The Village at Cranberry Estates HOA
A lawsuit has been filed against the Association challenging the inclusion of the homes in "The Village" in the Cranberry Estates development. The Village at Cranberry Estates Homeowners Association v. Cranberry Estates Homeowners Association, Inc., Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, No. 05-14678.

Earlier this year, The Village Board insisted on a vote on the same issues. The Village Board asked for a community vote to remove their homes from the community. The vote was unsuccessful, so they are now presenting the same claims in this new lawsuit. The Board believes that The Village homes are, and should remain, part of our community, and intends to defend the lawsuit. In order to meet our fiduciary responsibility to our Association, we are pursuing all avenues and legal actions.

2005 Assessments
While almost all of the owners in our Community paid the annual assessment in a timely manner, there were a few people with whom the Association has to take further collection steps. Below is an outline of what some owners will have to pay, in addition to the $125.00 assessment:

Accounts not paid by 4/10/05 – Late fee $15.00
Accounts turned over to our attorney for collections:
First letter from attorney - $100.00
Court filing preparations from attorney - $200.00
Court fees – $70.00-$86.00
Court appearance attorney fees - $300.00

As you can see, any owners who have not pay the original $125.00, risk having the amount due grow as high as $826.00. We would like to make all owners aware that during the collection process for the 2004 assessment, the Court did not find that any owners were exempt from paying the Annual Assessment.

House Numbers
It is important that all homes have their house numbers displayed. In the event of an emergency, an ambulance or fire truck may be delayed in their response time due to not being able to locate the correct home. If we notice that your house number is not properly displayed during our inspections, you may receive notice of this in the mail.

Resales
During the last six months, 21 homes within our Community have been under an agreement of sale. There have been seven homes in The Village, ranging from $199,900 last December, to $221,000 more recently. In Northgate there have been four homes sold, ranging from $335,000 to $386,000. The rest were in our main section – with ten homes selling from between $247,900 up to $357,000.

Please remember that, per state law, should you sell your home, your real estate agent must contact the Management Office to request a resale package. If you are a resident of The Village at Cranberry Estates, your real estate agent must contact both the management office of The Village and the Master Association for resale packages.

Home Maintenance
With the weather turning nicer, many homeowners have started to take care of maintenance issues around their homes. Several owners have called the Management Office to inquire about roofing, siding and paint colors. Included below is a spread sheet that has been pieced together to help owners find their materials and colors:

Meeting Schedule
The 2005 Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 3, 2005. In addition, the remaining Board Meetings for 2005 are scheduled for September 13 and November 14, 2005. Owners with concerns that need to be addressed with the Board in person, and can not wait until the Annual Meeting will be able to attend a portion of one of these scheduled meetings. Due to time and space limitations, owners who would like to attend a meeting must call, fax, mail or e-mail their request to the Management Office at least 10 days prior to the meeting, in order to be added to the agenda.

Home Maintenance – The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Cranberry Estates, Article XI, Use and Additional Restrictions, Section 11.A. Use Restrictions, (v) states:

"Each Dwelling or Unit shall be maintained by the Owner or occupant in a safe, clean and sanitary manner and condition, in good order and repair..."

There are three maintenance items that are frequently showing up on our inspection reports: missing/or loose siding, severe painting chipping and a large number of homes with mold on the siding. To date, maintenance reminders have gone out to owners regarding these issues. In a few, severe cases further action has been taken.

MISSING AND LOOSE SIDING

is a big concern. When siding blows off of one home, not only does it affect the look of that home, it can also create liability issues, as it can damage other homes, autos and residents. Additionally, when siding is missing, there are exposed materials that may sustain damage due to the weather.

CHIPPED PAINT
while not causing liability issues, does take away from our property values. Please inspect the outside of your home, especially the trim.

MOLD
is a serious problem throughout our Community. Luckily, it is easily removed by power washing the affected areas. Small areas can be treated with a bleach solution. Not only does this maintenance issue affect our property values, but there could be health concerns involved as well.

