NewsMar04

All of the original apartments in Renaissance I have been sold, with expected final closing in March. All 244 apartments sold in three years.

Thirty-three Renaissance apartments are listed for resale, which is close to the average annual 15% sales turnover in a typical condominium.

Traditional "Open House" real estate sales activities are not permitted at the Renaissance since they involve unauthorized "come one, come all" temporary signs placed at the entrances or common element grounds. Those signs give the mistaken impression the general public can enter the building and browse.

Real estate agents can still schedule Open Houses, but they may not place signage on Renaissance property, and the showings must be "by appointment only", with the prospective purchasers pre-scheduled and greeted by the hosting agent upon their arrival at the building.

Because of liability considerations, and to relieve congestion in the lobby, the Board of Directors has resolved that Real Estate agents who list apartments for sale in the Renaissance may no longer leave a key to a listed apartment at the Concierge desk.

The traditional Realtor doorknob-mounted Key Boxes are not permitted at the Renaissance. However, listing agents can use the new courtesy Key Lock Box Board located in the alcove next to the Concierge station to install their Realtor Key Lock Box.

All authorized real estate agents can sign in at the Concierge desk and then open any Realtor Key Lock Box to retrieve the key when they need to show an apartment. The showing agent can go directly to the courtesy Key Lock Box Board without involving the Renaissance staff in management and distribution of apartment keys.

Realtor Key Lock Boxes provide an enhanced level of security and accountability since only authorized, legitimate real estate agents can open the box and remove the apartment key. Furthermore, all Lock Box transactions create an electronic audit trail, recording the date and time of the access, as well as the agent's identity.

A few months ago security in the service elevator lobby and service hallway was significantly upgraded. The Association has installed two new video cameras that permit the Service Elevator lobby and adjacent service hallway to be under 24-hour video surveillance.

In addition, a motion sensor was installed to alert the Security Officer when anyone enters or traverses the hallway or Service Elevator lobby (near the recycling containers). Residents who use this route to walk their dogs can now feel more secure in knowing that the area is monitored, and that Security is alerted whenever anyone enters or moves in that area, regardless of the time of day or night.

Because of an increase in the number of owners who have been slow in paying their quarterly assessments, the Board of Directors has established new procedures.

§ For any quarterly assessment that is unpaid 15 or more days from when it is due, the owner will be charged a five percent (5%) penalty on the overdue balance. This percentage is the maximum amount permitted by the Florida Condominium Statute.

§ For an owner whose quarterly assessment payment is not received within 30 days from when it is due, that account will be turned over to the Association attorney for collection.

§ Furthermore, for an assessment default exceeding 30 days that occurs two times in a twelve-month period, the remaining quarterly assessment installments for that fiscal year will be immediately accelerated, with the unpaid balance of the annual condominium assessment to be paid immediately.

Acceleration of condominium assessments because of default is consistent with the Renaissance Association Bylaws.

The Board regrets having to take this action, but has a fiduciary responsibility to insure that all owners pay their fair share of Association expenses.

As a reminder, maintenance assessments are due on the first day of each quarter. Invoices for the quarterly assessments are mailed or delivered to each owner at the end of the prior quarter, but failure to receive the invoice is not a valid excuse for neglecting to pay.

One consequence of the sellout of all apartments in the building is that there is no longer a need for the general public to access the resident web site and message board at http://RenCondo.com. Therefore, when you visit the site, a password is now required.

The assigned password is the same as the non-penthouse elevator code (however, omit the floor number, and enter the letters in lower case).

Residents who have not visited the web site should check it out for such features as a newsletter archive, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), a resident message board, event calendar, photo album, and items of interest to residents. The web site has been visited over 13,000 times since it was started in 2001.

Pets must be leashed at all times when on Renaissance property, or anywhere in Sarasota (it's a city law). Renaissance Regulations stipulate that lessees, or guests of owners or lessees, will not be permitted to bring pets onto the premises, under any circumstances.

Pet cleanup is required of all pet owners, who are encouraged to use the Service Elevator and lobby service hallway when walking their pets. Courtesy pet cleanup bags are available on the wall adjacent to the service hallway door leading to the west (front) walkway. Your apartment key can unlock that door upon your return.

An unexpected problem with the women's shower in the fitness center requires that both showers be closed for repairs from February 19 until February 28. We regret the inconvenience.

By mid-March, you can expect that the Michael Saunders Renaissance I sales team will move from our building and the Condominium Association staff will move into the former sales office spaces adjacent to the Concierge desk.

