Category: Ridgeview Community News

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Preparations for freezing temps ahead

The coming arctic blast is predicted to bring us lows in the 20s for the next few days.  If you haven’t taken precautions, this is just a reminder of some important preparations for winter weather.
We urge you not to leave home for the holidays without having made preparations for the safety of your home during your absence.
 
Please don’t be offended if you consider some or all of this information common sense knowledge.  There are some first time homeowners among us that may not be aware of the safety risks to themselves and neighbors as well as the financial costs they may incur for failing to follow these requirements.
 
 
 
PREVENTING WATER DAMAGE:
 
The front and back spigots on all homes should have insulated covers on them by now.  If you are a new homeowner and don’t have them yet, you should be able to pick up two of them for under $10 at Lowe’s.  This time of year, Lowe’s usually keeps them near the front entrance of the store, since so many people come in looking for them.
 
Following is a link from Consumer Reports with tips to prevent damage from frozen pipes:
 
 
 
PREVENTING FIRE DAMAGE:
 
If you intend to use your fireplace, please be certain the answer to all of the following questions is YES:
 
1. Has your fireplace been properly maintained and cleaned by a certified professional assuring that it is in safe condition to burn wood?
2. Are you certain that the wood you are burning is either Oak or Hickory?
3. Is your wood stored on a raised metal rack above ground and at least 5 feet from the building in a space in the common area that has been approved by the Association?
4. Are you certain that a responsible adult will be monitoring the wood and embers until they have completely burned and no longer represent a risk of creating a spark or otherwise igniting any flammable item in the proximity of the fireplace?
 
 
Firewood Requirements:
 
1. If you are unaware of the maintenance status of your fireplace, DO NOT USE it until it has been inspected/cleaned by a certified chimney sweep.
 
2. ONLY HICKORY AND OAK are approved for burning in fireplaces in Ridgeview.  USE OF PINE IS A VIOLATION OF RIDGEVIEW POLICY and is not permitted to be brought onto the property as firewood at Ridgeview as it creates dangerous, soot build up in flues that can result in fire damage to your home and adjacent homes.  In the past 10 years, two homes caught on fire and the Owners were unable to live in them for about six months.  The fire started in one home, but also displaced the Owner of the adjacent home and destroyed contents in the adjacent home as well.  Therefore, your neighbor must rely on you being a responsible homeowner for their safety, as well as your own.  It is your responsibility to KNOW what kind of wood you are burning and burning unapproved wood would also be considered negligent by our insurance carrier.  If soft wood is used in your fireplace by you or any guest in your home, you would be personally liable for any resulting damage to your home as well as your neighbors home and contents lost.
 
The following is an excerpt from the article link below:
 
“Trees like pines, firs, or cypress have “soft” wood, which burns fast, leaves few coals, and makes a lot of smoke that can coat your chimney with soot (not a safe thing in the long run). Seasoned softwood is okay for outdoor fires, but you may want to avoid it if a fireplace is involved…”
 
 
3. Storing wood directly on the ground, on a deck, or within 5 feet of any home is a violation of our contract with Terminix.  Such violations void coverage for termite damage.  In such cases, the Association is not responsible for damage due to violation of these policies.  The homeowner becomes personally liable for all damage to their home and adjacent homes due to improperly stored wood.
 
4. Never leave a fire or hot coals unattended in your home.  Do not start a fire if you do not intend to monitor it until it is fully extinguished.
 
 
We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

 

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MANDATORY Termite Inspections Tuesday, November 26, 2024 – Access required

Greetings Everyone,  it is time for the annual termite inspections again (Owners with homes in buildings A and B will not be inspected at this time as your termite contracts are with Acme Pest Control).  

 

It is critical that you provide access to your home either by unlocking your crawl space or arranging for someone to provide access to your home if your home is on a slab.  If you are unable to provide access on Tuesday, it is critical that you make arrangements with Terminix for an inspection as:
 
If your home is not inspected, your insurance coverage contracted by Ridgeview on your behalf will be void for termite damage to your home.  If your home is not inspected, you will be personally responsible for the cost of repairs for damage to your home in addition to any damage to the surrounding structure that initiated in your home.
 
