Memo
To:
From: Village Condominium Association
Date:
Subject: Village Insurance
Policy Renewal and No Grills on Decks Regulation
Village Homeowners,
Effective
The following
is a snippet from the attached revised Village Rules and Regulations document:
2. No owner shall engage in or permit any
conduct or use, or maintain any device in or adjacent to any unit which will
increase the risk to others or the cost of fire insurance, including
a. The use and the storage of charcoal
and propane grills are expressly prohibited on balconies, wood patios or in common
areas. Barbecue grills may only be used
in designated grilling areas approved by the Village Association board of
directors. Owners should recognize that in accordance to
Our apologies
to our grill owners this is not what you want to hear. The Association will not
store grills for owners in common areas and owners will probably need to get rid
of their grills. Grills will need to be restricted used/stored only in approved
grilling areas. This is needed to curtail the onslaught of grills being
scattered all over the back common areas.
The board is discussing
creating a communal grilling area between the buildings with landscaping and
picnic tables along with the possibility of a barbecue grill maintained and
funded by the Association for owners to utilize. We probably do not have the
money in this years' budget to fund, however we can probably work into next
years budget and the matter will be added to our Annual Owners Association
meeting on
Please
see the following internet web site link to the VT state fire prevention site,
also available from our Village web site, for additional detail on the grill
storage stance:
http://www.state.vt.us/labind/Fire/infogrills.pdf
Detailed Explanation:
The Village
Association master insurance policy was up for renewal on
The
Association could save $5,000 to $7,000 of your dollars, if we modify and
enforce our Rules and Regulations document to reflect no grills of any kind, on
any of the complex's decks or balconies. After a lively, but healthily,
discussion with the Village board and owners on our Village email list the
board decided to comply with the Insurance grill requirements.
The board
has many hours into this and we made our best attempt to cover all alternatives,
including negotiating the in's and out's of a given policy. Village has made
great strides in complying with every suggestion the insurance companies had to
reduce our premiums, we need to be very careful and not jeopardize these hard
earned advantages.
Comments from our insurance agent:
During the
past two years we have seen two serious fires (one was my next door neighbor)
occur when gas grill caught fire while being used on a ground level deck, (just in our agency). In each case the
homeowner was unable to stop the fire or move the grill and the resulting
damage to the deck and rear of the house was significant. We have seen all the
companies we represent take some pretty aggressive stances towards loss
control, with margins shrinking there is a clear direction to aggressively
minimize losses. The grills are an issue that isn't going away.
No, it does
not make any difference that your current Association Bylaws/Rules and
Regulations are compliant with Vermont Fire codes; although it's assumed you're
compliant. Insurance companies can and do add requirements as they deem
necessary.
I have
quoted out your account to 5 different markets, 2 standard (Nationwide and
Travelers) and 3 Surplus carriers. I have quotes with the three surplus
carriers and each is between $5000 and $7000 more than you paid last year.
Remember, First Specialty is non-renewing you so the old price/coverage is not
an option. The two quotes with Nationwide and Travelers are both about what you
paid last year. However both require the
removal of the grills.
Bottom Line:
$13,625.56
First Specialty 2004/2005 annual premium
$10,951.00
Nationwide 2005/2006 annual premium
$02,674.56
2005/2006 premium savings
Coverage is renewable and comparable or better than last year. Deductible
is $1,000 dollar versus $500, in hind site this is actually a good thing to
keep claims off the books.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with
any questions or concerns, email is always best.
Thank you participating in your Association’s
decision making process,
-Kurt
Kurt Ries, Village
Association Director
802-862-3578, itele2@yahoo.com
Village email Survey
-03/10/05
Results:
Total Unit
Responses -- 12
1.) Proposal
to ban grills for decks
For -- 8
Against
-- 4
2.) Viable
grilling alternative/options
Communal grilling area
For -- 3
Against
-- 0
Negotiate policy with agent/supplier
3.) Proposal
to change color of trim to Cream
For -- 3
Against -
0
4.) Replace
window as bulk order
For -- 1
No
windows need to be replaced -- 2
Against
replacing windows -- 0
Owner Responses
--------------------------------------------
I support the grill ban on deck and like the idea of
communal grilling area.
I like the cream trim instead of white.
I will replace the remaining two windows in my unit
with the Village bulk order.
--------------------------------------------
I totally support the grill ban and communal grilling
area.
I like the cream trim instead of white. I will mute
and accent the green.
I have all windows replaced.