While we will bid a fond farewell to the friendly faces in the sales office, they will still only be a short distance away in the Alinari sales trailer just East of the parking garage. Some time later, they will move to a sales office in a mixed-use townhouse (the first of many) that is to be built on the Eastern boundary of the Renaissance site, on Cocoanut Avenue. We wish the Michael Saunders team great success in marketing and selling units in the planned new Alinari tower.

Now that the Association is paying for all the water used at the Renaissance and residents do not receive individual water bills, it is important that every resident exercise restraint and develop water conservation habits to keep our water and sewer charges as low as possible. The consequence of unrestrained water usage by residents will be an inevitable increase in each owner's annual assessment to cover the higher cost.

To encourage reporting of defective toilets that "run" continuously, the Association will replace defective flapper valves at no charge. Periodic toilet tank leak tests are also planned, since slow water leaks are silent and tend to be overlooked.

Residents need to do their part and report suspected water leak problems in their units. We also ask that residents NEVER tamper with the faucets and showerheads by removing or modifying the water-saver inserts that are now mandated.

Removal or disabling a water-saver feature can significantly increase the water consumption in an apartment, wasting precious water and unfairly placing the increased cost burden on all the other owners.

Please help to conserve water, don't defeat any water saving feature in your faucets or fixtures, and report suspected defective toilets promptly to the Association so they can be repaired.

Rudy VanDiepen joined the team in early January. His face will already look familiar to many longer-term residents. Rudy knows the building well because he previously worked for the developer.

As of the second week of February, Pat Rogers has a new assistant. Mary Puncec recently arrived from San Diego, California. While Mary is moving into her new home, she will work four days a week and after that, she will be full time.

Please say hello to our new staff members when you see them. We're very happy that they have joined the Association team, and sincerely welcome them.

Remember to clean your dryer filter after each load of laundry. Doing so will ensure that your dryer runs properly and in the most efficient and energy-saving manner.

If you need clarification about how to clean the filter, contact the Property Manager to have a staff member show you where the filter is located and how to keep it clean.

A recent visitor to the Renaissance inadvertently activated the fire alarm pull-station adjacent to the main lobby door, assuming that it was an automatic door opener. Fire alarm sirens and strobe lights were activated on the first three floors of the building, and the Sarasota fire department was automatically summoned.

Some residents were surprised and concerned that they did not hear the alarm on floors above the third level, and incorrectly assumed that the system had malfunctioned.

The Renaissance fire alarm system is "intelligent", which means that it tailors alarms according to the nature and extent of the emergency condition.

If fire or smoke is detected in the common areas, in a hallway, or if a fire pull-station has been activated, an alarm will sound on that particular floor, plus one floor below, and two floors above.

If fire or smoke spreads to one or more additional floors, alarms will automatically sound on those affected floors, plus two floors above.

All areas of the building are equipped with automatic fire sprinklers. If a sprinkler head senses heat from a fire, the sprinkler will be activated and an alarm will sound in the common area hallway and inside all apartments on that floor, one floor below, and two floors above.

One very important note: the smoke detectors in each apartment only detect smoke, or the products of combustion, inside your unit. Apartment smoke detectors do not sound an alarm outside your apartment, and they do not notify the fire department or summon help.

Apartment smoke detectors are designed to alert you to the possibility of a smoke condition inside your apartment so that you can determine if there is an actual emergency. If there is, you should vacate your unit (remember to close the door behind you), and pull a hallway fire station box that sounds an alarm and notifies the fire department. You should then immediately exit the building by the nearest safe stairway.

Be sure to determine the location of the nearest red hallway fire pull-stations now so you will know where they are and can use them without delay in a fire emergency.

Hallway fire pull-boxes are for fire emergencies only. For any other life-threatening emergency you should call 911.

The March movie is Seabiscuit starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. This award-winning movie is based on an inspiring true story of three men - a jockey, a trainer and a businessman - and the undersized racehorse who took the nation on the ride of a lifetime.

The movie will be shown in the media room on Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. Popcorn and sodas will be provided.

Doormats are not permitted in the common element hallways of the Renaissance. They are prohibited by the condo rules, pose a potential trip hazard, and interfere with hallway housekeeping. As an alternative, many residents place a small walk-off carpet or mat inside their apartment door.

If you have a doormat outside your apartment door we ask that you remove it by March 1, 2004. Doormats found in the common element halls after that date will be removed. Thank you for your cooperation.



