Very shortly we will be choosing a painting contractor. It's important that we paint this year because of loose stucco and evidence of water intrusion in units.  We have discovered signs of spalding which occurs when water intrusion starts rusting the steel reinforcement rods which causes the surrounding cement to pull away.  If not repaired quickly, this can become a MAJOR expense.  An example is our neighbors, Sanibel Harbour Towers, who had to correct the walkways of their high towers because of lack of maintenance.  This oversight is costing the owners one and a half million dollars to repair.

The scope of work in our painting contract requires that the successful bidder must manually check every square foot of the buildings, making necessary repairs as they go along, as well as searching for signs of spalding and making those necessary repairs.  Following that, the buildings will be pressure washed with a mold-eradication detergent, then a special primer coat will be put on all exterior walls.  Finally, a rubberized paint which is designed to "move" with the building to prevent cracking and prohibit water intrusion.  This will eliminate the water intrusion to units that is happening in every building and has, in fact, found it's way in through cracked stucco. 

In addition, all the railings and doors in both front and back of the buildings will be painted.

Maintenance of the buildings is a top priority for our maintenance staff.....but we're only as good as each unit owner providing appropriate maintenance inside their unit.  For example, we have discovered that work has been performed by unqualified workmen that has generated water leaks, faulty wiring and fallen drywall.  The Documents require that, before any work is done, you must contact Management.  This is for YOUR benefit.  Please help us and yourselves by complying.

As I mentioned in a previous article regarding air conditioning, please contact  your air conditioning service person to check evaporator coils inside your unit for mold and blockage.

We have also experienced people removing fans in the bathrooms.  The reason, I assume, is that an unqualified contractor decided it wasn't needed since it didn't vent outside.  The fan is a requirement of the County Building Code.  It is designed for the purpose of CIRCULATING air in your bathroom, not removing it.  Failure to circulate air will result in mold growing on the inside or outside of bathroom walls and can transfer to other units.  Now...you have a liability!  Contact management for further information.

The new Building Code, which went into effect this year, requires that ANY major alteration to your unit requires that a licensed contractor be hired and appropriate permits be obtained from the County Building Department.  Punta Rassa documents stipulate that any alterations or improvements must be approved by the Association, therefore, you must contact Management for approval and necessary paperwork.  The documents and management are here to protect your investment.

We've had lots of calls and stop-ins regarding Rules, and once again I want to reiterate that Punta Rassa Rules were voted into existence by you, the homeowners.  In order to have a civilized gathering of 194 families, it's important that rules be followed and enforced.  It's true, they were not always in the past, but they are being enforced now and it's all for the benefit of this community and the maintaining of property values. 

Let me give you an example of some of the statements being made to me regarding enforcement of the rules:  

"I'm going to sell and move out of here"

"I've been doing this for years, you can't just change it"

"Why didn't you talk to me before you ticketed me?"

"I'm going to take it to the Board"

"I'm going to call my attorney".

The Condo Documents and Rules are the "Enforcer", please don't shoot the messenger.  Some of you are saying "I didn't know about that", yet we have, for months, been sending email blasts and posting notices regarding the enforcement of the rules.  And...a statement like that reflects that some owners simply have not read the Documents.  Some say, "Nobody's been parked there, so I took that spot", yet the Rules are very clear about where to park. Beliefs about personal entitlement and giving yourself an advantage do not line up with the Documents and Rules that were mutually agreed upon.  Florida Law requires that all Boards enforce the docs and rules.

If you consider that we all live within 8" of each other (on the other side of an 8" wall, ceiling and floor), whatever we do in our unit affects four neighbors. So it becomes clearer that we need to consider each other on a daily basis.

Please help the Board and Management run Punta Rassa well and in keeping with the agreed upon Rules for a good life here.

Working with commitment for you,

Jim Walker

Association Manager