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.

Help is on the way; stay prepared this flood season!

September 3, 2010

Dear 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.

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.

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!

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!