Meeting Minutes


HAMMOCK B EACH ESTATES HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION

P.O. BOX 350668

PALM COAST, FL. 32135

MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

APRIL 15, 2010

 

 

1.      The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. The President asked for proof of notice of the meeting. The Secretary advised that the meeting was announced by e-mail to all e-mail recipients and posted at the bulletin board at the pool. The meeting is also posted as a regular scheduled meeting on the WEB site.

2.      Members in attendance; Board Members – President Bob Hamby, Vice President Sara Clarke, Operations Peter Healey, Secretary Larry Amuso. Treasurer Steve Robinson absent. Neighborhood residents in attendance were Frank Carelli, Charles and Teena Weiss, Debbie Healey, Bob Rohr, Mike Joyce, Larry and Alicia Anderson, Lou Ciasulli, Gary and Susan Fairley, Debbie and Dennis Clark, and Harold Clarke

3.      The President asked for a motion that the agenda be adopted as presented. Sara Clarke so moved and Peter Healey 2nd. Motion passed.

4.      The President asked for a motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the last meeting. Peter Healey so moved. Sara Clarke 2nd. Motion passed.

5.      In the absence of the Treasurer the President distributed the treasurer’s report. Sara moved the report be accepted as presented. Peter Healy 2nd. The motion passed.

6.      Operations report: The following tasks were completed after the regular scheduled meeting of Jan. 14, 2010.

A.      The A1A sign was installed on the corner of Mahoe and Armand Beach Dr. at a cost of $38.10 by Harold Clarke and Peter Healey.

B.      The beach walkover was sprayed with round-up twice.

C.      A 1” steel cable hazard was removed on Armand Beach Drive.

D.     The pool restroom was remodeled, i.e., new tiles, sinks, faucets, light fixture and cabinets. Cost approximately $250.00 Project completed by Harold Clarke, Larry Anderson, Steve Robinson, Bob Hamby, and Peter Healey.

E.      Pool deck and furniture were pressured cleaned by Peter Healey and Harold Clarke.

F.       Pool deck was sealed and pool equipment box was waxed at a cost of $450.00. Project completed by Harold Clarke, Bob Hamby, Mike Hamby and Peter Healey.

G.     Fence screening repaired by Harold Clarke.

H.     Pool lawn sprayed for weeds and fertilized by Harold Clarke.

I.        Small pond overflow grate on Solee Road and catch basin was cleared of overgrown foliage by Harold Clarke, John Bonner, Bob Hamby and Peter Healy.

J.         On 1-18-2010 Mark of Clearwater in regards to drainage was contacted but meeting was cancelled and was recalled on 2-12-2010 and meeting rescheduled for week of April 19,2010.

K.      Total cost of sign installation, bathroom remodeling and pool decking and waxing of equipment box was $738.10. Peter Healey thanked all those that volunteered their services.

           

7.      C & R Report –None

8.      Beautification – Sara Clarke requested the following to update pool area. Replace three chaise lounge @ a cost of $99.00 each, one table @ $49.00, with four chairs at $15.00 each, and replacement of six society garlic plants @ $2.00 each, a total cost of $426.91.

9.      Road & Drainage – Larry Anderson – No report, Harold Clarke advised that Mr. Coffee is to call in a few weeks about the road situation. The issue of the bond money reemerged and Larry Anderson explained the delay in its release and use is due to the seven year waiting period. Our Lawyer Dennis Bayer is doing the follow up.

10.  Architectural review committee- no report.

11.  Old Business:

A.      In regards to the issue of appurtenances for Ocean Dune Circle Mike Joyce became the ad hoc committee Chairman to address the issue representing Ocean Dune Circle residents on the west side. He submitted by e-mail the attached response. For this meeting, Steve Robinson sent an amended motion to his original motion made at the last meeting, (See the minutes of the special  meeting of February 2, 2010) to wit: The HBEHOA Board of Directors will request the lot owners/residents of Ocean Dune Circle (ODC) vote to either accept or reject the following language as defining the term appurtenances as used in Article IX Section 8 of the Associations C& Rs. “An appurtenance is defined as any fixture or structure necessary for the full enjoyment of the property that transfers with the main building upon sale, with exception of those already in place as of April 15, 2010, and those subsequently installed or erected that do not exceed the parameters of those on the north side of lot 1 and on any of lots 2-12as of that date; the is, no fence may exceed six feet in height, and any structure of fixture other than a fence must be within four feet of the house and may extend no more than ten feet from the house, and be no higher than six feet. Septic and other underground systems are excluded from this definition.”

