TOKARA NEWSLETTER First Edition APRIL The Trustees are so happy to share some news about what is happening in and around Tokara with you.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "TOKARA NEWSLETTER First Edition APRIL The Trustees are so happy to share some news about what is happening in and around Tokara with you."

Pamela McLaughlin
5 years ago
Views:

1 Dear Owner, TOKARA NEWSLETTER First Edition The Trustees are so happy to share some news about what is happening in and around Tokara with you. As an Owner you made an investment in this complex. You surely want to know how the Tokara Body Corporate is helping you to look after your investment? In this first Newsletter we share more about some of the maintenance projects that have been completed since the AGM in November 2013, others that are in progress and the ones in the approval process. Hope you find this Newsletter as enjoyable as we enjoy sharing the Great News with you! Protect your investment help us to help you. Chairman Tokara Trustees 2013/2014 Important Contact Numbers VISITORS Gate number: Security Control Room: Water and Electricity Standby (Triple M): Managing Agent (Pretor): While information is reported as accurate as possible, the Tokara Trustees or BC cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or misrepresentation of the information herein. WHAT IS HAPPENING AT TOKARA? PROJECT PROGRESS 2 ENTRANCE REFURBISHMENT 2 ELECTRICITY 2 LEAKING ROOFS 2 WATER VALVES 3 BLOCKED DRAINS 3 PAVING AND WALLS 4 DOORS 4 THE BC MUST PAY! 4 WHO OR WHAT IS THE BC? 6 WHERE DOES THE BC GET MONEY TO PAY FOR ALL THE SERVICES AND MAINTENANCE? 6 WHAT DOES MY LEVY PAY? 6 SECURITY: VISITORS ACCESS SYSTEM AND PROCESS 7 WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A POSTBOX AT YOUR UNIT? 7 TRUSTEES MEETINGS 8 PROBLEMS TO BE ADDRESSED 8 DISTRIBUTED CIRCULARS 8 BE AWARE - BE INVOLVED SPEAK UP 8 1

2 PROJECT PROGRESS ENTRANCE REFURBISHMENT The Gate motors are operational again. They have been refurbished by Centurion Systems and installed by one of their highly recommended technical installers. 1. Each gate motor is powered by its own circuit breaker allowing for enhanced isolation and availability. 2. The correct level of power surge protectors now protects all the gate motors. 3. The Gates have been fitted with new tracks, racks and wheels. The wheels have special shocks to ensure smooth and quiet operation. 4. The RESIDENTS entrance has now been configured to open wider than before. 5. Parts of the gate frames that were badly rusted and damaged by cars, were replaced. 6. The guardhouse as well as the gates and fence around the guardhouse were repainted. 7. Burglar bars were installed at the guardhouse and the missing window sliders were replaced. 12. Barriers and speed bumps are being evaluated and planned to limit unauthorized entry into Tokara. 13. The fine- tuning of the gates timing to limit tailgating is being done. ELECTRICITY 1. Electricity to the Guardhouse and storeroom had to be redone as it was overloaded and had many unlawful connections. 2. Sufficient plugs for all the components were installed, replacing the overloaded plugs in the guardhouse. 3. The entrance lights to the Tokara complex have been replaced with brighter globes and their own day- night switch. 4. All the lights in the main road are working along with the majority of the common property lights in the other lanes. We will get to the rest. 5. One faulty timer was replaced by a day- night switch contactor combination; cables had to be replaced (it had 5 cable joints underground that were not correctly isolated!). This impacted on all the common property lights in a whole lane. 8. The (very filthy) walls, ceiling and window frames at the guard toilet were repainted and missing window slider replaced. 9. The communication wires of all the systems were cleaned up (gate motors, ClickOn system, security system, pedestrian gates, old security components were removed). 10. The curbs have been repainted and the pavement area has been cleaned up. 11. A barrier pole was installed at the EXIT gate to protect the exit gate keypad that was hit by cars cutting the corner The electrical fence has been renovated and we are awaiting the finalization and COC. LEAKING ROOFS The huge storms and three weeks of rain impacted Gauteng all over; roads were closed, many traffic lights were not working and there were many power outages. Not to mention the potholes! Tokara encountered many storm damage related incidents that made a big dent in Tokara s budget!

