CWL HOA NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS July 2008

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1 CWL HOA NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS July 2008 MARK YOUR CALENDARS IMPORTANT DATES! August 14 Town Hall Meeting September 14 Pool Closes December Holiday Lighting Contest TOWN HALL MEETING! AUGUST 14, 2008 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI PARISH LIFE CENTER #113 7:00 P.M. In a recent study, volunteer and charity work generated more joy than anything except dancing. The sense of accomplishment, the social connection and the chance to do something meaningful are what make it so much fun! Several committees need volunteers to assist in meeting at least once a quarter to recommend actions or improvements to the CWL HOA Board of Directors. We need VOLUNTEERS FOR SAFETY, AREA FACILITATORS, LAKES AND COMMUNICATIONS. Crye-Leike is an important part of our relationship and is primarily responsible for our financials, day-to-day operations and response to our members. It is your duty to support all improvement efforts. If you take the approach that anytime you call or , that an immediate response or an immediate update on any project will be available, you will only be frustrated because all efforts are ongoing and updates are primarily done at meetings and by newsletter. Please take the time to read your mail and come to the meetings. It is your BASELINE responsibility besides paying your annual dues! Gangs and Graffiti Let s learn how to combat it! Have you noticed a few of the utility boxes in our area have been "tagged" by local youth? This is a problem that is spreading throughout Shelby County and some times it is gang affiliated. If you have noticed any graffiti near you, please contact the Memphis Police Department to report it. The police will send someone out to take pictures for documentation purposes. Colonel Glenn Williams is at the Appling Farms precinct serving our area and he would like to hear from you if you have a concern about this or anything else in our area. He can be reached at 545-COPS or Please contact Marshall DeWitt, Crye-Leike Property Manager, at to report an area that needs repainting. We are working on a GANG AWARENESS GROUP AS PART OF CWLHOA NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. We need volunteers to come together and be part of this initiative. We hope to have a representative from the Memphis City Gang Unit at our Town Hall Meeting in August to help educate us as to what to look for and how to combat organized gangs in our area.

2 LAKE B - PROJECT COMPLETED By Ginny Lynch In case you haven t noticed, the construction company hired to perform the Lake B work has left the area. This project has been completed according to the construction plans developed by W.H. Porter, the engineers who made the work plans and certified the performance. Questions regarding this project will be addressed at our August 14 th Town Hall Meeting. Thanks to all volunteers who participated and spent countless numbers of hours to see the project to completion. Thanks to all who have extended their appreciation! It makes our volunteer effort worthwhile and satisfying. LAKE A/C UPDATE Ginny Lynch, President It is the Board s intention to also begin focusing on Lake A/C repairs and restoration. Lake C starts at the north end of this waterway and faces Carrollwood Lane at Fletcher Creek. It runs south into the Wolf River and then to the Mississippi, so it is a very active waterway. Lake A/C has the opposite problem of Lake B. It has the constant process of erosion, whereas Lake B has the constant problem of siltation from upstream runoff and development. Therefore the mouth of Lake C requires spillway, dredging and bank stabilization. There are construction plans in place for this repair and suggested recommendations for other Lake repairs to A/C which are being discussed. The highest priority will be the mouth of Lake C and then we plan to work south on the others. Please remember that all repairs require adequate funding and will be made based upon our ability to pay for them and in what time frame this can be done. While we had anticipated C mouth repairs this year, we are not financially able to begin work. However, we are in the process of obtaining more complete information in order to do this work early next year. Adequate notice will be put out to members regarding this repair, as it will require lowering the lake level, which impacts all of A/C. This will be a great time to do wall construction and repair and you can request all specifications for allowed materials from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. In addition, a suggested lake wall plan, was made available at the Annual Meeting earlier this year and is available from Crye-Leike. 2

