Tuscany Square Condominiums

Message from the President – December 2016 & January 2017

Message from the President

December  2016 & January 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you.  May the New Year bring joy, peace & happiness to you and your entire family.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT/BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS: We are just a few weeks from completion of Phase 1 of our construction project. AWS Roofing is completing the repairs from the hurricane damage on Bldg 6 at this time and Ace Enterprises is completing work on Building 1.

As soon as Phase 1 (exterior of bldg) is complete we will immediately begin Phase 2 (walkways, stairwells, interior garages)   Phase 2 will begin in building 1 and end in Bldg 6. Phase 2 is painting & caulking, possibly some grinding  and will not require the use of lifts and should be less intrusive than Phase 1.

At this time we are coordinating the commencement of Phase 3 (painting of the exterior balcony doors and fixed glass panels) Resident painter, Frank Dorio, will be doing this work and is expected to begin work on January 23, 2017.  We are also giving all owners the opportunity to change out the balcony hardware, handles, dead bolts and hinges, at a reduced price and the majority of owners are taking advantage of this opportunity.  Phase 3 will begin in Bldg 6.

Once again, I would like to thank the owners and residents for your patience and tolerance for the inconveniences created by our massive restoration project.  We have made every effort to consider the impact of such a lengthy undertaking on each of you.  We have made some great decisions and we have made some “not so great” decisions, but our intent was always to consider your comfort and safety.  We are extremely proud of the work that has been done and are quite confident that, when completed we will all be very proud of the appearance of Tuscany Square 1.

 

FIRE INSPECTION: We are in the process of signing a contract with a new fire systems company and they are in the process of completing an estimate to handle the deficiencies noted in our prior inspection.

LEASE/PURCHASE APPLICATIONS: In the event you sell or rent your unit, please refer the realtor, new tenant or buyer to our website so we receive the proper paperwork in a timely manner. If you have any questions about this, please contact us through the website, tuscanysquarecondominium.org.

BUDGET: Our budget has been delayed  due to delays caused by our transition to a new management company.  The 2016 budget will roll over until a new budget is approved .  We anticipate that we will be prepared for a budget workshop before the end of this month. In the meantime we have communicated the method to pay monthly assessments by check.  ACH customers will not be affected.

1ST ANNUAL TUSCANY SQUARE HOLIDAY PARTY: Our holiday party was a great success. We had approximately 40 people attend who enjoyed great food, music, a visit from Santa Claus and an opportunity to get to know your neighbors. The feedback was so positive that we are considering having an event quarterly and will be discussing this at our next meeting.

We made an attempt to “up” our holiday decorations and I, for one, was very impressed with the final outcome.  A  great committee of residents worked together to create our little “Christmas park”.  Thank you to all who helped and all I can say is “wait till next year!”

Swim Club and Tiki Bar: Treasurer Thom Keeney, has negotiated a new contract  for 2017. The terms of this contract are from January through December.  If you have a prior membership you don’t have to do anything and can use your current key card.  If you did not have a membership last year, please complete the application on the website and take it to Amalfi’s to get your card.

Maintenance Staff: We have updated the job descriptions of  Steve and Matt and are looking for a person or a cleaning company to handle the weekly cleaning of the building. We are expecting a bid from a cleaning company in the next few days. If we hire an individual for the job, they will work three  8hr days and do cleaning only.  If you know of anyone who would be interested please contact me.

 

Future Projects:

File Room – We will be looking to purchase several 4 drawer file cabinets and will be modifying our storage room on the second floor of Bldg 6 to ultimately             house all of our records.  We hope to be ready to start filing the beginning of March, 2017.  If anyone is interested in assisting please let me know.

Landscaping – We will be acting on a motion to hire an arborist to take care of our palms – health and annual trimming at our next meeting.. I  spoke to                     Lindley’s Nursery and they expect our estimate to be completed in the next week.

Elevator Pads – Considering estimate from Classic Touch Painting  to resurface the area outside the elevators.

Driveway/Parking lot resurfacing – consideration will be given after construction complete.

Gate – we are discussing improvement to our Gate system with various contractors.

In closing, I would like to share with you everything that has been accomplished here at Tuscany Square in 2016 and I am appropriately calling it…….

