The car towing company information is posted outside of each Club House on the bulletin board.
Some residents that have only one vehicle (or who consider themselves in need of just one tag) take only one tag although they are "entitled" to two - and leave the extra tag with the HOA. I do not know what the HOA does with the "unclaimed tags" - i they choose not to circulate them then they would help force the use of garage space for vehicles and limit the number of cars parked in spots and just stored outside. Some residents take both tags adn pass their "extra tag" on to a pleading neighbor as a gesture of friendship providing "an extra tag" to a resident that has "an extra car" that they need/want to park outside. I'm not saying that this is "right" I'm saying that both of these things happen and this explains "three cars with tags." CD1
Whoa NELLY!!! I personally did not know that residents were "permanently sharing" additional tags with their neighbors. This makes me wonder if these residents know that any fines or violations on that tag number will be charged to their Common Charges? Neighborliness is cool and all but am I going to risk a 50.00 parking charge for my neighbors car?? I think not. In addition, any sharing of tags is strictly against HOA rulings. TWO permits per household, the hanging tag allowable to be used for visitors, rental cars, temporary arragnements etc. I guess that any rules that HOA comes up with can be circumvented by collusion of neighbors, so that is something that will have to be taken to the board for review. I do warn everyone that if this is a practice that the board cannot prevent, I can almost guarantee that the hanging permit will be done away with and affixed stickers only will be used. So offending neighbors be aware that you are going to aggravate a situation for ALL of us who have a visitor, rental car (such as me, while my car is being repaired), company car or HOME HEALTH AIDE that NEEDS to use close proximity parking. To all others, if you notice a car in violation of the parking permit rules, feel free to contact a board member, or the HOA office. We can contact the owner and have it corrected / towed / fined or some other action can be taken. I have personally requested cars be moved when I see the violation even though I could resort to fines or towing. (Everyone needs a break now and then) Loading and unloading to me is something I can overlook, but overnight parking is unforgivable......EMERGENCIES DO HAPPEN AND ACCESS IS NECESSARY!! PS, thanks for the condolences Boss, it is appreciated and my family thanks you for your concern.
The following car NEEDS to be towed from the Section 3700 driveway. Been there for over three days. No sticker, no tag visible. BLACK HONDA ACCORD ( EX) LICENSE PLATE # : DZP 6752
ANG- Call the HOA office and see if they can contact the towing company. Or if you know the owner they are visiting, see if they would be neighborly and move it to an appropriate parking space. Use the "Flies, Vinegar - Bees Honey approach
Bopper . . . Chimney Tech: $120 to clean the vent the way it sould be--from inside/up and from the outside (roof)/down. Seemed reasonable to me at the time (late-'06) considering the potentially dangerous lint buildup situation. The tech was personable and actually arrived when he said he would--not exactly the norm "up here".
The last couple of post were very informative. I like the idea for reporting cars parked improperly. We should do the same with the trouble making kids. Post their unit numbers so other parents can keep their kids away from them before they get in trouble.
Is there any chance of having another community wide garage sale? I know there was one in October/November, but what about having one that might coincide with everyone's spring cleaning? Just a thought.
Remember: One man's trash is another man's treasure!
Hey All, I like the idea of a Spring Garage Sale, but I think it will take some doing. Coordination of all the excess traffic and the inherent concerns from the Board are well founded. However, I will propose the idea at the next meeting which is an OPEN MEETING!!!! I hope to see all of you there. By the way, my son is doing well at WCMC and is now 5 pounds. Hopefully we can bring him home in the next few weeks. Glad the car was moved, and keep in mind that we can report violations to the Board. As far as the trouble making kids, in my own opinion, I tend to approach them as young adults and it tends to garner me more results than anything else. I live near the tennis courts at the end of WH and if I hear loud foul language I just ASK them to try and keep it down and more times than not ..... THEY DO..... Take Care All and Happy Spring!! BTW, I am expecting a package from Wentworth Property Management in the near future. Last but not least...... O & R - The engineers and community relations manager spoke to the board in reference to the outages in the developement and gave an explanation of the problem. 1 - The equipment has not been swapped out since the creation of WH 25 years ago, 2 - The positioning of the equipment and type of equipment in the developement is 35K volts and when hit by lightning (which we are frequently inundated with during spring and fall) can cause current waves that can blow the transformers. 3 - A overhead line feed to WH blew and that caused all the aforementiond problems. SOLUTION - Starting next month, ALL of the transformers on the property will be swapped out and changed to 15K voltage, new boxes and smaller service sections. So expect the crews to be around for 3 months, in addition to outages when they are working your area. Expect more info at the next open meeting and in the mail!!!
A nice large garage sale/flea market would be nice in the basketball courts. Serve light refreshments, wine, & cheese. What ever happened to the Dog Show we were going to have?
Big Bop - Never heard anything about a dog show. As far as the tennis court thing with wine and cheese.....Nah.....maybe Hot dogs burgers and soda........(I'd personally prefer a large porterhouse or rib eye with a can of Fosters) but let's see if anyone will propose it at the next open meeting.....
Hey Bill, Do you know if they are going to powerwash the buildings this spring. There is a coating of green mold on the side of my unit that is making it look downright awful. Also there is some wood is rotting under my entrance door, any chance they will fix that too? If I want a new front door, do I have to buy it or does my hoa fees cover it?
K- The next HOA meeting is an open meeting. I think it is the third Thrusday (?) of April??? Second, I don't know what condo you are in, but the bldgs that receive new rooves this year are going to be powerwashed. Others are possible depending on budget/necessity. Anonymous- Normally I don't answer anon posts, but your front door is your responsibility (make sure it conforms to your condo rules) and second, the wood under your door (if not part of your door frame) could possibly be repaired/replaced by maintenance. Call and ask in the HOA office. CONDO IV OPEN MEETING THIS SATURDAY!!!!!!
It has been brought to my attention that there is an ordinance (State law ?)in respect to not having any type of barbecue aparatus in use on one's porch in a Condo/Townhouse complex. Does anyone know if this is indeed true and applicable to being fined?
I think it's just deck grills that are against code. Anything on ground level is ok. I would also like some confirmations seeing that I have a 2nd floor deck on my unit.
Reading the news, looks like another summer of West Ave being closed. Man I hate driving around to take care of shopping & post office. It's no big deal but it is an inconvenience, especially in the summer months.
And so many people who like to walk like kids have to go around and cross so many wide dangerous streets. Plus there was a terrible accident on 17 where the construction is today between a tanker truck and small SUV. Getting on to go west is a very short ramp, I'm surprised they left that open and didn't close it like last year.
Dear William, Hope that this entry finds you and your family well........... Is the "3700 Section" driveway still on the books for repavement this Spring? ps Sorry I was not @ the meeting this past Saturday, prior commitment. Hope it was well attended and productive!
Ang, We are going to go around and look at the paving issue. I am hoping that we can get some paving done this year. If we get enough fill in work that makes a contractor worth it, we will get it done. One of the board members has agreed to look into bids for it when we get an estimate of the amount of work we need. By the way, the open meeting had a turn out of 2!!! THAT'S RIGHT TWO PEOPLE. (As I sit here and wonder why I take abuse for caring about a community that does not care about itself) We discussed paving and the roofing this year.
I've been reading this blog anon for awhile now. I live in Rockland and for the last couple of years been looking to buy a townhouse in WH.
I'm not so sure I should, how is the community? There seems to be quite a lot of issues with management. It "seemed" like a pleasant place to live in when I was driving around the complex..
Also, someone mentioned new townhouses being built in the area? Does anyone know much about those?
One thing that concerns me is the number of townhouses in WH that is in the market, is everyone trying to get out of there??
Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am a 29 year old single male...