Normally inspections begin at 9am, but we’ve made special arrangements for those Owners on slabs that would like to have their inspections performed early so that they can leave for work immediately thereafter.  If you are among those that must provide inside access to your home and wish to have the inspection performed between 8am and 9am, please contact Terminix directly at 704.786.5300 to arrange for early inspection of your home.  If you will be home after 9am, there is no need to call.  A Terminix service person will come to your home for inspection as they work their way through the community.

If your home is not inspected on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 for any reason, it is CRITICAL that you contact Terminix to schedule another time when they are able to come to inspect your home.

Here’s to hopes of another termite free year!

Post expires at 10:11pm on Sunday December 22nd, 2024

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Pool access devices being distributed Saturday, July 27 from 10 am to 12 noon at the pool

Great News!  All necessary repairs to the pool have been completed by the pool contractor and the county successfully inspected the pool today and certified it to open.  Much thanks to Gary for following up with the contractor to get the pool inspection ready.  We are ready to distribute new devices that will grant owners access to the pool area.

Please be aware that the key system has been replaced and you will no longer be able to access the pool with your existing pool key.  You will receive a new electronic fob style device that will give you access to the pool via an electronic gate lock.
Board members will be on site at the pool tomorrow morning from 10am to 12noon to distribute the devices.  If you are unable to pick up your device tomorrow during the distribution time, then please contact Gary to make arrangements to pick up your device.  You can contact Gary via email at gary@ridgeview.fyi to make arrangements if you are unavailable tomorrow (Saturday, July 27) morning from 10 am to noon.
Prior to using the pool each year, Owners must sign and accept the terms of the Pool Use Agreement every year.  Insurance has become increasingly difficult to secure and each Owner must agree to hold the HOA harmless from any injury or circumstance that may arise from any action by yourself or anyone that you permit access to the pool with your key fob.
In order to have your key fob activated to access the pool, you must accept self-policing responsibility while on the premises.  If at any time a fob holder becomes unwilling to accept this self policing responsibility, then the fob must be returned to the HOA.  This condition is vital as Ridgeview does not provide any staff or other direct supervision of the pool.
Sometime between this evening and 10 am tomorrow, you will receive a link to access your copy of the Pool Use Agreement that contains the terms of use that you must accept with your electronic signature.  If you agree to the terms in their entirety, then please apply your signature electronically and press SUBMIT.  Your device should indicate that your document was completed and submitted.  Upon receipt of your signed agreement, your device fob will be activated remotely as soon as possible thereafter. If the device is in your possession, it will require no further intervention once remotely activated.
Your access device will be assigned a number based on your building letter/number and your address. You will be asked for your building letter/number and your street number when you sign the Pool Use Agreement.  As an example, if you are the second home from the left in building X, then you are X2.  If your street address is 5000, then your device number will be X2-5000.  If you are uncertain about your building letter number, please contact email@ridgeview.fyi – and we will reply with it.  Your building letter and number should also appear on your payments to Ridgeview as that is your account number with the Association.
Thanks to everyone for keeping the pool a safe, clean place to have fun and relax.

Post expires at 9:30pm on Saturday August 26th, 2034

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URGENT NOTICE re: your HO-6 insurance policy. Kindly reply RECEIVED to this email

PLEASE REPLY TO THIS EMAIL TO CONFIRM RECEIPT.  Kindly reply: “Received.”
Please read the following update regarding the renewal of Ridgeview’s master policy and how it may impact your personal homeowner’s insurance policy.

