South Coast Homeowners Association » News

November/December 2008 Newsletter and Bluebooks

Michael Gartzke — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:48:17 +0000

The November/ December 2008 issue of the newsletter will be sent out soon. In this issue:
-South Coast HOA – 20th Anniversary Meeting
-Understanding your Association’s Financial Statements
-The Art of Delivery: Mail, Posting or Personal Delivery
-Federal Pool Safety Act Affects HOA Pools/Spas
-2009 Condominium Bluebooks in Stock

Several additional items of interest:

1) Bluebooks are in and being sent out now. Not as many ordered extra copies this year as in the past so we have a larger supply. If you’d like additional copies for your board, they are $18 each, postpaid. Mail your check to our address. We will mail them to you or you can pick them up at my office (address below)

2) For those who haven’t renewed for 2009, this is your last newsletter.

3) Note our January 28 meeting will have additional refreshments. Come early to enjoy. It’s our 20th anniversary meeting!

Best wishes to all this Holiday Season.

Jan 28 Meeting, Dues, Bluebooks

Michael Gartzke — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:47:50 +0000

Law and Legislative Update Meeting – will be held Wednesday, Jan 28 at 7PM at a place still to be determined. Attorneys James Smith and David Loewenthal will present new legislation effective in 2009, significant court cases from 2008 and current legal topics of interest. Watch for email updates and newsletters for additional information.

2009 Dues – Remember that you can get a 50% renewal on your 2009 membership dues if paid by December 20, 2008. Renewals will be only $30 through that date.

2009 Condominium Bluebooks – We will be mailing out your 2009 Bluebook during the week of December 15 but only to those associations that have renewed by that date. A second mailing of books won’t take place until after the holidays. Additional copies of the Bluebook will be available at $18/each – payable to South Coast HOA and check mailed to P. O. Box 1052, Goleta, CA 93116

Graffiti Removal

Michael Gartzke — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:09:01 +0000

An article on graffiti removal was posted today on the Santa Barbara Independent website including instructions on how to remove certain types of graffiti. Some associations have reported increasing problems with this. The link to the article is posted below:

The Santa Barbara Independent – Goleta’s Graffiti Fighters

2008 Condominimum Bluebooks

Michael Gartzke — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:11:29 +0000

The 2008 Condominimum Bluebooks will be shipped to all renewed members during the week of December 17. If you haven’t renewed for 2008, please remit your payment of $60 as soon as possible. Reminder notices were sent out on December 15. A limited number of extra Bluebooks are available – $18.00 members/$22.50 nonmembers.

Request for Help – Goleta Water

Michael Gartzke — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:19:33 +0000

I have been asked to compile data concerning the impact of Goleta Water proposed meter fee adjustments to affected associations. I would like as many associations to reply by May 7 so that I can draft a response to the district. Some preliminary calculations submitted by associations show an increase of $6 to $23 per unit per month. The more associations I can put into the sample, the more effective the response. So manager members as well as board members, please take a few minutes and the provide the following for all your associations in the Goleta Water District:

1) Number of meters and size – On the face of the water bill, there is a “Basic Charge x-inch meter”. For example, you might have 4 2-inch meters and 3 1 1/2 inch meters. I just need to know the count of how many meters you pay for monthly. I have the cost of the meters already.

2) Number of units in the association (to determine monthly increase per unit).

3) Amount paid for water in the last fiscal year if I don’t have the amount. This would allow a calculation as to the percentage increase in water costs overall. One association worked out to 45%. You can get this from your year-end income statement.

If individual members want to protest, I understand that their assessor parcel number is required. Written protests are due by May 21 to the water district. Association members may wish to draft petitions signed as a group to submit to the District. I understand that it would take over 50% of the affected users to submit a protest to stop the increase – an impossible task
in my opinion. Publicity regarding the actual impacts to associations may still be effective as I doubt that this has been considered by the District. Since 1997, water meter fee revenue for the Goleta Water District has increased by 772%.

Associations may have the option to reduce the size of their meters (and reduce the flow of water) to reduce costs.

My thanks to Connie Burns and Karel deVeer for their efforts in keeping me informed.

Helping condo boards through the legal maze

Michael Gartzke — Sun, 07 May 2006 00:32:40 +0000

The Santa Barbara News-Press acknowledged the work of the South Coast Homeowners Association in a feature article in the Business section on Sunday, April 16, 2006. The resulting article presented a concise description of our activities and why we exist to serve area homeowner associations. A number of small associations are in the planning stages, especially in the City of Santa Barbara. Small associations present challenges to their board members due to the small pool of owners from which to draw a board and higher costs per member to obtain professional services, if they can be obtained. These challenges are overlooked in the planning process and are not recognized in the governmental community.

The article can be viewed here.

Commingled Trust Accounts

Michael Gartzke — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 20:01:34 +0000

The February 12th issue of the Santa Barbara News-Press contained an article about an area homeowner association filing a lawsuit against its former property manager. One of the issues raised in the suit concerned the use of a commingled trust account for all the associations managed by the management company. We ran an article in our January 2005 issue on the use of these kind of bank accounts for associations. To read the article, click here.