(A) The Board of Directors updated its Capital Reserve Study in 2009.The Study was conducted by a professional firm and outlines and projects the infrastructure needs of the Association and projects the needed funds.

 

(B) The Board of Directors has developed a series of multi-year plans for certain areas of maintenance in an effort to determine which maintenance needs are addressed on what timeline and in what amounts.Some of those individual long range plans are as follows:

(C)  The Board of Directors held its first Strategic Planning Session on August 2, 2011.

To address some safety concerns, the Board of Directors approved the construction of four first responder access/egress locations as a part of the sidewalk replacement program.These were constructed in Fall 2012, and funded by Special Service Area Five (SSA #5) tax funds.Locked bollards (posts) were installed to prevent regular vehicular traffic.The four locations are (1) Court B/Arlington Drive East across from Spring Wood Middle School; (2) Court A/Catalina Drive; (3) San Simeon/Arlington Drive East; and (4) Court Q/Arlington Drive West.These locations are for the use of first responders, including police, fire, and medical personnel.When necessary, the locations may be used for snow removal operations.
 
Board consensus at its 01-15-2013 meeting was as follows:for Management “to request the Village to post No Parking signs at the emergency entrance at Catalina and Court A, and to enforce the no parking ordinance so that cars parked there will not delay first responders from using the emergency entrance/exit.Any painted markings would need to be done in warmer weather.”
 
Non-emergency, non-first responder blocking of these locations in any manner is a violation of Board policy; persons involved in such blocking shall be subject to Association’s violation procedures and fines, and subject to ticketing.  Non-emergency, non-first responder vehicles that block these locations shall be towed and ticketed, without any additional notice.  Everyone is requested to respect the need for rapid response to protect the safety of residents and others and their property by following these requirements.

(A)  By registering at the Association’s official web site at www.greenbrooktanglewood-hoa.com and accessing the numerous documents in the Member Section and elsewhere on the web site, including:

(B) By emailing, phoning, mailing, or contacting the On-Site Property Manager at the Clubhouse at 1211 Catalina Drive.  Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  The Clubhouse phone number is 630-289-7200.  The email address for the Property Manager is onsitemanagement@greenbrooktanglewood-hoa.com

(C) Attending Board meetings at the Clubhouse and addressing the Board during the Open Forum which usually occurs at 7:00 p.m.
 

At its meeting of January 03, 2012, the Board of Directors took the following action: 
“to eliminate the Newsletter in its current format and for future articles of interest to be posted on the HOA website.”

At its meeting of 03-20-2012, the Board of Directors took the following action:“to have the Board adopt a communication goal to move to a primary electronic methodology system by April, 2013.”“The first part of the plan would be to request Management to survey their other managed properties and to inquire if any of said properties have moved to an electronic notification-only process and report back to the Board by August 2012.”

Some unit owners engage in feeding feral cats, and have set up and/or approved others to set up feeding and housing stations on their property.Sanitation issues have been brought to the Board of Directors by unit owners who do not support the feeding, housing, and care of feral cats in the subdivision.Research by Management shows that animal groups that previously took in feral cats or neutered/spayed them, notched their ears to identify them as non-productive cats, and released them back to their previous surroundings became overloaded, short on resources, and stopped providing these services on the prior scale.
 
One of the 2013 goals adopted by the Board of Directors on January 02, 2013 is as follows:“I.Review of feral cat issue and development of a plan of action.”

The Association provides insurance for the common areas; unit owners have the responsibility for insurance coverage for their property.  It is important to understand that this is a town home association; it is not a condominium association.  Therefore, it is very important to know that the HO6 insurance policy for condominiums does not provide coverage for your units, yet some unit owners have this incorrect insurance.  The proper insurance policy that you need as a town home owner in GTHOA, Inc. is the HO3 insurance policy.  At a Summer, 2011 Board of Directors meeting and again at the 2011 Annual Open House, Kathy Kahl of Hollinger Insurance, Inc., Association insurance counsel, was available to review unit owners’ insurance policies and advise them if they had the correct insurance coverage.  She also authored an informative article on this topic which you can read by accessing the HOA web site, and reading the Newletter of June, 2011.

It is the opinion of Association legal counsel (Fullett Rosenlund Anderson PC) that “relative to sewer lines which become damaged or clogged by growth of common area tree roots, it is our opinion that owners under these circumstances are responsible for handling and paying for the repair of sewer lines located on and exclusively serving their individual lots.”
 