URGENTLY IMPORTANT: Please contact the insurance Agent that provides coverage for your required home insurance (HO-6) policy to assure that your coverage values are sufficient to protect you from potential risks based on increasing replacement costs.  https://ridgeview.fyi/resources/insurance-information/  This website link contains the information* that you should discuss with your Agent to assess your current coverage.
Last November we discussed at the annual meeting that we expected a significant increase in our insurance premium for the Master Condo Policy – as increasingly large claims in the dwelling market nationwide are impacting rates in every state.  Carriers are exiting the habitational market coast to coast leaving fewer carriers with much less competition and little incentive to quote due to rising replacement costs, increasing wind/hail claims and more destructive named storms.
We sought competitive quotes persistently for months and the good news is, we’ve been able to acquire coverage at a rate much lower than expected, and at least for the next year, have been spared the massive increases that many condo associations have experienced.  As an example, our Agency just renewed a policy for a different Condo Association for an annual premium of $270,000, their expiring premium had been $115,000! The path to this year’s coverage was rather complex and materialized only after we were rejected by nine underwriters.**  We received a quote from only one underwriter that was two and a half times our current premium with less coverage and higher deductibles.  Briefly, we thought we may have to seek coverage of last resort directly from the State of NC, but thankfully, with some persistence from the Agency we’ve worked with for over two decades, they managed to secure a favorable quote in tandem with another Agency in eastern NC and we are pleased to announce that this new coverage is officially bound for the next year.  Both Agents involved in writing this coverage assured us that our opportunity to obtain such favorable coverage is due to the fact that we have not had a single claim in 10 years.
Kudos are in order to all Owners that have been vigilant in following safe practices within their homes and have been careful and observant in common areas to prevent risks.  If you have a pet in resident, please assure that your pet is properly registered with the Association and that your personal policy specifically holds the Condo Association harmless for any/all pet related claims.  Pet registration is important to assure that only breeds permitted by our insurance carrier are in residence to prevent cancellation of our policy due to non-compliance.
Thanks to all for your past and continued vigilance to assure we are able to secure the best rates possible.
Message Footnotes
*For your convenience, following is the insurance information available at the link above and on the Ridgeview website under the RESOURCES tab:

It’s important to note, our policy is not intended to cover most common losses (like losses due to water damage from plumbing fixture failures).  The Ridgeview Master Policy carries a high deductible and is only in place to provide walls out coverage for catastrophic losses. Owners should provide their own policy to cover deductibles, loss of use, replacement of all interior components in the event of casualty loss (including flooring, cabinets, electrical fixtures, appliances, etc.), coverage for water damage, and all insurable contents. Details of the coverage you should have in place with your insurer is recapped below:

Our policy is a “walls out” coverage policy. Please take this opportunity to review your coverage with your agent and assure that your HO policy includes “walls in” replacement as well as contents coverage. Your insurance would be responsible for finishing walls, floors, all lighting and plumbing fixtures as well as replacing all appliances and cabinets. You should also plan for coverage for the cost of being displaced from your home should a catastrophic event occur.

Additionally, we further recommend that you speak with your agent about LOSS ASSESSMENT RISK. This coverage should be adequate for the $25,000.00 deductible that exists on the HOA policy, as the first $25,000 of any claim would not be covered by either Ridgeview or Ridgeview’s insurance.

You may want to increase your LOSS ASSESSMENT COVERAGE for liability purposes as well. In the event that Ridgeview was named in a lawsuit and was liable for an award that exceeds the $1 million coverage provided by our policy, you can add loss assessment coverage to your policy to cover any assessment by the HOA that would be necessary to pay the costs to you that the Association would be obligated to assess.  Adding $50,000 to cover such assessments should be available for minimal additional cost. We recommend that you discuss adding this to your policy as it is a small price to pay to potentially save your home or savings against a major liability judgment.