Ang, We are going to go around and look at the paving issue. I am hoping that we can get some paving done this year. If we get enough fill in work that makes a contractor worth it, we will get it done. One of the board members has agreed to look into bids for it when we get an estimate of the amount of work we need. By the way, the open meeting had a turn out of 2!!! THAT'S RIGHT TWO PEOPLE. (As I sit here and wonder why I take abuse for caring about a community that does not care about itself) We discussed paving and the roofing this year.
I received a package from the only management company that seemed interested in replying to my request for information. Very large management company with a lot of associations under their umbrella. Spoke with the NY President and he seemed very open to discussion on the services. Also seemed open to reviewing what we need and customization of offered services vs WH needs. I'll have copies made and give it to the board.
anybody care to comment on the discussion below? specifically, I'm looking for a 2nd opinion on the comments regarding crime. They seem exaggerated, but I could be living in a bubble for all I know.
First of all, your link is dead, you forgot the y at the end of the url you provided. Secondly, what exactly do you want a comment on? There is nothing there about crime, just Lexington Hills and a UFO flying over Monroe.
Here's my comment: It's (unsubstantiated) comments/gossip like this that fosters a "reputation". Issues with crime? Yes. ANY crime is too much--but let's face it, the issues are no greater here than anywhere else in the area. In 20 years, I cannot recollect ONE shooting. "High" drug trafficking? You'd be crazy to think there are no drugs in WH-but again, considering the density of the population here, I'll bet drug activity is more "average". Additionally, my perspective is . . . that if anything, the general condition of WH is improving--NOT deteriorating. And, by the way, Pine Hollow may be getting old and may not be maintained--but they're rental units-not condominiums.
Whoever wrote those comments bout gangs and shootings needs their head examined and to get their facts straight! Absolute BS, people trying to pump up their condos in hopes to conjure up more interest. Total crap! Here is a link that shows statistics for Chester NY. http://www.city-data.com/city/Chester-New-York.html
Please attend the park with your children. I was down there the other day completely amazed at what the kids were saying. Cursing and acting like complete animals. It doesn't say much for the parents of these kids. Don't kids under a certain age have to be supervised in park areas?
Some bigger kids were bulling the smaller ones. Not to mention one that was around 11-12 yrs were riding the infant swings. Low class !
Yesterday as my wife was walking home some kids shooting plastic bb's were joking that they were going to shoot her. What saved her was my nieghbors older son who told the boys who BTW don't live in my section. Needless to say when she told me i went right out there to tell them kids to leave my wife alone or they will be cancelling Christmas.
They're back! Any way we can control the bee problem that is occurring in the eves. This has been happing for years. I see them starting to nest again and I would really like to enjoy my summer outside on my deck without getting attacked by yellow jackets!
Please attend the park with your children. I was down there the other day completely amazed at what the kids were saying. Cursing and acting like complete animals. It doesn't say much for the parents of these kids. Don't kids under a certain age have to be supervised in park areas?
Some bigger kids were bulling the smaller ones. Not to mention one that was around 11-12 yrs were riding the infant swings. Low class ! April 18, 2008 BIG BOPPER said...
Yesterday as my wife was walking home some kids shooting plastic bb's were joking that they were going to shoot her. What saved her was my nieghbors older son who told the boys who BTW don't live in my section. Needless to say when she told me i went right out there to tell them kids to leave my wife alone or they will be cancelling Christmas. April 18, 2008" Welcome to America circa (or is that circus?) 2008.........what a waste we have become..........
O&R states that this is an upgrade over the old system, boy are they wrong. Our units 3600's were the first to receive the new power transformers. 2 days now without power! First it went out last evening from 2am to 9:15 am now again today. I think it is absolutely ridiculous, I have sensitive computer equipment running in my unit that even with a backup requires a constant flow of power. I can understand and appreciate that their will be some chinks in the armor, but come on. The project is suppose to last until June, should I expect power interruption on a daily basis? I called the O&R hot line, there was no scheduled maintenance today. Boy are we in for a long spring if this is the way it is going to be.
O&R is doing a terrible job right out of the gate!
Use to be that in this once great country the least we had to worry about was the interuption of electric service. In the last several months its been sporadic at best. We indeed are becoming a Third World Country. This morning I awake to find no power and men "working" at the entrance of W Hills Drive. The three men were drinking coffee on the hood of their pick up truck.
What is the deal with people throwing out large items next to the garbage bin? I thought that if we had something large say doors to go to the trash we had to bring them to the large dumpster by clubhouse. I find that it tends to make the area look like a garbage area not just a shed as it normally does.
Hello All, Sorry to have been away, however, my son came home from the hospital last Thursday and my priorities had to shift to family for a bit. First of all, the bees that start to nest in the eaves is the homeowners responsibility and is as simple as spraying any variety of repellants in the nesting area. It is inherent in open soffit roofing that there is a shady cool space for insects to nest. I use Wasp and Hornet repellant from Home Depot. 1 can lasts the season and is only 6 bucks. Second, replacement of any bush can be done, however, requesting board approval is best since replacing it would have to be (as close as possible) "like kind" to match the remaining shrubery. Third, complaints about power outages before the work, complaints during the work and no doubt there will be complaints after the work is completed. O&R, if yu fully read the O & R notice it advised that if there were any special circumstances you could have called and arrangements could have been made. (ie your "sensitive" computer equipment. In addition, don't hate the men taking their break, they are UNION and have MANDATED BREAK HOURS. Ladies and gents, look at the bright side (pun intended) when the equipment is installed and finished, these outages will be fewer and farther between what we get now. And just so you know, the 3600 section just happens to be directly across from on of the major transformers. In order to redirect and swap out to smaller junction boxes, you will experience more than one days' down time. Logistics of swapping a 30,000 volt junction box to 15,000 branch transformers is not an easy job. (If it were, we would have O & R Sucks handle it.....BZZZZZT)
Ahhhhhh... Now I see where you've been and what you've been up to lately, (lol).
As far as your blog is concerned, I have always taken "What do you think of my idea?" very seriously. After all, asking for an opinion on something that you have labored over is difficult.
Grain of salt here. In my "humble" opinion, you have developed some very interesting content that explains your position extremely well (I read the entire blog). As time goes by, you will forge additional techniques that will "jazz" it up visually, but other than that, you have formed quite a nice base to build upon.
My advice for what it’s worth-If you are selling your services, you may want to consider an html website in the future. You can build dynamic or static pages that explain your model in an “easy to read” format. Presentation is good, professionalism sells.
If you need assistance with graphics or web design, please don't hesitate to email me, I would be more than happy to lend a hand.
Boss, Thanks for ythe input! I have a pretty good website... www.etools.ws/1412 make sure to turn your speakers on. Additionally I have a statice website @ www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/williamdcalloway. How would I be able to notify those readers about my endeavours on the Events portion of this blog??
The Whispering Hills website (http://www.whisperinghillschesterny.com)seems to be progressing nicely and looks as though it is finally getting routine updates. Suggestion: Why not publish Condo meeting minutes on the site? That would inform those who cannot attend the meetings of discussions/results and allow residents to determine the value of attending future meetings. Also, I have always found that email allows for improved management/administration of one's daily work effort. Why not allow for email queries, maintneance requests, etc.?
Dads, Sounds like a good idea, but do you think it will meet with more than the apathy that is shown at this point? Personally, I don't think the effort put into it in the terms of maintenance and updates would be worth it when you think of the participation we have here. But, an idea is always something to look forward to.....
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, we had a death in our family.
An answer to your question would be either dynamically or manually show entries on the site you’d like to inform readers of updates. The predicament that you are in is that your blog is not housed on the same server as your websites (I’ll explain in the next paragraph).