3 RECREATION AREA! Carrollwood Lakes has a community pool and two tennis courts open to all homeowners who are in good standing with the homeowner's association. This means your dues are current and if you are renting that you have a lease on file with Crye-Leike and identification that matches the member address. This facility is located at 2339 Oak Springs Lane. It includes bathroom facilities with changing areas and a grill/ picnic table for gatherings. Hours are generally from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the pool closes every year on the Sunday evening of the second weekend in September. Please remember!! you must show identification/proof of residence to the security guard on duty to be allowed to use any part of the recreation area. Unfortunately, a few members are NOT doing their part in keeping this area clean and trash free and the board is asking for your help. Please remove all trash, cigarette butts and pool toys and such when you get ready to leave for the day!! In addition, some people have been using inappropriate language around the pool and some other documented security issues include verbally assaulting the Security Guard, vandalism and using the pool after hours by jumping the fence. Very few incidents have been reported, but the few make it difficult for the majority to enjoy, when we do not correct the situation. This facility is for all families and members must abide by the posted rules and regulations. Failure to do so will result in a member s privileges being suspended for the remainder of the year by the Board. Also, young children and teenagers under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who is in good standing with the homeowner's association. We cannot be responsible for their safety and well-being on common areas. AREA FACILITATORS UPDATE The Area Facilitators have been working hard this summer in identifying covenants violations and currently 250 violations have been reported to the Crye-Leike Property Manager. Many violations involve missing shingles and paint being poor with wood exposure. Also, many overgrown yards and/or shrubs and trailers parked in driveways or visible from the front of the home have been noted. If you have any concerns about what is or is not allowed in the Carrollwood Lakes area, please refer to your Rules and Regulations and registered Covenants for specific information. You can also contact Marshall DeWitt at and request a copy of this information. Please remember, the Area Facilitators are doing their part in keeping our property values as high as possible, so if you see one, give them a break! They must maintain their properties to the same standards as everyone else in Carrollwood Lakes. Roofing Gone Wild! Have you noticed many of your neighbors are putting on a new roof or having shingles repaired? It's probably because of the tremendous wind we can get in our area from spring and summer thunderstorms. The age of your roof can also contribute to this problem. The Area Facilitators are out and about checking for general covenants violations on a regular basis and they also take note of shingles that are missing. The general rule for informing you officially through the Crye-Leike Property Manager is when 3 shingles are missing. To be safe and keep your roof from springing leaks, it might be best to check your roof after heavy storms and contact your insurance company immediately if you notice any damage! Crye-Leike Number Marshall DeWitt Crye-Leike Number Marshall DeWitt 3

4 Waterfowl Commonly Seen on CarrollWood Lakes By Ginny Lynch The Great Blue Heron is the largest North American heron, with a head-to-tail length of in, a wingspan of 71 in and a weight of lbs. It is blue-gray overall, with black flight feathers, red-brown thighs, and a paired red-brown and black stripe up the flanks; the neck is rusty-gray, with black and white streaking down the front; the head is paler, with a nearly white face, and a pair of black plumes running from just above the eye to the back of the head. The feathers on the lower neck are long and plume-like; it also has plumes on the lower back at the start of the breeding season. The bill is dull yellowish, becoming orange briefly at the start of the breeding season, and the lower legs gray, also becoming orangey at the start of the breeding season. Immature birds are duller in color, with a dull blackish-gray crown, and the flank pattern only weakly defined; they have no plumes, and the bill is dull gray-yellow. The Green Heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 44 cm. The neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underpants and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck and underpants streaked brown and white, tan-splotched back, and greenish-yellow legs. The Belted Kingfisher is cm long, with deep blue or bluish-grey plumage with white markings, a shaggy crest and a broad white collar around the neck. As shown in the photo, females have a rusty band along the sides of the belly, making this one of the less common cases found in North America where the female is more decorated than the male. These birds nest in a horizontal tunnel made in a river bank or sand bank. The female lays 5 to 8 eggs. Both parents excavate the tunnel, incubate the eggs and feed the young. It is often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable watch points close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat small crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals, lizards and berries. These birds often give a rattling call as they fly overhead. Its call is a loud, penetrating rattle given on the wing and when perched. Hummingbirds are small birds known for their ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings, times per second (depending on the species). Capable of sustained hovering, the hummingbird has the ability to fly deliberately backwards (this is the only group of birds able to do so or vertically, and to maintain position while drinking nectar or eating tiny arthropods from flower blossoms. They are named for the characteristic hum made by their wings. The Purple Martin are called "aerial acrobats" have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky with their wings tucked at great speeds. They nest exclusively in man-made bird houses, of which about a million are provided. It is the only bird totally dependent on humans for nest sites. Purple Martins are aerial insectivores, meaning that they catch insects from the air. The birds are agile hunters and eat a variety of winged insects. Rarely, they will come to the ground to eat insects. They usually fly relatively high, so, contrary to popular opinion, mosquitoes do not form a large part of their diet. 4

