS AT THE LAKE:
7 - 8:30pm
Sponsored by Valley Medical Center
Lake Meridian Park
July 8 - Ray Wylie Hubbard
This legendary Texas troubadour counts among his colleagues icons like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Jerry Jeff Walker. Like them, Ray Wylie Hubbard is part of the musical legacy that continues to inspire subsequent generations of up-and-coming Texas talent.
Summer concerts are free. Donations of any amount are appreciated and used to continue to offer free quality entertainment for families. Donations are accepted on site the day of the performance. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact (253) 856-5050 or artscommission@ci.kent.wa.us to learn more about becoming a sponsor.
Summer Concert Series is family friendly and offers some performances that are especially for kids and families. All seating is unassigned, lawn seating and first come, first serve. Visitors may bring their own chairs or blankets.
Please the City of Kent know in advance how they may be able to help provide reasonable accommodations to those needing special assistance.
A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors 4Culture and Washington State Arts Commission and Kent Station.
Reprinted from the City of Kent's Scene eNewsletter and website
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
WSCAI Law Day
On May 22nd, board members, property managers, and other representatives will get together in order to benefit WSCAI's Legislative Action Committee. This is a one day seminar offering many different classes that are beneficial to all types of communities. Classes range from rental restrictions to legal issues boot camp for new board members. We strongly encourage all of our board members to take advantage of this opportunity and attend this seminar!
The seminar will be held at the Lynnwood Convention Center and is from 8am to 3:30pm and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The fee is $85 for all attendees regardless if you are a CAI member or not. Contact our office for a registration form!
Hope to see you there!
The seminar will be held at the Lynnwood Convention Center and is from 8am to 3:30pm and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The fee is $85 for all attendees regardless if you are a CAI member or not. Contact our office for a registration form!
Hope to see you there!
Friday, May 14, 2010
What can you do to get the best rent under the current market conditions?
By Vickie Gaskill, CPM®, MPM@, RMP@, ARM@ OWNER/BROKER
According to a recent report published by Dupree + Scott (April 2010), we may have experienced a rather rough past 12 months and are probably looking to more of the same in the future. They’ve seen a decline of 2% in one bedroom rents, 1.25% decline in 2 bedrooms, and a 1% decline in 3-4 bedrooms over the past 12 months. They noted that the only increase in rents was found in some 4 bedroom and 5 bedrooms and that was about 1%. They asked participants in their survey how much they expect rents in their properties to change over the next six months. Only 10% plan to increase rents and about as many anticipate decreasing rents.
According to the report, the overall average rents for properties in the greater South King County area is $1,086. As you can see by the graph below, Bell-Anderson’s average is pretty much keeping step with the Dupree + Scott analysis.
So what can homeowners do to make their homes more rentable?
1. Make sure it has great curb appeal – What does it look like when someone drives by it on the street. Have the landscaping in good shape. Remember, you’ll want to have the tenant maintain the yard while their occupying the property. Give it to them in good shape to start with.
2. Price it competitively – Sometimes that means that you won’t make your entire mortgage payment with the amount of rent collected. With our overabundance of rentals today, take the advice of your professional property manager when it comes to setting the rent amount.
3. Fresh paint, clean carpets, and all appliances must be in good working order. Just because you were able to put up with the nonworking burner on the stove or the drippy faucet in the sink, doesn’t mean that a tenant won’t want everything working properly. When these negative things are shown to a perspective tenant, they make the assumption that you don’t care about your house and they can treat it the same way you did.
Market conditions are a bit challenging right now. As a landlord/homeowner, it’s imperative that you do all you can to achieve renting your property out in a timely manner.
According to a recent report published by Dupree + Scott (April 2010), we may have experienced a rather rough past 12 months and are probably looking to more of the same in the future. They’ve seen a decline of 2% in one bedroom rents, 1.25% decline in 2 bedrooms, and a 1% decline in 3-4 bedrooms over the past 12 months. They noted that the only increase in rents was found in some 4 bedroom and 5 bedrooms and that was about 1%. They asked participants in their survey how much they expect rents in their properties to change over the next six months. Only 10% plan to increase rents and about as many anticipate decreasing rents.
