2007 budget
The Budget Committee and the Board of Directors are recommending an increase of $45/month condo fee to a total of $420/month. The committee chairperson will explain the proposed recommended budget, which is attached to this mailing, at the November board meeting. The increase from insurance alone would have been $61/month and there was an additional increase of utilities resulting in a 22.21% increase in operating. The committee recommended and the board agreed the reserves could be reduced because of money received from insurance, no hurricanes this year and reasonable costs to repair damage from the 2004 hurricanes due to waiting a year for costs to come down. The board will vote on the budget at the November board meeting.

Thinking of running for the board?
Those of you who are not sure of getting into heaven might think positively about running for the board.

A man knocked at the heavenly gates
He was so very old
He stood where people had to wait
What have you done the good Lord asked
To gain admission here?
I’ve been a condo director sir
Each day seemed like a year
The pearly gates swung open wide
The angels rang the bell.
Come in and get your harp he said
You’ve had your share of hell.

AC water problems
Two types of AC water problems occur periodically. One occurs when the AC filters are not changed. This causes coils to plug up resulting in water overflow. If the water does not get to the condensate drain line it will (and has) run into the unit causing substantial water damage. There are 2 types of filters. One needs to be changed every month while a more expensive kind can be changed every 3 months. The second problem occurs when sludge builds up in the condensate line. This eventually can block the line or covers the bottom of the drain hole that collects the water outside the building, not allowing the water to drain into the ground. This results in water backing into the first floor units. The recommended solution is pouring ½ cup of bleach down the condensate line once a month. Both actions are the responsibility of the owner.

Non-owner residents
A letter about non-owner residents breaking condo rules was requested from our attorney because affected residents complained to the board last July. Information received is shown below:
• The association has the inherent authority to know who is occupying the unit.
• The board has the capability to address the issue with a strongly worded rule that Owners are required to notify the Association when their unit will be occupied by renters, family and guests.
• Having adopted the rule the Board should notify the Owners that it plans to vigorously enforce the rule.
• The process of enforcement should be handled like any other enforcement issue: Demand letters from the Association, eventually from the attorney and eventually an arbitration or lawsuit.
• The attorney recommends implementing a standard form to be filled out whenever anyone other than the Owner is using their unit.
• It should be obvious that non-owner residents have to obey the rules of the Association.
• Owners are responsible for non-owner residents and thus should be notified when they break the rules (demand letters). Continued breaking of the rules by non-owners will result in more demand letters and eventually a lawsuit.

A large part of the solution to the problem is getting Owners to identify the non-owners breaking the rules, notify the board in writing through management and last but not least identifying the unit the non-owner resides in or is a guest of. It would also be useful, and may be necessary for legal action, to verify the rules infraction that occurred by having person(s) sign the written complaint, take a picture, etc; just phoning management or telling a member of the board is not sufficient. It is not the responsibility of the board to do this, all owners have equal responsibility. Affected Owners have to do the above or maybe a committee of Owners can be formed to do this function. Once a rule breaking instance has been verifiable identified a letter can be sent to the Owner starting the enforcement policy.

A workshop on this subject will be held in the near future. Interested parties are advised to attend. Otherwise the subject may be dropped because of lack of interest or the action taken may not be to your individual liking or preference.

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors

End of November 2006 Newletter

This newsletter was deemed necessary because of a situation at Canaveral Sands that has become increasingly worse over the years but became very bad this year.

During the month of July, Canaveral Sands was inundated with persons and families that came to Canaveral Sands and behaved as though they were visiting a resort, hotel or motel. There were many abuses to the property. Many of the rules were ignored and persons breaking the rules were very rude when this was mentioned to them, and they continued to break the rules. These persons and families include renters, guests & friends of renters and guests & friends of owners. There was one group of families with many children that rented 6 units for the month of July.