1. Many leaking roofs were repaired and broken roof tiles replaced. 2.

Quite a number of water pressure valves had to be replaced after the water outage from

Pretor requested the Blue line plan from the archives of the developers to find the

as the sewerage spilled over Tokara had to pay a contractor to open up several

3 1. Many leaking roofs were repaired and broken roof tiles replaced. 2. Some leaking garage roofs were also repaired. WATER VALVES 1. Quite a number of water pressure valves had to be replaced after the water outage from COJ. 2. Stop valves are installed at the same time, if not present. NB. Pretor requested the Blue line plan from the archives of the developers to find the main line stop valves to limit impact on the residents water supply during maintenance and repairs. BLOCKED DRAINS The stench was unbearable and the blockages impacted a number of units as the sewerage spilled over Tokara had to pay a contractor to open up several locations to unblock the drains by hand! See list and pictures of some of the items that were removed from the sewerage lines: Ash!! bottle caps bath sponge!! baby diapers!!! sanitary products condoms!!!!! TOKARA NEWSLETTER First Edition 3

4 These items belong in the dustbin, not the toilets and drains! The blockages were due to negligence from residents What can you do to prevent this from happening? Check that your drain is covered. Buy a drain cover from your local plumbing shop for under R30. Educate residents [to use bins], kids [to look after their toys] and cleaners [to throw cooled- down ash into bins]. Remove all items stored on the toilet cistern, as these can fall easily into the toilet bowl. Remove items immediately when they do fall in before you flush (cover your hand with a plastic bag), else the items get stuck around the first bend in the sewerage system. NB. When a blocked drain is unclogged and the cause is due to illegal waste, the cost of the contractor will be for the owner s account. All owners cannot be held responsible to help pay for repairs caused by other people s negligence. PAVING and WALLS Many walls were reported to be damp or leaning over due to the major rains. close. Some gates had to be welded and affixed again to the walls. 3. Due to the flooding, sunken paving had to be repaired in various areas. DOORS The Door Renovation project has kicked off amidst the rainy weather! Luckily some sunny weather allowed the contractors to complete a few doors and to paint the doorframes. 14 units have been completed as well as the doors on common property: Doors renovated: 14 Doors replaced: 9 The common property doors were some of the first doors that were completed as a pilot: 2 doors at the guard house 2 doors at the store room 1 door at the Guard Toilet Rainy weather as well special requests by residents slows the project down. Many residents are only available over weekends ( and there are only four Saturdays in the month!). It will help tremendously if residents can arrange to work- from- home or take a day s leave to allow the contractor to remove and treat the doors in normal working hours. 1. A number of garden walls were re- built. NB. The BC cannot be held liable to replace doors damaged by pets/residents and will at most only 2. Some garden gates pulled out of the garden pay the cost of a refurbished door. walls, which made it difficult or impossible to The BC must pay! The Trustees and the Managing Agent hear these words almost daily. It seems as if many people do not understand who/what the BC is, where the money comes from and where owners levies are used? The answers can be found in the Sectional Title Act. This is the act that governs sectional title property ownership. Tokara is a sectional title residential complex. 4