 

STATE OF TUSCANY SQUARE 2016

January: Lloyd Morris assumed the duties of President of the Board at a special meeting on 1/13/2016 following the resignation of Ken Kopecky. Participated in an inspection of our property by lawyers and contractors involved in the lawsuit.

February: We authorized initial repairs on the building to include  soffit repair and expansion joints  Began consideration and discussion of potential parking agreement for Tract G. Depositions began in lawsuit and Board members attended the depositions. Began the bidding process to hire contractors for the building repairs .Board members attended a Board certification class in Orlando. Attended deposition of our expert witness in Orlando.

March: Entered into a Community Assoc  Annual Retainer Agreement with Becker & Poliakoff.  Received estimates and interviewed contractors. Several Board members attended the first mediation  which lasted all day and ended in an impasse.

April: We updated the Assn data base by contacting all owners.  Steve and I assisted Becker & Poliakoff with a window inspection in multiple units.  We met with contractors  and approved bids from AWS Roofing and Ace Enterprises. We voted to begin repairs on the roof valleys and the remaining expansion joints.  We approved a contract to purchase family pool memberships. We started discussing the joinder to correct an incomplete amendment in our documents and requested a legal opinion pertaining to this. We voted to accept the proposal re Tract G Vehicle Parking.

May:  Depositions were taken of  several current and prior Board members

June: Nancy Graves replaced Lloyd Morris as President of the Board. We completed the ground improvement in the park/grill area to include additional paved area with benches, table, grill and plants. We put down new sod in the front areas of the complex. : We appointed Steve as the Construction Project Mgr and authorized additional pay for those services which resulted in a monetary savings for the Association. We voted to non-renew our contract with Atlantic Shores Mgt. We created Tuscany Square letterhead. We conducted interviews with three management companies. We chose Leland Mgt to replace Atlantic Shores on September 1, 2016,

July: Walk around with John Dougherty, Arborist, Leland Mgt to discuss landscaping. The data base update was completed. We adopted the following Board Resolutions: Covenant Violation Enforcement Policy; Delinquent Account Waiver & Payment Plan Policy; Collection Policy; Official Record Access Policy. Created an Herb Garden for the use of all residents which includes cilantro, parsley, basil, sage, mint, thyme, rosemary and jalapeno peppers under the direction of one of our residents, Sally Spurney and decorated with  coquina rock donated by owner Bruce Watson. Lawsuit was settled at Mediation on July 5, 2016 – several Board members in attendance.

August: Reacting to a request from some owners, we held our first evening Board Meeting at Cross Creek Church.  Contract approved to replace elevator floors..Adopted Rule 24 – Access to Units & Keys. Placed signs on all trash doors. Updated our Committee list.

Sept: Venetian Bay Market opened and the last vacant commercial space is being converted into additional office space for GeoSam. We received a legal opinion regarding the fire sprinkler retrofit requirement. Our lease/purchase application was modified on our website and is now completely electronic. Applications can be completed , submitted and background checks paid for online.

October: Landscape committee met with Lindleys Nursery to make comprehensive plans for landscaping improvements. Approved est. from Ace Enterprises for Phase 2 construction , and approved hurricane damage roof repairs.  Committee was formed to plan 1st annual holiday party. Requested legal opinion re responsibility for maintenance of balcony doors and hardware. Secured estimate from resident painter, Frank Dorio to paint all balcony doors and fixed glass panels. Decision to purchase all hardware in bulk and offer to owners at discounted price for materials and labor. Meeting times will revert to 1PM at Venetian Bay Clubhouse next month. Motion passed to provide all board members with black printer ink and copy paper. Skip and I met with city in an attempt to improve garbage pickup.

November: Approved estimate and started to coordinate Phase 3 of construction.

December: Met with Arborist re care of palms. Presented plans to restructure maintenance staff including new job descriptions. In process of hiring a third person or cleaning company. Reviewing access to electrical rooms and roof. Requesting bids from fire systems contractors. 1st Annual Holiday Party held..