Canaveral Sands has become more popular as a vacation place probably in part because of its large pool and it’s proximity to the ocean. This year there have been numerous complaints from owner residents that non-owner residents were creating a nuisance by not obeying condo rules and lacking the civility and common courtesy one has come to expect at Canaveral Sands. This problem has become increasingly worse over the years with this year being the worse by far, resulting in a large number of complaints to Management. Some but not all of the complaints are mentioned below:
• Children running on walkways
• Residents hollering to each other from building to building and from walkways to and from the ground.
• People in cars honking car horns for residents to come out • Climbing over the gate to the ocean
• Children playing in the elevator—e.g. pushing all the buttons and riding it up and down or holding it on one floor for long periods of time.
• Children using the parking lot for a playground—inhibits traffic and cars have been hit by objects—liability for the association
• Confrontations between unit owners and non-unit owners
• Too many people occupying a unit
• Hanging towels over railings
• Leaving items on walkways for long periods of time, including overnight
• Pizza boxes, Pizza boxes—they do not slide down the garbage chute.
• Extremely noisy in pool area
• Not closing pool gate
• Using pool after hours
• Small children left unattended in pool area
• Food and drink brought into pool area
• Running games played around the pool
• Adults have complained that they could not use pool because it was full of children or children were playing games

The Board, Management and a small number of owners at Canaveral Sands have spent considerable time and effort working on revamping management, improving the financial situation and landscaping to make Canaveral Sands a pleasant place to live as well as replacing/repairing the physical part of the property when necessary to maintain/increase the property values. Canaveral Sands at the present time has the reputation of being pleasant to look at, being well maintained and having a pleasant home type living atmosphere. All residents (owners and renters) should expect a friendly home type atmosphere while residing here.

Management and the Board cannot solve the problem mentioned in this Newsletter without the help of owners. Now it is time for all unit owners to do their part. Owners are responsible for the actions of renters, friends and guests using their unit. The board and management request inputs from all owners about this situation. Let us know how you feel about it. Whether you view this as a problem or not we seek all opinions on this issue. Please forward your opinions to management, Reconcilable Differences, via fax (321-799-0630), email (www.ReconcilableDifferences.net) or regular mail (109 Long Point Road, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920).

The following 3 recommendations were sent to Management by a unit owner who has been bothered by this situation. This owner has given the Association permission to quote his recommendations in this Newsletter.
• Each unit can only have a maximum of 4 renters in each unit when renting out on a monthly basis….. this would eliminate the current situation because of the amount of kids each one of these large families have. This seems to be a lot more manageable and will decrease the amount of large groups wanting to use Canaveral Sands as a hotel for the month.
• Give each unit owner the responsibility of having the renter that will utilize Canaveral Sands to sign off at the time of lease, a copy of the Association Rules and Regulations for the project. This way if there is a potential problem the unit owner should have been aware of the rules and guidelines already.
• Current unit owners should take the responsibility of the renters utilizing their units and if a disturbance occurs (like we recently had), it is their responsibility to resolve (not the boards) acknowledging that if the situation can not be resolved the renter’s will be asked to leave the premises. The board should make the unit owner aware and pass the responsibility to the unit owner and leasing company.

It is worth mentioning that the elevator door replacement is coming along good and ahead of schedule.

Canaveral Sand Board of Directors

End of August 2006 Newsletter

Insurance
Association insurance is due October 3 and it looks like it is going to increase quite a bit this year. We have received information from our insurance agent (Ranew Insurance Agency) that we can anticipate from 100% to 300% increase in our wind policy this year. Percentage is based on construction of the building. He said for those constructed of fire resistant concrete bunker down type buildings the increase is 179%. I don't know if our concrete meets this criterion, but 179% would still be a hefty increase. Our wind insurance is $24,613 for 2005/6.

CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE, the company that we have our wind insurance with, has notified us they need a property appraisal 45 days prior to the insurance renewal. We received this information June 7. We immediately contacted appraisal firms; however they are all extremely busy. The shortest time from the 3 firms that answered our proposal request was 150 days. This firm was selected. We are hoping if we give CITIZENS a letter of engagement from this firm they will allow us to renew our wind coverage at the October 3 renewal date. CITIZENS, by the way is the company run by the state and is the company of last resort.

Attachment 1 is the notice from our insurance agent concerning appraisal information
Attachment 2 is useful information concerning condo fees and insurance.

Please read the June newsletter for working hours during door replacement, elevator use times during the work week and additional information.