If everything was centralized, you could update dynamically by creating a php page and incorporating a recordset. (A recordset contains information that directly links data with web pages). This method won’t work for you because of obvious circumstances. Keeping this in mind, you’ll have to create a link with the manually updated information on a page in your business site. If you were interested in setting up a blog that “dynamically” works with websites, ask your administrator if he/she will allow you to placed your blog on the same server as your sites (all you would be doing is extending the business site a few pages). By doing it this way, there is less work involved with a more accurate end result.
There are also two ways other ways to get notified of updates. The "old fashioned" way is to subscribe to an email list that gets a message every time I make a new post. Doing that is simple - just use a few lines of javascrips to construct a subscription request email.
The modern way is to subscribe to a "feed". If you copy a link and add it into just about any RSS or Atom compatible newsreader, the newsreader will periodically check for updates an notify you (in its own special way) when a new article is available. Note that we're not talking about old school "usenet" news readers here - we're talking about programs designed to receive syndication feeds from websites. Here’s a brief explanation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)
If you want more info on RSS feeds, Google it. If you have any other questions about web jargon or process, email me @ whisperinghillsblog@yahoo.com.
I'm wondering do anyof you know of a good computer repair business in the area that you have gone to. I have a laptop in need of major repairs and new software. Thanks
Tell ya what, I've installed a few laptop hard drives and quite a few O/S's and software pkgs in my day. Give me some details about what upgrade you're looking for and I'll let you know the price for the drive(EBAY has tons of em from the Dell site) and the software can be had from Best Buy/Amazon. I'll swap out the drives for ya......and why charge you when I can show you how to do it so next time you're not vulnerable to the PC Techie overcharge. (Give a man a fish and he eats for one day, SHOW a man HOW to fish and he eats for a lifetime.....) And thanks for the impartial eye.....
What is the deal with these speed bumps or should I call them curbs by condo 3? I have a car which is low to the ground and everytime I drive over them my car bottoms out. Is this the cheap way out? Can't we put in real speed bumps that aren't so hard on our car suspensions??
Sean, As far as the speed knots (they aren't big enuff for me to call em bumps...I used to live in the BX ...now THEY HAVE SOME BUMPS) blame it all on the youngsters sppeding through the neighborhood. They slow down...away go the knots....they speed...here they are again..... By the way, off the topic here I am looking for some good people that are interested in making some extra money, whether retired, laid off, fired, or just looking to fill the gap that gas prices are creating in all of our budgets. Contact me through my email mrwdcallowayjr@aol.com or for more information now go to www.etools.ws/1412 turn your speakers on LISTEN CAREFULLY!!! Boss, why don't you take a look at this site!!!
Bopper, Email me @ mrwdcallowayjr@aol.com if you still need computer help. I can look at it, and if I can't help, I am man enough to admit that it's above my head (although I doubt it)
and you can take a look at my site also www.etools.ws/1412
OFF TOPIC POST: Bopper and Boss - Saturday at 11:30am tune into TruTV and see what my company is doing across the nation. I am going to set up a mortgage foreclosure assistance seminar for anyone that may be interested in getting some information. Let me what you think. And Boss, let me know where I can email you or post to keep people up to date on things I am doing(off topic things of course)
Hi. Has anyone in Whispering Hills gone through the "Grievance Day" process for their tax assessement? Just wondering if it's worth it and what research is required. Thanks.
Theoretically, the grievance process is an ideal example of democracy at work. It's a testament to the concept that you can fight City Hall.
It's a simple idea: if you as property owner feel you are paying too much in real estate taxes, you have the right to grieve. Your complaint is then reviewed by an impartial party. If the judgement goes in your favor, your taxes are reduced!
While your local town government will give you all the necessary forms and guidelines to do this job yourself, the process can be complicated. As a result, the tax grievance process can be a time-consuming, murky procedure. That's why most people opt for an experienced consultant or agent to represent them -- just as they might hire an accountant to prepare their income tax returns.
The process starts on "Grievance Day". This is the one day each year when homeowners may officially protest assessments. The next phase is the appeal process is the actual filing and involves sending seven copies of the petition to five different offices.
The process is based on establishing the Market Value of your property. In order to reduce your property taxes you must prove that the value of your property is less than the valuation assigned by your assessing district. Appraisals are the primary evidence used to prove value throughout the process. Recent sales and other factors do come into play as well.
Assessments are required by law to be proportional to market value. This means if you live in a $100,000 house, and your neighbor lives in a $200,000 house, his assessment should legally be twice yours. Using official New York State statistical data and local tax rolls you should be able to come up with a reasonable conclusion.
Thanks for the quick response. I have done some research and read materials from the Town Hall offices, so what you wrote is familiar. I was wondering if anyone had actually gone through through the process, been successful, felt it was worth it, how much had they reduced theor taxes, and if it was all done with a Whispering Hills condo.
GOSHEN and CHESTER — Local residents who believe their property has received a too-high assessment will have a chance to show why on Grievance Day, scheduled this year on Tuesday, May 27, in the towns of Chester and Goshen.
Times may vary by township, so contact your local Town Assessor’s Office. In Chester, call assessor Andrea Nilon at 469-7000 ext. 6. In Goshen, call Joann Soules at 294-7121 ext. 232.
Taxpayers should refer to the New York State Office of Real Property Services’ guidelines at www.orps.state.ny.us. Click on “Forms, Publications and Procedures” at top of the home page, then follow the link for “Publications Listings.” From the alphabetic list of ORPS Publications, click on “H” and then “How to File for a Review of Your Assessment - A Guide for Property Owners,” where you will find a printable pdf version of the guide.
I just wanted to comment on the roofing company and the work they are doing over in my area. The roofers have been nothing less than professional. They are doing a fantastic job! The cleanup is great (only a few nails here and there), but what do you expect,the roof is being replaced. I am very pleased with the work they have done.
Great job Serrano Roofing! Thanks for the professionalism.
Landscapers are also coming through this season, the grounds look great! Whatever HOA said to them worked. The only gripe I have is with the weed wacking, I find that they aren't getting the tall stuff around the beds. A minor detail that I will address next time they come my way. Happy to see everything is firing on all cylinders!
Is there any news on the election front? Any new board members elected?
In the 4200 hundred section several of our walkway lamps are out and its very dark in the area. Also still having a problem with many people parking in the driveways in the 4200 section. Why don't they just park in the lots? And whats the deal with the car spilling all the oil all over the lot and by the mailbox. Looks like that old Maxima had diarrhea and kitty litter was needed to clean up the mess.
In the grand scheme of things people are over reacting to the fuel prices. What % of people who are complaining about or worried about fuel prices smoke, drink, or eat our more than 1 or 2 times a week?
Kick any one of those habits and there is more than enough left over to cover the increase in fuel costs.
Gas prices are ridiculous and don't just impact our auto. Everything we purchase is affected, food, consumer goods etc. It is disgusting what is going on. Remember back in 2000 when the stock market was in it's hay-day? Same thing here with oil. A slight difference is that it's a commodity but the same "smoke and mirror ploy is occurring". Oil is traded just like a stock in the open market. it will continue to go up in price until there is another investment vehicle for investors to jump into. Look at gold and silver, same thing is happening there.
It's all about laws of average, but in open market, what goes up WILL go down. It's not a matter of if, it's when.
Just an update on the bee situation. After they replaced our roof, the bees disappeared. According to the roofer, they were living in the broken portion of the soffit. They cleaned out the nests and replaced the broken portions. Serrano roofing did a fabulous job!
Lets pick up the comments here guys, I would hate to see this blog fall to the waste side. By far the most informative method of communication since I've lived here.
Hey boss, how about sending another round of flyers around the complex?
For the record, Whispering Hills Blog will remain intact indefinitely.