Our Website: Our website consists of 81 pages.  It was created and went public on December 24, 2014.  It has been visited 7,149 times with an average of 26 visitors per day. These are the names of the pages and dates they were last modified in 2016:

Lease/Purchase Application – 10/10/2016

Application submission – 10/6/2016

Owners Area (Public) – 10/1/2016

Owners Area (Password Protected) – 12/15/2016

Message from the President  – December 9, 2016

Venetian Bay Swim Club & Tiki Bar Membership App – 5/10/2016

Minutes – 12/16/2016

Construction Defect Lawsuit – 12/15/2016

Rules & Regulations for New Residents – 10/1/2016

Valid Parking Permit Required – 8/8/2016

Contact Us – 9/8/2016

Parking Permit Request Form – 12/14/2016

Maintenance Request Form – 1/20/2016

Home – 6/21/2016

Notices – 8/21/2016

Quick Notes – 9/30/2016

Welcome Pkg for New Owners/Renters – 11/22/16

As you can see we’ve had a busy, productive year here at Tuscany Square. I encourage you to become involved in any way that you can.  We welcome your suggestions and appreciate your attendance at our meetings.  If  you would like to be more involved please contact me.

Thank you to all of the Board members for your assistance, thank you to Skip, Steve and Matt for all that you do and thank you  Owners for your cooperation, kind words and support.

Regards,

Nancy Graves

President

 

TUSCANY SQUARE RULES and RESTRICTIONS

Parking Regulations

No parking on the Right of Way. There are two signs clearly posted at the gated entrance that state this. The
Right of Way is defined as the U-shaped driveway on the interior of the complex. No motor vehicle shall be
parked on the Right of Way in a manner that obstructs the safe, free flow of vehicular traffic or obstructs the
movement of other vehicles into and out of the condominium complex. Parking is not allowed in front of
garages if no apron exists. Also, this Right of Way must remain clear to allow any emergency vehicles access to
all areas should the need arise. Stopping alongside of the Right of Way is only permitted for quick drop-offs or
pick-ups, in which case emergency flashers should be used.
Please inform service technicians and workers that they may park inside the gated area only in designated white curbed service/delivery parking spaces or on your assigned apron while they work. For services requiring greater than 30 minutes vehicle owners must post a notice in windshield indicating unit # where work is being
performed. Residents must inform their service tech of this requirement.

White curbs – Resident and commercial owners and/or employee parking is not allowed in any area designated
as Parking for Delivery and Service Vehicles Only, except for drop-off or short-term delivery using flashers with a
parking limit of 30 minutes.

Yellow curbs – No vehicles are permitted to park in areas designated with a yellow curb.

Fire Hydrants – Any vehicle parked in front of a fire hydrant is subject to towing without notice and/or ticketing
by law enforcement or code compliance.

12 Open space parking spots –12 open spaces are for Residential Vehicle Parking only with a valid COA parking sticker with a 48-hour parking limit.

These parking rules apply to all vehicles, whether those of the resident, resident’s contractors, commercial
owners or employees or any guest. The resident or commercial owner is responsible for violations by their
employees, contractors, and guests. This includes any vehicle owned or used by residents’ friends or family
members and parked on the property for any length of time.

All residents shall register ALL motor vehicles with the Association Office and be issued a vehicle identification
decal. These decals must be displayed in a clearly visible location, i.e., the driver’s side of windshield. Since the
parking situation at Tuscany Square is extremely limited, the decals are for the purpose of controlling parking.

Residents must provide pertinent vehicle identification data in order that all registered vehicles may be properly
identified. To request additional parking stickers for your vehicles that do not yet have them, please visit
https://tuscanysquarecondominium.org and complete the parking sticker Request form.

Visitors may park in a unit’s assigned garage, parking apron, or overflow parking lot only.


All parking violations are subject to immediate towing at the vehicle owner’s expense.
This rule supersedes all previous parking rules and Parking Violation Policy.

 

 

Move-In and Move-Out Regulations

All residential and commercial move-ins and move-outs must notify Leland Management, or Tuscany Condo COA by email,  of the day and time of the move. Call 386-310-2874. The management company will approve and advise the moving company of a specific location for their vehicles within the driveway circle.  Every attempt will be made to provide a convenient location.  However, if a suitable space cannot be found on the circle, the moving vehicle must wait outside on Luna Bella Lane until space becomes available.  The driveway circle is a NO PARKING/FIRE ZONE area, and fire vehicle access is required at all times.  There is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTION to this requirement.