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

attachment 1

Ranew Insurance Agency
966 S. Wickham Rd. Suite 102--------------------Phone 321-722-2338
West Melbourne, FL 32904------------------------Fax 321-722-2158

VERY IMPORTANT!!!  - June 7, 2006

Canaveral Sands Condo
% Reconcilable Differences
109 Long Point Road
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920

Certified Mail

Re: Renewal Requirements

Please be advised that in order to secure a renewal quotation for your association, you must secure an appraisal immediately. This is not optional!!! The companies relayed this message electronically to us in late May but it was very vague, unclear and contained contradictory statements. They will not make exceptions. At 1:15 this afternoon, we received written, understandable, communications that state very clearly that they must have an appraisal. This is becoming mandatory for everyone insured with either Citizens property or Citizens Wind. In the case of Citizens Wind there are a few, and I mean very few, exceptions being made based on the insured values. If yours was an exception, you would not have received this letter. The appraisals must be received in our office 45 days prior to the renewal date. For some of you that date has already passed. Please immediately begin to secure an appraisal.

Our Agency does Not Endorse or Guarantee any Appraiser. We have no connections with any appraisers. I have listed below of few of the appraisers that have done work for local associations in the past. It is our understanding that most are booked 6 months in advance already so do not delay in getting the appraisal.

Thanks,

Barry Ranew

All Type Appraisals---242-0559 (office)---12-4266 (cell)---Andrew Fernald
Wagoner Appraisals----452-7655 (office)
Joliceuer Appraisals---561-732-6067---Jeff Joliceuer
Allied Appraisals---800-273-4623------Ken Lefew

attachment 2

Condo Fees & Insurance

The following information is supplied to help you understand how an increase in insurance affects the monthly condo fees.

Total condo fees for 2006 = $375 x 118 x 12 = $531,000
Condo association insurance is ~ $65,000 for 2005/6
65,000 divided by 531,000 ~ 12.24% of 2006 condo fees is presently used for insurance

$1/month x 118units x 12months = $1,416 a year for each dollar of condo fee
$5/month X 1,416 = $7,080
$10/month x 1,416 = $14,160
$25/month x 1,416 = $35,400

End of July 2006 Newsletter

1. Elevator repairs:
Our previous elevator maintenance firm of ThyssenKrupp has been replaced by General Elevator, Inc. since April 17th. Contracts have been signed with General Elevator to install electronic eyes in all the elevators and to replace all the elevator doors & door hardware. An elevator workshop was held on May 17, 2006, attended by Mr. Lee Rigby, our elevator consultant, and Mr. Ben Green from General Elevator. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the schedules and procedures that would be used by General Elevator when installing the electronic eyes and replacing the elevator doors and door hardware. The results of the workshop are below. There is enough money in the elevator reserve to do this work.

Electronic eye installation
Mr. Green said it will take 4 hours per elevator to install the electronic eye. He expects to do 2 elevators a day. It is expected this work will be done in June. Mr. Green said residents will be given 24 hour notice before installation.

Replacing elevator doors and door hardware
Mr. Green said it will take 1 day to replace an elevator door with the door hardware. To be on the safe side, allowing for unexpected problems, one should assume 5 to 7 seven days per building. Residents will receive 2 weeks notice when doors in their building will be replaced.

Working hours will be 8 AM to 4 PM. During that time the elevators will not be used except for a medical emergency. With a ½ hour notice the workers will get the elevators working if needed for a medical emergency. From 4 PM to 8 AM the elevators will be available for use.

Seven elevator doors will be raised to keep rainwater from running down elevator shafts. These doors are in building 1 floors 3 & 5, Building 2 floors 1 & 5, and building 3 floors 2, 4 & 5. On these floors cement work has to be done to eliminate the step to the raised door and to move the water away from the door. The elevator on these floors will not be available for use during door replacement for 1 or 2 days from 8 PM to 4 AM, necessitating a walk up 1 flight or down 1 flight of stairs during those hours.

Mr. Green said he expects the doors to be shipped to General Elevator by the manufacturer on June 11 and should be received by them within 1 week. He has agreed not to schedule door work until General Elevator receives the doors so that the replacement schedule once made can be adhered to. General Elevator has the door hardware in stock. Thus it is expected that the elevator door replacement will start sometime mid July. The new doors will be stainless steel and cannot be painted. General Elevator will take the old doors away.

Our elevator consultant, Mr. Lee Rigby, was involved in all the above agreements. He will have someone on site when the 1st door is replaced and when the 1st raised door is replaced. Someone from his organization will check the door replacement in each building twice during that buildings door replacement. He also said he personally will visit each building and inspect the elevator replacement work and indicate to us when the work was satisfactorily completed before we should pay for the work.