We continue to have a steady stream of Residents visiting our site on a daily basis and have no plans to cease blogging activity. Though more comments would be greatly appreciated, we recognize that WHB is cyclical. Season (as the post above stated), HOA activity and a variety of other reasons dictate Homeowners participating thought the year.
We are here to stay as long as we continue to be a viable resource for the Whispering Hills Community.
Addressing flyer distribution.
The flyer campaign WHB launched in December was a complete success thanks to Dave and Kelly. We are considering another movement the end of summer and will keep you abreast of future distributions. In the mean time, word of mouth is the most powerful advertising method. Please spread the word about us and how each WH Resident has the ability to impact our Community on a variety of levels by voicing their opinion on WHB.
Good article about neighborhood watches being formed in Orange County. Would be nice to form one here in Whispering Hills before the weather gets warm, school ends and the pot parties start in the parking lots.
They tried to get a watch program going here on this blog last year. If I recall correctly, no one was interested. Doesn't mean this year we can't try again.
Summer Real Estate season is in full swing at Whispering Hills. I counted 5 openned houses hosted by several different agecies this past weekend. We can all expect this to continue through the summer and early fall seasons. Of course, the majority of WH residents have no intention of selling this season but we all benefit mutally from healthy sales. All WH property is on display during the seasonal market. Our relative property values will be defined, to a great extent by the sale pricing established in this selling season. Realtors and banks use this information to determine pricing and actual market value based on recent prior sales.
We all need to do our best to make a good impression on realtors and potential buyers. We need to sell the value of our community. Keep in mind that potential buyers of the properties that neighbor your own will look at your property to determine the value of our community. To make the serious investment of a the purchase of thier home buyers need to be convinced of the quality of our community and thier investment. One of the most important things that we can do to preserve and even increase the value of our property here in WH doesnt cost anything but a little time and effort. The result is the great gain of maintained or increased property values. Here are some tips - Clean up debris Make sure that watering hoses are kept neat and the water turned off Clean dirty windows and doors Touch up your garage door(peeling and chipped paint should be sanded and repainted - this is the homeowners responsablity) Take a look at your home from about 25 feet away Your window treatments should be neat and orderly and all visible window shades should be positioned uniformly. Toys and lifes accessories such as grills, and other accessories should be neatly stored Dead potted plants and empty plant pots should be removed Add a little color - potted florals, a nice lawn ornament and or some lighting All of the above increases curb appeal. There are two sides to curb appeal - The Sellers and the Neighbors We all benefit when our houses are in order If your neighbor is selling - you should make a special effort in this very visable season to make sure your house is in order. Word to the value wise CD1
What the heck is going on near the 4300 section. I couldn't find any parking at 3:30 in the morning this morning!? Why is the driveway closed for construction and how long will this take?
................anybody else have neighbors that seem to think that feeding feral cats is a compassionate gesture? It only creates more problems, and recently there was an article in the TH-Record that stated that some of these stray cats have Rabies (in another complex, but if it happened there, it can occur here too)!!!!!!!!
Same thing at the 4200 hundred section behind the dumpster. Someone built them a shelter out of large cardboard boxes and then wrapped them in large plastic bags. And these things reproduce fast. Every several months there's more kittens! And at night they scream and yell!
A note of enjoyment................ As a resident of 17 years and sitting on my porch enjoying a glass of wine, I am haPPy to share that this community looks wonderful. It has been (so far) very serene, vandal free and aesthetically pleasing to view (TY HVL)............. Peace.........
Thats is true, on the weekends its nice to see the nieghbors grilling and eating together as a family, just taking a walk with the dog and enjoy the quiet sunset. Have a beer in the garage with my next door nieghbor and forget about the jungle called NYC where things are upside down but it where the money is at. And my favorite going to the ice cream stands in Monroe for some soft serve! Rural life is the best, unfortunately in the past 7 years we are losing the rural for suburbs, but Chester and Whispering Hills are still great place to live.
I agree, after working for the man all week in a the hostel environment of White Plains, it's nice to come home to a quiet refuge. Whispering Hills is a great place to live. Good people and good maintenance make this place a pleasure to be a part of. For the amount of people that live here, I have to give the entire community credit.
For it being a holiday weekend, things are very quite. Nice to see everyone is enjoying themselves responsibly. By the way, the fireworks in Monroe were packed with people and as usual, they put on a great display. Looking forward to Chester's next Sat.
CHESTER — A big, professional fireworks show is coming to Chester’s Carpenter Field (Community Park) on Saturday, July 12.
The spectacle will start sometime after dark. Sunset is at 8:30 p.m. The park is located on Vadala Road in the Village of Chester.
Last year’s fireworks show was the first in Chester in 10 years. This year, vendors were invited to sell food and wares during the show. They will be on site and open for business by 6 p.m. The Walton Engine & Hose Company will be running a concession behind their firehouse at 81 Main St. in the village— an excellent spot from which to watch the fireworks.
The firefighters invite visitors to “come early and get a good seat for the community fireworks and let us do the cooking for you.” The menu will include hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream. Proceeds will benefit the fire company, a 100 percent volunteer organization since 1893.
The rain date is the following Saturday, July 19. If case of inclement weather, check for cancellation information at the town’s Web site, www.thetownofchester.org, or call Supervisor Steve Neuhaus’s information hotline at 469-7000 ext 355.
Most of the cost will be covered by the Park and Recreation Commission, a few sponsors added this year will help defray costs. The village is also chipping in this year.
When is the 3900 road going to be re-opened. It is completely making finding a spot late at night impossible. I think they will be finished with the World Trade Center before this project is completed.
What are the House Rules when it pertains to parking? There is a resident who has a valid parking sticker that has NOT moved their vehicle for over the past six weeks! Even though they are legally allowed to keep their truck there, I am of the opinion that by monopolizing that spot is not fair to the rest us that have to now park on the street........They are the one's that should leave their vehicle on Whispering Hills Drive.
Something needs to be done about the basketball and tennis courts. Passes need to be check to assure the people playing there are residents. The town of Chester does not pay my hoa fees. The kids that have been playing down there are not from this complex. If someone falls and breaks their neck is the law suit coming out of my pocket through hoa fees?
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Blog all of your community Opinion & Comments here.
102 comments:
* WHB was archived on 03/16/08. Old posts are listed under "Current Blog Topics" in the upper right pane of our site.
The car towing company information is posted outside of each Club House on the bulletin board.
Some residents that have only one vehicle (or who consider themselves in need of just one tag) take only one tag although they are "entitled" to two - and leave the extra tag with the HOA. I do not know what the HOA does with the "unclaimed tags" - i they choose not to circulate them then they would help force the use of garage space for vehicles and limit the number of cars parked in spots and just stored outside. Some residents take both tags adn pass their "extra tag" on to a pleading neighbor as a gesture of friendship providing "an extra tag" to a resident that has "an extra car" that they need/want to park outside. I'm not saying that this is "right" I'm saying that both of these things happen and this explains "three cars with tags."
CD1
NO!
Whoa NELLY!!!
I personally did not know that residents were "permanently sharing" additional tags with their neighbors. This makes me wonder if these residents know that any fines or violations on that tag number will be charged to their Common Charges? Neighborliness is cool and all but am I going to risk a 50.00 parking charge for my neighbors car?? I think not. In addition, any sharing of tags is strictly against HOA rulings. TWO permits per household, the hanging tag allowable to be used for visitors, rental cars, temporary arragnements etc. I guess that any rules that HOA comes up with can be circumvented by collusion of neighbors, so that is something that will have to be taken to the board for review. I do warn everyone that if this is a practice that the board cannot prevent, I can almost guarantee that the hanging permit will be done away with and affixed stickers only will be used. So offending neighbors be aware that you are going to aggravate a situation for ALL of us who have a visitor, rental car (such as me, while my car is being repaired), company car or HOME HEALTH AIDE that NEEDS to use close proximity parking. To all others, if you notice a car in violation of the parking permit rules, feel free to contact a board member, or the HOA office. We can contact the owner and have it corrected / towed / fined or some other action can be taken. I have personally requested cars be moved when I see the violation even though I could resort to fines or towing. (Everyone needs a break now and then) Loading and unloading to me is something I can overlook, but overnight parking is unforgivable......EMERGENCIES DO HAPPEN AND ACCESS IS NECESSARY!!