It is the opinion of Association legal counsel (Fullett Rosenlund Anderson PC) “that the Association should handle the maintenance of trees located within the non-enclosed areas of lots and pay for the work as a  common expense.  The Declaration expressly allows the Association and its agents to enter lots for the purpose of undertaking this work, provided that reasonable notice is given to the owners and the work is performed during reasonable times.  It is our opinion that decisions regarding the manner in which the maintenance of those trees is undertaken, and whether to undertake the work, lie within the reasonable business judgment of the Board.  Specifically, it is our opinion that the Board has the discretion to decide whether to treat or remove an unhealthy tree, or to remove a dead tree, so long as the decision is reasonable under the particular circumstances.  The Association does not need an owner’s permission to remove a dead tree located within a non-enclosed area, so long as it provides the owner with reasonable notice, performs the work at reasonable times and otherwise carries out the work in a reasonable, businesslike manner.”

Former Association President David Erickson alerted the Board of Directors to this matter in December, 2012.The Board of Directors and Management has been and continues to be in the process of obtaining more information about this new set of requirements and thus far has obtained the following information:

• In summary, replacement of furnaces after the effective compliance date shall be with 90% or higher efficiency furnaces.
• The new regulations had been proposed to become effective May 01, 2013 but this date has been delayed.
• As a result of a lawsuit filed by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) against DOE, the two parties negotiated an agreed-on settlement resolving the court case; the result is that a portion of the DOE rule requiring replacement of certain furnaces to be replaced with 90% efficiency furnaces has been revoked by DOE; the DOE will go through another round or rule-making that could last more than a year; and new rules will be adopted at a later time.
• Therefore, while unit owners are not now being required to replace existing furnances with 90% efficiency furnaces, unit owners may still do so to take advantage of tax and energy credits to offset the higher costs of this type of furnace installation.
• 90% efficiency furnaces require special venting of emissions from the furnace to the exterior of the dwelling.
• There are special code requirements regarding the proximity of this special piping to windows and other openings.
• The installation requirements of 90% plus efficiency furnaces will increase the costs of furnace replacement.   In some instance, costs may increase as much as twice or more than the cost of an 80% efficiency furnace, according to some heating contractors.
• Based on the architectural design of GTHOA, INC. units and the location of furnaces within the units, 90% efficiency furnace piping requirements will present some challenges to both unit owners and the Association.
• Because the Association is responsible for the maintenance of dwelling roofs and siding, the Board of Directors does not favor permitting additional piping holes in the roof membrane that can lead to roof leaks, damage to unit interiors, expensive interior repairs by unit owners, and expensive exterior roof repairs by the Association.
• Additionally, to maintain some degree of uniformity of building modifications related to installation of 90% plus efficiency furnaces, there is a need to formulate a set of standards for unit owners and heating contractors to follow.
• Village of Hanover Park permits are required for the installation of furnaces.
• Village of Hanover Park code requirements must be met.
• Modifications of building exteriors must have approval of the Board of Directors’ Architectural Control Committee.  Examples are doors, television dishes, cable installation, phone installation, windows, patios, and roofs.

Due to the need to assess the structural integrity of the garages before re-roofing, the wood replacement and painting of garages in Phase I had to be placed on hold.This unfinished work was completed in Spring/Summer 2012.

Prior to re-roofing some of the garages in 2011, it was reported by an inspection team of the successful bidder and maintenance personnel that some of the garages had internal structural issues that might be safety issues or lead to a waste of funds to re-roof them until the structural issues were fixed.The re-roofing project was placed on hold, and an engineering firm was employed to inspect the garages for structural integrity and report to the Board of Directors.The final engineering report was reviewed by the structural engineer with the Board of Directors on 12-06-2011.Of the 377 garages, 306 were inspected by the structural engineer. Each inspected garage has a one-sheet report which can be accessed and copied by unit owners by contacting the On-site Property Manager at the Clubhouse.Of the 306 inspected garages, it was determine that only thirteen had structural issues that might constitute a safety situation.Those unit owners were informed in writing and advised to take immediate corrective action.All other unit owners who have garages with identified structural issues were urged to make the repairs identified by the structural engineer.

The Color Committee reviewed the prior 9-11 paint colors and recommended that the Board of Directors reduce the number to three.  It was also proposed that buildings within a Phase could be painted one color. All unit owners had an opportunity to join the Committee or to voice their opinion prior to the final decision.  The Board of Directors made the decision on the paint color for Phase I

GTHOA, Inc. is a not for profit corporation existing under the laws of the State of Illinois.  It is governed by its recorded Declarations, Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (DCCR’s) and By-Laws which set forth the requirements for the operation of the Association.  The Association is governed by a five-member Board of Directors whose members are elected by the Members at its  Annual Meeting.  There are 505 units in GTHOA, Inc. and each unit is entitled to one vote at Member meetings on Association matters.

