Naples residents and leaders sound the alarm over cost of condo sprinkler system retrofit..

Naples homeowners aren’t happy about the potentially staggering costs associated with complying with the Florida Fire Prevention Code.

The Naples City Council this week discussed the cost associated with complying with the recently revised code. The discussion came about a month before City Council is scheduled to sit down with representatives from the state fire marshal’s office to discuss a state-mandated sprinkler system retrofit. The retrofit must be done by Dec. 30, 2014. But Monday’s discussion had less to do with the retrofit and more to do with code violations that have been popping up in low-, mid- and high-rise condominium complexes in the past few months.

Fire Chief Stephen McInerny has said that the city began inspecting multifamily residences back in June. Those inspections, he said at the time, turned up code violations that had been in place for a while. Those condominiums now need to get in compliance, McInerny said, something that could come at a high cost.

In a memo to City Council members, McInerny outlined the potential costs to condominiums for different code violations. McInery said the pricing — which came directly from fire alarm companies — varied, and he didn’t have an estimate for how much residents will have to pay to get their units in compliance.

That concerned Councilman Gary Price. “We have the obligation to try and work through how many buildings and what the costs are,” he said. “When I asked for the associated costs and estimates, I got a one-page memo and no one can tell me how many units are affected. Our citizens deserve better. I deserve better. We deserve better.” Residents agreed. Condominium owners said the estimates McInerny presented to council weren’t exactly on target.

Ewing Sutherland, president of Gulfside Condominium Association and a member of the Community Advocacy Network, said the retrofits and push to comply were proving costly for condominiums. “This enormous cost associated (with it) are unaffordable by many owners,” Sutherland said. “It could also put associations into receivership.”

McInerny said the high cost could be because some associations are making the choice to retrofit the sprinkler system in addition to making changes to get them in compliance with code. And while McInerny said he understood the frustration condo owners were experiencing, he also said he couldn’t turn a blind eye to code violations.

“What do you want me to do, just ignore it?” McInerny asked. You have violations that exist now and (we’re working to see) how they can be corrected.” McInerny said his department is willing to work with associations in order to comply with current code.

Taken from Connect with Naples.

Four Points Property Management Welcomes New Client Communities..

Four Points Property Management proudly announces three new Community Association Management clients; Sunshores Condominium Association located in North Miami Beach, Florida, Monterey Gardens of Pinecrest Condominium Association located in Pinecrest, Florida, and Kenland Walk II Condominium Association located in Kendall, Florida.

Four Points Property Management will provide the following services to the association as part of their Management Agreement; administrative management services, financial management services including payment of all association invoices, preparation of monthly financial statements, and also physical property management services and project management. Additionally, Four Points Property Management will prepare the associations annual budgets, annual meeting and elections, and will also provide Board of Director support and education. The Company will also be providing weekly maintenance and janitorial services.

Follow the links below to read our recent Press Releases:

Kenland Walk II Condo - Press Release

Monterey Gardens of Pinecrest Condo - Press Release

Sunshores Condo - Press Release

We welcome our new clients, we are excited to have them on board and we are looking forward to working with them!

Insurance? For What??

Every resident of a Condominium Association should carry homeowners insurance on their home and personal items. Each unit owner is responsible for purchasing and maintaining their Condo Unit Owners Policy (HO-6 Policy).

Why do you need this insurance? Doesn’t the association carry insurance of some kind? Yes the Association does carry insurance… On the building and common elements only. The Association Master Policy does NOT include coverage for the units themselves or the homeowner’s personal belongings. Association coverage does not include anything within your unit walls. If you’re a homeowner you are responsible for the inside of your unit as well as all of your personal belongings in the event of a fire, flood or any other kind of disaster, even a major plumbing leak.

Everyone in your community works hard to enjoy a certain quality of life. Don’t let one unforeseen event ruin it for you. In most cases your auto insurance company would be more than happy to provide any type of personal residential insurance for you. They may even provide a multi policy discount.

A very important coverage for a condo unit owner is LOSS ASSESMENT. This coverage will pay for a special assessment charged to each unit owner by the Condo Association as a result of a covered loss when the Master Policy does not provide enough coverage to pay for the loss. The HO-6 Policy usually provides $1,000 or more depending on the Insurance Company.

If you don’t know what kind of coverage you need, you may submit a copy of the Condominium Bylaws to your agent. Remember that your insurance is only as good as the carrier you choose and the agent you work with; make certain to pick a carrier with a good reputation. You get what you pay for.

If you have any questions, or need assistance selecting a qualified agent, our office staff is available to assist all of the homeowners in your community.

Four Points Property Management Participates in an Emergency Haiti Relief Drive.

'Four Points Property Management Participates in an Emergency Haiti Relief Drive.'

Happy Holidays...

Click Here .... Happy Holidays.

Small Association's MUST still enforce Documents

Many Associations, both Condo's and HOA's, are considered small because of the number of homes and residents within the community. A small community typially consists of 50 or less units/homes. These "small" communities typically survive "paycheck to paycheck", maintain small reserves, and do not have much funds available in their budget to enforce their rules and regulations. Although, sometimes larger communities greater than 100 units/homes are finding themselves in the same situation.

Board of Directors must be reminded that they have a fiduciary responsibility to enforce the rules and regulations and to raise sufficient funds to do so whether by special assessments or whatever other authority the Board may have. A Board who fails to properly enforce their communities Rules and Regulations can be held accountable for failure to enforce the Associations bylaws and/or declaration no matter the size of the community associaiton. It's important to remember that no matter the size of a community, every community has Documents that must be followed and enforced, in addition to the Florida Statutes.

9 Habits of Highly Successful Boards

9 Habits of Highly Successful Boards

Much like the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People" (a highly recommended read). We have created "The 9 Habits of Highly Successful Boards". By using these tools your Board will be much more successful, much more efficient, and your community will also experience great success. These 9 Habits were developed through our experience in working closely with Board of Directors, training and educating Board of Directors, and managing community associations. Our 9 Habits are a proven tool for Board Member success.

1) Invest Reserves - Invest them and monitor those investments regularly. Contact our Accounting Department for assistance and information.

2) Meetings - Hold frequent meetings, prepare a detailed agenda, and set Board Meeting goals and expectations. Contact your Manager for assistance.

3) Disclose Conflicts - The Board should always disclose any conflicts with vendors, contractors, etc. This will benefit all parties involved.

4) Enforce Rules & Regulations - Proper violation enforcement is important to maintain order and property values throughout the community; however, do make sure that all rules are being fairly and equally enforced. Contact your Manager for assistance.

5) Enforce Collections & Delinquencies - Proper aggressive and efficient delinquency enforcement is necessary to maintain a financially healthy community and to increase property values. A fair and equal collections policy should be established and our Accounting Department can assist you with this.

6) Adopt Policies and Procedures - The Board should adopt Policies and Procedures that include resident applications and screening, move in/out, violations, collections, architectural enforcement, and many others.

7) Keep Records - Maintain proper records such as financials, meeting minutes, notices, contracts, and so much more. We can help with this.

8) Reserve Studies - Be sure to have an updated Reserve Study completed and updated at least every two years, this is important for accurate Budgeting, reserve funding, and may also now be requested by mortgage lenders prior to approving a purchase. Contact us for more information.

9) Use Professionals - It's important that Boards use experienced professionals to their full advantage and refer to them frequently. These professionals include Management Companies, Attorneys, Accountants, Contractors, etc. An effective Board refers to it's professionals to be sure that the Board is doing things correctly and that the Board fully understands the effects of its decisions.