NewsNov04

Thanks to the many Hurricane Volunteers! Our sincere thanks go out to all the residents who stepped forward generously to help protect the building common elements during hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne. Without their assistance, the damage to the Renaissance common elements would have been so much greater.

Residents who had damage in their apartments during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne are justifiably concerned that the source of water intrusion still must be completely diagnosed before it can be corrected. The Association is working with the developer, who has the responsibility, along with his subcontractors, to correct the defects in the building exterior that permitted water to enter apartments.

The developer intends to hold the subcontractors responsible for correcting the residual defects remaining after the remediation and façade repair work that was done in 2002. The Association has also contracted with an engineering firm to conduct an independent inspection and analysis of the building façade to determine the sources of failure during the hurricanes, and to develop a strategy of repairing the building so that future storms do not result in water intrusion.

At this time we do not expect that the owners will have to incur any costs for the repair of the building exterior. The worst-case situation (in the absence of substantive and timely repairs by the developer) would be:

§ The two-percent insurance deductible on the Renaissance I building requires that the Association cover the first $960,000 of expenses before insurance would reimburse us for correcting storm damages to the common elements.

§ Therefore, Renaissance I Condominium owners would have to be assessed a total of $960,000, plus additional funds to initiate a legal campaign to recover costs and compensate for damages.

§ Each owner would be assessed a fee based on their percentage of ownership, so the range of assessments (not counting any legal fees associated with litigation) would be from about $1,900 for a 485 square foot unit, to around $6,000 for the largest 1,560 square foot apartment.

To reiterate, there is currently no intention of initiating a special assessment to fund repairs. The Board of Directors hopes that the failed exterior façade will be completely repaired soon, and at no cost to the Association. Prudence, however, dictates that we must understand exactly what caused the water intrusion, and plan for contingencies.

Therefore, Renaissance I Association engaged Delta Engineering, an independent engineering consultant, to assess the cause of the damage and make recommendations. The Association must plan for the unlikely situation in which the owners would have to initially bear the financial burden of repairing failures to the exterior façade before another storm does more damage. This is still a developing situation and we expect more definitive answers soon, at which time we will notify Renaissance I residents.

Residents and their guests are reminded that, if your vehicle is illegally parked in the Visitor Parking area or in someone else's parking spot, it will be towed.

Barbeque grills (charcoal, gas or electric) and smokers or cookers are not permitted on balconies or terraces. No cooking or barbequing is permitted on any apartment patio, terrace or balcony because that is a violation of fire and safety rules.

As a reminder - there is cause for concern when residents prop open their front doors, in an attempt to allow a "fresh-air" breeze from their open balcony door to flow through their apartment and out into the hallway. Doing so introduces a large volume of humid outside air from the outside into the air-conditioned hallway, disrupts the balance of the air conditioning system and significantly raises the hallway temperature and humidity.

Of more serious concern, the moisture-laden outside air condenses on the relatively cold hallway air supply vents, causing water to form on the vents and to drip down the nearby walls. Over a period of time, constant moisture can facilitate the formation of mold on the wall and in the vents.

During the emergency inspections conducted after the recent hurricanes the staff noticed that some residents do not lock their front doors. As a matter of policy, if the Renaissance staff must enter an apartment while the resident is not home and finds the door unlocked, the staff will lock the front door when they leave the apartment. This is for security and to avoid potential Association liability. While we have not had any incidents of burglary or unauthorized entry into apartments in the Renaissance, it is just good personal security to get into the habit of locking your apartment door.

There will not be an election of officers of the Renaissance I Association at this year's Owners' Meeting on November 11, 2004. Four of the seven Director positions are open (three Directors are serving one year terms that expire in November, and a fourth Director resigned from the Board in August when he sold his apartment).

All owners were officially notified of the board openings and asked to advise the Association in writing not less then forty days before the scheduled election if they wanted to run for an elected position on the Board.

Three of the Directors whose one-year terms are expiring submitted their names as candidates, and only one other resident filed the required notice of intention to run for election. According to the Florida Condominium Statute, if there is only one candidate for each open seat on a condominium Board of Directors, those candidates are automatically appointed to the Board (in this case, for two-year terms), and no election or balloting is required. The new slate of Directors will be announced at the Owners' Meeting on November 11, 2004.

Help keep everyone informed and well fed - did you really enjoy or did you absolutely hate a recent restaurant meal? Or have you discovered a yummy new local dining spot? Resident comments for local caterers or restaurants may be turned in to the staff at the front desk. Those will be filed in the restaurant book in the Business Center.

