June 2011 Newsletter

Saddle Ridge Homeowners Association Newsletter June 10, 2011

www.saddleridgetn.net

Social Events:

Pool Social will be held Saturday, July 9 at 1pm.  It will be simple with drinks, ice cream and toppings.   

SRHA Board Meeting:

SRHA Covenants and Bylaws are complete.  SRHA members will be contacting you for your signoff in the upcoming month.

Warning letters are being sent to homes who are storing their trash cans in view of the street.  There were 44 homes (20%) with trash/recycling cans in violation even though we have been asking for months for corrective action.  If we cannot solve the problem through warning letters the SRHA board is given the right per the Covenant to levy fines against these home owners.  Please correct this action so that we do not have to move forward with a vote to levy fines.

Contractor signs are very helpful to your neighbors, but please after two week remove these signs from your yard.

It is spring time and the neighborhood is looking nice, please try to keep your flower beds weeded, your yards mowed and your trees/shrubs trimmed.

The next Board Meeting is planned for July 14, at 7:00 pm.

Summer Safety.

Be careful when driving through the neighborhood.  Kids are out of school and there are many lawn maintenance and roofers in the area.  Recently three brick mailboxes have "jumped out" in front of drivers.  The mailboxes are very unforgiving and the injuries to the driver, passenger or pedestrian can be serious.  Please remember the speed limit is 25 mph. 

With the warmer weather, people are outside later in the day.  Pedestrians can use reflective tape for themselves and their dog's leashes.  Also, carrying a flashlights makes you much more visible at night, dusk and dawn.  Make sure your outdoor lighting works. Keep sidewalks clear of debris, hoses, toys, and overgrown plants. 

Eliminate mosquito breeding areas by emptying and refilling birdbaths often, and by making sure there is no standing water in your yard.  Eliminate flying insect breeding areas by cleaning up after your dog waste.   Place your garbage can in the garage or secure the lid with bungee cords to prevent critters from making a mess.  Tie your garbage can to your garbage can enclosure area.

When you are going on vacation, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your house. There was some recent vandalism of firecrackers in a mailbox. 

Teach your children pedestrian safety.   Visit the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 website for the STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE campaign.

               http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/take_3_to_see.html

Home Maintenance How-to.

What Are the Causes of a Mailbox Light Not Working?

By Jagg Xaxx, eHow Contributor

1.    Broken Bulb

2.    Vandalism

3.    Wiring Malfunction

4.    Power Outage

5.    Light Sensor Malfunction

Read more: What Are the Causes of a Street Light Not Working? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7330629_causes-street-light-not-working_.html#ixzz1OtTbZ51r

How to Troubleshoot Outdoor Security Lights.

By Walter H. Boelter, eHow Contributor

Perform basic checks and proceed to more advanced troubleshooting.
Read more: How to Troubleshoot Outdoor Security Lights | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5255671_troubleshoot-outdoor-security-lights.html#ixzz1OtWBIOQr

September Home Owner's AssociationNewsletter Sept 15, 2011

www.saddleridgetn.net

Important informationin the below letter regarding the Covenant updatewe will be making changes andhaving an extended review period.

Update to NeighborhoodDirectory:

Gilmartin's email has changedgilmartin6@charter.com is their new email address.

We would like to welcome two new familiesinto the subdivison:

Mark & Kelly Darden  12905 Long Ridge Rd.   966-8734 email dardenmk@yahoo.com and theirtwo children Gabrielle 1998 and Ben 2001

David & Shelia Spates 329 TreyburnDr  966-6105 email davespates@gmail.comand their two children Anna 2001 and Phil 2003

Seals email has changed to JMSEAL@charter.net

Saddle Ridge Social:

Saddle Ridge is hosting an Oktoberfest onSaturday October 22nd at 7 PM in the clubhouse. Come join us for a fun eveningthat will include appetizers, music and beer trivia. We are asking every personwho attends to bring a 6 pack of their favorite micro brew to share. If youwould like to bring an Oktoberfest themed appitizer we would appreciate that.Please RSVP by October 16th to Tim Sayers at tjsayers@tds.net. Let him know how many areattending, and if you will be bringing an appitizer. This event is open toSaddle Ridge residents age 21 and older. Thereis a UT away game this day, if the game overlaps this event, we will have aradio that broadcast the game.