When the subdivision was built in the early to mid-1970’s, many families had only one vehicle.As more and more family members became employed and as families became more affluent, more vehicles became owned by family members.Soon the number of vehicles per household exceeded the two parking spaces or two garage spaces originally built.Prior Boards were reluctant to utilize the open common area spaces for additional parking, and did not have additional Operating or Reserve funds to do so.Public parking spaces under the control of the Village of Hanover Park were made available only on Catalina Drive and the Village-owned portion of Tiburon Court.Some unit owners use their garages for storage of items others than vehicles, thereby adding to the pressure on the few additional public parking spaces that are available.
 

The following response from FHA in January, 2013 to one of our unit owners is as follows:“As announced in mortgagee letter 03-02, FHA no longer requires approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) as a precondition for placing FHA mortgage insurance on a dwelling located in the development.FHA also discontinued the maintenance of approved PUD lists. FHA continues to require the attachment of the PUD rider to all mortgages on properties located in PUD’s.”Greenbrook Tanglewood is a Planned Unit Development (PUD).

 

Some unit owners, lenders, and real estate agents are unaware of this FHA regulation; therefore, when they search the list of FHA-approved associations, and do not find GTHOA, INC. on that list, they sometimes conclude that FHA loans are not permitted for GTHOA, INC. property purchases.That is an incorrect conclusion. While spot approval for FHA loans may be required, be assured that GTHOA, INC. properties have been selling using FHA loans.For unit owner sellers, you would be well served to share this information with your real estate agents for marketing purposes and to share with real estate agents representing buyers so that they can share this information with their buyers and with the buyers’ lenders.
 

It is the opinion of Association legal counsel that the Association should handle the maintenance of trees located within the non-enclosed areas of lots and pay for the work as a common expense.  The Declaration expressly allows the Association and its agents to enter lots for the purpose of undertaking this work, provided that reasonable notice is given to the owners and the work is performed during reasonable times.  It is our opinion that decisions regarding the manner in which the maintenance of those trees is undertaken, and whether to undertake the work, lie within the reasonable business judgment of the Board.  Specifically, it is our opinion that the Board has the discretion to decide whether to treat or remove an unhealthy tree, or to remove a dead tree, so long as the decision is reasonable under the particular circumstances.  The Association does not need an owner’s permission to remove a dead tree located within a non-enclosed area, so long as it provides the owner with reasonable notice, performs the work at reasonable times, and otherwise carries out the work in a reasonable, businesslike manner.

Unit owners are responsible for payment of monthly assessments and any fines that may be levied for violations.Members are responsible for the timely payment of monthly assessments whether or not they receive a coupon book; the responsibility for payment of assessments is required by the Association’s Declarations, Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions.The monthly dues assessment amount for the next fiscal year is included in the proposed next year’s budget which is mailed to each unit owner’s address on file with the Association thirty days prior to Board approval of the budget; that Board budget approval normally occurs in September of each year.Additionally, unit owners are responsible for any maintenance, repair, or replacement expenses related to their property for which the Association is not responsible;that includes, but is not necessarily limited to the unit, garage, and any other structures on the property and landscaping within the fenced patio area; sidewalks on the unit owner’s land; excluding those expenditures for which the Association is responsible as required by the governing documents.
 

The Association is responsible for expenditures as required by the DCCR’s. Article IX. Duties and Powers of the Association, provides as follows:  “In addition to the duties and powers enumerated in the Articles of Incorporation, its By-Laws, or elsewhere provided for, and without limiting the generality, the Association shall provide exterior maintenance of each lot which is subject to assessment under Article VI hereof, only as follows: paint, maintain, and repair, and replace (if required because of normal wear, tear, or deterioration) roofs, gutters, downspouts, and exterior building surfaces, and maintain the landscaping (including the trees, shrubs, grass, and walks) within each lot.

The exterior maintenance shall not include: glass surfaces, landscaping within the private patio areas of each lot; patio covers or other additions built or maintained within the private patio areas by an owner; repairs or replacements arising out of or caused by the willful or negligent act of the owner, his family, guests, invitees, or licensees, or caused by any of the perils covered by a standard form fire insurance policy with extended coverage endorsement, or caused by flood, earthquake, or other Acts of God.  The excluded items shall be the responsibility of each lot owner; provided, however, that if an owner shall fail to maintain or make the repairs or replacements which are his responsibility, as provided above, then, upon vote of a majority of the Board of Directors and after not less than thirty (30) days’ notice to the owner, the Association shall have the right (but not the obligation) to enter upon the lot and provide the maintenance or make the repairs or replacements, and the cost shall be added to the assessments chargeable to such lot and shall be payable to the Association by the owner of such lot.