According to the report, the overall average rents for properties in the greater South King County area is $1,086. As you can see by the graph below, Bell-Anderson’s average is pretty much keeping step with the Dupree + Scott analysis.
So what can homeowners do to make their homes more rentable?
1. Make sure it has great curb appeal – What does it look like when someone drives by it on the street. Have the landscaping in good shape. Remember, you’ll want to have the tenant maintain the yard while their occupying the property. Give it to them in good shape to start with.
2. Price it competitively – Sometimes that means that you won’t make your entire mortgage payment with the amount of rent collected. With our overabundance of rentals today, take the advice of your professional property manager when it comes to setting the rent amount.
3. Fresh paint, clean carpets, and all appliances must be in good working order. Just because you were able to put up with the nonworking burner on the stove or the drippy faucet in the sink, doesn’t mean that a tenant won’t want everything working properly. When these negative things are shown to a perspective tenant, they make the assumption that you don’t care about your house and they can treat it the same way you did.
Market conditions are a bit challenging right now. As a landlord/homeowner, it’s imperative that you do all you can to achieve renting your property out in a timely manner.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
How Much Money Should you Put Aside for Rental Repairs?
(Excerpt from Rentals.com May 2010 Newsletter)
Becoming a landlord doesn’t just mean worrying about keeping your property rented and to the right tenants. You also need to be sure you have budgeted for necessary repairs. Read on for some tips on how to plan ahead for the inevitable repair bills.
How much to put aside
Prevailing wisdom recommends saving 1% to 3% of the value of your rental property for repairs each year. Though repair totals will vary from year to year, leftover funds from one year can help cover you for big expenditures during another one. Just be sure you set down a dollar amount to hit annually for savings. On a rental property worth $250,000, for example, try to reserve $2,500 to $7,500 for repairs each year. Hitting your annual repair-fund goals will also help you prepare for the unexpected, such as storm damage.
Be realistic
Ideally, you had your property inspected before purchase and so are aware of the age of big-ticket items like the roof, HVAC system and kitchen appliances. Accounting for normal wear and tear, you’ll have a basic idea of when you’ll need to repair or replace these items, so start socking away funds for those major repairs.
Preventative measures
You can keep small repair issues from turning into big ones with regular maintenance, so be sure to budget for maintenance as well. Everything from chimney cleaning to tree or limb removal can save you big money down the line, so be sure you’re planning for the expense. Other maintenance practices to implement are yearly HVAC checks and regular gutter cleaning.
Don’t be caught off guard by repair bills for your rental property. Prepare now by starting a savings fund to take care of regular maintenance and the cost of repairs to and replacement of systems, appliances and structural items.
Becoming a landlord doesn’t just mean worrying about keeping your property rented and to the right tenants. You also need to be sure you have budgeted for necessary repairs. Read on for some tips on how to plan ahead for the inevitable repair bills.
How much to put aside
Prevailing wisdom recommends saving 1% to 3% of the value of your rental property for repairs each year. Though repair totals will vary from year to year, leftover funds from one year can help cover you for big expenditures during another one. Just be sure you set down a dollar amount to hit annually for savings. On a rental property worth $250,000, for example, try to reserve $2,500 to $7,500 for repairs each year. Hitting your annual repair-fund goals will also help you prepare for the unexpected, such as storm damage.
Be realistic
Ideally, you had your property inspected before purchase and so are aware of the age of big-ticket items like the roof, HVAC system and kitchen appliances. Accounting for normal wear and tear, you’ll have a basic idea of when you’ll need to repair or replace these items, so start socking away funds for those major repairs.
Preventative measures
You can keep small repair issues from turning into big ones with regular maintenance, so be sure to budget for maintenance as well. Everything from chimney cleaning to tree or limb removal can save you big money down the line, so be sure you’re planning for the expense. Other maintenance practices to implement are yearly HVAC checks and regular gutter cleaning.