5 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS By Ginny Lynch, President When was Carrollwood Lakes formed? The CWL HOA began in 1984 when the original development company, Great American Homes, filed a Charter of Incorporation with the State of Tennessee. This act established CWL HOA and directed that membership of the CWL HOA be the owners of lots in the development. These members are responsible for the care, management and supervision of the Common Areas and lots within the Properties, according to the By-Laws and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Carrollwood Lakes. Who do I contact? For reporting violations of rules and regulations, common ground security or upkeep and general information, please contact our Property Manager at Crye Leike Property Management, Marshall DeWitt at For ideas or suggestions for improvement and to volunteer, contact the Board of Directors at CWLHOABoard@yahoogroups.com. What are the Guidelines or Rules and Regulations that I must comply with regarding my property in CWL HOA? There are adopted rules and regulations for maintenance and upkeep of Carrollwood Lakes Homeowner s Association members. A member is described as any homeowner in the Carrollwood Lakes subdivision. They have been sent several times by mail and you can get a copy anytime from Crye-Leike or print them from Please take time to review these rules, as they have been carefully drafted and adopted by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. REMINDER! Use of the common areas and recreation facilities are for Carrollwood Lakes members and their accompanied guests. If you lease or rent, the rental agreement must be on file with Crye-Leike and you must have proper I.D. to use these areas. Fees that are in arrears or outstanding covenant violations will make you a member not in good standing and you must remedy these violations in order to have access to these areas. I just moved into Carrollwood Lakes and don t really know much about the Rules and Regulations or what is happening, can you help me find out? Get many of your questions answered by logging onto the Carrollwood Lakes website. It has recently been launched and constantly being updated with news and information. It will not have all of the answers but serves as a great vehicle for communication. Past newsletters are posted as well as current Rules and Regulations of the Association. Meetings should also be attended to get the latest updates on all initiatives from the HOA or active.committees. Suggestions for additions can be sent to cwlhoaboard@yahoogroups.com 5

6 CWL HOA FINANCIAL UPDATE AS OF JUNE, 2008 By Steve Holdsworth, Treasurer As of 06/30/08, the Carrollwood Lakes HOA (CWL HOA) has total assets of $228,630. This is comprised of $35,552 in Trust One Bank and $193,078 in Smart Street Checking. The $200,000 loan proceeds from the Trust One Bank loan have been used to fund the Lake B project except for the balance listed above. The CWL HOA's Magna Bank Savings account proceeds have been used to fund the Lake B project and this account has since been closed. The CWL HOA has a Trust One Bank loan balance of $191,722 (liabilities), Members Retained Earnings of $332,129 and negative net income of -$295,221 for Total Liabilities and Equity of $228,630. The negative Net Income was expected and is primarily due to year to date Capital Expenditures for Lake B in the amount of $359,585. Total Income to date is $122,484 and Total Expenses are $417,705, which results in the negative Net Income of -$295,221. As mentioned at the CWL HOA Annual Meeting, there are two capital improvements budgeted this year: lake projects and playground equipment. Year to date to 06/30/08, capital expenditures for the Lake B project is $359,585 and approximately $127,000 more will be spent for contract completion for a total of approximately $487,000. The budgeted amount for playground equipment will not be spent at this time and will be revisited by the Board later in In regard to actual versus budgeted spending to date, actual Total Operating Expenses ($58,120) are below Budgeted Expenses ($62,979). Please keep in mind that all capital spending, such as lake projects, requires adequate funding and will be made based upon the CWL HOA's ability to pay for them. Given the necessary capital spending in 2008, the Board plans to increase dues for the 2009 year in order to rebuild capital reserves, meet debt service payments and ongoing operational expenses. Thank you to those Members who have paid their annual dues and do so consistently. As of 06/30/08, $96,516 in Accounts Receivables is owed CWL HOA from Members. While the Board is pursuing legal action on behalf of CWL HOA where appropriate, please pay your current or past dues as legally required if you have not done so. TRASH! TRASH! TRASH! Don t throw it, pick it up and clean up the curbs! We are noticing an increase in trash being thrown out of passing cars in our neighborhood this summer! Please remember, trash will eventually make it to one of our lakes and will cost all of us in increasing member dues to pay for regular lake cleanings and maintenance. Painting Your House Soon? Or Already Have? Not sure what color would be appropriate? It is okay and preferred to contact a Board member for a general review of your choice and for approval. Board members have no problem in coming to your home and checking out the possibilities. This may save you from having to repaint if the color is not considered neutral for the homeowner's association. Before spending your hard earned money, please contact Marshall DeWitt, Crye-Leike Property Manager, at to put you in touch with a Board member. Already painted and did t seek approval? Well you have run the risk of repainting if found not to be compliant. The same is true for your roof and fences!!! 6