Owners may trade or transfer a parking space to another owner provided that the transfer is in writing, signed by both owners, and recorded in the Sarasota Public Records. When a unit is sold or conveyed, the parking space(s) for that apartment automatically go with the unit. Parking spaces cannot be sold, assigned or conveyed separate from the unit.

This is worth reiterating because of a recent transaction. An owner who had purchased a second parking space from the developer for a premium price attempted to sell that "extra" space to the person who had agreed to purchase the apartment. The re-sale buyer declined the offer, so the departing owner attempted to sell the "extra" space by advertising it on the resident bulletin board.

The Association lawyer advised that only a Renaissance owner may own or transfer a parking space. Therefore, the Association attorney noted that the extra space automatically conveyed with the sale of the unit, the ex-residents no longer owned it, and the re-sale apartment buyer now owns both spaces. Be sure to check with the Building Manager before considering the sale, exchange or transfer of a parking space assigned to your apartment.

Do you miss tending your garden and nurturing growing plants? Here is a great opportunity to stay active with that hobby without even having to go out in the weather.

We are looking for volunteers to water and fertilize the indoor plants in the common areas once each week. Contact Pat Rogers for more information.

For those residents who need the exact dates of the hurricanes so that they can file insurance claims for damage to personal contents, listed below are the dates of the three Summer 2004 hurricanes:

Having your own condominium insurance is extremely vital. No one likes to think about potential tragedies, but natural disasters can take away all of your belongings in seconds.

We recommend that you purchase condominium homeowners insurance. The Renaissance building insurance does not cover anything inside your apartment, or your personal liability.

Owners who rent should check their insurance coverage to make sure it is appropriate for a rental. Renaissance owners are responsible for the action of their tenants. If you are a lessee, your insurance should cover all personal items that are in the apartment or in a storage unit.

The Renaissance has guidelines for seasonal wreaths, door ornamentation and religious symbols attached to doors and doorframes. Holiday wreaths, not to exceed 18 inches overall, may be displayed on doors for one week before and after a traditional U.S. or religious holiday. No permanent attachment is permitted. The recommended methods are to use over-door hangers or an arrangement to hook onto your doorknocker. Small, inconspicuous religious icons, such as the traditional Mezuzah, may be attached to the vertical exterior doorframe by the use of double-faced tape. No screws, nails or permanent attachment may be made to the frame.

Remember our resident library when you want something to read. Make a short trip to the second floor overlook library exchange area, where residents can swap, take, borrow, or browse a selection of newspapers, magazines, hardcover and paperback books and publications. There is even a cozy leather library chair for times you want to peruse the selections before you take them home.

If you have debris on your windows remaining from earlier window washings, please pick up a colored "marker" sheet from the Office and attach it to the inside of that window prior to 8 am Monday, November 8 to help the window washer locate the problem window. The window cleaning crew will begin work around 8:00 am each day, so remember to draw your blinds for privacy.

Fall back - Sunday, October 31 is the official end of Daylight Savings Time for 2004. Remember to set all of your clocks back one hour that night.

The Association management offices will be closed Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26, for the Thanksgiving holiday and will re-open on Monday, November 29. Maintenance personnel will be available on Friday November 26, (unless there is an emergency). The reception desk will be covered the full time of the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Raising Helen" is our November movie. This film stars Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson (previously starring in "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days" and "Almost Famous") who lights up the screen with John Corbett (from the wildly successful "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Sex and the City").

In this hit romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall, Helen Harris (Hudson) has a glamorous, big-city life working for one of New York's hottest modeling agencies. Suddenly her free-spirited life gets turned upside down when she must choose between the life she's always loved and the new loves of her life.

Always sign out any DVD, VCR or CD that you borrow from the Association movie library, located in the Association office. Any media you borrow should be returned within 48 hours.

Residents of the Renaissance I Condominium must remove all items from balconies and patios when hurricanes and tropical storms are forecast during the annual Hurricane Season, which runs from June 1 through November 1. Wind-blown balcony objects can damage other condominium units, injure people or property, and if they break or weaken balcony windows or walls, can compromise the watertight integrity of the building and damage other apartments and the condominium common elements.

If a Hurricane Watch (when a hurricane may threaten the area within 36 hours) or a Tropical Storm Watch is issued for the Sarasota area, all items (furniture, plants and pots, decorator items everything) must be removed from balconies and terraces within twelve hours of the initial notice. Local stations and newspapers will publicize serious storm advisories. Courtesy notices may also be placed in conspicuous places throughout the building and on the Renaissance I bulletin board in the mail alcove to remind residents to clear their balconies.