Residential units:  All residential sales or leases must be preceded by an “Application for Purchase/Lease.”  They shall include a check for the appropriate amount, made payable and delivered to:

Jynell Martz, CAM
jmartz@sentrymgt.com
386-423-7796

  • Each new owner shall notify the Association promptly by delivering a copy of their deed to the unit to the Association and the management firm.
  • No unit shall be sold or leased unless the owner first receives a certificate from the Association that all assessments have been paid in full.
  • A $300 refundable deposit must accompany a move-in/move-out notification.   This amount will be used to pay for any damage that may occur to the common areas, including the elevator, stairwells, hallways, etc.  Our maintenance staff (386-478-6050) will pad the elevator cab to protect it from damage.  After the move is completed, a member of the maintenance staff and/or condo board will review the condition of the common areas and provide a list of the damages, if any, to the owner of the unit. Any refund due will be processed as soon as any damaged common areas have been repaired.  If the damage exceeds the deposit, the moving/delivery company/personnel shall be billed.
  • If either a new residential owner or a new renter moves in and the management company is NOT notified of the moving day, a $100 Inspection Fee will be added to the unit’s first monthly maintenance fee.
  • If an owner or a renter moves out and fails to notify the management company, a $100 Inspection Fee will be added to the unit’s last monthly maintenance fee.
  • NO large, bulky items such as furniture, appliances, etc. can be transported in the elevator unless protective padding has been installed. Call 386-478-8876 to have pads installed. Using the elevator without this padding will result in a $100 Inspection Fee that will be added to the unit’s next monthly maintenance fee, plus the cost of any damage that results.
  • Moving is NOT permitted before 8:00 am or on SUNDAY after 7 pm. A violation will result in a $100 Inspection Fee that will be added to the unit’s monthly maintenance fee and any detected damage will be charged to the unit owner.

Construction Regulations

To minimize the negative impact of construction activity on the residents of TSQ1, anyone who engages in construction within a Residential or Commercial unit is required to adhere to the following regulations:

Starting time – The normal starting time is 8am. 

Ending time– The normal ending time is 5pm. 

Weekday Construction – Construction is allowed on Monday to Friday.

Weekend Construction – Weekend construction must be pre-approved by the TSQ1 Liaison during the preceding week. Requests should be sent to the TSQ1 Liaison via the Property Modification form or the Contact Us page on the TSQ1 website, tuscanysquarecondominium.org, describing the type of construction activity. Construction with noisy, heavy-duty equipment will not be permitted under any circumstances during weekends.

Clean Up – The driveway is a common element. The Contractor or the Resident must clean up all debris and remove all material from the driveway.

Driveway Parking – The Contractor may park one or two trucks in designated interior locations that are close to the construction site. Equipment and materials may be unloaded as needed by the GC.  However, these trucks must be moved to the exterior parking lot after the delivery is completed.

Driveway Closure – If the driveway must be closed to accommodate the construction, the GC must inform the TSQ1 Liaison no later than 2 days prior to the driveway closure.

Sanitary Facilities – The bathrooms in the North Breezeway outside of the gated area of the building will be unlocked during construction hours.  The GC will be given a FOB to be used when reentering the gated area.

Fire Alarm – The GC must inform the TSQ1 or a Board member no later than 2 days prior to any scheduled fire alarm test.

GC Representative – Whenever the GC is not present on site, the GC must inform the TSQ1 Liaison of the identity of the on-site manager who will have full responsibility for all ongoing construction activities.

Common Elements – The GC cannot make any attachment to or alter the configuration of any common element without the prior approval of the ARC Committee.

BOD

TSQ1 Liaison – Nancy Graves – 386-478-8876                                                                            April 17, 2023

Access Gate Instructions and Parking Permits

Directory Name: This is the name that will appear on the entry system at the gate. The system will display the first initial and last name of the person(s) occupying the unit. Your unit number will NOT appear on the directory system. 

Resident Phone Number: This phone number will be called automatically by the access gate system when a visitor arrives. When you answer the phone, a two-way conversation is initiated with the person at the gate. Pressing ‘9’ on your phone will open the gate and end the call immediately.

Directory Number: This is a three digit number assigned to the resident phone number in the directory system.