	Renaissance Times March, 2004 SELLOUT! All of the original apartments in Renaissance I have been sold, with expected final closing in March. All 244 apartments sold in three years. Thirty-three Renaissance apartments are listed for resale, which is close to the average annual 15% sales turnover in a typical condominium. OPEN HOUSE RULES Traditional "Open House" real estate sales activities are not permitted at the Renaissance since they involve unauthorized "come one, come all" temporary signs placed at the entrances or common element grounds. Those signs give the mistaken impression the general public can enter the building and browse. Real estate agents can still schedule Open Houses, but they may not place signage on Renaissance property, and the showings must be "by appointment only", with the prospective purchasers pre-scheduled and greeted by the hosting agent upon their arrival at the building. RESALE APARTMENT KEYS Because of liability considerations, and to relieve congestion in the lobby, the Board of Directors has resolved that Real Estate agents who list apartments for sale in the Renaissance may no longer leave a key to a listed apartment at the Concierge desk. The traditional Realtor doorknob-mounted Key Boxes are not permitted at the Renaissance. However, listing agents can use the new courtesy Key Lock Box Board located in the alcove next to the Concierge station to install their Realtor Key Lock Box. All authorized real estate agents can sign in at the Concierge desk and then open any Realtor Key Lock Box to retrieve the key when they need to show an apartment. The showing agent can go directly to the courtesy Key Lock Box Board without involving the Renaissance staff in management and distribution of apartment keys. Realtor Key Lock Boxes provide an enhanced level of security and accountability since only authorized, legitimate real estate agents can open the box and remove the apartment key. Furthermore, all Lock Box transactions create an electronic audit trail, recording the date and time of the access, as well as the agent's identity. ENHANCED SECURITY A few months ago security in the service elevator lobby and service hallway was significantly upgraded. The Association has installed two new video cameras that permit the Service Elevator lobby and adjacent service hallway to be under 24-hour video surveillance. In addition, a motion sensor was installed to alert the Security Officer when anyone enters or traverses the hallway or Service Elevator lobby (near the recycling containers). Residents who use this route to walk their dogs can now feel more secure in knowing that the area is monitored, and that Security is alerted whenever anyone enters or moves in that area, regardless of the time of day or night. LATE PAYMENT PENALTIES Because of an increase in the number of owners who have been slow in paying their quarterly assessments, the Board of Directors has established new procedures. § For any quarterly assessment that is unpaid 15 or more days from when it is due, the owner will be charged a five percent (5%) penalty on the overdue balance. This percentage is the maximum amount permitted by the Florida Condominium Statute. § For an owner whose quarterly assessment payment is not received within 30 days from when it is due, that account will be turned over to the Association attorney for collection. § Furthermore, for an assessment default exceeding 30 days that occurs two times in a twelve-month period, the remaining quarterly assessment installments for that fiscal year will be immediately accelerated, with the unpaid balance of the annual condominium assessment to be paid immediately. Acceleration of condominium assessments because of default is consistent with the Renaissance Association Bylaws. The Board regrets having to take this action, but has a fiduciary responsibility to insure that all owners pay their fair share of Association expenses. As a reminder, maintenance assessments are due on the first day of each quarter. Invoices for the quarterly assessments are mailed or delivered to each owner at the end of the prior quarter, but failure to receive the invoice is not a valid excuse for neglecting to pay. RESIDENT WEB SITE One consequence of the sellout of all apartments in the building is that there is no longer a need for the general public to access the resident web site and message board at http://RenCondo.com. Therefore, when you visit the site, a password is now required. The assigned password is the same as the non-penthouse elevator code (however, omit the floor number, and enter the letters in lower case). Residents who have not visited the web site should check it out for such features as a newsletter archive, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), a resident message board, event calendar, photo album, and items of interest to residents. The web site has been visited over 13,000 times since it was started in 2001. PET PROCEDURES Pets must be leashed at all times when on Renaissance property, or anywhere in Sarasota (it's a city law). Renaissance Regulations stipulate that lessees, or guests of owners or lessees, will not be permitted to bring pets onto the premises, under any circumstances. Pet cleanup is required of all pet owners, who are encouraged to use the Service Elevator and lobby service hallway when walking their pets. Courtesy pet cleanup bags are available on the wall adjacent to the service hallway door leading to the west (front) walkway. Your apartment key can unlock that door upon your return. SHOWER SHUTDOWN An unexpected problem with the women's shower in the fitness center requires that both showers be closed for repairs from February 19 until February 28. We regret the inconvenience. TRANSITIONS By mid-March, you can expect that the Michael Saunders Renaissance I sales team will move from our building and the Condominium Association staff will move into the former sales office spaces adjacent to the Concierge desk. While we will bid a fond