PS, thanks for the condolences Boss, it is appreciated and my family thanks you for your concern.
Nice job WH on the wraps you guys put on the base of the new fences. This should really control the amount of damage to the fence posts.
Has anyone ever used Chimney Tech to clean out thier dryer vent?
Were they good and was the price reasonable?
The following car NEEDS to be towed from the Section 3700 driveway. Been there for over three days. No sticker, no tag visible.
BLACK HONDA ACCORD ( EX)
LICENSE PLATE # : DZP 6752
ANG-
Call the HOA office and see if they can contact the towing company. Or if you know the owner they are visiting, see if they would be neighborly and move it to an appropriate parking space. Use the "Flies, Vinegar - Bees Honey approach
Contact made, car has been moved by owners, identity not known @ this time.......
Bopper . . . Chimney Tech: $120 to clean the vent the way it sould be--from inside/up and from the outside (roof)/down. Seemed reasonable to me at the time (late-'06) considering the potentially dangerous lint buildup situation.
The tech was personable and actually arrived when he said he would--not exactly the norm "up here".
Thanks, I've been trying to keep up with the checklist that was mailed to us.
Next is changing the washing machine hoses.
Good Post
The last couple of post were very informative. I like the idea for reporting cars parked improperly. We should do the same with the trouble making kids. Post their unit numbers so other parents can keep their kids away from them before they get in trouble.
Thanks
Is there any chance of having another community wide garage sale? I know there was one in October/November, but what about having one that might coincide with everyone's spring cleaning? Just a thought.
Remember:
One man's trash is another man's treasure!
Dryer Vent
Did you notice a difference in the drying time after you had your vent cleaned?
Hey All,
I like the idea of a Spring Garage Sale, but I think it will take some doing. Coordination of all the excess traffic and the inherent concerns from the Board are well founded. However, I will propose the idea at the next meeting which is an OPEN MEETING!!!! I hope to see all of you there. By the way, my son is doing well at WCMC and is now 5 pounds. Hopefully we can bring him home in the next few weeks. Glad the car was moved, and keep in mind that we can report violations to the Board. As far as the trouble making kids, in my own opinion, I tend to approach them as young adults and it tends to garner me more results than anything else. I live near the tennis courts at the end of WH and if I hear loud foul language I just ASK them to try and keep it down and more times than not ..... THEY DO.....
Take Care All and Happy Spring!!
BTW, I am expecting a package from Wentworth Property Management in the near future.
Last but not least......
O & R - The engineers and community relations manager spoke to the board in reference to the outages in the developement and gave an explanation of the problem.
1 - The equipment has not been swapped out since the creation of WH 25 years ago,
2 - The positioning of the equipment and type of equipment in the developement is 35K volts and when hit by lightning (which we are frequently inundated with during spring and fall) can cause current waves that can blow the transformers.
3 - A overhead line feed to WH blew and that caused all the aforementiond problems.
SOLUTION - Starting next month, ALL of the transformers on the property will be swapped out and changed to 15K voltage, new boxes and smaller service sections. So expect the crews to be around for 3 months, in addition to outages when they are working your area.
Expect more info at the next open meeting and in the mail!!!
A nice large garage sale/flea market would be nice in the basketball courts. Serve light refreshments, wine, & cheese.
What ever happened to the Dog Show we were going to have?
Big Bop -
Never heard anything about a dog show. As far as the tennis court thing with wine and cheese.....Nah.....maybe Hot dogs burgers and soda........(I'd personally prefer a large porterhouse or rib eye with a can of Fosters) but let's see if anyone will propose it at the next open meeting.....
Thanks for the o&r info William. When is the next open meeting?
Hey Bill,
Do you know if they are going to powerwash the buildings this spring. There is a coating of green mold on the side of my unit that is making it look downright awful. Also there is some wood is rotting under my entrance door, any chance they will fix that too? If I want a new front door, do I have to buy it or does my hoa fees cover it?
K-
The next HOA meeting is an open meeting. I think it is the third Thrusday (?) of April??? Second, I don't know what condo you are in, but the bldgs that receive new rooves this year are going to be powerwashed. Others are possible depending on budget/necessity.
Anonymous-
Normally I don't answer anon posts, but your front door is your responsibility (make sure it conforms to your condo rules) and second, the wood under your door (if not part of your door frame) could possibly be repaired/replaced by maintenance. Call and ask in the HOA office.
CONDO IV OPEN MEETING THIS SATURDAY!!!!!!
SHEESH.......going so fast I SPELLED MY OWN NAME WRONG.....
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
It has been brought to my attention that there is an ordinance (State law ?)in respect to not having any type of barbecue aparatus in use on one's porch in a Condo/Townhouse complex.
Does anyone know if this is indeed true and applicable to being fined?
I think it's just deck grills that are against code. Anything on ground level is ok. I would also like some confirmations seeing that I have a 2nd floor deck on my unit.
Reading the news, looks like another summer of West Ave being closed. Man I hate driving around to take care of shopping & post office. It's no big deal but it is an inconvenience, especially in the summer months.
And so many people who like to walk like kids have to go around and cross so many wide dangerous streets.
Plus there was a terrible accident on 17 where the construction is today between a tanker truck and small SUV.
Getting on to go west is a very short ramp, I'm surprised they left that open and didn't close it like last year.
Dear William,
Hope that this entry finds you and your family well...........
Is the "3700 Section" driveway still on the books for repavement this Spring?
ps Sorry I was not @ the meeting this past Saturday, prior commitment. Hope it was well attended and productive!
Ang,
We are going to go around and look at the paving issue. I am hoping that we can get some paving done this year. If we get enough fill in work that makes a contractor worth it, we will get it done. One of the board members has agreed to look into bids for it when we get an estimate of the amount of work we need. By the way, the open meeting had a turn out of 2!!! THAT'S RIGHT TWO PEOPLE.
(As I sit here and wonder why I take abuse for caring about a community that does not care about itself) We discussed paving and the roofing this year.
Take care all,
(waving a frustrated hand)
Hey guys,
I've been reading this blog anon for awhile now. I live in Rockland and for the last couple of years been looking to buy a townhouse in WH.
I'm not so sure I should, how is the community? There seems to be quite a lot of issues with management. It "seemed" like a pleasant place to live in when I was driving around the complex..
Also, someone mentioned new townhouses being built in the area? Does anyone know much about those?
One thing that concerns me is the number of townhouses in WH that is in the market, is everyone trying to get out of there??
Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am a 29 year old single male...
Thanks!
Anyone know what the excitement was over in the back of condo4 last night? Cops busting a party or something?
Hmm......that explains the assorted bottles of beer strewn across the common area! :{
"mr william d calloway jr said...
Ang,
We are going to go around and look at the paving issue. I am hoping that we can get some paving done this year. If we get enough fill in work that makes a contractor worth it, we will get it done. One of the board members has agreed to look into bids for it when we get an estimate of the amount of work we need. By the way, the open meeting had a turn out of 2!!! THAT'S RIGHT TWO PEOPLE.
(As I sit here and wonder why I take abuse for caring about a community that does not care about itself) We discussed paving and the roofing this year.
Take care all,
(waving a frustrated hand)"
Isn't apathy a wonderful thing?