Mr. Rigby and Mr. Green should be commended for the spirit of cooperation shown during the discussions, especially in the area of minimizing the impact on residents during door replacements.

3, Air Conditioning tie downs to stands on the roof:
Owners are responsible for their AC’s, including their tie downs to the stands. However, there are multiple methods presently being used to tie the AC’s to the stands, some of which have allowed the AC’s to slip part way off the stands. The association will make sure all AC’s are tied down by one method, using stainless steel tie downs, previously approved by the city. After this is done the AC tie down to the stands, along with the AC’s, will again be the owner’s responsibility. The work will be done in June before hurricanes usually hit us. The owners of those units that are in too poor shape to tie down will be notified. It will be the responsibility of those owners to replace their AC’s or tie them down adequately so as not to damage the AC or the roof. Obtaining a permit for AC installation is the owner’s responsibility.

4. Parking:
A unit owner requested information about parking a relative’s car on the premises for a period of time. Our documents do not allow that. They say “ No auto parking space may be used for any purpose other than parking automobiles which are in operating condition. No parking shall be used by any other person other than an occupant of the condominium who is an actual resident or be a guest or visitor and by such guest or visitor only when such guest or visitor is, in fact, visiting and upon the premises”.

Summer holidays are coming and along with that parking problems like parking on the grass (which damages sprinkler heads), parking that blocks residents from using their garage, and parking too close to fire hydrants and parking so fire trucks cannot get to buildings. These are all violations that have occurred in the past. Cars will be towed for the above violations. It is assumed owners would park only in legitimate parking spaces. However renters and guests are the responsibility of the unit owner, including any damage done and costs involved in towing.

5. Pool Gates:
Too many children die from drowning in pools in Florida every year. Leaving the pool gate closed but not locked has become more prevalent each year. This has to be done on purpose because of the strong spring on the gate. The association has received numerous complaints. Also maintenance has found this situation in the morning which means the gates have been unlocked all night. Unsupervised children can enter the pool area, which is extremely dangerous. One accident and a life could be lost because someone wanted the convenience of an open gate. The association replaced the fence around the pool years ago so that the distance between the pickets would be 4 inches (was 6 inches) so small children could not squeeze through between the pickets (this was actually seen to happen). Now it is up to individuals using the pool to do their part. Owners please inform your children, renters and guests of the serious consequences of leaving the pool gate(s) unlocked. One accident could result in the pool being closed.

6. Renters and Guests:
Those of us at Canaveral Sands that are involved in the operation of the association (Management, Board, Committees) have spent considerable time and energy to create a safe pleasant home like atmosphere for the residents, which are made up of fulltime residents, part time residents, renters and guests. All condo associations have rules which, while inconvenient for some, are made for the good of the majority. One of those is the above pool gate rule. Others are identified in the handbook in each unit. It is assumed all owners have read the handbook and understand & obey the rules. However it is obvious many renters and guests do not understand the condo rules and do not realize that Canaveral Sands is not a motel but is the primary residence of many owners. Owners, please make the handbook conspicuous to guests and renters and make sure they read it. One more thing, please request guests and renters not to take newspapers off walkways that do not belong to them. This is another problem that is increasing. This is not meant to be a blanket condemnation of all guests and renters—most enjoy our facilities without causing problems.

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

The fire hydrant valves between buildings 1 & 2 had to be replaced according to the Cape Canaveral City Fire Inspector. This was known last year and the approximately $10,000 cost was put in reserves to do this. We get our water from the City of Cocoa. When the valves, which are underground were dug up the City of Cocoa said we had to install 2 backflow valves above ground because they were not installed when the buildings were built. This would cost an additional $18,800. The City of Cape Canaveral insisted the large backflow valves be painted bright red. (the association had asked if they could be painted a dull green). The Landscape Committee has been given the task of mitigating this eyesore.

The hurricane repairs have been completed. Additional work by the contractor was not as expensive as anticipated. However the windfall was short lived because most of the money was used to pay for the backflow valves above.

The new North irrigation well should be drilled and in operation by the time you receive this newsletter. The 2 old North irrigation wells, which were not as deep as the new well, were not supplying enough water.

It is expected that building 1 & 2 walkway railings will be replaced near the end of April. Residents will be notified not park their cars in front of these buildings while the railings are being replaced. This will be the last scheduled railing replacement for Canaveral Sands. All of the original railings have now been replaced except the railings inside the stairwells, which are still in good shape.