Don’t be caught off guard by repair bills for your rental property. Prepare now by starting a savings fund to take care of regular maintenance and the cost of repairs to and replacement of systems, appliances and structural items.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Reminder About Your Yard
Just a friendly reminder to all of our tenants and residents living in homeowner's associations. This is the time of year when folks are getting more yard violation notices. In order to avoid this, please make sure to keep your lawn neatly mowed and beds free from weeds. Thanks in advance for keeping your property beautiful!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Successful Board Training Seminar
BOARD TRAINING SEMINAR~“Delinquent Accounts, Collections and Foreclosures” Held on Tuesday, April 13, 2010. Due to the overwhelming interest and support from the last Board Training Seminar, Bell-Anderson hosted the first seminar of 2010. The topic of discussion was Delinquent Accounts, Collections and Foreclosures. Expert Attorney’s Dean Pody & Patrick McDonald of Sundberg & Pody Law Office, PLLC presented this informational seminar. Many great questions were presented and answered and the participates felt the information was extremely beneficial. Everyone (Bell-Anderson staff included) gained a bit more knowledge in this complex area. If you would like an emailed copy of the seminar outline that was handed out at the meeting, please contact your Property Manager. A big thank you to all who attended!
Janice McCurley
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Business Judgment Rule
From: Community Associations: A Guide to Successful Management
Authors: Stephen Barber, CPM® and Vickie L. Gaskill, MPM®, CPM®
Sometimes the Board of Directors is entrusted to make some very serious and controversial decisions for the association. If faced with the potential of a lawsuit over an unpopular decision they may be able to rely on “the business judgment rule”. Simply stated, when the Board of Directors has acted in good faith, exercised honest judgment and acted in the best interests of the association the courts will tend to treat the Board they same as they would any other corporate director making the business decision for the organization. The business judgment rule serves to protect the decisions of the board when those decisions are not arbitrary and illogical.
When making decisions for the association the Board of Directors want to:
• Stay informed. Oftentimes the Board does not have the background or training to completely understand the complexities of a matter. Relying on experts such as attorneys, professional property managers, and contractors will assist them in making informed decisions.
• Consider alternatives. The courts like to see that before the final decision was arrived at, the Board looked at all angles and came up with what they believed to be the best.
• Document everything. As the Board is making decisions they should write them down and provide the reasons for those decisions. Most of the time this is done through the meeting minutes, however, even when something may appear to be rather incidental a short written note can serve as a mind refresher in the future if necessary.
• Establish good hearing and due process procedures. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be heard. Even when the Board knows that the confrontation might be a difficult one they should have some sort of policy and procedure in place to hear all sides to the issue.
In 1997,the Washington Supreme Court summarized the law on the “Business Judgment Rule” in Riss v. Angel, 934 P.2d 669, 131 Wash. 2d 612,632 . To paraphrase the Court:
1. Directors will not be held liable for honest mistakes.
2. Condominium directors have a fiduciary duty to exercise ordinary care.
3. The decision of the homeowners associations must be reasonable.
4. The court will not substitute its judgment for that of corporate directors unless there is evidence of fraud, dishonesty, or incompetence.
5. A director must act with such care as a reasonable prudent person in a like position would.
Similar court decisions have been made in New York (Levandusky v. One Fifth Avenue Apartment Corp.), California (Lamden v. La Jolla Shores Condominium Association), and Colorado (Colorado Homes, Ltd, v. Loerch-Wilson)
Authors: Stephen Barber, CPM® and Vickie L. Gaskill, MPM®, CPM®
Sometimes the Board of Directors is entrusted to make some very serious and controversial decisions for the association. If faced with the potential of a lawsuit over an unpopular decision they may be able to rely on “the business judgment rule”. Simply stated, when the Board of Directors has acted in good faith, exercised honest judgment and acted in the best interests of the association the courts will tend to treat the Board they same as they would any other corporate director making the business decision for the organization. The business judgment rule serves to protect the decisions of the board when those decisions are not arbitrary and illogical.
When making decisions for the association the Board of Directors want to:
• Stay informed. Oftentimes the Board does not have the background or training to completely understand the complexities of a matter. Relying on experts such as attorneys, professional property managers, and contractors will assist them in making informed decisions.
• Consider alternatives. The courts like to see that before the final decision was arrived at, the Board looked at all angles and came up with what they believed to be the best.
• Document everything. As the Board is making decisions they should write them down and provide the reasons for those decisions. Most of the time this is done through the meeting minutes, however, even when something may appear to be rather incidental a short written note can serve as a mind refresher in the future if necessary.