I received a package from the only management company that seemed interested in replying to my request for information. Very large management company with a lot of associations under their umbrella. Spoke with the NY President and he seemed very open to discussion on the services. Also seemed open to reviewing what we need and customization of offered services vs WH needs. I'll have copies made and give it to the board.
anybody care to comment on the discussion below? specifically, I'm looking for a 2nd opinion on the comments regarding crime. They seem exaggerated, but I could be living in a bubble for all I know.
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/chester-ny/TNTLIKQ1TBCTOBS7D/p2
First of all, your link is dead, you forgot the y at the end of the url you provided. Secondly, what exactly do you want a comment on? There is nothing there about crime, just Lexington Hills and a UFO flying over Monroe.
The link worked fine for me.
Here's my comment: It's (unsubstantiated) comments/gossip like this that fosters a "reputation". Issues with crime? Yes. ANY crime is too much--but let's face it, the issues are no greater here than anywhere else in the area. In 20 years, I cannot recollect ONE shooting. "High" drug trafficking? You'd be crazy to think there are no drugs in WH-but again, considering the density of the population here, I'll bet drug activity is more "average". Additionally, my perspective is . . . that if anything, the general condition of WH is improving--NOT deteriorating. And, by the way, Pine Hollow may be getting old and may not be maintained--but they're rental units-not condominiums.
Whoever wrote those comments bout gangs and shootings needs their head examined and to get their facts straight! Absolute BS, people trying to pump up their condos in hopes to conjure up more interest. Total crap! Here is a link that shows statistics for Chester NY. http://www.city-data.com/city/Chester-New-York.html
Please attend the park with your children. I was down there the other day completely amazed at what the kids were saying. Cursing and acting like complete animals. It doesn't say much for the parents of these kids. Don't kids under a certain age have to be supervised in park areas?
Some bigger kids were bulling the smaller ones. Not to mention one that was around 11-12 yrs were riding the infant swings. Low class !
Yesterday as my wife was walking home some kids shooting plastic bb's were joking that they were going to shoot her. What saved her was my nieghbors older son who told the boys who BTW don't live in my section.
Needless to say when she told me i went right out there to tell them kids to leave my wife alone or they will be cancelling Christmas.
William,
They're back!
Any way we can control the bee problem that is occurring in the eves. This has been happing for years. I see them starting to nest again and I would really like to enjoy my summer outside on my deck without getting attacked by yellow jackets!
" April 11, 2008
momof2 said...
Please attend the park with your children. I was down there the other day completely amazed at what the kids were saying. Cursing and acting like complete animals. It doesn't say much for the parents of these kids. Don't kids under a certain age have to be supervised in park areas?
Some bigger kids were bulling the smaller ones. Not to mention one that was around 11-12 yrs were riding the infant swings. Low class !
April 18, 2008
BIG BOPPER said...
Yesterday as my wife was walking home some kids shooting plastic bb's were joking that they were going to shoot her. What saved her was my nieghbors older son who told the boys who BTW don't live in my section.
Needless to say when she told me i went right out there to tell them kids to leave my wife alone or they will be cancelling Christmas.
April 18, 2008"
Welcome to America circa (or is that circus?) 2008.........what a waste we have become..........
About the power upgrade.
O&R states that this is an upgrade over the old system, boy are they wrong. Our units 3600's were the first to receive the new power transformers. 2 days now without power! First it went out last evening from 2am to 9:15 am now again today. I think it is absolutely ridiculous, I have sensitive computer equipment running in my unit that even with a backup requires a constant flow of power. I can understand and appreciate that their will be some chinks in the armor, but come on. The project is suppose to last until June, should I expect power interruption on a daily basis? I called the O&R hot line, there was no scheduled maintenance today. Boy are we in for a long spring if this is the way it is going to be.
O&R is doing a terrible job right out of the gate!
Use to be that in this once great country the least we had to worry about was the interuption of electric service.
In the last several months its been sporadic at best. We indeed are becoming a Third World Country.
This morning I awake to find no power and men "working" at the entrance of W Hills Drive.
The three men were drinking coffee on the hood of their pick up truck.
Mr. Calloway....do you know if I can switch out a bush in front of my condo with another bush that is similar?
What is the deal with people throwing out large items next to the garbage bin? I thought that if we had something large say doors to go to the trash we had to bring them to the large dumpster by clubhouse. I find that it tends to make the area look like a garbage area not just a shed as it normally does.
MAKE SURE YOU CAST YOUR BALLOT AND VOTE!!!
Hello All,
Sorry to have been away, however, my son came home from the hospital last Thursday and my priorities had to shift to family for a bit. First of all, the bees that start to nest in the eaves is the homeowners responsibility and is as simple as spraying any variety of repellants in the nesting area. It is inherent in open soffit roofing that there is a shady cool space for insects to nest. I use Wasp and Hornet repellant from Home Depot. 1 can lasts the season and is only 6 bucks.
Second, replacement of any bush can be done, however, requesting board approval is best since replacing it would have to be (as close as possible) "like kind" to match the remaining shrubery.
Third, complaints about power outages before the work, complaints during the work and no doubt there will be complaints after the work is completed. O&R, if yu fully read the O & R notice it advised that if there were any special circumstances you could have called and arrangements could have been made. (ie your "sensitive" computer equipment. In addition, don't hate the men taking their break, they are UNION and have MANDATED BREAK HOURS. Ladies and gents, look at the bright side (pun intended) when the equipment is installed and finished, these outages will be fewer and farther between what we get now. And just so you know, the 3600 section just happens to be directly across from on of the major transformers. In order to redirect and swap out to smaller junction boxes, you will experience more than one days' down time. Logistics of swapping a 30,000 volt junction box to 15,000 branch transformers is not an easy job. (If it were, we would have O & R Sucks handle it.....BZZZZZT)
Take Care all,
Hey Boss,
I started a blog related to my business.....
http://sucessfulmoves.blogspot.com/
Let me know what you think...
Looking good Bill!
Ahhhhhh... Now I see where you've been and what you've been up to lately, (lol).
As far as your blog is concerned, I have always taken "What do you think of my idea?" very seriously. After all, asking for an opinion on something that you have labored over is difficult.
Grain of salt here.
In my "humble" opinion, you have developed some very interesting content that explains your position extremely well (I read the entire blog). As time goes by, you will forge additional techniques that will "jazz" it up visually, but other than that, you have formed quite a nice base to build upon.
My advice for what it’s worth-If you are selling your services, you may want to consider an html website in the future. You can build dynamic or static pages that explain your model in an “easy to read” format. Presentation is good, professionalism sells.
If you need assistance with graphics or web design, please don't hesitate to email me, I would be more than happy to lend a hand.
Trust yourself and trust your idea,
The Boss
Does anybody have the contact info for the HOA office?
Thanks
Boss,
Thanks for ythe input! I have a pretty good website...
www.etools.ws/1412 make sure to turn your speakers on. Additionally I have a statice website @ www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/williamdcalloway.
How would I be able to notify those readers about my endeavours on the Events portion of this blog??
Once again, thanks for the input
The Whispering Hills website (http://www.whisperinghillschesterny.com)seems to be progressing nicely and looks as though it is finally getting routine updates. Suggestion: Why not publish Condo meeting minutes on the site? That would inform those who cannot attend the meetings of discussions/results and allow residents to determine the value of attending future meetings. Also, I have always found that email allows for improved management/administration of one's daily work effort. Why not allow for email queries, maintneance requests, etc.?
Dads,
Sounds like a good idea, but do you think it will meet with more than the apathy that is shown at this point? Personally, I don't think the effort put into it in the terms of maintenance and updates would be worth it when you think of the participation we have here. But, an idea is always something to look forward to.....
Hi Bill,
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, we had a death in our family.