--------------------------------------------
03/07/05 "Mike
Nielsen 225" <mlnielsen@yahoo.com>
Kurt,
I agree with the proposal regaring the use of grills.
I'm all for a 5-7K savings on insurance.
Mike
03/07/05 "Norannen
Nielsen 225" <norannen@yahoo.com>
Hi Kurt,
I agree with Mike. Also, our unit (225) has all new
windows and sliders.
See you soon, Noranne
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Kurt,
It would be nice to save the $5000-$7000, but giving
up grilling is a real quality of life issue...at least for me...it's about the
only way I cook.
It would be nice if the conversion could be done
concurrent with an alternative means of grilling being developed. There's also the issue of storage. Where do we put our grills if we can't put
them on our decks? Can we still get the
savings if we grill on the lawn behind our decks? Is winter grilling a danger, given the snow
protection around the grills? How much
per unit do we save if we ban grills?
These are the questions I see. Share this with the larger group if you want
or use it as Board input on my part & food for thought.
Steve Mc.
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GOODMORNING EVERYONE, I AM NOT HAPPY THAT WE ARE
BEING PUSHED AROUND BY OUR INSURANCE CARRIER BUT DO TO THE EVENTS OF THE WORLD
I.E.5 HURRICANES IN FLORIDA THIS YEAR.THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11 2001, AND MANY
NATURAL DISASTERS STILL GOING ON THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO REDUCE
LIABILITY.WE AT VILLAGE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DO THE SAME I.E. LOW TEMP SENSORS,
FIREPLACE INSPECTIONS,SPRINKLER SYSTEM ELECTRONIC MONITORING, NEW SIDING TO
DECREASE FREEZE UPS.NO MATTER WHAT WE DO CURVE BALLS KEEP COMING OUR WAY AND WE
HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO COMPLY.AS MUCH AS I HATE TO FIND A NEW HOME FOR (OUR)
300.00 GAS GRILL I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER CHOICE BUT TO REMOVE THEM. WE ENCOURAGE
EVERYONE TO RESPOND BECAUSE WE BASE MOST OF OUR DECISIONS ON OWNER INPUT AND
PLEASE EVERYONE DO SO.THANKS DAVID PAROT
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228 (somewhat reluctantly) agrees.
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Hi All,
We (Amy and I) for one do not agree. Yes, we are well
aware of the savings
put forth if we do remove the grill, and we will
comply if needed, but we
do not have to agree on the decision, nor do we like
it at all. Mmmmm...
can't wait for my juicy steaks, ribs, and burgers
cooked on the electric
stove this summer!
Dan
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I agree with removing the grills to save money.
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i do not agree with grill decision. terese and pat ayer
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"Joann Schleman
223" <maplsugr@aol.com>
My sister, Susie, and I agree that it would be
advantageous in many ways to deny the use of grills on the decks. As far as building a place near the building
for grillers to use-okay-as long as we have built up our Village Condo reserves
enough to pay for this venture.
We are glad
that the trim is to be changed to a cream color. The white made the building look like some
low rent, tenement building. We don't
really like the green Siding either, but guess it is too late to do anything
about that.
See you soon-Susie and JoAnn
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Hello.
This is Mina Isham of VC #328.
Now it's
Most states have fire codes which ban grills when
multiple families share a bldg. Many
people aren't aware of their existence.
They protect lives & property.
To barbeque is as American as apple pie. It's hard to tell someone s/he cannot operate
a grill.
VC residents & guests don't bag & seal
household trash. They don't prepare
recyclables (glass, aluminum, paper, and #1 & #2 plastic) properly.
They expect All Cycle to haul tyres, beds, &
appliances away. They don't scoop
poop. Many BV employees & residents
abuse alcohol & tobacco.
Why do YOU own a VC condo? I live on the mtn. because it's
affordable. I'd rather live in a small
single-family cottage or cabin with my own driveway & a backdoor.
Will siding be applied to Bldg. A or Bldg. B
first? Will a dumpster occupy the
parking lot? What is the expected
completion date?
Thank you.
Bye.
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Kurt,
My vote would be to allow the use of gas grills,
while instituting a ban on grills that are purely charcoal. It seems to me this would reduce the danger
of fire somewhat. One point that should
not be lost in the debate about grills and the associated fire threat is
this:
The greatest fire danger we face at VC is not the use
of grills, it’s the use of wood stoves and fireplaces and the potential miss
handling of ashes. In the eight years I
have lived at
Also, a low temp sensor has not been installed in my
unit.
This email debate is very useful.
Thanks,
Mike Rosenfield
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