Villa Marbella Homeowners Association

February 1999 Newsletter

Jan 26, 1999

Villa Marbella Condos Quarterly NEWSLETTER
3140 and 3142 Midway Drive, February 1999
San Diego, California 92110

New Treasurer Appointed. New owner Dan Divine accepted an appointment by the HOA Board in December 16th to fill the job of Treasurer. Former Treasurer, Jim Redfield, resigned from the Board on November 19th. The new Treasurer recently purchased the A Building condo he was renting. His experience as a stock broker and as a Marine will be beneficial while he oversees the financial affairs of Villa Marbella HOA.

Annual HOA Meeting in April. Tentatively, the annual homeowners'' meeting will be 10am Saturday April 24th in nearby Sizzler. The main item of business will be election of 3 directors to the HOA Board. At this time there are three candidates, Dan Divine, recently appointed Treasurer, Beverly Powers, Vice President, and Albert Leggs, President. Others interested in being on the Board of Directors should let the Manager know.

HOA Monthly Fees (Dues) Increased. Mentioned only briefly in the minutes of November meeting, the Board approved a 5% increase effective January 1st. Left unspecified was the exact amount. At press time the plan is to adjust billings to show an increase to $137. Dues were $131 during 1998.

Welcome New Owners! Congratulations and welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Patel and their family who recently bought a condo in the B Building. The Patels are a very busy family, largely because they own and operate the Greco''s Italian ice cream and yogurt store in La Mesa.

Exterior Appearances. At its November meeting the HOA Board agreed to use a flexible standard for appearances of screens or sun shades on balconies and patios. Screens on two condo balconies facing the parking lot were "OK"ed. The two screens that were deemed OK are made of bamboo-like strips, and they can roll up. One is white and one is tan. Beverly Powers, Vice President, and Dan Little, Manager, can provide information to others who would like to put up screens or shades. Approvals must be obtained in advance.

Trees In Bloom! February brings blossoms to the evergreen pear trees in the Villa Marbella parking lot. It''s not known how long the blossoms will last, because rainfall has been light during the last two months. In any case, it can be a beautiful sight.

Fumigation For Termites. Two contractors have provided bids for fumigation of Villa Marbella to eliminate termites. The work is scheduled for the summer of the year 2000.

Rule Violations and Monetary Penalties were down 67% in Villa Marbella in 1998 compared to 1997. In 1997 there were 27 fines mostly for vandalism, noise, playing in the parking lot, and dogs. In 1998 there were 9 fines, mostly for dogs and playing in the parking lot. In mid-1997 the upper limit on monetary penalties was raised to $400. Also, the low vacancy rate in San Diego - reported to be less than 2%, the lowest ever (statistics were first collected in 1958) has allowed landlords to be very selective in picking renters.

Rule Advisory. The Villa Marbella Board of Directors offers free tutorial sessions about rule interpretation after every monthly HOA meeting. During the past few months, questions arose about these rules:
(1) Any dog must be on a leash whenever it''s in the common areas. The common area begins at a condo''s door (the hallway is common area), and ends at Midway Drive. Weight limit for dogs is 20 pounds. Above that, owners pay $50 a month
(2) Vehicle Gate Procedure. A detailed description, which must be complied with, is available. One point is: ALWAYS use your gate opener at night, whether the gate is open or closed. Owners must reimburse the HOA for any inspections or repairs if their (or their renter''s or visitor''s) vehicle touches the gate.
(3) Towing From Reserved Spaces. The licensee of a space (or a delegate) is authorized to tow any vehicle in or blocking the space (but only their space). Western Towing, 297-8697, is the preferred tow company.
(4) Bag Your Garbage. Dropping unbagged garbage down the chute is prohibited - it''s considered littering.

Interior Painting of the halls is nearing approval. Bids have been reviewed, and bidders are responding to questions. Information about the painting can be gotten from Dan Little, Manager, or Beverly Powers, Vice Pres.

Carpeting of the hallways is likely to be done shortly after painting. A vendor spoke at the January meeting.

15 Years Ago - February 1984. Rich Emory was HOA President representing Housing Partners. Jack Allen of Quality Management Unlimited was the property manager. Homeowners, anticipating taking over the HOA Board from Housing Partners, apparently did not notice the bank balance dropping. Monthly dues: $70.99. Bank balance: $9K. 2 BR condo prices: mid $70K.

10 Years Ago - February 1989: Don Hill was HOA President, and Ray Correa was the on-site manager. Peter Haas, of Strom Management continued as administrative/financial manager. Quite a bit of behind-the-scenes activity was going on to finish the construction lawsuit. Monthly dues were raised from $95 to $105 early in the year. Bank balance: $29K. 2BR condos: mid $70K.

5 Years Ago - February 1994:. Albert Leggs was HOA President and Little & Sons were managers. An increase in parking fees from $25 to $40 per month for extra parking spaces was adopted at the January meeting and rescinded in the February meeting. Several homeowners protested the increase. Dues: $120 per month. Bank balance was $110K. 2BR condo prices ranged from $70K to $85K.

1 Year Ago - February 1998:. Albert Leggs was President; Little & Sons were managers. Owner and former HOA Vice President Warren Riley took over the janitorial service on February 1st. Wood around the two main entrances and around the Midway end of the A-Building was repainted in January. Dues: Raised to $131 as of January 1st. Bank balance: $117K. 2BR condo prices: mid $70K.

January 1, 1999: Bank balance: $132K 2 BR condo prices: $85K, typically. Rental prices have risen to above $850/mo..

SUBMIT ITEMS FOR NEWSLETTER TO HOA SECRETARY, 224-3095.
OTHER NUMBERS: HOA PRESIDENT: ALBERT LEGGS, 589-0980. MANAGEMENT: LITTLE & SONS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, (HELEN & DAN LITTLE), (619) 298-9973. Little & Sons office is at 2878 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 120, San Diego CA 92108; e-mail is "little_and_sons@compuserve.com"