5 Refer to this partial checklist indicating Maintenance Responsibilities (included for clarity). Description Work to be done Responsibility Body Corporate Owner Alarm systems inside units Repair replace X Barge boards, fascia boards Repair, paint, replace X Braai, exclusive use Repair X Burglar bars Repair, paint X Carports (exclusive use) Repair, paint X Door frames, exterior flush with wall (not Repair, paint, replace inside of a patio/porch) X Door frames, garage Repair, paint, replace X Door frames, interior Repair, paint, replace X Doors, sliding Repair, replace X Down pipes Repair, paint, replace X Electric lights above exterior doors Replace globes X Electricity, common property Repair or replace globes X Electricity, exclusive use Repair, globes X Fence, security Repair, replace X Garden, common property Maintain X Garden, exclusive use Maintain X Gate, main access Service X Gates, garden Repair, paint X Gates, security gates of units Repair, paint X Geyser Repair, replace X Gutters Repair, paint, replace X Gutters Clean X Locks, doors, inside/outside Repair, replace X Parking lines Paint X Paving, common property Repair, replace X Paving, exclusive use Repair, replace X Plumbing, exterior Check pipes, pressure valves, Repair X Plumbing, interior Repair X Rafters, brandering Repair, paint, replace X Roofs Waterproof, repair X Sprinkler systems, exclusive use Repair X Sprinkler system, common garden Repair, replace sprinkler heads X Steps: common property to Unit garden gate Paint, repair X Steps: stacks: Stairs to veranda/doors Paint, repair X Steps: exclusive use garden to veranda Paint, repair X Verandas, steel work, stacks installed by BC Repair, paint X Verandas, steel work, stacks installed by owner Repair, paint X Verandas, tiles exclusive use Replace or repair X Verandas, tiles common property Replace or repair X Walls, garden and all exterior walls Waterproof & Paint X Washing lines, exclusive use Repair X Water reticulation after stop cock Repair X Water reticulation up to stop cock Repair X Window Frames, Inside frame Repair, paint X Window Frames, Outside frame Repair, paint X Window Frames, Common Property Repair, paint X Window panes Replace X 5

Who or what is the BC? The BC is the BODY CORPORATE.

Every owner of a unit in the scheme is a member of the Body Corporate. Note: Refer to online resources to learn more: www.paddocks.co.

pdf Where does the BC get money to pay for all the services and maintenance?

The trustees draw up a proposed budget before each AGM and the owners consider the budget at the meeting.

This levy calculation is based on the unit s participation quota and is then generally payable in monthly installments. NB.

What does my levy pay? The BC uses your levies to pay for all the expenses to manage and maintain Tokara.

Look at the chart below indicating the proportionate allocation of what your levy pays for.

6 Who or what is the BC? The BC is the BODY CORPORATE. The Body Corporate is the legal entity that exists to manage and control the common property. Every owner of a unit in the scheme is a member of the Body Corporate. Note: Refer to online resources to learn more: Where does the BC get money to pay for all the services and maintenance? The body corporate raises funds through collecting levies from each owner. The trustees draw up a proposed budget before each AGM and the owners consider the budget at the meeting. Once accepted, the trustees take the total budget for the year and divide it amongst the owners. This levy calculation is based on the unit s participation quota and is then generally payable in monthly installments. NB. Owners are prompted to pay their levies on time as the BC Manager has monthly payments to make for Tokara to be the BEST! What does my levy pay? The BC uses your levies to pay for all the expenses to manage and maintain Tokara. The budget is included in the AGM Minutes and indicates what your levy is used for. Look at the chart below indicating the proportionate allocation of what your levy pays for. The chart shows the expenses paid with a R1,000 levy (current financial year). Audit, Legal & Tax Fees, R16 Complex Maintenance Expenses, R66 Insurance, R86 Communication, R14 Complex Refurbishment Projects, R283 Managing Agent and Admin, R89 Garden and Wages, R95 Reserve Fund, R96 Security Expenses, R254 NB. Due to the increase of maintenance activities due to the heavy rain the past few weeks we are overspending the maintenance budget. This will put pressure on our reserves which will most likely lead to an increase in the levies or even a special levy, should funds be required sooner or reserves are depleted. 6

Security: Visitors access system and process The Tokara VISITORS Gate number is 0849800206 and it important to store this number on your cellphone to be able to recognize when you receive calls from