Bermuda Grass:

The Wild Bermuda Grass at the entrance of theneighborhood was sprayed and will be reseeded with Fescue. 

Board Positions Open:

There will be 3 opening on the board forJanuary 2012.  Folks who are interestedcan let the current board know.  If youthink your neighbors would be good board members, don't hesitate to ask them toconsider.  They will be flattered, at theleast.

LetterFrom the President:

To Residents,

Please take the time to read the entire letter, the mostimportant aspect is at the end titled CovenantReview.

It is truly unexpected that the Covenants are creating somuch anger and division among some in the neighborhood.  This is far from the SRHA Boards intention.  We feel this is due to a lot of rhetoric andmisinformation.  This has caused a fewhomeowners to not only disagree on the issues but also be angry at the SRHABoard Members.  We have been callednames, power hungry, acting in bad faith and so on.  This truly is offensive that people wouldthink we were doing anything other than what we felt was right for theneighborhood.  The anger in some of theemails has caused one member of the SRHA Board to respond to an email with aninappropriate comment about Gordon Michaels. I apologize on behalf of the SRHA Board to Mr. Michaels for this.  Apologies have been sent to Mr. Michaels andaccepted.  All the residents of theneighborhood are welcome to their opinion and to be upset with issues, but myonly request is to not make things personal. Those that were upset with Mr. Michaels were not upset with what hewrote or his opinion, but simply the way he and others have sent out documentsto the neighborhood without even contacting the SRHA Board for clarificationfirst.  This takes things out of context,lopsided many issues and caused misinformation.   

It is my hope that homeowners realize that the SRHA Boardand its committee updated the Covenants without ill intentions in a fair andbalanced way.  Our goal in updating theCovenant was to allow the SRHA Board enough power to conduct business but nottoo much power that would cause unneeded hardship or be intrusive uponhomeowners.  When you refer to the SRHABoard, remember this is a revolving door of the residents of this neighborhood(2 year limit).  Because of this, thereis no reason any member of this community including the current SRHA Boardwould want to give the SRHA Board too much power.

There are a few points that have caused anger for a few thatI would like to clarify.  My philosophyis if a couple people say it, a few others are probably thinking it, so letsclarify.

1.     Some feel that we sprung the Covenants upon thehomeowners.  We have been working onthese documents for nearly two years.  Ineach of the monthly newsletters we have advertised that we were working onthese documents.  Just like any otherBoard function or meeting, this was open to the neighborhood. This is thereason it was in each newsletter.  Had ahomeowner been very ambitious and asked to be on the committee, we would have gladlywelcomed them.  Updating the Covenantstruly took a lot of time and we could have used the help.

2.     Some people have been very angry with receipt ofcompliance letters and have voiced this to be their reason not to sign theCovenants.  Realize that the SRHA receivedan abundant amount of complaints from neighborhood residents regarding trashcans and the appearance of the neighborhood this past spring.  These complaints came via email, face-to-facecontact and phone calls from people very passionately worried about theneighborhood and home values.  Based uponthese complaints, we checked the Covenants to confirm said violations thendrove around the neighborhood and agreed. It is then our duty as the Board to side with those that are in theright and uphold the Covenants, especially in a time when the housing market ishurting.   I, nor any current SRHA Board member, enjoyeddealing with compliance issues.  We hopethose that received letters would not take them personal.

       Those that receive Trash Can Violation letters,please understand that having your trash can permanently located in view of thestreet is a violation. This is true even if you have been doing this foryears.  People complained and we had aduty to act.  When I moved to thisneighborhood a few years ago, I too was in violation of this.  Upon finding out about this violation, Imoved my trash can.  In addition, weadvertised that this was a violation in the newsletter for months and on thebulletin board at the front of the neighborhood.  This had no effect.  Some people were also angry about the tone ofthe letter.  The majority of the wordswere direct quotes from the Covenants and Bylaws and listed as so.

