From the President’s Corner

2/4/09

The 2009 annual assessment will be $130 per household.  I’m repeating what I sent out last year to give all our newer homeowners a brief overview of our past assessments so they can have a better understanding of how the Board is trying to control the expenses and keep out assessments minimal. We do this by bidding out our requirements so we get a fair price or by volunteering ourselves to do the work.   Just as an example, the tree and bush removal down our entrance had bids exceeding $6,000.00 but due to the volunteer work of the Board and couple of our community members, the cost was cut to only the gas and a couple of chain saw blades.

 We will have things coming up in 2009 that will need volunteer work. The Board is hoping you will consider volunteering to help keep our assessments as they are now and not like other communities where they are several hundred dollars a year.

Starting in 1997, control of Bradford Farms was turned over by the Builder to the Community, to be handled by a Board of Directors following a set of Covenants and By-Laws.  Each household should have a set of the Covenants and By-Laws that we operate by.  Both documents are also on our website at (www.bradfordfarms.com).  If you do not have them, please let me know and you can either pick them up at my house or go to our website and download them.

Since 1997 the assessments were as follows:

1997 $135                   1998 $125                   1999 $125                   2000 $100

2001 $150                   2002 $125                   2003 $125                   2004 $175

2005 $150                   2006 $85                     2007 $120                   2008 $130

2009 $130

This averages out to $128.85 per year, but you probably want to know why 2006 was so low at $85.  The reason is that in prior years we had budgeted for a pond dredging fund, but in 2005 we found out that pond dredging is the responsibility of the Town (Madison City) and not our community.  So the Board of Directors used this $9,000.00 surplus as a one-time bonus to offset the 2006 budget, which amounted to $48.38 per lot.

Now this year 2009 even with rising cost of maintenance we did not raise the assessment. I hope this helps you understand our assessment process.

I would like to address a couple of items that have occurred over the past year.

The Board received complaints about house up keep, parking in your yards and not cleaning up after your pets. This is against our Covenants and the Town’s Codes, which are enforced by the Town, so please make sure you do not fall into this category and have the Town issue you a warning or even fines for not complying.

You have to remember that the appearance of your property directly affects the price of your home and your fellow community members’ also, so we ask all to please make sure you keep your yards and homes neat and attractive. The walking of your pets and not cleaning up after them may not affect you, but how would you feel if your child or you step in the mess or you are the one cleaning it up out of your yard? So please pickup after your pets by carrying a plastic bag with you for clean up. I personally THANK all of you that do carry the plastic bag. You do not go unnoticed. The Board greatly appreciates your cooperation in these matters.

Thank you

Paul Hurst

President
 Bradford Farms Homeowner’s Association