farewell to the friendly faces in the sales office, they will still only be a short distance away in the Alinari sales trailer just East of the parking garage. Some time later, they will move to a sales office in a mixed-use townhouse (the first of many) that is to be built on the Eastern boundary of the Renaissance site, on Cocoanut Avenue. We wish the Michael Saunders team great success in marketing and selling units in the planned new Alinari tower. WATER, WATER Now that the Association is paying for all the water used at the Renaissance and residents do not receive individual water bills, it is important that every resident exercise restraint and develop water conservation habits to keep our water and sewer charges as low as possible. The consequence of unrestrained water usage by residents will be an inevitable increase in each owner's annual assessment to cover the higher cost. To encourage reporting of defective toilets that "run" continuously, the Association will replace defective flapper valves at no charge. Periodic toilet tank leak tests are also planned, since slow water leaks are silent and tend to be overlooked. Residents need to do their part and report suspected water leak problems in their units. We also ask that residents NEVER tamper with the faucets and showerheads by removing or modifying the water-saver inserts that are now mandated. Removal or disabling a water-saver feature can significantly increase the water consumption in an apartment, wasting precious water and unfairly placing the increased cost burden on all the other owners. Please help to conserve water, don't defeat any water saving feature in your faucets or fixtures, and report suspected defective toilets promptly to the Association so they can be repaired. WELCOME ABOARD Residents will notice two new members of the Association maintenance and administrative staff. Rudy VanDiepen joined the team in early January. His face will already look familiar to many longer-term residents. Rudy knows the building well because he previously worked for the developer. As of the second week of February, Pat Rogers has a new assistant. Mary Puncec recently arrived from San Diego, California. While Mary is moving into her new home, she will work four days a week and after that, she will be full time. Please say hello to our new staff members when you see them. We're very happy that they have joined the Association team, and sincerely welcome them. DRYER FILTERS Remember to clean your dryer filter after each load of laundry. Doing so will ensure that your dryer runs properly and in the most efficient and energy-saving manner. If you need clarification about how to clean the filter, contact the Property Manager to have a staff member show you where the filter is located and how to keep it clean. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM A recent visitor to the Renaissance inadvertently activated the fire alarm pull-station adjacent to the main lobby door, assuming that it was an automatic door opener. Fire alarm sirens and strobe lights were activated on the first three floors of the building, and the Sarasota fire department was automatically summoned. Some residents were surprised and concerned that they did not hear the alarm on floors above the third level, and incorrectly assumed that the system had malfunctioned. The Renaissance fire alarm system is "intelligent", which means that it tailors alarms according to the nature and extent of the emergency condition. If fire or smoke is detected in the common areas, in a hallway, or if a fire pull-station has been activated, an alarm will sound on that particular floor, plus one floor below, and two floors above. If fire or smoke spreads to one or more additional floors, alarms will automatically sound on those affected floors, plus two floors above. All areas of the building are equipped with automatic fire sprinklers. If a sprinkler head senses heat from a fire, the sprinkler will be activated and an alarm will sound in the common area hallway and inside all apartments on that floor, one floor below, and two floors above. One very important note: the smoke detectors in each apartment only detect smoke, or the products of combustion, inside your unit. Apartment smoke detectors do not sound an alarm outside your apartment, and they do not notify the fire department or summon help. Apartment smoke detectors are designed to alert you to the possibility of a smoke condition inside your apartment so that you can determine if there is an actual emergency. If there is, you should vacate your unit (remember to close the door behind you), and pull a hallway fire station box that sounds an alarm and notifies the fire department. You should then immediately exit the building by the nearest safe stairway. Be sure to determine the location of the nearest red hallway fire pull-stations now so you will know where they are and can use them without delay in a fire emergency. Hallway fire pull-boxes are for fire emergencies only. For any other life-threatening emergency you should call 911. MARCH MOVIE NIGHT The March movie is Seabiscuit starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. This award-winning movie is based on an inspiring true story of three men - a jockey, a trainer and a businessman - and the undersized racehorse who took the nation on the ride of a lifetime. The movie will be shown in the media room on Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. Popcorn and sodas will be provided. DOORMATS Doormats are not permitted in the common element hallways of the Renaissance. They are prohibited by the condo rules, pose a potential trip hazard, and interfere with hallway housekeeping. As an alternative, many residents place a small walk-off carpet or mat inside their apartment door. If you have a doormat outside your apartment door we ask that you remove it by March 1, 2004. Doormats found in the common element halls after that date will be removed. Thank you for your cooperation.