• Establish good hearing and due process procedures. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be heard. Even when the Board knows that the confrontation might be a difficult one they should have some sort of policy and procedure in place to hear all sides to the issue.
In 1997,the Washington Supreme Court summarized the law on the “Business Judgment Rule” in Riss v. Angel, 934 P.2d 669, 131 Wash. 2d 612,632 . To paraphrase the Court:
1. Directors will not be held liable for honest mistakes.
2. Condominium directors have a fiduciary duty to exercise ordinary care.
3. The decision of the homeowners associations must be reasonable.
4. The court will not substitute its judgment for that of corporate directors unless there is evidence of fraud, dishonesty, or incompetence.
5. A director must act with such care as a reasonable prudent person in a like position would.
Similar court decisions have been made in New York (Levandusky v. One Fifth Avenue Apartment Corp.), California (Lamden v. La Jolla Shores Condominium Association), and Colorado (Colorado Homes, Ltd, v. Loerch-Wilson)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Join NARPM for FREE
Are you a residential property manager who has considered joining the National Association of Property Managers? Now is the time to do so! Rentals.com has generously offered to pay the first year dues for any new member who is currently a property manager and works in an office that does not already have any NARPM members. This is a GREAT opportunity if you have been looking at the organization but are hesitant to do do. Visit http://www.narpm.org/ for more information.
Several members of our office are NARPM members who are actively working on designations to be able to better serve our clients, and our broker, Vickie Gaskill, is currently serving as the National President. If you have any questions or would like to visit our monthly luncheon, e-mail Kasey at kcnarpmhotline@gmail.com.
From NARPM's website:
The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM®), founded in October 1988, provides a permanent trade organization for the residential property management industry. NARPM® continues to be the premier professional association of residential property managers, currently representing over 2,500 members comprised of real estate agents, brokers, managers and their employees.
Several members of our office are NARPM members who are actively working on designations to be able to better serve our clients, and our broker, Vickie Gaskill, is currently serving as the National President. If you have any questions or would like to visit our monthly luncheon, e-mail Kasey at kcnarpmhotline@gmail.com.
From NARPM's website:
The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM®), founded in October 1988, provides a permanent trade organization for the residential property management industry. NARPM® continues to be the premier professional association of residential property managers, currently representing over 2,500 members comprised of real estate agents, brokers, managers and their employees.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Office & Home Electrical Safety
by Stefanie Octave
Whether at home or the office, you should always be watchful for electrical hazards. At the office, it is up to everyone to pay attention to electrical safety and avoid possible injury. Here is a list of some great electrical safety tips from workplace-safetytips.com that are sure to make your workplace safer.
Workplace Safety Electrical Tips
Find more electrical safety and other safety information from theWashington Department of Labor and Industries website: http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/
Whether at home or the office, you should always be watchful for electrical hazards. At the office, it is up to everyone to pay attention to electrical safety and avoid possible injury. Here is a list of some great electrical safety tips from workplace-safetytips.com that are sure to make your workplace safer.
Workplace Safety Electrical Tips
- Never allow your employees to overload circuits. To many cords plugged into a sock it is a very easy way to start a fire.
- When buying electrical equipment for your company, make sure that they are approved by a company such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- Make sure all electrical cords around the office are in good working condition. If you come across cords that are frayed or broken, make sure you have them replaced immediately.
- It is a good idea to have a weekly check of all electrical appliances around the company to make sure everything is in good working condition.
- Never keep electrical appliances around water. If a drink is spilled near a computer system, have it cleaned up immediately.
- Be careful when using electrical extension cords. It is very important not to have too many things plugged in to the same cord.
- Only have three prong plugs plugged into three prong sockets. 3 Prong plugs can only be safely plugged in to 3 pronged electrical outlets, or electrical sockets.
- Make sure your staff is always wearing the right protective gear when dealing with electrical systems.
- Always take the time to check to see if light switches and other such electrical systems are hot or overheating, if they are have them replaced right away.
- Flickering lights can be a good indication that there could be electrical problems. If this occurs make sure to have it check out as soon as possible.
- If electrical tools start to show wear and tear have them replaced.