7 Security: Visitors access system and process The Tokara VISITORS Gate number is and it important to store this number on your cellphone to be able to recognize when you receive calls from the VISITORS gate (ClickOn panel). What is the process to update your information on the ClickOn system to be able to receive calls from the gate from visitors? 1. Only owners can request updates on the ClickOn system. 2. Requests of configuration changes to the ClickOn system should be sent to the trustees 3. The unit number, name & surname and cellphone number(s) to be called needs to be supplied with the request to update the ClickOn system. 4. With each update you will receive the exit code that is to be used on the exit gate panel by your visitors. 5. As the updates have a cost implication the trustees will do one update per month. The updates will be done on the 7 th of the month. 6. Once your details have been updated on the ClickOn system the following options are available when you are called from the visitors gate: a. Grant access to vehicles at VISITORS gate: press 9 to open gate fully b. Grant access to pedestrians at VISITORS gate: press #9 to open gate in pedestrian mode. Pedestrian mode will open the visitors gate partially so that a person can walk through but a car will not be able to drive through in this mode. (this option is still being investigated and not implemented yet) c. Deny Access by pressing ### and an Access Denied voice will be heard by the person at the gate. d. Give your exit code (only valid 24 hours since entry) to your visitors before they leave Tokara. Without the exit code, your visitor will not be able to exit Tokara. The visitor must enter the exit code on the panel at the EXIT gate to exit. 7. Refer to the ClickOn Guide if you require extra exit codes on a specific date. 8. Each access granted to a visitor, costs R2.35 and will be added to your (owner s) levy account. Note: All pedestrians using the PEDESTRIAN gate needs to sign in at Security. What do you think about a Postbox at your unit? It is critical to find a solution to prevent the mail (post) from cluttering the guardhouse and to allow security to focus on their job. They are currently overwhelmed by mail being delivered there. When the guardhouse had to be refurbished, we became aware of the extent of the problem and possible fire hazard. Two apple boxes full of old uncollected mail had to be thrown away! The trustees are considering installing postboxes at every house for the delivery of mail to your unit. These postboxes (big enough for an A4 size item see picture) will have a once- off cost of about R Ps. Comparison with rented post- boxes Annual fees to rent post boxes are: South African Post Office: R320 p.a. PostNet: R550 p.a. In order to fund this, the trustees would like to know if you would be prepared to pay a once- off special levy of R for the installation of such a postbox at your unit? <Please let us know at TokaraTrustees@gmail.com> 7

8 Trustees Meetings The Trustees meet monthly at Pretor with the Managing Agent and major suppliers. Trustees Meetings Schedule 1. Trustees Meeting directly after AGM: 12 November Trustees Meetings: 23 January, 25 February, 25 March Trustees Meetings: 22 April, 27 May, 24 June Trustees & 2014/2015 Budget Meeting: 29 July 2014 (Ps. Any owner is welcome to attend; kindly confirm attendance with the Trustees and Pretor.) Problems to be addressed 1. Window frames refurbishment 2. Flooded gardens 3. Damp walls of units 4. Damp garden walls 5. Boundary walls 6. Painting of gutters and downpipes Distributed Circulars Always pay close attention to circulars distributed to owners as they contain very important information and actions. If you have missed any of the communiqués listed below, please contact Pretor to forward them to you. NB. Non- resident owners, please share notices with the landlord, letting agent or tenant where the content is relevant to residents specifically /2013 Maintenance Project: Wooden Doors and Window Frames (survey) 27 June /2014 #01 Water interruptions 24, 25 October /2014 #02 AGM Notice and Agenda 25 October /2014 #03 Electric fence repairs 25 October /2014 #04 No Fireworks 6 November /2014 #05 AGM Minutes 22 November /2014 #06 Common water and electricity costs 26 November /2014 #07 Insurance claims (Pretor) - 2 December /2014 #08 Gate motors 22 January /2014 #09 Pets 3 February /2014 #10 Children 19 February /2014 #11 Door Project (process announcement) 5 February /2014 #12 Access to Tokara 13 March /2014 #13 Geyser excess 3 April /2014 #14 Security Gate Usage 31 March /2014 #15 Garden clean up 4 April Personal notices: violations of the Complex Conduct Rules (e.g. illegal parking, noise disturbances, washing on walls, misbehaving pets) Be aware - Be involved Speak up Please share any feedback on the Newsletter or about the complex with TokaraTrustees@gmail.com and TinaV@pretor.co.za. 8

RE: NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF TOKARA BODY CORPORATE

The Owner Tokara Body Corporate 310 Third Road Halfway Gardens X76 1682 14 October 2014 Dear Sir/Madam RE: NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF TOKARA BODY CORPORATE As duly appointed agents, we hereby