       Some people didnt feel that letters were veryneighborly.  We, as the SRHA Board,agree.  The problem is we are volunteersand all hold full time jobs.  Sendingletters is the most efficient process since we have 256 lots.  Some of those that complained insisted thatwe should be making phone calls or going to peoples homes.  I explained the situation as to why wecouldnt and asked if they would like to volunteer to do this, none of themaccepted my invitation.  There iscurrently an open position to any homeowner that would like to volunteer forthis.

       Some felt we were not compassionate to financialdifficulties some are facing.  One homein this neighborhood had received dozens of complaints for a year and ahalf.  During the first year, due totheir situation, the SRHA Board wasnt allowed to make contact with them.  When we were able to make contact with them,we let them know they were out of compliance, but we also asked them to pleasecontact us so that we could work something out. We asked this several times with no response.  Some Board members were ready to help hadthat person responded and started a dialog with us.  Since they didnt want to speak to us, we hadto keep proceeding with the process. They have finally complied and their yard property looks farbetter.  The Board is very sensitive to everyonesissue, but without contact we cant help anyone.

       Some were concerned that we were on a powertrip.  First, let me explain that theSRHA Board passed a rule this year to allow everyone 3 warning letters thatcarried no consequences and were anonymous to avoid embarrassment.  The reason for 3 letters was to allowresidents time to correct violations without incurring a fine. We were alsoaware that using a one day snapshot approach may cause some to get lettersafter the issue was already corrected.  The4th letter would be the issuing of a fine.  Thankfully, this Board gained compliance fromeveryone and did not issue any fines.  Ifyou read the current Covenants, the Board should issue only 1 certified lettergiving homeowners 5 days to comply. If at that point the violation is notcorrected, a fine is issued.  Again, weonly wanted compliance and didnt want to fine homeowners so we created rulesthat allow 3 warning letters.  We treatedevery violation the exact same to make the process fair.  Even people I and other Board members knewreceived letters.  I personally joinedthe SRHA Board because I was relatively new to the neighborhood and felt thiswould be a good way to meet neighbors that I may not have otherwise had theopportunity, not to deal with compliance.

       Some, including Mr. Micheals, are concerned withthe wording in the new Covenants, Article XVII, if said condition is notcorrected within said time period, Association shall have the right toinjunctive relief against the Owner of the affected Lot and the Contractor orAgent of the Owner and the right to make all necessary corrections at theOwners expense, the cost of which shall be a lien upon the affected Lot.  This is language that was added by thecommittee, but let me explain why.  Thepart Mr. Michaels left out is under the updated Enforcement, Article VII,homeowners now get 20 days after the certified mailing of written notice ofsuch violation instead of the current 5 days (as advised by lawyer).  The other point left out is that currentlyafter that 5 days notice, if not corrected, the homeowner could be fined.  The problem with this solution (a fine) isthere have been a couple of properties this year that had weeds and grass chesthigh (I am attaching a photo of one home that is currently bank owned that hadchest high weeds/grasshow would you like to live beside this and complain tothe Board who is powerless to do anything? There were two other properties similar to this).  A fine does nothing to remedy the situationand the people who are trying to sell their home or live beside this propertyhave to suffer.  Basically, for theextreme cases, this would give the SRHA Board the option to either fine theowner or fix the actual problem. Under the updated Covenants or the old Covenants,if there is an extreme violation like this, the property owner is going tofinancially owe something.  So there isreally nothing new in the updated Covenant. The Board currently has the ability to fine, but hasnt and I think futureBoards would also try to avoid using the limited powers granted to them by theCovenants.  The only people that need toworry about this new rule are the people that plan on grossly violating theCovenants.