Find more electrical safety and other safety information from theWashington Department of Labor and Industries website: http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Board Training Seminar
Bell Anderson and Associates will be hosting a board member training seminar covering the topic of Delinquencies, Collections, and Foreclosures. It is strongly encouraged for you to attend this FREE event.
The event will take place on Tuesday, April 13th at 6pm. The event will be located at the Kent Senior Center, 600 E Smith St, Kent, WA 98030. Our expect speaker will be from the Law Offices of Sundberg & Pody.
Our gracious sponsor, Pacheco Painting, will be providing snacks for the attendees.
Please RSVP to your property manager! We look forward to seeing you there!
The event will take place on Tuesday, April 13th at 6pm. The event will be located at the Kent Senior Center, 600 E Smith St, Kent, WA 98030. Our expect speaker will be from the Law Offices of Sundberg & Pody.
Our gracious sponsor, Pacheco Painting, will be providing snacks for the attendees.
Please RSVP to your property manager! We look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Being Safe Online
by Vickie Gaskill, CPM®, MPM®
Most of us are spending a lot more time than we ever have “surfing the web”. What we think are perfectly innocent websites turn out to be bogus misleading deceptive web attractions. Now that we have Facebook, Twitter, and all sorts of social networking sites, it’s becoming harder and harder to protect a lot of our personal information and that of our children. I did a bit of research and thanks to the help of MSN found some good online safety tips.
Online Safety Tips:
1. Keep your personal information private including your name, phone number, additional passwords and social security or credit card numbers.
2. Turn off the computer if you feel uncomfortable with what you are seeing on the screen.
3. Never agree to let children meet someone in person who they have met online.
4. Don’t share photos of yourself with strangers.
5. Keep the computer your child uses in a central location
6. Join children as they surf the Internet.
7. Install anti-virus software on your computer.
8. Remember, not everyone on the Web is who they say they are.
Helpful sites on the Internet:
GetNetWise – Internet resources for online safety information
StaySafeOnline.Info – Secure your home or small business computers. This site also has an animated interactive safety quiz designed just for kids hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and Tara Lipinski
SafeKids – tips, advice and suggestions to make your family’s online experience fun and productive
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) – Learn about ways to prevent abduction and to report missing children
Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the surf!
Most of us are spending a lot more time than we ever have “surfing the web”. What we think are perfectly innocent websites turn out to be bogus misleading deceptive web attractions. Now that we have Facebook, Twitter, and all sorts of social networking sites, it’s becoming harder and harder to protect a lot of our personal information and that of our children. I did a bit of research and thanks to the help of MSN found some good online safety tips.
Online Safety Tips:
1. Keep your personal information private including your name, phone number, additional passwords and social security or credit card numbers.
2. Turn off the computer if you feel uncomfortable with what you are seeing on the screen.
3. Never agree to let children meet someone in person who they have met online.
4. Don’t share photos of yourself with strangers.
5. Keep the computer your child uses in a central location
6. Join children as they surf the Internet.
7. Install anti-virus software on your computer.
8. Remember, not everyone on the Web is who they say they are.
Helpful sites on the Internet:
GetNetWise – Internet resources for online safety information
StaySafeOnline.Info – Secure your home or small business computers. This site also has an animated interactive safety quiz designed just for kids hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and Tara Lipinski
SafeKids – tips, advice and suggestions to make your family’s online experience fun and productive
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) – Learn about ways to prevent abduction and to report missing children
Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the surf!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Vendor Night
Last night we held our first VENDOR NIGHT at the Kent Community Center with great success!! We had over 30 vendors come out and we are excited about the turnout. We shared some pizza, listened to a presentation by the EPA about lead-based paint and remodeling, got the opportunity to meet in person a lot of the folks who we only connect with over the phone, and gave away a pair of hockey tickets to one lucky vendor. Thank you very much for those who came out to meet us. If you were unable to attend, we hope you will join us in the future. If you are a vendor and have suggestions for a speaking topic that you may find interesting for next year's meeting, please e-mail Maria at mgarcia@bell-anderson.net. For those who wanted more information about becoming a NARPM affiliated vendor, you can find that at http://chapters.narpm.org/C015/affiliates-join.html
The EPA's presentation
All of our lovely vendors
Maintenance Coordinator Maria (who put together the event) & Jen going over reminders and community events
Dawn & Carrie signing people in
The EPA's presentation
All of our lovely vendors
Maintenance Coordinator Maria (who put together the event) & Jen going over reminders and community events
Dawn & Carrie signing people inThank you again for everyone who came out. We are hoping to do this again in the future!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Cancer Sucks!