When a hurricane or tropical storm is expected within 24 hours (defined as a Tropical Storm Warning or Hurricane Warning), if items are still observed on any balcony, the Association staff, or other authorized individuals will be instructed to enter those apartments and remove all balcony items and place them inside the unit.

The Association will not be responsible for the care of plants, or any damage to carpets, furnishings, personal possessions, or flooring that might result from the emergency removal and storage of balcony items in any apartment. The owner of the apartment will be assessed a $100 labor charge if the Association is required to remove any items from the balcony.

Owners who plan to be away or who only occupy their apartment seasonally, or who rent or allow guests to use their apartment during Atlantic Hurricane Season must either remove all items from their balcony before they leave, or make independent prior arrangements with their tenants, guests, agents, or other service providers to immediately remove all items from balconies and patios when required because of officially declared storm watches or warnings, or upon posted notice on Renaissance property by the Association.

Landlords should not expect Association staff members to be available to move balcony items since they will be busy protecting the condominium common elements. However, if the Association must clear a balcony because an owner or tenant neglects or refuses to do so, the Association will authorize one or more third parties acting as its agent to enter the unit and clear the balcony, and the owner will be assessed a $100 labor charge.

Hotel Indigo, a boutique-style hotel, will be built on the southwest corner site of 6th St. and Tamiami Trail, with construction to begin before year-end. In a last-minute change of plans, the owner of the Renaissance hotel site advised the Association that the hotel, previously announced as a Hampton Inn, will be a mid-market 95-room boutique property to be called Hotel Indigo, a component of the Intercontinental Hotel Company. Two other Hotel Indigo properties are located in Chicago and Atlanta.

Please notify the Renaissance I Administrative Office when you leave for an extended absence or seasonally relocate from the Renaissance. There are several reasons to keep the office informed.

First, your notices and mail from the Association are distributed on the basis of whether you are in residence or away. Unless you take the time to notify the Association of your status, you risk not receiving important notices, and Management has no idea that your apartment is unoccupied. Our computer database has an indicator for each owner's status as being "Here" or "Away", and you need to make sure that it is correct at all times.

The second factor to consider has to do with power failures and water interruptions. When the building water supply is interrupted, the rooftop air conditioner tower is shut down, the apartment air conditioners sense there is no longer a coolant supply, and automatically shut the compressor down.

Since all owners realize that they must keep their air conditioner ON and their thermostat set to around 79 or 80 degrees while they are away to prevent the build up of humidity and mold in their apartments, the Association assumes that all apartments are being protected from excessive humidity at all times.

However, if there is a major power failure or water interruption, the air conditioners serving each apartment can go into an automatic shutdown mode, and will not resume operations until the apartment air conditioner system is manually reset.

The Association staff will attempt to visit each apartment of owners who are away, and reset their air conditioner if the owners notified the Association about their absence. Otherwise, upon resumption of water or electrical service, one or more apartment air conditioners may remain OFF and the apartment could suffer serious damage from humidity or mold.

Please notify management when you will be away and when you return. With that information in our database, if the Property Manager must prepare a list for the maintenance staff of absent owners' apartments that need to have their air conditioner reset, your unit will be on the list and can then be restored to normal operation.

You may want to consider subscribing to the Renaissance I Apartment Inspection program so you can be more confident that humidity will not be a long-term problem if your thermostat or air conditioner malfunctions or goes into shutdown mode while you are away.

Contact the Property Manager for the form to set up the automatic deductions for your Quarterly Maintenance payments. When you have those paid automatically, you never have to worry about making a late Assessment payment again! Future payments will be automatically deducted from your designated bank account on the fifth day of the month in the quarter in which the payment is due.

The side entry door (often used by dog owners to enter and exit the building for their morning and afternoon walks) has been equipped with a new card scan reader. This proximity card reader will expedite the use of that door for our residents.

The following movies are missing from our Association movie library. Please look in your apartment and if you have one of these, return it to our office as soon as possible.

A Time To Kill (VCR), Bringing Down The House (DVD), Calendar Girls (DVD), Get Shorty (VCR), My Cousin Vinny (VCR), Ocean's Eleven (DVD), Primal Fear (VCR), SWAT (DVD), Shallow Hal (DVD), Something's Gotta Give (DVD), The Italian Job (DVD), The Fan (VCR), The Shawshank Redemption (VCR), The Ten Commandments (VCR), and Unfaithful (DVD).