3.     Some people are angry about the section in theCovenants that allow the SRHA Board to increase fees by 3% during any givenyear without homeowner approval.  Thiswas something recommended by the lawyer as a common practice in todays Covenants.  This would not be something done every year,but remember expenses for the grounds, pool, utilities and maintenance go upevery year.  Homeowners are invited eachyear to the annual budget meeting where we meet, discuss and accept a budgetfor the coming year.  If this issomething you are worried about, attend this meeting and make sure the money isbeing spent correctly or join the SRHA Board. Also, something most havent considered is that currently the SRHA hasabout $100K in savings.  In the Bylawsthat would accompany the updated Covenants, the committee added language thatlimits the SRHA Boards spending to $10k on a single expenditure unlesshomeowners are notified no less than 60 days in advance to give them a chanceto voice their opinion.  Currently thesesavings of $100K protect homeowners from assessments, but technically thecurrent Covenants allow the SRHA Board to spend all this money withoutnotice.  We feel we handled this issue ina balanced way.  If you attend the annualbudget meeting you will know if and why there would be a need to increase andwould have an opportunity to voice your opinion.  There are safeguards in place.  I love my neighborhood, but I too dont wantto pay more than I have to.  Everyoneneeds to remember that currently 3% of $360 is $10.80 or less than $1 permonth.  The last increase to dues was for$80 or from $280 to $360.

4.     Some are angry because they think there are alot of new restrictions.  This is false.  A majority of the Covenants are the same,some were tweaked, some things were taken from the Bylaws and put into theirrightful place in the Covenants and mention of the Developer has been removedfrom most of the document.  These werethe majority of the changes; everyone has the documents and can look forthemselves.  Anything new added waseither suggested because of complaints, an update to law, improved buildingmaterials (vinyl windows) or a suggestion from the lawyer.  Our updated Covenants is very typical of manyother Covenants in the surrounding area. Residents need to remember that most homeowners choose to live in aSubdivision that have these restrictions to protect their home values and dontsee them as a hassle.

5.     Some dont want to sign because of restrictionsthat were continued from the current Covenants. Whether there is a new Covenant or we continue with the same, thesehavent changed, they are not new.  We are not going to make the Covenants less strict. 

6.     In the updated Covenants the Developersmaintains his two votes and doesnt have to pay dues on those lots (5).  The current Covenants allows the same thing,we simply grandfathered him in.  Some ofthese lots may never sell, this is only fair. The developer took a large risk in creating this beautiful neighborhoodand just like the other lots, when and if these lots sell someone will get onevote for those lots and owe dues.

I hope homeowners that are concerned about some of themisinformation contact the Board and ask questions for clarification.  Realize that this is the first time we aretrying to update the Covenants so there is no precedence to follow.  We are doing our best.  It is ok to disagree, but know that we had noill intent with anything that we did.  Wevolunteer our time for the neighborhood which would otherwise require the needof a management company that would significantly increase everyones dues.  I hope after reading the above, you realizethat we are not the Board some people describe but are simply your neighborswith limited terms.

Covenant Review:

It is the Boards goal to have a united community withpeople who enjoy living here.  Though Ifeel we could pass the updated Covenant as is, we would prefer not to pass itwith the minimum 51% acceptance that is required.

Attached to this email you will find a document that has allthe concerns that have been presented to the SRHA Board with responses.  We hope these answer the currentquestions.  If you have additionalquestions please ask.

We are going to have a reviewperiod for two weeks (until noon on September 30th, 2011) and make a few changes tothe updated Covenants.  We apologize tothose that have already taken the time to sign; we will need you to re-sign therevised version.  Thank you for yourpatience in advance.  Soon after September30th, 2011 you will get a new copy of the updated Covenants in yourmailbox and signing will restart.  Due toour lawyers taking a lot of extra time and the need to restart the signingprocess, we will now have an urgency to have homeowners who wish to accept theupdated Covenants sign.  In Accordancewith the current Covenants, this process needs to be completed before the endof the year. 

Please dont be confused by this process.  We have 256 lots and not everyone is going tobe happy.  We are not going to changethings that are self-serving or affect only a few people.  We have to consider the good for the entireneighborhood.  The updated Covenants willnot have restrictions that are less than the current version that everyonesigned to join the neighborhood.

The following are things we need to discuss and things thatwill be changed.  Please refer to theattached document for a more detailed explanation of these topics.

1.     Better define grass, truck and animals vs livestockand poultry to avoid any misinterpretation.

2.     Landscaping standards and repercussions are upfor discussion.  These are important foryour property value.  Currently the SRHABoard has little teeth to enforce against those that are in gross violation...hence the addition in Article XVII.

3.     Possibility of 3% increase in dues on any givenyear is up for discussion (take it out, eligible every other year, a differentpercentage or some other option). 