An answer to your question would be either dynamically or manually show entries on the site you’d like to inform readers of updates. The predicament that you are in is that your blog is not housed on the same server as your websites (I’ll explain in the next paragraph).
If everything was centralized, you could update dynamically by creating a php page and incorporating a recordset. (A recordset contains information that directly links data with web pages). This method won’t work for you because of obvious circumstances. Keeping this in mind, you’ll have to create a link with the manually updated information on a page in your business site. If you were interested in setting up a blog that “dynamically” works with websites, ask your administrator if he/she will allow you to placed your blog on the same server as your sites (all you would be doing is extending the business site a few pages). By doing it this way, there is less work involved with a more accurate end result.
There are also two ways other ways to get notified of updates. The "old fashioned" way is to subscribe to an email list that gets a message every time I make a new post. Doing that is simple - just use a few lines of javascrips to construct a subscription request email.
The modern way is to subscribe to a "feed". If you copy a link and add it into just about any RSS or Atom compatible newsreader, the newsreader will periodically check for updates an notify you (in its own special way) when a new article is available. Note that we're not talking about old school "usenet" news readers here - we're talking about programs designed to receive syndication feeds from websites. Here’s a brief explanation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)
If you want more info on RSS feeds, Google it. If you have any other questions about web jargon or process, email me @ whisperinghillsblog@yahoo.com.
Hope this helps!
The Boss
Hey all, hope you all voted.
I'm wondering do anyof you know of a good computer repair business in the area that you have gone to.
I have a laptop in need of major repairs and new software.
Thanks
Bopper,
What kind of repairs and what type of software are you looking for?
May need a new hard drive, and all the software to run the laptop, Windows, DVD, CDR drivers.
Bopper,
Tell ya what, I've installed a few laptop hard drives and quite a few O/S's and software pkgs in my day. Give me some details about what upgrade you're looking for and I'll let you know the price for the drive(EBAY has tons of em from the Dell site) and the software can be had from Best Buy/Amazon. I'll swap out the drives for ya......and why charge you when I can show you how to do it so next time you're not vulnerable to the PC Techie overcharge. (Give a man a fish and he eats for one day, SHOW a man HOW to fish and he eats for a lifetime.....)
And thanks for the impartial eye.....
Good idea!
I'm putting in a fish in the hard drive right now!
What is the deal with these speed bumps or should I call them curbs by condo 3? I have a car which is low to the ground and everytime I drive over them my car bottoms out. Is this the cheap way out? Can't we put in real speed bumps that aren't so hard on our car suspensions??
Are they the yellow ones tied down with chains?
They usually out these down when the weather gets warm.
Sean,
As far as the speed knots (they aren't big enuff for me to call em bumps...I used to live in the BX ...now THEY HAVE SOME BUMPS) blame it all on the youngsters sppeding through the neighborhood. They slow down...away go the knots....they speed...here they are again.....
By the way, off the topic here
I am looking for some good people that are interested in making some extra money, whether retired, laid off, fired, or just looking to fill the gap that gas prices are creating in all of our budgets. Contact me through my email
mrwdcallowayjr@aol.com or for more information now go to
www.etools.ws/1412 turn your speakers on LISTEN CAREFULLY!!!
Boss, why don't you take a look at this site!!!
Bopper,
Email me @ mrwdcallowayjr@aol.com if you still need computer help. I can look at it, and if I can't help, I am man enough to admit that it's above my head (although I doubt it)
and you can take a look at my site also
www.etools.ws/1412
OFF TOPIC POST:
Bopper and Boss - Saturday at 11:30am tune into TruTV and see what my company is doing across the nation. I am going to set up a mortgage foreclosure assistance seminar for anyone that may be interested in getting some information. Let me what you think. And Boss, let me know where I can email you or post to keep people up to date on things I am doing(off topic things of course)
William,
Check your AOL inbox, I sent you a response pertaining to your last few posts.
Thanks,
The Boss
Hi. Has anyone in Whispering Hills gone through the "Grievance Day" process for their tax assessement? Just wondering if it's worth it and what research is required. Thanks.
Theoretically, the grievance process is an ideal example of democracy at work. It's a testament to the concept that you can fight City Hall.
It's a simple idea: if you as property owner feel you are paying too much in real estate taxes, you have the right to grieve. Your complaint is then reviewed by an impartial party. If the judgement goes in your favor, your taxes are reduced!
While your local town government will give you all the necessary forms and guidelines to do this job yourself, the process can be complicated. As a result, the tax grievance process can be a time-consuming, murky procedure. That's why most people opt for an experienced consultant or agent to represent them -- just as they might hire an accountant to prepare their income tax returns.
The process starts on "Grievance Day". This is the one day each year when homeowners may officially protest assessments. The next phase is the appeal process is the actual filing and involves sending seven copies of the petition to five different offices.
The process is based on establishing the Market Value of your property. In order to reduce your property taxes you must prove that the value of your property is less than the valuation assigned by your assessing district. Appraisals are the primary evidence used to prove value throughout the process. Recent sales and other factors do come into play as well.
Assessments are required by law to be proportional to market value. This means if you live in a $100,000 house, and your neighbor lives in a $200,000 house, his assessment should legally be twice yours. Using official New York State statistical data and local tax rolls you should be able to come up with a reasonable conclusion.
Thanks for the quick response. I have done some research and read materials from the Town Hall offices, so what you wrote is familiar. I was wondering if anyone had actually gone through through the process, been successful, felt it was worth it, how much had they reduced theor taxes, and if it was all done with a Whispering Hills condo.
Do you disagree with your property assessment?
GOSHEN and CHESTER — Local residents who believe their property has received a too-high assessment will have a chance to show why on Grievance Day, scheduled this year on Tuesday, May 27, in the towns of Chester and Goshen.
Times may vary by township, so contact your local Town Assessor’s Office. In Chester, call assessor Andrea Nilon at 469-7000 ext. 6. In Goshen, call Joann Soules at 294-7121 ext. 232.
Taxpayers should refer to the New York State Office of Real Property Services’ guidelines at www.orps.state.ny.us. Click on “Forms, Publications and Procedures” at top of the home page, then follow the link for “Publications Listings.” From the alphabetic list of ORPS Publications, click on “H” and then “How to File for a Review of Your Assessment - A Guide for Property Owners,” where you will find a printable pdf version of the guide.
I just wanted to comment on the roofing company and the work they are doing over in my area. The roofers have been nothing less than professional. They are doing a fantastic job! The cleanup is great (only a few nails here and there), but what do you expect,the roof is being replaced. I am very pleased with the work they have done.
Great job Serrano Roofing! Thanks for the professionalism.
Landscapers are also coming through this season, the grounds look great! Whatever HOA said to them worked. The only gripe I have is with the weed wacking, I find that they aren't getting the tall stuff around the beds. A minor detail that I will address next time they come my way. Happy to see everything is firing on all cylinders!
Is there any news on the election front? Any new board members elected?
In the 4200 hundred section several of our walkway lamps are out and its very dark in the area.
Also still having a problem with many people parking in the driveways in the 4200 section. Why don't they just park in the lots?
And whats the deal with the car spilling all the oil all over the lot and by the mailbox.
Looks like that old Maxima had diarrhea and kitty litter was needed to clean up the mess.
This place is deadsville. What happened?
Everyone's commuting to the city and worried about fuel prices!
In the grand scheme of things people are over reacting to the fuel prices. What % of people who are complaining about or worried about fuel prices smoke, drink, or eat our more than 1 or 2 times a week?
Kick any one of those habits and there is more than enough left over to cover the increase in fuel costs.
Just my opinion.
Summer happened. I don't know about you but I'd rather be outside than in front of a computer screen in a 6x6 cubicle.