For the purpose solely of performing the exterior maintenance authorized by this Article, the Association’s agents, employees, or sub-contractor shall have the right, after reasonable notice to the owner, to enter upon any lot or exterior of any dwelling unit at reasonable hours.”

It is the opinion of Association legal counsel that relative to sewer lines which become damaged or clogged by growth of common area tree roots, that owners under these circumstances are responsible for handling and paying for the repair of sewer lines located on and exclusively serving their individual lots.

On October 24, 2013, the Village of Hanover Park Board adopted an ordinance modifying Section 18-92 of Article IV Property Maintenance Code within Chapter 18 of the Municipal Code of Hanover Park.  The amended ordinance now prohibits certain personal property located on balconies.  If is now unlawful to permit or use any exterior balcony for the placement or storage of any items except furniture made specifically for outdoor use, decorative plants and no more than two grills.  Items specifically prohibited are clothing, laundry or textiles.
 
To read the letter sent out by the village, click here.  To read a copy of ordinance, you can click on Hanover Park Municipal Code (Ordinance No 0-13-24)
 

The Owner/Tenant Registration Program was designed to:

Fines in the amount of $150 for the first violation and $250 for each subsequent violation will be incurred for non-compliance with these Rules and Regulations.
 

1. The Board of Directors shall determine and fix the amount of the regular monthly assessment against each lot at least thirty (30) days in advance of each assessment period.
2. Written notice of the assessment shall be sent to every owner subject thereto.
3. The current assessment amount shall be included in all Closing and Re-Financing Assessment Letters and Welcome Packets, and shall be posted on the HOA web site.
4. It shall be the responsibility of each unit owner to be informed of the final annual regular assessment amount either by (1) reading the written Notice sent to them by the Board of Directors to the address or email on file with the Association; (2) by accessing the Notice from the GTHOA, Inc. web site at greenbrooktanglewood-hoa.com, or (3) by contacting the Property Manager.
5. It shall be the responsibility of each unit owner to provide to Management and keep updated their current contact information so that required legal notices are sent to the correct, current unit owner’s unit or email address.
6. Not being informed shall NOT be a defensible basis for a unit owner not paying the correct amount, nor for not paying the correct amount when due.
7. Board-approved Association policies and procedures shall be followed in dealing with unit owner accounts that are in arrears.
8. Regular assessment coupon books shall be discontinued as of October 1, 2013.
9. No written annual regular assessment notices other than those outlined in Paragraphs #2 and #3 above shall be required to be issued by the Association.
10. Reference:  Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, Article VI.

1. To reduce unit owners’ expense
2. To reduce Management time to process replacement requests
3. To place the responsibility on unit owners to obtain the current assessment amount and to pay their assessments on time
4. To reduce use of paper and move toward the Boards’ cost reduction and digital communications’ goals.”

SSA #5 is a Village ordinance which was passed unanimously by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hanover Park to provide tax funds which can be used for projects identified in the ordinance that benefit the unit owners in GTHOA, Inc.  For example, refuse service for all unit owners and residents of GTHOA, Inc. is an on-going program funded by SSA #5.The Village tenders the bids and administers the refuse removal service program for GTHOA, Inc.Additional projects include a multi-year resurfacing of the Association streets that was completed over a five-year period from 2005 to 2010.The Drainage and Sidewalk Projects were primarily completed in Fall, 2012. The Lighting Upgrade Project is scheduled to begin in 2013. SSA #5 funds will be used to pay for the common area portions of these Projects.A recent agreement with the Village will allow SSA #5 funds to be used for snow removal in GTHOA, Inc.However, for 2012-2013, the Board of Directors found it more cost-effective for the Association to continue to handle its snow and ice management servicesA tax levy not to exceed 1.7% of the equalized assessed valuation of the real property located in GTHOA, Inc. provides the funds for these projects, and is indicated on each unit owner’s tax bill as a separate line item.One of the advantages to the unit owner of the Association using SSA funds to displace the pressure on dues assessments is that the SSA #5 tax is deductible on unit owner’s federal income tax returns.The full text of the SSA #5 ordinance is posted on the Association’s web site in the Contracts/Agreement section.