When you are expecting a guest or any other non-residents, including workmen, deliverymen, movers etc., you should instruct them to use the directory system at the callbox located next to the vehicle and pedestrian entry gates. They will press the up or down arrow to see an alphabetic listing of last names. (Your unit number will NOT appear on the directory system.)  Next to your name will be the directory number. When the directory number is entered, the System will call the resident phone number you provided to us.  Once the resident has answered the call, they have two options:

– Dial “9” to grant access (do a long press if you are using a cell phone)

– Hang up to disconnect the call and deny access

You have 60 seconds to complete the call with the individual at the entry gate, however pressing “9” to allow access immediately disconnects the call.

If the resident is on the phone and has call waiting, they will be notified that someone is at the gate via the normal call waiting procedure. The caller ID from the gate access system is “Gate System”.

If the resident phone number you supplied is a cell phone number, there will be no caller ID from the gate system until you add it to your contacts list on your cell phone.

Parking Permits

Vehicles belonging to residents will be given a white and green, numbered parking sticker that can be attached to the car’s windshield. The stickers will enable our staff to identify illegally parked vehicles, so they can contact the towing service for immediate removal of the vehicle. We also want to alert all residents to the yellow No Parking signs that are painted on the entrance to the six buildings and the four exterior trash receptacles.  It is illegal to park in these areas, and any unoccupied vehicle parked in these areas will be towed.

Pet Rules and Regulations

It is the responsibility of all dog owners to remove their dog’s waste from the grounds.  Note also that dogs are not permitted to urinate in the landscaped areas either on the rocks or in the shrubs!  The urine smell remains until it rains, and the urine has a negative effect on the health of the shrubs and trees that are planted in these areas. Take your canines to the large fields either north or east of the complex. 

 If the above rules are not followed, the Board will levy cleanup charges on the pet owner, and, if noncompliance persists, will require removal of the pet from Tuscany Square.  (Section 18.6 Declaration of Condominium-Tuscany Square and Section 2.13 Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions for Venetian Bay Subdivision provide the Board with full authorization to execute these actions). 

First offense: $50.00 cleanup charge and a warning letter outlining the violation.

Second offense: $100.00 cleanup charge

Third offense: 100.00 cleanup charge and removal of pet from Tuscany Square.

—————————————————————————-

The following is an excerpt from Section 18.6 of the Rules and Restrictions:

An Occupant may maintain no more than 2 four-legged pets in the Unit, to be limited solely to dogs (not to exceed 20 pounds each) or cats, provided same are not kept, bred or maintained for any commercial purpose, do not become a nuisance or annoyance to neighbors and are first registered with the Association. The only other pets permitted upon the Condominium Property shall be birds and fish, which animals (a) shall not be kept in or on the Common Elements or Limited Common Elements but which shall be required to be within the boundaries of a Unit at all times and (b) shall not become a nuisance or annoyance to neighbors.

Clean UpThe owners of the pet must pick up all solid wastes of their pet and dispose of such wastes appropriately. All dogs and cats must be kept on a leash no more than six (6) feet in length at all times when outside the Unit and shall be walked only within areas, if any, designated for such purpose by the Association or the Master Association. No pets may be kept in or upon any Limited Common Element appurtenant to a Unit (the balcony) when the owner of the pet is not in the Unit. The owner of a pet shall indemnify the Association and the Developer and hold them harmless from and against any loss or liability of any kind or character whatsoever arising from such owner’s having any pet upon the condominium Property. All owners of pets are required to clean up all pet droppings deposited on the Common Elements. If any pet owner fails to clean up after the pet, the Association shall perform such service or cause such service to be performed and charge the offending pet owner for the costs associated therewith.

Any complaints filed by residents of damage caused by a pet shall be submitted in writing to the Board, which shall determine the amount of the damage and notify the person who owns the pet in writing to make the necessary repair, replacement or removal (as the case may be). lf such person fails to properly act within 15 days from the date of such notice, or fails to otherwise reach an agreement in writing with the Board as to the payment for such damage or remedying any other violation within 15 days from the date of such notice, such person shall be required to permanently remove the pet from the Condominium Property. Payment for damages pursuant to this subsection shall not be in lieu of any right of action which the person sustaining the damage shall be entitled to independently.