4.     A few places where there is inconsistencybetween the Bylaws and the Covenants will be corrected. 

5.     A couple of spelling errors will be corrected.

6.     Lawn standards are up for discussion.

We are hoping by stepping back, making a few changes andhitting the reset button we can gain more acceptance by homeowners and have aunited community.  Please take the timeto review the large amount of information we have provided you.  The signing process will begin again after September30th, 2011.

John Radu II

VolunteerSRHA President

Saddle Ridge Homeowners Association Newsletter January 17, 2011

www.saddleridgetn.net

Social Events - We are looking for a host for the Easter Egg Hunt. If you are interested in hosting this event please contact John Radu at Johnradu2117@hotmail.com.

SRHA Board Welcome to Everick Spence, Jeff Goodman, Jean Schmidt, Charles Robinette, and John Beuerlein who have joined the board.  John Radu will continue to serve on the board for another year.

The board is looking into the feasibility of installing security cameras in order to provide added securities.

When driving in Ice and Snow the following driving tips can help make the difference between arriving safe and having an accident.

• Allow extra time for the trip. Leave earlier than you normally would.
• It takes longer to stop when roads are slick. Leave more space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Four wheel drive vehicles do not stop any faster than two wheel drive vehicles.
• Be cautious of other drivers that are approaching you from side streets and at intersections. Make sure they are stopped or will be able to stop before you pull out in front of them.

Less than 35% (approximately 20%) of the residences in Saddle Ridge voted against pursuing additional traffic calming measures (speed humps) in an informal survey.  The next step per Town of Farragut procedures is to submit an application requesting a study of Saddle Ridge subdivision be conducted.  If Saddle Ridge is approved for additional traffic calming measures, the Town of Farragut would then distribute a voting card to each residence in the subdivision.   The SRHA Board will continue to provide updates on this process. 

SRHA Covenants and Bylaws are being reviewed and updated. Please watch for more information in future newsletters.

 SaddleRIdge Home Owner's Association Newsletter October, 2011

www.saddleridgetn.net

Covenants:

We are rapidly approaching thecompletion of the process of amending the Saddle Ridge Homeowners Association Covenants.We'd like to thank the many lot owners who have come forward to sign theiracceptance of the amended Covenants. We will continue to collect signaturesthroughout the month of November, however, the process must be brought toclosure by the end of the month to allow time for filing the amended documentswith the County. We ask that each lot owner who has not yet signed theiracceptance to confirm whether they will or will not be signing the amendeddocument. Our goal is to ensure that each lot owner is afforded the opportunityto make a choice. If we do not hear from you, we will contact you directly toconfirm your decision. To avoid confusion, we will not be issuing any resultsuntil all lot owners have had the opportunity to make their individualdecision. The minimum requirement for adoption of the amended Covenants is asimple majority of the lot owners, however, our preference would be to obtainas close to unanimous consent as possible.

Signing dates:

Tim and Ann Horst are hosting twosignings this week:

        Thursday from 6:30 pm to8:30 pm at our house (12856 Long Ridge Road)

        Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pmat the clubhouse

        More dates to follow

Board Positions Open:

There will be 3 or more opening on the boardfor January 2012, please let us know if you would like to volunteer.  This is a two year term.  Please remember the association requires theneed for volunteers to help keep our expenses low and prevent the need for amanagement company.  In addition, thereare more volunteer positions for Architectural Review Committee and socialevents.  Folks who are interested can letthe current board know.  If you thinkyour neighbors would be good board members, don't hesitate to ask them toconsider.  They will be flattered thatyou asked.

Last SRHA Board Meeting Agenda:

JohnRadu President/Social/Covenants & Bylaws/Keys/Sign

        Covenants-Signingwill start Oct 15^th

         Extra legal fees were incurred

            Everick Spence-Clubhouse/Grounds/Tennis Courts/Architectural Review

        Clubhouse roofstatus - completed.

            John Beuerlein-Pool/ArchitecturalReview

        Repairs Status --Pool is closed and some furniture/replacements was purchased on year endclearance.

