The Reserve at Packer Park Home Owners' Association (HOA) is a private, non-profit organization in which all property owners automatically are members of the Community Association (CA) and have certain rights and obligations.
Why?
When developers first started building CA's, everyone agreed that having property shared by all owners was a good idea. But one question remained, "Who's going to take care of it?" Local government wasn't responsible because the land was privately owned. The developer would eventually sell all the homes and go on to build another project. That left the residents. Since they own the open space, they should have the responsibility for its maintenance. The concept of an "association of owners" was born.
There are three features that make homeownership in a CA different from traditional forms of homeownership. One is that you share ownership of common property. The second is that you automatically become a member of the CA with all other homeowners and as such must abide by the association's guidelines. The third feature is that you will pay an assessment, a regular fee that is used for the upkeep of the common property. A CA is a highly specialized type of organization that encompasses aspects of business, government and a local community.
What?
The major responsibility of the association is to protect the members' investment, to enhance the value of the property owned by the members, private and common, and to preserve the fiscal and physical integrity of the community as a whole.
The CA is charged with providing for the physical maintenance of the common property and the day-to-day operation of the community. The association may provide services for such things as trash collection and snow removal as may also perform certain services on individual properties consistent with its responsibility for the same such as maintenance of the roofs, siding, etc. The association has other responsibilities, too, such as establishing and enforcing community guidelines and architectural controls, collecting assessments, responsibly managing fiscal operations as well as setting up an effective communication system among members. The association operates as a sort of mini-government in accordance with legal documents: The Reserve at packer Park is lawfully governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act and the association's Governing Documents (Declaration, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations).
Who and When?
Like a person or a nation, a community association has a life history of its own: a birth, an infancy, an adolescence and a maturity and it changes greatly from phase to phase. The developer conceives and designs the CA and its common property. They give birth to it in certain legal documents and appoint an initial board of directors. Then they nurture and guide the CA through the early growth of the development. During the developments' later growth, however, the CA becomes independent of the developer's support. It matures into on-going governance of the development entirely by the homeowners themselves.
How?
A board of directors elected by the residents administers the association. Committees of association members assist the board in its duties. Typically there are committees for architectural control, communications, maintenance, elections, finance, etc. Each homeowner should become involved in the association in some manner. Involvement for you may mean that you pay your assessment on time, cooperate with the association and participate where you will be most effective, even if you only vote at the annual meeting. You may also make a more active role by serving on the board or on a committee and both the association and you will benefit.
All Homes in this Community are subject
to the fees & restrictions summarized below.
The HOA has defined maintenance responsibilities and administers the Development in accordance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act in order to enhance public values and lifestyles.
The HOA fee is currently $99.95 per month. A major benefit to the homeowner is that the exterior of your home (brick façade, roof, siding, gutters and downspouts) will be covered by the HIA and its insurance, not by the homeowner or the homeowner's own insurance. This results in a savings on the homeowner's insurance. A customized HO6 policy will be more reasonably priced and sufficient to cover most claims instead of a much more costly HO3 policy.
The monthly fee is allocated to four main categories of common expenses: Maintenance, Professional & Administrative, Capital Reserves and Utilities. A detailed budget and expense report is furnished to all homeowners on an annual basis.
Maintenance includes general building maintenance and supplies, trash removal, landscaping, fence & sprinkler system maintenance and snow removal from common areas. Please note that homes with frontages on Reserve Drive and Tuscany Drive off of Pattison Avenue to Reserve Drive are considered public roads and will be serviced by the municipality concerning refuse disposal and snow removal.
Snow Removal does not include removal from sidewalks or individual driveways. However, the private streets within the community (Prima Court, Tuscany Drive "court side", Capri Court, Trevi Court, Sienna Court and Sorrento Court) will be plowed by the HOA.
Professional & Administrative includes the Association's common element peoperty and liability insurance. It also applies to management, auditing and legal fees.
Capital Reserves is to be distinguished from regular maintenance within the community. Capital Reserve covers those items that need to be replaced entirely. Such items as roadways, sidewalks, tot lots, pocket parks, street lighting, shingles, siding, gutters / downspouts and brick facades.
Utilities covers the common area utility costs.
RESTRICTIONS
There are certain restrictions that apply to all homes at The Reserve. Any modifications of any kind to the outside of your home or property that are not specifically prohibited in the Declaration must b approved by HOA's Architectural Review Committee. This is a simple, one page application process.
General Rules that should be noted are:
- NO PARKING of boats, trucks, trailers or commercial vehicles of any kind in driveways or curbside.
- Deed restriction that the garage door cannot be removed - it can be changed to a different garage door pending HOA approval - but it must retain the appearance of a garage from the outside.
The Wentworth Property Management Corporation has recently introduced "Direct Debit Service" as a payment option. You simply authorize regularly scheduled payments to be made from your checking account and on the fifth day of each month a deposit will be made to the Assocaition. Proof of payment will appear on your bank statement.
For further details, please consult the full Public Offering Statement or additional handouts by the Home Owners' Association.
Wentworth Property Management
Structure
Wentworth is a professional Community Association management firm. Wentworth has been serving our valued client Community Association for approximately 20 years. Principal and CEO Michael Mendillo leads the Wentworth organization with corporate offices in Valley Forge, PA, West Long Branch, NJ, New York, NY, New Castle, DE and Fairfax, VA with satellite offices and operations centers in other locations in these states as well.
Responsibilities
As the professional managing agent for The Reserve at Packer Park Home Owners' Accociation, Wentworth and its employees act in guidance and advisory capacity to the Executive Board, providing information to the Board and implementing the decisions of the Board. Wentworth and its employee administer the services, programs and operations of the community via the policies and guidelines set by the Executive Board as they govern your community in accordance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act and the Association's Governing Documents (Declaration, Bylaws and Rules and Regulations). Management receives its authority to act from the Executive Board as a whole as communicated to Management by the President of the Board who maintains the role of liaison for the Board / Management relationship.
Some of the management responsibilities that are maintained by Wentworth, as established by the Executive Board, include but are limited to:
Property Maintenance
This involves responsibility for the common elements and for any other property the Association has an obligation to maintain in terms of inspecting the property, arranging for maintenance, repairs and replacement, supervision of the Association's employees, if any, and vendors, responding to emergencies and bidding and contracting for services.
Administrative Services
This involves responsibility for services such as maintaining the Association's records, organizing and participating in meetings for the Association (Board meetings any committees as may be necessary) managing the Association's employees, if any, and vendors and providing guidance and advice to the Executive Board and the Association on policy issues.
Fiscal Services
This involves responsibility for such services as assistance with preparation of the annual budget, development of effective collection and accounts payable procedures, maintenance of the Association's fiscal records in accordance with recognized and acceptable procedures and preparation of regularly scheduled financial statements and reports.
General Support
This involves responsibility for such services as assistance with preparation of periodic newsletters, supervision of insurance claims, communicating with prospective homebuyers, welcoming new homeowners and handling dispute resolution and rules enforcement.
Wentworth Group Mission
To be the leader of the Community Association Management industry, providing the highest level of service to our customers.
