Homeowner Reminders

What the homeowner is responsible for maintaining and repairing?

Keeping the exterior Villa walls free from mold, mildew and dirt. Leaving these items on the wood will increase the speed with which wood rot and deterioration occur.

The doorways, windows, vents, and other structural elements in the walls, floors, and ceilings of the Villa which are regarded as enclosures of space.

The doors opening into the Villa and into any mechanical area or courtyard integral to the Villa, including the frames, casings, hinges, handles, and other fixtures which are part of the doors.

The window glasses, screens, frames, wells, the casings which are part of the windows opening from the Villa.

The metal flue and the plumbing and mechanical vents which exclusively serve the Villa; the appliances, air conditioning and heating units, hot water heaters, lavatories, bath tubs, toilets, carpeting, floor covering, flooring, trim, ceilings, walls, framing, floor joists, trusses, beams, insulation, structural slab and fill, and other fixtures, furnishings.

The screens, partitions, railings, balustrades, or fences bounding or enclosing any deck, terrace, balcony, courtyard, or service area that is integral and exclusive to the Villa, and the treated wood decking or concrete surface within any such area, provided, however, that any screen, partition, fence, or door constructed of the same wood siding (Cedar) as the exterior of the Villas shall be considered part of the Common Elements and shall be maintained by the COA;

All pipes, wires, conduits, ducts, and other plumbing, mechanical, and electrical appurtenances which are integral and exclusive to the Villa, including lamps, attached to the exterior of the Villa, and including water pipes serving the Villa extending to the meter, sewer pipes serving the Villa extending five (5) feet from the Villa, and the underground drainage system beneath the Villa.

Vermin, bats, mice etc. and pest control including wasps, ants, spiders, termites, roaches, and other insects.

Winterizing Your Home

When the temperature drops to the low twenties/teens overnight. It is imperative that you take the proper precautions to properly winterize your home.

Winterizing is the process that everyone should undertake to make your home ready for winter. Freezing temperatures, ice, snow and wind can cause severe damage to your home.

Why do pipes freeze?

Your pipes can freeze for any combination of reasons:

  • Quick drops in temperature to 20 degrees F or below
  • Extended hours below 32 degrees F
  • Poor insulation
  • Setting thermostats too low

How do I keep my pipes from freezing?

You can’t keep the temperature from dropping, but you can protect your pipes.

  • Insulating unfinished areas, such as garages, where pipes may be exposed.
  • Draining and shutting off pipes flowing to the outside faucets.
  • Leaving faucets slowly dripping and cabinets open to expose pipes to warmer air.
  • Having someone check your home regularly while you are away.
  • Disconnecting all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
  • Keeping your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher at all times.

When a hard freeze is coming:

  • Let warm water trickle from faucets overnight, particularly on an exterior wall or at the end of a long stretch of unprotected pipe.
  • Open cabinet doors, especially near exterior walls, to allow heat to reach uninsulated pipes under sinks, etc. (Make sure harmful cleaners or other household chemicals are out of the reach of children.)
  • Don’t turn your thermostat down below 65 degrees during extreme cold. Further drops in temperature could be enough to cause a problem, especially inside walls where pipes are located. Your heating bill may go up a little, but that’s better than an expensive repair job if a pipe freezes and bursts.

My pipes froze…now what?

Don’t assume your pipes will automatically burst if they’ve frozen. No reason to panic yet.

  • Turn on your faucets and leave them on. As the frozen area starts to melt, water will start moving again and help more ice to melt.
  • Try to locate the frozen area of the pipe.
  • Apply heat to the frozen area if possible. You can use an electric heating pad, electric hair dryer, a portable space heater, or wrap the pipes in towels soaked in hot water.

CAUTION: never use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater or other open flame that could create a fire hazard. Such a device could also boil the water, causing the pipe to explode.

**Refrain from calling the Association Management Solutions Emergency Line for No Water due to Frozen Pipes as this isn’t a True Emergency. Mother Nature will soon take it’s course and use the tips above to help your pipes warm back up.**

What if a pipe bursts?

Turn the water off at the main shutoff valve and leave the faucets on. Take a moment to locate where this is before it becomes an emergency.

It is important that heat is left on in vacant homes. If damage occurs due to heat being turned off, insurance companies may deem this as negligence and refuse to pay a claim.

Also please note the following:

 *it states that the heavy snow and freezing rain make travel treacherous if not impossible and may include power outages.

*keep flashlights readily available with new batteries and be careful using candles if the power goes out.

 *its recommended that no one travel except in cases of emergency.

 *that since the city streets and highways are iced and in some cases shut down that we should all anticipate delays in the servicing of our roads even though they are scheduled to be plowed ASAP.

Parking Policies

The following is the parking policy for the Bluff Villas:  

  1. No parking shall be allowed on the grass or mulch areas in the community at any time.
  1. All parked vehicles must be in good repair, operable, display a current state license, registration, and either resident vehicle gate pass or visitor pass.
  1. Vehicle covers must be in good repair, hung on the vehicle not a frame, removed from view when the vehicle is driven.
  1. All vehicles must be parked in designated parking spaces.
  1. Parking in unmarked areas shall be permitted only when all guest places are occupied:
    1. The vehicle must not obstruct the flow of traffic.
    2. Utility trailers, camping trailers, or boat trailers may be parallel parked at the curb not obstructing the flow in and out of parking spaces or traffic. While parked the trailer shall remain attached to the towing vehicle. Camping trailers may not be occupied while parked in the Bluff Villas.
    3. The vehicle remains parked for no more than 72 hours. In order to be in compliance, the vehicle must be removed for more than 72 hours prior to earning a second 72 hour parking permitted period.
  1. Guest spaces:
    1. Guest spaces should be used for guest parking and not overflow resident parking for more than 72 hours consecutively. In order to be in compliance, the vehicle must be removed for more than 72 hours prior to earning a second 72 hour parking permitted period.

If your vehicle is in violation of the rules listed above, it is subject to towing.  If your vehicle is towed, you will be financially responsible for all charges and retrieval costs.  Please remind your guests to park in designated parking areas and to follow these rules.  Should your vehicle be towed, please contact SL Recovery: 704-606-6814

  1. Boat dock:
    1. The boat dock is for loading and unloading ONLY. Boats are not permitted to be docked for more than 1 hour.  If a boat is docked for more than 30 minutes it is subject to towing. If your boat is towed, you will be financially responsible for all charges and retrieval costs.  Should your boat be towed, please contact Sea Tow: 704-895-8699