Gas prices are ridiculous and don't just impact our auto. Everything we purchase is affected, food, consumer goods etc. It is disgusting what is going on. Remember back in 2000 when the stock market was in it's hay-day? Same thing here with oil. A slight difference is that it's a commodity but the same "smoke and mirror ploy is occurring". Oil is traded just like a stock in the open market. it will continue to go up in price until there is another investment vehicle for investors to jump into. Look at gold and silver, same thing is happening there.
It's all about laws of average, but in open market, what goes up WILL go down. It's not a matter of if, it's when.
My cube is 8X8 thank you very much :0)
Just an update on the bee situation. After they replaced our roof, the bees disappeared. According to the roofer, they were living in the broken portion of the soffit. They cleaned out the nests and replaced the broken portions. Serrano roofing did a fabulous job!
Lets pick up the comments here guys, I would hate to see this blog fall to the waste side. By far the most informative method of communication since I've lived here.
Hey boss, how about sending another round of flyers around the complex?
K
For the record, Whispering Hills Blog will remain intact indefinitely.
We continue to have a steady stream of Residents visiting our site on a daily basis and have no plans to cease blogging activity. Though more comments would be greatly appreciated, we recognize that WHB is cyclical. Season (as the post above stated), HOA activity and a variety of other reasons dictate Homeowners participating thought the year.
We are here to stay as long as we continue to be a viable resource for the Whispering Hills Community.
Addressing flyer distribution.
The flyer campaign WHB launched in December was a complete success thanks to Dave and Kelly. We are considering another movement the end of summer and will keep you abreast of future distributions. In the mean time, word of mouth is the most powerful advertising method. Please spread the word about us and how each WH Resident has the ability to impact our Community on a variety of levels by voicing their opinion on WHB.
Thank you all for your support,
The Boss
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/NEWS/806230317
Good article about neighborhood watches being formed in Orange County.
Would be nice to form one here in Whispering Hills before the weather gets warm, school ends and the pot parties start in the parking lots.
They tried to get a watch program going here on this blog last year. If I recall correctly, no one was interested. Doesn't mean this year we can't try again.
Summer Real Estate season is in full swing at Whispering Hills.
I counted 5 openned houses hosted by several different agecies this past weekend. We can all expect this to continue through the summer and early fall seasons. Of course, the majority of WH residents have no intention of selling this season but we all benefit mutally from healthy sales. All WH property is on display during the seasonal market. Our relative property values will be defined, to a great extent by the sale pricing established in this selling season. Realtors and banks use this information to determine pricing and actual market value based on recent prior sales.
We all need to do our best to make a good impression on realtors and potential buyers. We need to sell the value of our community. Keep in mind that potential buyers of the properties that neighbor your own will look at your property to determine the value of our community. To make the serious investment of a the purchase of thier home buyers need to be convinced of the quality of our community and thier investment.
One of the most important things that we can do to preserve and even increase the value of our property here in WH doesnt cost anything but a little time and effort. The result is the great gain of maintained or increased property values.
Here are some tips -
Clean up debris
Make sure that watering hoses are kept neat and the water turned off
Clean dirty windows
and doors
Touch up your garage door(peeling and chipped paint should be sanded and repainted - this is the homeowners responsablity)
Take a look at your home from about 25 feet away
Your window treatments should be neat and orderly and all visible window shades should be positioned uniformly.
Toys and lifes accessories such as grills, and other accessories should be neatly stored
Dead potted plants and empty plant pots should be removed
Add a little color - potted florals, a nice lawn ornament and or some lighting
All of the above increases curb appeal.
There are two sides to curb appeal - The Sellers and the Neighbors
We all benefit when our houses are in order
If your neighbor is selling - you should make a special effort in this very visable season to make sure your house is in order.
Word to the value wise
CD1
What the heck is going on near the 4300 section. I couldn't find any parking at 3:30 in the morning this morning!?
Why is the driveway closed for construction and how long will this take?
................anybody else have neighbors that seem to think that feeding feral cats is a compassionate gesture? It only creates more problems, and recently there was an article in the TH-Record that stated that some of these stray cats have Rabies (in another complex, but if it happened there, it can occur here too)!!!!!!!!
Same thing at the 4200 hundred section behind the dumpster. Someone built them a shelter out of large cardboard boxes and then wrapped them in large plastic bags. And these things reproduce fast. Every several months there's more kittens! And at night they scream and yell!
behind the garbage in the 4400 section too! built a shelter and everything.
A note of enjoyment................
As a resident of 17 years and sitting on my porch enjoying a glass of wine, I am haPPy to share that this community looks wonderful. It has been (so far) very serene, vandal free and aesthetically pleasing to view (TY HVL).............
Peace.........
Thats is true, on the weekends its nice to see the nieghbors grilling and eating together as a family, just taking a walk with the dog and enjoy the quiet sunset. Have a beer in the garage with my next door nieghbor and forget about the jungle called NYC where things are upside down but it where the money is at.
And my favorite going to the ice cream stands in Monroe for some soft serve!
Rural life is the best, unfortunately in the past 7 years we are losing the rural for suburbs, but Chester and Whispering Hills are still great place to live.
I agree, after working for the man all week in a the hostel environment of White Plains, it's nice to come home to a quiet refuge. Whispering Hills is a great place to live. Good people and good maintenance make this place a pleasure to be a part of. For the amount of people that live here, I have to give the entire community credit.
Are there any Monroe or Chester fireworks this year. If there are can someone post time and date.
Thanks
Monroe: TONIGHT at 9.
Chester: July 12.
For it being a holiday weekend, things are very quite. Nice to see everyone is enjoying themselves responsibly. By the way, the fireworks in Monroe were packed with people and as usual, they put on a great display. Looking forward to Chester's next Sat.
Can I see the fireworks display from my unit or do I have to go to a park or something?
I think its in the Village in the park by the High School and Church. I never liked fireworks, boring and in a few seconds its gone.
Fireworks in Chester July 12
CHESTER — A big, professional fireworks show is coming to Chester’s Carpenter Field (Community Park) on Saturday, July 12.
The spectacle will start sometime after dark. Sunset is at 8:30 p.m. The park is located on Vadala Road in the Village of Chester.
Last year’s fireworks show was the first in Chester in 10 years. This year, vendors were invited to sell food and wares during the show. They will be on site and open for business by 6 p.m. The Walton Engine & Hose Company will be running a concession behind their firehouse at 81 Main St. in the village— an excellent spot from which to watch the fireworks.
The firefighters invite visitors to “come early and get a good seat for the community fireworks and let us do the cooking for you.” The menu will include hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream. Proceeds will benefit the fire company, a 100 percent volunteer organization since 1893.
The rain date is the following Saturday, July 19. If case of inclement weather, check for cancellation information at the town’s Web site, www.thetownofchester.org, or call Supervisor Steve Neuhaus’s information hotline at 469-7000 ext 355.
Most of the cost will be covered by the Park and Recreation Commission, a few sponsors added this year will help defray costs. The village is also chipping in this year.
When is the 3900 road going to be re-opened. It is completely making finding a spot late at night impossible.
I think they will be finished with the World Trade Center before this project is completed.
What are the House Rules when it pertains to parking? There is a resident who has a valid parking sticker that has NOT moved their vehicle for over the past six weeks! Even though they are legally allowed to keep their truck there, I am of the opinion that by monopolizing that spot is not fair to the rest us that have to now park on the street........They are the one's that should leave their vehicle on Whispering Hills Drive.
Something needs to be done about the basketball and tennis courts. Passes need to be check to assure the people playing there are residents. The town of Chester does not pay my hoa fees. The kids that have been playing down there are not from this complex. If someone falls and breaks their neck is the law suit coming out of my pocket through hoa fees?
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