Progress is being made on the elevator situation. ThyssenKrupp, our present elevator maintenance firm, has agreed to a buyout of the last 6 months of their contract. Management is finalizing this agreement. General Elevator will replace ThyssenKrupp as soon as possible. At that time the process will start to replace all the elevator doors and door hardware (it will take approximately 8 weeks to order parts). This will be done one building at a time. Negotiations will start with General Elevator as to starting dates for each building and the number of days each elevator will be down while repairs are in progress. This information is not known at the present time but the association will insist on hard starting dates and at least 2 weeks advance notice for residents

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

The 2 big picture money items of interest for Canaveral Sands are hurricane repairs that are presently in progress and elevator repairs which will start in 2006.

Hurricane repairs: It is obvious not all unit owners understand the extent of damage caused by the 2004 hurricanes and the financial response taken by the association to perform the necessary repairs. Board meeting minutes and newsletters (which are on the website) have identified the total cost of repairs to be in the $400,000 range. A special assessment of $177,000 and insurance payments of $95,864.23 partially pays for the cost of repairs. This leaves approximately $127,000 that has to be used from reserves to complete the repairs. Using $127,000 from reserves delayed scheduled maintenance repairs like replacing walkway railings in buildings 1 & 2 and reduced other reserves because 2005 condo fee money that would have gone into other reserves was budgeted and used for hurricane repairs. If the full extent of hurricane damage had been known at the time a vote was taken for a special assessment, a $2,500 per unit special assessment would have been one of the options because that would have paid for all of the hurricane repairs.

The Board of Directors, Budget Committee and Management have all worked hard and spent considerable time under changing cost conditions, one of which was caused by negotiations with the insurance company. The end result of those negotiations was that a second insurance adjuster identified that both the garage C roof and building 2 roof should be replaced. This became known after the $1,500 per unit special assessment was voted for. This meant that we received approximately $95,000 from the insurance company but also meant that we had to come up with approximately $109,000 because of insurance deductibles. The second cost condition involved the selection of the hurricane repair contractor explained below.

Cleanup after the hurricane along with necessary repairs to pool equipment, landscaping and wallboard replacement was done in 2004. In 2005 the North perimeter fence was replaced, garage C roof replaced and building 2 roof replaced. Mansard shingles, downspouts & missing soffits have been replaced and roof drains that were blown down have been put back up on buildings 1 & 2. Building 3 shingles and downspouts should be replaced by the time you receive this newsletter. The small roof above the garbage area of building 3 still has to be replaced. Building 4 mansard shingles, downspouts, missing soffits and the one roof drain that was blown down will be replaced before the shingles and missing soffits on the North (pool side) of building 3 are replaced. Special work involving coping and flashing above the stairwells on all 4 buildings will be done last. It is expected that work should be completed by the end of February. The reason for the slow repair progress has been identified in board meeting minutes and newsletters. A synopsis is that a small reliable repair contractor was chosen because he had done a good job in replacing the roof on building 4 and he was approximately $100,000 less than 2 other large contractors who said they could do the job faster. Another special assessment would have been necessary if either of the larger, faster contractors had been hired. Thus the board voted for the smaller slower, more reasonable priced contractor. Our roof consultant had said that all 3 firms involved would do high quality work.

A third reason for changing cost is that additional work has been added to the original contract. One example is that it was decided to replace all the downspouts on all the buildings because they had deteriorated and to take advantage of the cherrypicker while it was here. It was also decided to replace the roof above the building 3 garbage area because it was badly in need of repair and was not replaced when the building 3 roof was replaced.

Elevator repairs: This is the next major expense for Canaveral Sands. The association has hired a consultant. He has inspected our elevators and written a detailed report of their conditions with recommendations for repair/replacement. A workshop was held with him and there will be another January 26, 2006 at 6:30PM in the rec room. He has recommended the firm doing our elevator maintenance be the one doing the repair/replacement. It is felt our present maintenance firm has not performed satisfactorily for some time and is responsible for many of the present maintenance problems. Thus the association is presently looking at 2 other maintenance firms (one large and one small). The workshop in January will be to decide if we should keep our present maintenance firm or change to one of the other 2 being looked at.

