Miscellaneous Topics

• At the behest of a homeowner, we worked with the City of Orlando to obtain a sign for Conroy Road instructing drivers not to block the entrance of Willow court. The sign was obtained and installed.  This will hopefully aid owners and residents when trying to pull out of Willow court during heavy traffic.
• For several months we have been investigating HUD Condominium Registration guidelines as we were made aware that HUD had relaxed some of their guidelines related to the percentage of rental units which would be permitted. Unfortunately, we still do not fall within the required threshold.  We will continue to watch for expected additional changes in their guidelines.  Our hope is that in the near future, units within MBP would again be considered for HUD Mortgage financing.

• Owners should be aware that each unit is directly responsible for the wiring and power to one of the four exterior lights on the building. We have been working for many months with several owners whose units are not providing power to the light due to changes to unit wiring.  Owners have a legal obligation to continue providing power to the designated light fixture and the Association is responsible for the actual fixture and sensor.  Please keep this in mind when having electrical work done so that you will not incur the expense of having to restore the power to the light fixture.
• Our Property Manager, Keith, has been doing some thorough research and comparison of the multiple insurance policies that we carry for Middlebrook Pines property and corporation. We have found that there are opportunities for policies with better fits our needs and provides better coverage.  We will be making these changes in the coming months.
• Work has begun to holistically investigate materials, durability, cost, and recommendations for replacement of shake/shingles on the building sides as well as fence material. There is no immediate timeline for the replacement, however we know that we will need to make a change when we replace the shake/shingles.  Doing this research now will help us to make decisions related to budgeting and scheduling.
• Covers for outdoor storage – Owners have fashioned covers over the outside storage areas on the patio in order to protect items from the elements, or to hide them from view. While the Board of Directors understand the wish of the owners to have these covers, individual units are not permitted to make modifications to this limited common area.  There are examples of varying covers, some of which distract from the outward appearance of the building and provide an inconsistent look.  The Board of Directors has developed specific specifications and guidelines for the installation of covers for the outdoor storage.  If you choose to add or replace an existing storage cover, you much follow the approved guidelines.  Failure to do so will result in having to remove it at your own expense.  This new guideline can be found on the “Documents” tab of our website or can be picked up at the office.
• Air Conditioner Replacement – It seems that technology has brought to us newer and better air conditioner units which require larger cooling lines. The original cooling lines were run in a conduit through the patio concrete slab and into the exterior wall in the dining room.  Replacements for these lines cannot be installed the same way.  We have created a guideline which identifies how these new lines must be installed to ensure that they have a minimal effect on the outward appearance of the building.  Should you need to upgrade your AC, please ensure that your installer follows these guidelines.  Failure to do so will be at additional expense to the owner to have the lines re-routed.  This new guideline can be found on the “Documents” tab of our website or can be picked up at the office.

Miscellaneous Maintenance

The clubhouse had drywall repairs completed due to a leaky window.  It has also received a fresh coat of paint and is ready to host our next group gathering.  Don’t forget that owners can use this space for free by arranging with our Property Manager and placing a refundable deposit.

Rules and Regulations – Reminder

Whether you are a tenant or an owner, if you have not yet downloaded and read our rules and regulations, please do so now.  Much time is being spent walking the property, specifically looking for new and uncorrected violations and sending notices out to owners requesting corrections.  If violations are not corrected within a certain time frame, the Association will seek legal action to compel the owner to correct the problem and all associated legal fees will be the responsibility of the owner.  We also can and have compelled owners to evict tenants that either do not respond by correcting violations or are repeat offenders.  Lastly, if a violation creates a situation where safety or damage to property (such as fences) is at issue, the Association may have to correct the violation for the non-responsive owner and then charge back the cost to the owner.

All of this can become quite expensive for an owner, so it is best to ensure that you, or your tenants are abiding by the rules and regulations, which can be printed from this website.

Words to Live by

The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings

Kakuzo Okakaura