[Everyone] Urgent! Possible loss of our Association's common areas insurance coverage.

Thu Jan 21 22:40:20 UTC 2021

Neighbors/Owners:

Happy New Year Greetings to all. I feel the need to weigh on matters
circulating among us.

We are at a point of needing to make very serious decisions, to address
serious challenges, to take serious initiatives. As a self-governing HOA no
one is paid to do the things that need to be done in re: repairs and
upgrading of
common property areas. But it seems to me as one still relatively new here
that owners have tended to assume someone else, elected or appointed, will
spend much time taking care of things. And the rest could simply sit back
and
pay an uncommonly low monthly payment; and all would be well.

This situation cannot remain. It will not work. I appreciate very much the
contributions that Sara Crews over many years has made to the maintenance
of the common grounds. But more is needed. At this time we desperately need
repairs made (back fence) and installation work for sake of safety and
upgrade (front fence and side gate railing).

We also need clarity about absentee-owner rentals and the upkeep of such
places (if they are at all allowed). This means gaining clarity about the
governing document ("covenants") for our deliberations and actions.

We also named some of the long-term projects that need attention for the
sake of long-term upkeep and the maintaining the beauty of Chelsea Place.

All these matters need attention. Serious attention. The fencing project is
now absolutely critical, in terms of negotiation with the insurance company
and general liability and safety issues.

For all these matters we need leadership that will help us focus on and
take action on these matters. I think Dave Wiener is willing to communicate
to us that he is not now and has not been for a period for a number of
reasons able to lead us as we have the need. I have found the lack of
action or initiative on his part to be frustrating. But, again, no
unpaid/volunteer leadership should be expected to do for us all that need
to be done. Unless we are willing to pay a company to manage the complex
and pay for it, all of us must participate in shared management. We must
ALL contribute in some ways. The days of not paying attention, not even
attending meetings, not caring about shared quality
of life issues until a big problem presents itself--these days are over.
Something must change.  We must change.

I hope we can in a meeting move forward and clarify matters before us as
soon as this is possible.

I also hope you all will receive these sentiments in the spirit with which
they are shared. The sentiments are meant to be honest and constructive.
Rosamond and I are pleased and proud to be here in this beautiful place.
But
given our current situation and arrangements here this will remain the case
only with real neighborliness and committed shared ownership.

 Vincent Wimbush

On Thu, Jan 21, 2021 at 4:57 PM mitsy via Everyone <
everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:

> I don't know anything about HOA insurance etc. and I'd be hesitant to take
> on this very important task.... I'm sorry. I'd be happy to help with
> something else though.
>
> Mitsy
>
> On Thu, Jan 21, 2021 at 3:26 PM David Weiner via Everyone <
> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>
>> I'd also like to give a big thanks to those that are stepping up.  We're
>> shorthanded at work, so I don't have a lot of free time, and what free time
>> I do have is being eaten up dealing with my recent family issues.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> On Thu, Jan 21, 2021 at 3:16 PM Rosamond via Everyone <
>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Mitsy and others with the excellent suggestion to get bids from
>>> other insurers:
>>>  would you please follow through and do this?  It would be very
>>> helpful.  Several folks have already agreed to take on sizable tasks to
>>> meet this challenge.  If a couple of you could tackle this, I know everyone
>>> would be glad and eager for this information. We need and want  everyone’s
>>> help.
>>> Rosamond
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Jan 21, 2021, at 3:06 PM, mitsy via Everyone <
>>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> I'd like to add another vote for looking into another insurance company
>>> as Dave suggested.
>>>
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>> Mitsy (338)
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jan 21, 2021 at 3:00 PM Sara Crews via Everyone <
>>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thank you for the clarification, Dave.
>>>>
>>>> Sara
>>>>
>>>> On 01/20/2021 6:03 PM David Weiner via Everyone <
>>>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mark and Sara,
>>>>
>>>> Despite the notice being dated 7/30/2020, Cristy did not send the
>>>> letter to us until 11/13/2020 (I double checked my emails).  In her email
>>>> of 11/13, she made no apology for the delay, nor did she say the repairs
>>>> were required for renewal.  In fact, it wasn't until Jan 4, 2021 that she
>>>> informed me that the insurance company would want an update before the
>>>> renewal. Mark then reached out to her for additional clarification, which
>>>> is when we were informed that we needed to complete the repairs before
>>>> renewal. For the record, the next email I got after this one was the
>>>> renewal quote.  Back in June, Sarah Collins and I were discussing the
>>>> insurance company, and she said to me in an email "I have not been overly
>>>> pleased with the agency in terms of communication/customer service."
>>>> Perhaps we may want to check into other insurance carriers.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Jan 20, 2021 at 3:57 PM Mark Bussey via Everyone <
>>>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> To Everyone:
>>>>
>>>>     I spoke with Christy of Dreher Insurance Agency this morning.  She
>>>> is our insurance agent for Chelsea Place Association's policy of coverage
>>>> with CAU for our common areas, (such as the stream-bed, the driveway, some
>>>> walkways, etc).  On July 30, 2020 the Association was sent a letter,
>>>> (attached), from risk management at CAU advising us that we needed to make
>>>> certain "repairs" to the property to reduce our liability exposure: repairs
>>>> for which they requested a "response," (ie. the repairs), by September 30,
>>>> 2020.  To my best knowledge we have not made any of these repairs yet.
>>>> Because of this letter we are now on notice of particular 'defects" to
>>>> our property if someone comes onto our common areas and is hurt.
>>>> Christy advised me that we *must* make the repairs/adjustments listed
>>>> in the letter by our insurance renewal date, (which I believe is February
>>>> 16, 2021), *or CAU will not renew our coverage* and we will then all
>>>> be financially exposed if someone is injured on our common property.  I
>>>> asked if it would be sufficient to CAU if we had some of the repairs
>>>> underway by our renewal date and she said that she wasn't sure, that she
>>>> could not speak for CAU Underwriting.  Her words were that "they may or may
>>>> not give you an extension of time to make the repairs" even if they are
>>>> underway by February 16, 2021.
>>>>     Of course each of us has, or should have, a separate policy of
>>>> insurance coverage for our private town-homes and our small, attached land
>>>> areas.  You may or may not be covered by that personal policy for any
>>>> claims arising our of an injury on the Association property/common areas:
>>>> that is something you will need to discuss or negotiate with your own
>>>> property carrier and hope they follow through if/when you need them.
>>>>     My first question is to Dave: have you, or to your knowledge anyone
>>>> else, taken any or some action to address the "fixes"required by CAU in the
>>>> July letter, and if so, please let us all know the status of that by
>>>> tomorrow morning.  *If not, we all need to move on this immediately or
>>>> we will lose our common area insurance coverage*.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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