There are 2 items the consultant feels should be done as soon as a decision is made about the maintenance firm. He feels this will eliminate most of our present maintenance problems. One is that the present door opening/closure system used should be replaced with an electronic eye system. The other is that the outer door hardware (rollers, tracks, etc.) should be replaced on all outside doors. Some outside doors will also have to be replaced. Doing all of this will be expensive but there is a possibility that it all will be accomplished in 2006 with money available in the reserves. A potential problem is our contract with our present maintenance firm does not end until November 2006. However if another maintenance firm is selected, which is most likely, the association feels there is a strong possibility the contract could be terminated early.

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

2006 budget
The association received $95,000 from Citizen’s Insurance for hurricane damage to garage C and building 2 roofs. This will allow work to be done that has been put off because money was needed for hurricane repairs. Examples are replacing buildings 1 & 2 walkway railings, replacing sliding glass doors in the rec room and cement repairs to garages.

The Budget Committee is recommending an increase of $25/month to $375/month. The committee chairperson will explain the proposed recommended budget, which is attached to this mailing, at the November board meeting. One has to remember that the special assessment of $177,000 and the insurance of $95,000 comes to $272,000 while the total hurricane repair, cleanup, landscaping, etc. came to around $400,000. Also the increase in the operating budget is just over 10%. The board will vote on the budget at the November board meeting.

1. Status of hurricane repairs: The garage C roof has been replaced. Hurricane repairs have been slow for 2 reasons. We hired a small contractor who did a good job on the building 4 roof but he is slower than larger contractors. Also we lost almost 3 weeks because of rainy weather. It is expected replacing the building 2 roof will be completed the end of October. Replacing Mansard shingles, missing soffits and roof drains will then start on building 2, 1, 3, and 4 in that sequence. The contractor said it will take 2 to 3 weeks for each building. After the hurricane repairs have been completed, the only roofs needing replacement will be garages B, D and E.

2. Elevator workshop: Mr. Lee Rigby of “Vertical Assessments Associates, Inc.”, our elevator consultant, attended our October 6th workshop. He had previously inspected our elevators. He had been asked to come to the meeting to discuss short and long term maintenance repair/replacement requirements of the Canaveral Sands elevators. Our elevators are over 20 years old and will be our next major maintenance project. The workshop minutes are attached.

3. Renters and guests: Unit owners that rent their units should make sure that that they or their realtors tell the person(s) renting their unit to read the handbook in each unit, which explains the rules and regulations of the association. Many first time renters do not appear to understand the difference between staying in a motel or hotel and staying at Canaveral Sands. Relatives and friends should also read the handbook. Permanent residents, who make Canaveral Sands their home should not be required to explain condo rules and regulations, along with the fact that there are rules and regulations, to first time renters or weekend guests.

4. Board of directors: The present board members have been on the board for a long time, one for 12 years. Present board members feel that other owners should enjoy the educational experience of being on the board. This year the board existed with only 4 (should be 5) members. As you all know a condominium needs a board of directors or it will go into receivership. This would be very expensive. There are many owners who live within driving distance who should think about being on the board. We have had a few owners from as far as Orlando on the board in the past.

5. Hurricane Wilma: We were very lucky. This hurricane did very minor damage to our property. Some of the new hedge plants were blown over and will have to be replanted. The building 4 elevator cover blew off and unrelated to that the building 4 elevator stopped working (it was fixed the next day). Phil fixed a length of building 3 roof coping that was loose and flapping in the wind. Of course there was debris over the property, mostly from palm trees and mansard shingles

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Michelle Dugan--Reconcilable Difference, Inc--CMCA, LCAM #17226

Too many children die from drowning in pools in Florida every year. Leaving the pool gate closed but not locked has become more prevalent this year. This has to be done on purpose because of the strong spring on the gate. The association has received numerous complaints. Also maintenance has found this situation in the morning which means the gates have been unlocked all night. Unsupervised children can enter the pool area, which is extremely dangerous. One accident and a life could be lost because someone wanted the convenience of an open gate. The association replaced the fence around the pool years ago so that the distance between the pickets would be 4 inches (was 6 inches) so small children could not squeeze through between the pickets (this was actually seen to happen). Now it is up to individuals using the pool to do their part. Owners please inform your children, renters and guests of the serious consequences of leaving the pool gate(s) unlocked.