            JeanSchmidt-Newsletter/Secretary/Website/Email 

        Volunteers to be onthe SRHA Board

        Oct 15^thCovenant signing

        Oktoberfest

            Jeff Goodman-Treasure/LawyerContact/Suggestion Box/POBOX

        Mailbox lightsvandal program

        Budget current andwe need to start debating next year's budgetwe need this ready to go byJanuary 1^st and it will be discussed at that Boards choosing duringMarch at the annual meeting.  Everyoneneeds their budget for next year to submit and discuss for the next meeting sowe can finalize this at the Dec meeting.

        Please send outcurrent financial doc via email

            Charles Robinette- LeadArchitectural Review

        ArchitecturalReview

Subjects to Review:

        5 year plan forSRHA (Pool deck/Tennis court/street lights)

The next BoardMeeting is planned for Nov 10, at 7:00 pm. All board meetings are open to all homeowners.

Update to Neighborhood Directory:   (None this month).

Roofing Nails and Tires:

Please make sure your roofers remove the roofing nails from yourdriveway and in front on your home when they leave.  Also check after each wind storm becausesometimes loose nails are blown into the street.  Some of the neighbors have gotten flat tiresfrom the roofing nails.

Halloween: 

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween.  If there is any vandalism in theneighborhood, we encourage you to report it to the police.  We also have security cameras in the neighborhood,so we know who has been in and out of the neighborhood on certain dates andtimes.  Please remind children and guestsof the neighborhood about these cameras.

Saddle Ridge Home Owner's AssociationNewsletter March to April 2012

www.saddleridgetn.net

The 2012 annual budget has been approved andemailed to homeowners.

We still need another Board  Member for 2012.   We will also need 3 more members in January2013 when Jeff Goodman, Charles Robinette, and Jean Schmidt finish theirtwo-year terms. 

Updates to neighborhood directory:

Please update the first page of yourneighborhood directory with the following information , and remove John Radu,John Beuerlein, and Everick Spence as your contacts for board members.

Board Member          Address                         Phone        Email

Phil Antonelli             407 SaddleRidge Dr.   966-1431  pantonel2020@yahoo.com

Jeff Goodman           12923 Buckmill Ln        675-3641   tjgoodman@earthlink.net

Ed Miller                    401 Saddle Ridge Dr.   671-3610 edbon85@tds.net

Charles Robinette     441 Saddle Ridge Dr.   675-0441 chasrobinette5@charter.net

Jean Schmidt            507 Oak Landing Ln.    966-3113  jlkschmidt@gmail.com

Welcome to our newneighbors:

Susan and ChadSchlicker
12931 Pecos
Phone 966-7971
sueschlicker@hotmail.com

Neighborhood Maintenance:  We  will be checking theneighborhood soon to make sure the homes and yards are in compliance with thecovenants.  We already have receivedcomplaints about dog waste, Christmas decorations still up, torn screens onwindows, unfinished maintenance, unkempt yards, grass clippings left in streetand erosion problems.   Folks can take agood hard look at their property and fix anything not in compliance to reallyhelp us out. 

Summer Safety:    The weather is beautiful and more children areoutside.  Remind your children aboutsafety with bikes, skateboards, and swimming pools.   Neighbors are worried  about injuries to children riding around inopen golf carts through the neighborhood.  

Reduced Clubhouse Fee:    Clubhouse Rentals Fees have been reduced to$50 plus refundable deposit.  We hope morepeople use the clubhouse for graduations, birthdays, and other types ofgatherings. 

Upcoming events - Cinco De Mayo and Neighborhood GarageSale. 

Cinco de Mayocelebration will be on May 4th at 7pm, more details to follow.

We are lookingat May 19th or June 9th for the neighborhood garage sale this year.  Ifyou are having a garage sale and have a preference to one of these days pleaseemail horst_ann@yahoo.com with your preference. 

Next Board Meeting:

There is a board meeting tonight at 7:00 P.M.on April 12, and the next board meeting will be held May 10, 2012 at 7:00 P.M.at the clubhouse.  All homeowners arewelcome to attend.

Lost and Found:

Baby bottle left at Easter Egg Hunt.  Yankees Baseball hoodie left near the Tenniscourt/Club house.  To claim items, callJean at 966-3113 or another board member.  The lost and found items  are stored in the clubhouse.