B.      This request in the form of a ballot will be sent to all ODC lot owners by mail with post paid return envelope. Lot owners will be requested to return the completed ballots 14 days from the date of mailing.

C.      The Board will review the vote and apply the criteria for C&C amendments as contained in the Association Bylaws “…approval must be by not less than two thirds (2/3) of the entire membership of the Board of Directors and by not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Association voting in person or by absentee ballot.” With a positive vote, the Board will incorporate this definition in the revised/amended C&R document planned to be submitted for Association approval at the next annual meeting.

D.     Also with a positive vote the Board will interpret the term appurtenance by the above definition for any architectural review requests submitted before approval of C& R revision.

E.      If the vote is negative to the proposed language, the Board will continue to be guided by 20 years of precedent when considering applications covered by Article IX Section 8 –specifically, that an “appurtenance” refers only to a building structure that is an extension of the existing structure, and that extends the existing building structure beyond a 40-foot overall building width. This language will be incorporated into the C&R revision on a negative vote by ODC lot owners.

F.       Larry Amuso moved that the amendment be accepted as presented, Sara Clarke 2nd. The issue was then discussed. In short the following comments were made. Larry Anderson suggested that since the new the turnover of the Association to the Homeowners, a 2/3rds vote has never been achievable. An alternative approach is for DOC, since they have their own organization to so define appurtenances as long as it stays within the parameters of HBEHO Association by-laws. Mike Joyce pointed out that our lawyer has not been able to define appurtenances and the Board was unsure of its interpretation.  Bob Hamby corrected Mr Joyce’s assertion pointing out that the Board was confident in its interpretation from the many years of consistent interpretation of this C&R provision.  Mrs. D. Clark suggested that a judge would be best to define it. Dr. Weiss advised that there is twenty years of precedence. Bob Rohr recommended that DOC separate from HBEHOA. The Board voted to deny the motion to amend. ODC was advised that all residents on Ocean Dune Circle meet to clear up the issue. This Board will receive comments from any ODC property owner on this issue until July 1, 2010, and will conclude action on this matter at next scheduled Board meeting July 15, 2010.

12.  New Business:

A.       President Hamby informed that at present there will not be an Architectural Committee; all matters will come to the Board directly until further notice.

B.      The C & R Revision Committee has also changed. Larry Anderson resigned and the members are now Roger Demen, Steve Robinson and Bob Hamby.

C.      President Hamby advised he attended the Annual Community Leadership Conference in Daytona Beach.

 

13.  Members Forum: Bob Rohr recommended that the curve in the road on Cottonwood is in need of repair and the adjacent area should be beautified. This area is between 3 Cottonwood Dr and the back yard of 23 Mahoe Dr. It is an easement under the care of the Association.

14.  The meeting adjourned at 4:50p.m.

Laurence Amuso Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----
From:
John Joyce <jjoyce11@att.net>
To: rehamby@att.net
Cc: Jagannathan Narasimhan <
jagan@us.ibm.com>; Susan FAIRLEY <sgfairley@bellsouth.net>; phealey@bellsouth.net; David Fowler <david.fowler@comcast.net>; Daniel Ponce <DPonce@lpflaw.com>
Sent: Tue, April 13, 2010 4:44:49 PM
Subject: Definition of Appurtenance

To:  Bob Hamby, President of HBEHOA

 

Coming to a Solution on "Appurtenance"

 

     We, a large but not entirely inclusive committee of homeowners on the west side of Ocean Dune Circle, are responding to a request by the HOA Board to propose new language for Art IX Sect 9 of the C&Rs to clarify the definition of the word "appurtenance".  We believe we can present a strong case for our belief that the word is in fact quite restrictive.  But we also indicate that we are ready to compromise on some issues.  We do so with the hope that we can remove what has been the cause of much ill-feeling on both sides of the street. 

 

     We are owners of lots  14, 16,17, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 on the west side of Ocean Dune Circle.  Lots 25-29 are not directly affected by Section 8.  We have not contacted the owners of lot 15 (Rosenbaum) and 19 (Weiss) because their interests in the matter differ from ours.  We have been unable to contact the owner of lot 18 (Tuotro) by mail.  He has no listed telephone number, nor do we have his email address.

