Q Why have our Homeowners Association dues increased 10%?

A The dues went up 10% because overall expenses for maintaining the neighborhood, the pool/workout room, and our share of the maintenance of Berwick Blvd have all gone up.

Just like your home expenses have gone up our costs for maintaining the neighborhood have gone up as well.

The increase had nothing to do with people not paying their HOA dues or vandalism at the pool/workout room.  The Board is in no way penalizing hardworking, conscientious, responsible homeowners who pay their dues for the few people who choose not to honor their lawful contracts for whatever reasons.  The board is going to begin legal actions against those individuals who refuse to pay their HOA dues and diligently prosecute them.  Anyone caught breaking the rules at the pool or workout room will be arrested for criminal trespass and the homeowners responsible will be fined.

Now that we have an active HOA Board of Directors we will begin looking into the HOA finances and attempt to renegotiate contracts with landscapers and other service providers.  These cost reductions may require active participation from EVERYONE in the community to help.

Some costs are fixed like utilities and as those service providers increase their rates those costs are passed on to the community just like they are passed on to individual residents.

The best way to understand why dues have to be increased and what it really costs the community to operate is to to actively take part in the HOA and support the efforts of the board to improve the community.

We are sorry that we have had to increase the dues but currently the Villages at Berwick pay the lowest HOA dues of any community along Berwick Blvd (or other communities in the area).  Also our dues are considerably less than our sister community Chapel Park, ask anyone who lives down there. 

Taking an active role in the community and understanding that it costs money to maintain a safe, pleasant environment for people to live will do more good than complaining that nothing has changed. 

If you want things to change you have to be willing to be a part of making things change.  that means when you see a sign at the entrance that there is an HOA meeting, attend.  It means going to the HOA website on a regular basis and finding out what is going on.  When you hear there is a neighborhood watch meeting attend and find out how, as a community, we can look after each other and protect ourselves from criminals.

It is important to consider yourself a part of the community rather than thinking that the responsibility belongs to someone else, not me or why am I being penalized for something someone else is not doing!

We are all in this together.

Q Why is the workout room padlocked and when will it be accessible again?

A Unfortunately we have experienced some very serious problems with vandalism of the workout room and rest rooms.  This situation has forced the HOA boards at Chapel Park and the Villages at Berwick to take drastic action and temporarily padlock the facilities.  The presidents of both communities have a key that you may borrow to use the facilities.  You just need to contact us to get the key.  The pool/workout room have become a hangout for gangs of kids with nothing better to do with their time than to be destructive.

We are currently preparing to install an new card reader entry system for access to the pool area and workout room.  The system should be installed by February 1, 2010.  When it is installed homeowners who are current on their dues and/or any fines they might have will be issued one card per household.  The system will allow us to monitor who comes and goes from the facility, overall usage, and grant or refuse access depending on whether all HOA financial responsibilities have been currently met.   If damage is done to the facility we will know who came and went.  Security cameras are also being considered as an additional measure to curb vandalism.  

It is my understanding that access to the pool and workout room will be restored to their previous hours with use of the card.

The use of the pool and workoutroom are for residents of the Villages at Berwick and Chapel Park.  We have very specific rules governing the use of those facilities.  Anyone caught within the fenced area who is in violation of those rules will be arrested for criminal tresspass and the resident will be fined.  This includes individuals who are not residents of either community and or individuals under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by an adult.