Repair to buildings damaged by last year’s hurricanes has started. The garage C roof has been replaced. Building 2 roof is being replaced now. The contractor projects building 2 work will be completed, including replacing mansard shingles, missing soffits and roof drain pipes around the end of August. At that time mansard shingles, missing soffits and roof drain pipes will be replaced in buildings 1, 3, and 4. Minor garage repairs will be done last.

The second insurance adjuster has sent information to Citizens Insurance identifying that garage C and building 2 roofs need to be replaced and his estimates of the cost involved. It is expected that Canaveral Sands will receive money from the insurance company but so far the insurance company has not notified us if this will happen. Management and our insurance agent are still involved in this situation.

The roof above the garbage area of building 3 was not replaced when that roof was replaced 6 years ago and is in bad shape. It will be replaced by the same contractor doing the hurricane repairs after other work has been completed.

Garages B, D & E roofs still need to be replaced in the near future. After that all of our roofs will be in good shape.

The elevator situation is being looked into and is expected to be the next major maintenance repair project. Our elevators are 20 to 25 years old and repair/replacement of parts is to be expected. An elevator consultant has inspected our elevators and determined the present status of the elevators in all the buildings. The report states that “immediate replacement of any major component is not seen as essential for the safe operation of the elevators for the short term”. Code and minor safety violations detected by the consultant are presently being taken care of. A workshop will be scheduled in the near future with the consultant to determine what should be done in the near and long term and the costs involved. At the present time it looks like replacement of door operators & door hanger equipment as well as installation of electronic safety edges should be done as soon as money is available. It is expected this will cost approximately $60,000 for the 4 elevators and should eliminate most of our present elevator problems. This and future long term modernization repair/replacement recommendations, along with costs, will be discussed at the workshop.

As you can tell by newsletters and board meeting minutes the board and management have been working to maintain the physical property and grounds of Canaveral Sands structurally safe and pleasing to the eye. Those of you that do not have time to be involved in being on the board or committees to help in this endeavor still have ownership obligations to do the same. Instances of human waste in the pool, beach equipment laying around on walkways, towels on railings, youngsters climbing over the gate to the ocean, not picking up after your dog and attempts to put too large trash items (like pizza boxes) down the trash chutes, making it necessary to find the stoppage point and clear the chute, etc are becoming more common. Please, Please owners read the handbook with all the rules and regulations and make sure all renters and guests using your unit read the handbook so that everyone using our facilities will understand the rules and regulations. People living at Canaveral Sands and anyone one else using the premises should expect to be in a home atmosphere ---not a motel atmosphere.

The board meeting in August will be on the 12th (Friday) at 6:30 in the rec room.

As a reminder, if you have Association concerns, we request that they be put in writing and delivered or e-mailed to management. Also, minutes of all meetings and newsletters are on the website at www.ReconcilableDifferences.net

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

A contractor to do the hurricane repairs to the buildings was selected at the 1 June workshop. It was Florida Roofing Systems. This is the same contractor that replaced the building 4 roof, which held up good during the hurricanes last year. It was decided at the workshop to put asphalt shingles on again because it would have cost $48,000 more to use metal shingles. Work is scheduled to start 1 July replacing the garage C roof, which is in bad shape. The building 2 roof is scheduled to be replaced next. Mansard shingles and soffits will be replaced last.

It is worthwhile mentioning that unit owners are responsible for taking care of their units before and after a hurricane. Balcony and patio furniture should be removed during the hurricane season when the unit is not occupied. Damage caused by wind driven debris left on the balcony is the owner’s responsibility. It is also the owner’s responsibility to have a friend or realtor (if renting) check on their units periodically and especially after a hurricane. Management, the board and maintenance will be busy taking care of emergencies, getting utilities in working order and cleaning up the premises.

Water from hurricanes last year entered units through old sliding glass doors. Water also got under some doors leaking down into unit(s) below. The association last year replaced wallboard when that happened. Those owners that have received written notification from management that their sliding glass doors caused this problem should be aware that if they have not remedied the problem (one way is to replace their doors) and this happens again that they not the association will be responsible for the cost of wallboard repair.

Last year’s hurricane did quite a bit of damage to our landscaping. Many hedge plants and trees had to be replaced (some hedges are just now being replaced because it had been decided to wait and see if they would recover). Four tall sable palms have been planted at the south end of garages B and C (main entrance), replacing the holly trees that died there. The landscape committee is planning to plant more sable palms on the south end of our property because of the lack of tall trees there.