**insurance underwriters that refused to provide a quote:
Hartford – declined due to age

Amtrust – frame construction

Philadelphia – property value too high

West Bend – declined due to age

Travelers – declined due to age/frame

Cincinnati – declined due to age

Westfield – property value

Auto Owners – declined due to age

Main Street – won’t do habitational condos

 

RPS –Quoted over $60k in premium with higher deductibles (and required an additional policy to match existing coverage)

Post expires at 12:14am on Monday August 7th, 2034

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Update on pool repairs

Some of you may have noticed that our pool contractor has been performing warranty repairs to the pool during the past couple of weeks.  In the last update to everyone, we expressed hope to have the pool open by late June/early July.  That timeframe was based on our own estimation of what we thought possible, as the pool contractor would not commit to any specific timeline then.  Even now, despite our requests, we have no definitive timeline for completion.  To the extent that they don’t control the mandatory government inspection, it is understandable that they would resist guaranteeing an exact date because the inspection is among several contingencies that impact opening the pool.

We have pursued every potential option to get the pool open as quickly as possible, including seeking counsel from legal professionals, pool consultants, pool construction companies and different pool management companies.  Despite those efforts, it became clear that no option pursued would result in the pool opening any sooner than the existing contractor performing the warranty work as they were the only ones that had resources available to schedule within a reasonable time frame and they committed to mobilize them.

An even greater consideration, was that while all other options would have likely resulted in even further delays in the pool opening, they also involved solutions that would have placed significant financial costs on our Owners that we deemed unacceptable.

Several sources have confirmed that the rates we pay for pool management are also the lowest available in the area.  As frustrating as dealing with this matter may be, we have employed every reasonable option to compel the pool contractor to meet their warranty obligations to our community while at the same time maintaining a professional working relationship with them to protect the financial interests of all homeowners.

The contractor has assured us that they will continue their work every day next week, weather permitting.  Once we have reliable information regarding the actual opening date of the pool, we will update everyone.

Happy Independence Day to all.

Post expires at 6:41pm on Saturday July 29th, 2034

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Guy Roofing onsite tomorrow Feb 9

Please be aware that Guy Roofing will be on roofs throughout the community starting tomorrow morning,Thursday, February 9, to clear gutters and downspouts as well as perform a routine inspection and maintenance. Unless you’ve been notified otherwise, no access to the inside of your home is required.
Just an FYI so no one is caught off guard by footsteps on the roof.
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Water Interruption

There has been a major water line break on Wexford under the parking area.  Water has been shut off on Chadbourne to the entire area.  The best guess at this point before water is restored is noon.   Will provide an update if the projection changes. 


Since your outdoor spigots are covered for winter, best practices for this time of year would be: turn off water to refrigerators and ice makers.  When water is restored, flush toilets first, then tubs/showers, cold water only.   And sinks last where you access drinking water, again cold water only.   After you have run water for a few minutes to clear all sediment, then follow normal protocol advisories from water service. 


Sent from my iPhone
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Timeline for window estimates (follow link to post or check website for more information)

A number of folks have inquired about when they can expect to receive window estimates.
The final posted deadline for submitting window measurements was Monday, Jan 9. The 109 estimates for window measurements provided were compiled the following day and formally submitted to JeldWen. Yesterday, JeldWen confirmed receipt of the request. Since JeldWen is the manufacturer of the windows, they are contacting Distributors within their network to find which Distributor is willing to process and deliver our order for the best price.
Each Distributor that JeldWen contacts will have to quote our order based on their pricing and then get back to JeldWen before they are able to get back to us with the best possible pricing. It seems likely to take at least a couple of weeks for JeldWen to contact the Distributors, receive the quotes back, compare/review the quotes, and contact us with the best option.
Everyone that requested estimates will be contacted promptly once we have been provided estimates from JeldWen.
Best to all, Alex
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MONDAY DEADLINE approaching for requesting window quote (Click link or visit website for details)

Kindly note, Monday, Jan 9 is the deadline for providing approximate measurements and each window location to receive a quote for windows that you would like to replace. This is the deadline to receive a quote. There will be a future deadline announced to allow you time to review the quotes once we receive them and for you to confirm that you would like to be included in the bulk order.
Please refer to the prior notice posted on the website that was emailed to everyone for additional information and how to measure.
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