2014-15 Contracted

Snow Removal Program

Don’t Winterize Your

Golf Game!

Weekly Trash Procedures

Villa Resident Home

Insurance Requirements

Mailbox Repair Guidelines

Villa Board Election

Villa Board Contacts

2015 Association Board

Meeting Schedule

Request for Comments

Directory Update Notice

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR

Dear Neighbor,

It’s hard to believe, but winter is just around the corner. In preparation

for the months ahead, we’ve specially prepared this newsletter with

helpful tips to ensure your home is ready for cooler temperatures and

freezing conditions.

Amidst holiday preparation, winterizing your home may be the last thing

you feel like doing. We assure you though, it will be the first thing you’ll

be thankful for once snow and ice arrive.

will make your seasonal home

prep easy:

Top 9 Ways to Winterize Your Home

3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters this Fall

Understanding Our Neighborhood Covenants

Important ARC Reminder

As always, if you require assistance with any of your winterizing or

maintenance needs, an authorized vendor list is included on page 1.

Wishing you a warm and happy holiday season,

Your VWTA Board

Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association Newsletter November 2014

ALSO INSIDE

PLUS

Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association P.O. Box 1657 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-1657

Thanks GIVING Made Easy

1

The holidays offer countless opportunities to give back to our community. Here are just a few ways you can make a local difference this season.

Crystal Lake Community Harvest Help host a memorable Thanksgiving meal for area

families in need. Donations are being accepted at the CL Chamber 427 W Virginia St. Home of the Sparrow Monetary and goods donations support McHenry County homeless women and their children. For donation information, call (815) 271-5444. Salvation Army Have clothing or goods to donate? Salvation Army will come to your

home and pick them up. Local donations support adult rehabilitation centers (800) 728-7825.

THESE HELPFUL TIPS INSIDE

Top 9 Ways to Winterize Your Home

Properly winterizing your home will save you hassle and money once cooler temperatures set in. Expert handymen from Handy Home Services in Crystal Lake, highly recommended by villa residents, shared these top 9 home winterizing tips. You can call Handy Home Services today at (815) 347-0507.

1. Clean Your Gutters This is the #1 way to winterize your home for more than 1 reason. Page 2 lists “3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters.”

2. Stop The Draft Slide inexpensive draft guards beneath your doors to keep unwanted cold air out and much needed warm air in.

3. Redirect Your Ceiling Fans Update your fans to turn in a clockwise direction. This will help push warm air near the ceiling back into your living space.

4. Replace Heating & Air System Filters Change your heating and air filters every month or two during periods of high use to ensure your system’s peak performance.

5. Check Your Insulation Don’t risk losing valuable heat through your ceiling and walls. For maximum heat retention, have insulation levels checked, and ensure attic vents aren’t blocked.

6. Program Your Thermostat Lower temps while you’re sleeping or away from home. The U.S. Dept. of Energy says you can save up to 1% in energy costs for each degree lowered.

7. Turn Off Water to Exterior Spigots Shut off water to exterior faucets via inside valves. Let the remaining water in the pipe drain outside and shut off exterior spigot when water stops draining. This will rid the pipe of residual water so it does not freeze nor cause cracking. Remember to turn off water to exterior faucets if you’re going to be gone for a long period of time.

8. Flush Your Water Heater Over time, sediment can build up at the bottom of your water heater. A pre-winter flush will ensure maximum efficiency during winter months.

9. Clean Your Chimney Excess soot can cause creosote buildup in your chimney, which increases the risk of fire. Have your chimney cleaned to enjoy worry-free fires all winter long. .

Association Authorized Vendors These vendors are authorized by the association to complete your home renovation projects. Should you wish to make any exterior additions or changes, please remember to submit an ARC form for board approval. For more information regarding ARC forms, see page 4.

Electricity & Gutter Heating Coils O’Connor Electric (815) 923-4050

Garage Doors Herb’s Door Service (847) 658-4812

Landscaping & Snow Removal Acres Group Steve Swanson (847) 878-7940

1

An Important ARC Reminder

With winter approaching,

maintenance of decks,

screened-in porches, patios,

staircases, mailboxes and

gutter heat coils is each villa

homeowner’s responsibility.

Maintaining these items is

important for the safety and

aesthetics of your home. An

ARC form must be submitted

to the villa board prior to

making any changes or

additions to your unit. This

form protects homeowners

from incurring further costs

due to covenants violations.