 

     We believe that the Board itself should act as mediator in this negotiation.  We ask that it transmit the proposal to the east side, with a copy to us of any comments it might make in doing so.  It should follow a similar procedure on any response from the east side. 

 

"Appurtenance":

 

     While the lawyer the Board is using has failed to find a definition of the word “appurtenance” in legal sources in Florida, that does not mean that the word can be defined in an arbitrary way.  A court in Florida faced with finding an authoritative definition would be forced to look to other legal sources.

 

     If one Googles the word, paying special attention to legal sources, one finds a substantial consensus that supports the idea that an appurtenance, in a real estate context, is a fixture or structure subordinate to the main building that passes with the property when it is transferred.  See, for example, the following:

 

1.   property (as an outbuilding or fixture) or a property right (as a right of way) that is incidental to a principal property and that passes with the principal property upon sale or transfer

 

Source: http://research.lawyers.com/glossary/appurtenance.html

 

2.   An Accessory or adjunct that is attached and incidental to something that has greater importance or value. As applied to real property, an object attached to or a right to be used with land as an incidental benefit but which is necessary to the complete use and enjoyment of the property.

 

When a landowner has been given an Easement for the passage of light and air over an adjoining lot, the easement is an appurtenance to the land. Other common appurtenances to land include barns, outhouses, fences, drainage and irrigation ditches, and rights of way.

 

Source: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/appurtenancehttp://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/appurtenance

 

3.  Appurtenance is a term referring to something that goes along with something else, or is an accessory to. It is often used in the context of real estate to refer to other property, such as an outbuilding or fixture, or property right, such as an easement, that passes when transferring the main property. It is a right, privilege or improvement belonging to, and passing with, the land.

 

Source: http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/appurtenance/

 

4.  Anything attached to a piece of land or building such that it becomes a part of that property, and is passed on to a new owner when the property is sold. It may be something tangible like a garage, septic system, water tank, or something abstract such as an easement or right of way.

 

Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/appurtenance.html

 

5.  Appurtenance - Anything so annexed to land or used with it that it will pass with the conveyance of the land.

 

http://www.oldrepublictitle.com/newnational/Resources/dictionary.asp

 

6.  Appurtenance -  Something belonging to the land and transferred with it, such as buildings, fixtures, rights.

 

Source: http://www.all-foreclosure.com/define/define1

 

7.  That which belongs to something else; an adjunct; an appendage; an accessory; something annexed to another thing more worthy; in common parlance and legal acceptation, something belonging to another thing as principal, and which passes as incident to it, as a right of way, or other easement to land; a right of common to pasture, an outhouse, barn, garden, or orchard, to a house or messuage.   

Source: http://www.wordiq.com/appurtenance

 

Resolving Our Differences

 

     We thus believe that our original understanding of the word has been correct.  The fences, air conditioning units, and other such appurtenances that have been placed outside the forty-foot lines are in violation of Section 8.   

 

     However, we also believe that it is time to set aside our differences and come to an agreement that recognizes what has taken place in the past and yet minimizes the grounds for future misunderstandings.

 

      We propose, therefore, that the C&Rs be amended to include a new second and third sentence in Art 9 Sect 8, as follows:

  

      "An appurtenance is defined as any fixture or structure necessary for the full enjoyment of the property that transfers with the main building upon sale, with the exception of those already in place as of April 15, 2010, and those subsequently installed or erected that do not exceed the parameters of those on the north side of lot 1 and on any of lots 2-12 as of that date; that is, no fence may exceed six feet in height, and any structure or fixture other than a fence must be within four feet of the house and may extend no more than ten feet from the house, and be no higher than six feet.  Septic and other underground systems are excluded from this definition."

 

     We have excluded from the definition the south side of Lot 1 since it extends all of the way from the house to the entry gate to the street as a diminishing triangle on which no residence can be built.  

 

     Actual amendment of the C&Rs to include the new language would take time, and a vote by the whole HBEHOA community.  An agreement with the east side on new language would have to include a commitment by all residents of ODC to abide by that language during the interval between that agreement and the time of actual amendment.

 

Signed

 

John M. Joyce, on behalf of the lot owners named above and himself.