Any pet complaint filed with the Association, whether or not such complaint involves damage as described in the above paragraph, shall be verified by a designated member of the Board of Directors. Each verified pet complaint shall constitute an infraction for purposes of this subsection. The Board shall take action with regard to such infractions as follows:

(a) If the complaint is the first infraction, the Board shall notify the pet owner of the infraction in writing and formally request that no such infraction again occur.

(b) If the complaint is the second infraction, the Board shall notify the pet owner and warn such owner that the next infraction will cause a penalty fine to be assessed.

(c) lf the complaint is the third infraction, the Board shall notify the pet owner of the continuing violation and refer the matter to a committee of three (3) Unit Owners, none of whom shall be presently serving on the Board or be related to a director or the offending pet owner, for a determination as to a fine for the continuing infraction. Such committee shall, within 7 days following issuance of the notice of third infraction to the offending pet owner, determine whether a fine should be levied for such continuing infraction and provide a recommendation thereon to the Board. The amount of any fine shall not exceed the maximum amount allowed under the applicable provisions of Section 718.303, Florida Statutes. If a fine is recommended by such committee, the Board shall issue a written notice to the offending pet owner advising of the levying of the fine. However, such fine shall not become due and owing until such pet owner has received such written notice and has been given the opportunity to request a hearing before the committee of Unit Owners described in this subsection (c) at a time and date which shall not be more than 30 days after the date of such notice. In the event the offending pet owner elects not to seek such a hearing, the recommendation of a fine made by the committee shall become binding upon the Association and the pet owner. If such a hearing is held the decision of the committee as to whether to rescind, modify or ratify the proposed fine shall be binding upon the Association and the pet owner. All decisions made by such committee shall be made by majority vote.

(d) If the complaint is the fourth infraction, the Board shall notify the pet owner and demand that the pet be removed from the Condominium Property within 30 days from notice. Prior to taking the action contemplated in this subsection (d), such pet owner shall have the same opportunity for notice and a hearing as provided in subsection (c) above.

Infractions for purposes of this Section shall accumulate only on the basis of separate 12 month periods with each new period commencing on the annual anniversary date of this Declaration (“Infraction Period”) In other words, the number of infractions in any Infraction Period shall not be carried forward into the next Infraction Period for purposes of the enforcement of this Section.

Roof Access Policy

If your A/C contractor needs access to the roof for diagnostics or minor repairs, please call or text Nancy Graves, TSQ1 Liaison, 386-478-8876 for the roof code.

If you are going to replace your AC unit you will need to contact TSQ1 Liaison to confirm that we have a Certificate of Insurance on file for your contractor, and at least 24 hours prior to installation, submit a Property Modification form found at Tuscanysquarecondominium.org website, including the vendor’s Name, address, phone number and the date and time-frame they expect to install the new equipment on the roof.  If the A/C replacement involves the use of a lift/crane, 24hrs notice must be given to TSQ1 Liaison for coordination with maintenance. All contractors/operators MUST be licensed to operate the equipment being used, and must supply and utilize all necessary safety equipment including cones, caution tape, etc. Roof access code will be supplied by TSQ1 Liaison and TSQ1 maintenance will escort contractor personnel to the roof worksite and inspect the work area. Owners or contractors are responsible for informing TSQ1 Liaison that the work is complete. TSQ1 Maintenance will reinspect the work area & report roof condition to TSQ1 Liaison.  The owner will be responsible for any damage caused by their contractor.

If you have an Air Conditioning company that you prefer, please send an email to tsq1coa@gmail.com with your vendor’s name and phone number and we will contact them for a Certificate of Insurance to keep on file.

BOD July 15, 2023

Proper Use of Dumpsters and Trash Chutes

As you may have noticed, the “Authorized Personnel Only” signs on the 1st floor trash rooms have been painted black. Some residents considered these trash rooms “Off Limits” when in reality; they are specifically for residents use. There are trash chutes on every floor near the elevators for your convenience. Use the trash chute if your refuse will fit into it, however, if it is too large to go down the chute, please take it downstairs and dispose of it in the dumpster. Do not leave anything in the trash rooms on the residential floors. Unfortunately, we do not have a recycling program at this time, so everything goes in the dumpster. Trash pickup is every Monday and Thursday (at no particular time). 

The dumpsters located outside, around the driveway, are for commercial tenant use only. These dumpsters are much smaller and fill up quickly, so please reserve these for commercial use only.

Close

2024 Approved Budget