The association is still trying to get some hurricane damage compensation from our condo wind insurance for garage C and building 2 roof replacements because repair costs will be more than the deductible. Management and our insurance agent (Ranew) are actively helping us in this endeavor.

As a reminder, if you have Association concerns, we request that they be put in writing and delivered or e-mailed to management. Also, minutes of all meetings are on the website at www.ReconcilableDifferences.net

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Reconcilable Differences, Inc-CMA, LCAM#17226

A. Bad legislative changes to State Condominium Law being proposed:.
Representative Robaina of the State Legislature is actively working to get the following changes in State Condominium Law. None of the changes are good and most of them would make it impossible to get unit owners to run for the board. Without a board the Circuit Court will appoint a receiver to manage the affairs of the association. It is my understanding the receiver is usually a law firm. Under those conditions the present condo fees would look like a bargain.
1. Mandatory education for directors:
     •Expensive and difficult to implement
     •Could deter some unit owners from running
2. Term limits: (2 years proposed)
    • Will be hard to get enough directors
    • Lose useful historical condo information from past directors
3. Mandatory financial disclosure for board candidates:
    • Discourage owners from running for the board
4. Criminal background check on all board candidates:
    • Expensive
    • Not necessary
5. Excluding family members owning other units from voting (down to half cousins):
    • Potentially useful only if a large number of owners are of the same family
6. Collection of delinquency payments would not be possible until late payment amount reached $2,500:
    • Unit owners that pay their fees on time would be subsidizing those who do not
    • The association would have to make up the money owed to them by those in arrears to pay their bills. This could be a substantial burden to the association
7. Parking:
    • Handicap parking for visitors that could not be used by residents is impractical
    • Other aspects are written in a confusing manner and may not be possible to implement

It is not easy to understand why legislators would pass the above legislation. However Harold Fletcher and Ed Smally went to Tallahassee with a group from the Space Coast Condo association to visit the state house and talk to legislators. They both feel that legislators in general do not understand the severity of the situation. The spirit of compromise is a large part of the legislative process, which could result in some of the above items becoming law. It is important you let your legislators know how you feel about the above items.

Last year HB 1223 and SB 2498 proposed items 2, 4 & 5. Luckily the bill did not pass. However representative Robaina has said he will continue to introduce legislation for the above changes for the next 6 years. Thus it is imperative that all Canaveral Sands Owners contact your legislators and let them know that you as a condo owner do not want the above changes to State Condo Law

Owners living at Canaveral Sands and owners living out of state should contact the following legislators:

Senator Mike Haridopolos
318 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100
Phone local 321-752-3131 or Tallahassee 850-487-5056
Website is      haridopolos.mike.web@flsenate.gov

Representative Bob Allen 324 The Capital
402 South Monroe St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300
Phone local 321-449-5111 or Tallahassee 850-488-4669
Website is     bob.allen@myfloridahouse.gov

B. Maintenance and repairs for Canaveral Sands:
1. Painting of building 2 started 11 March. Management has notified owners about removing balcony and patio furniture. Work is expected to last about 5 weeks.
2. Building 4 walkway railings are scheduled to be replaced about the middle of May.
3. An independent elevator consultant has performed an inspection of all our elevators. A report with short and long term repair requirements should be received soon. Elevator repairs could be our next expensive repair item.
4. Hurricane damage repairs: The projected cost by our roof consultant for the items still to be done below is $310,000. The true cost will only be known when proposed bids to do the work are received. If the repair costs are as estimated the reserves along with the special assessment should cover the costs of all repairs. This however will use up all of our spare reserves.
    • Replace shingles on all buildings
    • Replace garage C roof
    • Replace building 2 roof
    • Put up seven drain pipes
    • Repair or replace soffitts

Specifications are being written for the hurricane damage repairs along with a proposal request for contractors (this is almost done). A workshop is being scheduled for Thursday April 21 at 6 PM in the rec room so unit owners can discuss shingles VS metal covering for mansards and other aspects of the work with the board and our roof consultant. Thus a workshop is required, a proposal request sent out to contractors, a contractor selected before a starting date can be determined by the contractor.

C. Sand Dunes: The city has placed another row of sand fences closer to the ocean in front of our property.

Canaveral Sands Board of Directors
Michelle Dugan--Reconcilable Difference, Inc--CMCA,AMS,LCAM #17226