by Vickie Gaskill, MPM®, RMP® CPM®
Some of you may already know this, but for those of you that don’t, I thought that it was time to let you know. At the end of Dec. 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. On the 12th of Jan. this year I had a bilateral mastectomy. All my tests have now come back and because they look awesome, I won’t have to have any chemotherapy. I share this because I want each and everyone you to take a moment and reconsider just how it is you are going about your life on a daily basis. I was given a pretty severe wake up call!
Have you put off vacations, medical procedures, visits with your relatives, or schooling just because you figured that work and business was more important? I did. I enjoy my work and being an entrepreneur. I thought that’s what was going to make me fulfilled. Well, I learned really fast in the past month and a half that work and business isn’t everything.
I’m so very grateful that I had the mammogram when I did. Even then, I only went in because a good friend of mine had had a bit of a scare and I knew that it had been three years since my last check up. When the word came back that I had three cancer positive biopsies, I was scared to death, as was my entire family. I don’t want any of you to go through that experience. It’s like your life force is ripped right out of you. My story has a happy ending. I don’t want yours to be otherwise. So please, schedule that medical test today, pick up the phone and call a relative that been waiting to hear from you, look at your calendar and decide when you’re going on vacation, and remember, there are a lot of people who love you and want you in there lives for as long as possible.
And for all of you who have been absolute “pillars of support” for me during all of this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
My husband Tim and I at our 40th Anniversary Party
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Check This Out!!!! iphone and blackberry app for Goff & DeWalt
Goff & DeWalt is pleased to announce that the Apple iTunes Store has approved our two new Free applications for the iPhone! These are also available for BlackBerry devices!
One application Is called “GWManual” and the other is called GWRedPhone” and are available now at no charge. The manual contains information useful to Association Managers and to Association Board members. The Red Phone is a simply way to keep the Goff & DeWalyt phone numbers handy for those times when you need a fast answer to a question facing you (just like the famous “red Phone” in the White House!).
Both of these applications are available at no charge. Here are some screen shots”
Both applications loaded on an iPhone:
Here is a close-up of the “G & DW Resource Manual” Ap and the “Red Phone” Ap:
This application will provide immediate access to key resources - right at your fingertips!
Copied below is a screen shot of the resources you gain – note especially the Community Association Guide!
In order to load these applications, proceed as follows:
For the iPhone:
Type “Goff and DeWalt” into the applications search page on your iPhone or on the applications page in iTunes and download them.
For the BlackBerry:
Visit the “Resources” tab on the www.goffdewalt.com website or click here: http://www.goffdewalt.com/index.php/Resources/
We hope you will enjoy these new resources! Let us know what you think!
One application Is called “GWManual” and the other is called GWRedPhone” and are available now at no charge. The manual contains information useful to Association Managers and to Association Board members. The Red Phone is a simply way to keep the Goff & DeWalyt phone numbers handy for those times when you need a fast answer to a question facing you (just like the famous “red Phone” in the White House!).
Both of these applications are available at no charge. Here are some screen shots”
Both applications loaded on an iPhone:
Here is a close-up of the “G & DW Resource Manual” Ap and the “Red Phone” Ap:
This application will provide immediate access to key resources - right at your fingertips!
Copied below is a screen shot of the resources you gain – note especially the Community Association Guide!
In order to load these applications, proceed as follows:
For the iPhone:
Type “Goff and DeWalt” into the applications search page on your iPhone or on the applications page in iTunes and download them.
For the BlackBerry:
Visit the “Resources” tab on the www.goffdewalt.com website or click here: http://www.goffdewalt.com/index.php/Resources/
We hope you will enjoy these new resources! Let us know what you think!