TOY LAND
Summer is here, and in the past, several owners have complained to the Management Company regarding the toys left outside, sometimes for days at a time, throughout our Community. Everyone wants all members of our Community to enjoy living at Cranberry Estates. After your children have enjoyed playing outside, please remember that all toys should be brought inside, or into your backyard, when your children have finished playing for the day, so that their fun does not take away from your neighbors' enjoyment of the beautiful Community that we live in.

TRASH CANS
Trash cans should not be brought to the curb earlier that 7:00 PM the night before your scheduled trash pick up. Trash cans should be brought in no later than 7:00 PM on the night of the trash pick up, preferably kept within your garage or back yard, out of sight. We are aware that, due to everyone's busy schedules these days, occasionally you may not be able to adhere to this schedule, however, if we all make an effort in this area, it will create a more aesthetically pleasing environment.

Preferred Trash Removal Company
Last year we contacted several trash removal companies, asking them to provide a discounted rate from our single family homes. After reviewing all of the offers, we felt that the best offer was from Waste Management, at $12.50 per month. Approximately 1/3 of the single homes switched to Waste Management during 2004. If you did not switch last year, but have decided that you would be interested now, the 2005 rate for new contracts will be $13.25 per month. If you are interested in this offer, please contact Danella Realty & Management for a copy of the Waste Management contract.

Pet Policy
Please remember to clean up after your pets. Also, please make every effort to keep your pets within your own property lines. Anytime your pet is off of your property, it should be on a leash, which is held by its owner. Management has received many phone calls and e-mails from owners who are frustrated by having the constant company of their neighbors' dogs and cats in their yards. Not only are these Association rules, but there are also Township ordinances regarding both cleaning up after your pets, as well as keeping them on leashes.

Rules
Per the Association's Declaration, Article XII, Section 12.A. (ii):

"The Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend and enforce compliance with, all reasonable rules and regulations relative to the operation, use and occupancy of the Dwellings, Units and Community Facilities consistent with the provisions of this Declaration, including, but not limited to enforcement procedures and penalties for violations of this Declaration, the By-Laws or any rules or regulations which the Board of Directors shall deem appropriate. Any rules and regulations shall be adopted or amended, from time to time, but means of appropriate resolutions duly approved by the Board of Directors in accordance with the By-Laws. A copy of these rules and regulations and copies of any amendments thereto shall be delivered or mailed to each Owner or occupant of a Dwelling or Unit promptly after the adoption thereof and shall become binding upon all Owners, their successors in title and assigns, and occupants of Dwellings or Units."

As there have been numerous complaints, as outlined above in the sections "Keeping Our Community Beautiful" and "Pet Policy", the Board will be reviewing the 'Rules and Regulations' of similar Associations in order to adopt a set of rules for our Community. The rules that we are looking to adopt are to help preserve the beauty and value within our Community. We are not trying to restrict our residents. Please check out the Association's website at www.cranberryestates.com to participate in the poll, in the near future, regarding what rules our Association should adopt.

Block Captains Needed
In an effort to save money and reduce our annual assessment, volunteer neighborhood block captains deliver our newsletters. Unfortunately, there are several streets that receive them by mail since there are no block captains for those streets. If you live on Countryside Court, Longwood Road, Lincoln Road or Jacob Road, and you have an hour to spare 3-4 times per year, please contact us at www.cranberryestates.com. Thanks for your consideration!

Newsletter by E-Mail
Some of our residents now receive the newsletter via e-mail. If you would like to subscribe and save some paper, please contact us at www.cranberryestates.com and forward your e-mail address.

Contacting the Association
If you are contacting the Board via the Association's web site, please keep in mind that the e-mail response you receive will be from a Danellarealty.com e-mail address. All e-mails to the web site go directly to the Management Office, not to the individual Board members. You may also contact the Association through Danella Realty & Management Company via phone (610-834-6200), fax (610-834-6204) or mail (P.O. Box 1017, Blue Bell, PA 19422).

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