Friday, January 8, 2010
From the Desk of Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan
January 9, 2010
I haven’t done a column in a while; since before Officer Brenton was murdered in Seattle, which of course was followed by the murder of four Lakewood officers and then the death of Deputy Mundell in Pierce County. I have avoided writing anything about the events of the last two months because I don’t have anything profound or illuminating to say, and anything less would be trite. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, any attempt to say something intelligent is “far above our poor power to add or detract.” Now that we have entered the new (and hopefully quieter) year, I won’t attempt to be profound but I will share a few related comments and reflections.
In 24 years in law enforcement I have never seen anything quite like this. Officer deaths occur, but are infrequent. Not only the frequency and scope, but the acts themselves are overwhelming. The attacks were not just on the officers, or the department, or the profession, but on the community. The cold-blooded murder of Officers Brenton, Richards, Griswold, Owens, and Renninger was an attack on civilized society, and it crossed a line. The astounding outpouring of emotion and support that followed, up to and including the response to the death of Deputy Mundell was in part because of that attack on society itself. It is jarring and upsetting and shakes our collective beliefs.
In the past two months, we have seen public reaction which has occasionally included calls for some sort of action to “solve” this problem. Some of these ideas are worth exploring and discussing, but we really should not attach them to the loss of these officers. Banning guns, having more guns, reducing or increasing mental health treatment, making more laws - none of these, by themselves, will solve the problem. In our society, the interplay between personal rights and public safety is just too complex, and there are no simple answers.
Here in Kent, we received countless cards and flowers at the department, and almost every officer has a story about someone here in Kent approaching them in a store or on a call, saying how much they appreciate their department and feel the loss of the officers. We are all deeply appreciative of the support of those we serve.
After the past two months and attending too many funerals, I can offer only three observations that, I hope, will help us find some context.
First, one of our Kent Sergeants, right after the Lakewood shootings, was meeting with his group of officers and of course, lengthy discussion of the incident and our opinions followed. This Sergeant is a top-notch police instructor, SWAT officer, and expert in officer safety. Rather than focus only on caution and staying safe, he ended his briefing by assigning the officers a very specific mission: pair up, go to a coffee shop, and talk to our residents. They want to talk to us as much as we need to talk with them. It’s easy for us to underestimate just how many truly good people there are all around us, but these tragic events brought that all out and made it abundantly clear.
Second, another observation was that the funerals for each of these officers, while formal and ceremonial and respectful, focused not on their heroism and their sacrifice, but rather on their humanity. Each funeral highlighted their families and funny stories about their jobs. There was no deification of anyone, only highlights of real people who had real experiences and faults. They were human beings who loved their jobs and did the best they could. Police officers are not good at drawing attention to themselves, and the basic humanity of each officer was what I really understood.
One of the most salient observations for me was that in every instance, the families of these fallen officers did not engage in any kind of blame, anger, or hostility. It would be understandable if all of us wanted to focus on those who committed these acts, but the fact is, they weren’t even part of the discussion at the memorials. Each funeral was about celebrating good people who lived worthwhile lives. There was no recrimination or self-pity. The funerals and memorials were not sad at all; they were recognition of people who lost their lives too soon, doing what they loved.
Finally, I came away thinking about the strong message that came from the children of Officer Greg Richards, who started his career right here at the Kent Police Department. Their message was simple. Greg was a good dad, and the best way to honor him, and each of the officers who gave their lives, is be a better mom or dad. Be a better sister or brother, a better son or daughter. Be a better friend.
Have a great week!
-Steve
Reprinted with permission from and thanks to the Kent PD
Tree-Cycling
My apologies for not getting this posted sooner! For many cities in King County, it's not too late to put your holiday tree out for free curbside recycling. Here's a website with links by city:
http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/tree-cycling.asp
In some cities, if you have already missed the curbside deadline, you can arrange for a local boy scout troop to pick the tree up for a small donation. You can find that information on each city's page.
On behalf of Bell-Anderson, thank you for a wonderful 2009. We are eager to see what 2010 brings!
http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/tree-cycling.asp
In some cities, if you have already missed the curbside deadline, you can arrange for a local boy scout troop to pick the tree up for a small donation. You can find that information on each city's page.
On behalf of Bell-Anderson, thank you for a wonderful 2009. We are eager to see what 2010 brings!
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