Additional ARC forms are

included with this newsletter.

For more details regarding the

architectural responsibility

clause, as outlined in our

VWTA covenants, see page 4.

Don’t Winterize Your Golf Game!! You CAN teach a mature player a new trick or two! Don’t let incorrect

thinking (or winter weather) keep you from playing better golf. Come over to

the Crystal Woods Indoor Learning Center (banquet hall) for a free clinic to all

Wedgewood Villas residents.

J. Anderson, PGA Director of Instruction (and Wedgewood resident) is offering

2 convenient times to choose from.

1. Saturday, November 22nd | 11:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

2. Monday, November 24th | 6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m.

J. is a 35-year member of the Illinois PGA, Titleist Performance Institute 3 Level Certified Instructor, member of the Certified Golf Coach’s Association and an IL PGA tournament winner.

Call J. today at (815) 592-4340 to secure your spot!

3 Key Reasons to Clean Your Gutters this Fall Clogged gutters are the #1 cause of serious issues, such as ice

damming. As mentioned in the “Top 10 Ways to Winterize Your

Home,” gutter cleaning is the first step in preparing your home for

freezing conditions.

As if ice damming isn’t enough, here are 3 key issues you can

avoid by simply cleaning your gutters this fall.

1. Basement Water Damage Clogged gutters can

cause damaging water overflow. When water cannot be

channeled away from your home, excess water against the

foundation can weaken footings, causing cracks and leaks.

2. Rotted Exterior Wood Gutter debris piled above the

flashing or shingle line holds moisture on the fascia board.

Over time, the excess water can seep beneath the roof

sheathing and ruin framing beyond the fascia board.

3. Unwanted House Pets Wood-destroying insects,

plants, birds and mice consider un-cleared gutter debris an

ideal home. Cleaning your gutters will keep these unwanted

house pets away.

2

2014-15 Contracted Snow Removal Program VWTA has, once again, contract with Acres Group for community

snow removal. Below outlines the basics of our partnership for the

coming season, November 14, 2014 through March 31, 2015.

Contracted service provides snow removal for driveways,

sidewalks, stoops, service and public walks and mailboxes.

Streets are plowed by the village. Plantain Court is a private

street handled by the master board, Howe Management.

Acres Group will install and remove driveway markers in

areas identified as critical.

Driveway & Vehicle Procedures Please park cars in your garage to ensure complete driveway snow

removal. To avoid liability, Acres Group will only clean driveways

from the back of parked cars to the street. Homeowners will be

responsible for removal of any remaining snow. If you remove your

car while Acres Group is plowing, they will complete your driveway.

Meet Steve Swanson Steve Swanson is our new Acres Group Account Representative.

A graduate of SIU with a Bachelors Degree in Plant and Soil, he

has more than 10 years’ experience in the landscape industry.

Known for customer satisfaction and quality work, the VTWA is

lucky to count on Steve for our snow removal needs.

Weekly Trash Procedures Homeowner trash, recyclables

and refuse must be placed

outside no earlier than 7 p.m.

on the evening prior to pickup.

The day of pickup, empty bins

must be placed back inside by

7 p.m. per Crystal Lake City

Ordinance No. 258.

Arrangements with the

scavenger service must be

made for prompt pickup of large

items, following the same

guidelines as above.

Any expense incurred by the

association to remove or pickup

inappropriately placed trash will

be billed to the homeowner.

Villa Resident Home Insurance Requirements

Changing your insurance? Please remember, villa homeowners are

required to maintain insurance on their unit at all times. Within your

policy, “Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association” must be

listed as an “interested party” for property coverage. Insurance

coverage should be in an amount not less than the current

construction cost replacement value of the unit.

Each year, please be sure your insurance agent sends a copy of

your homeowners declaration certificate to:

Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association

P.O. Box 1657

Crystal Lake, IL 60039

For Assistance...

For snow removal assistance, please contact our Acres Group Account Representative.

Steve Swanson (847) 878-7940

3

Villa Board Election In true election season fashion, these 2 Villa Association Board

positions are open for appointment. Each consists of a 2-year term.

● Frank Ciangi, Villa Board President

● Al Jordan, Director | Insurance & ARC Manager

Both Frank and Al are running for re-election. However, if you

would like to run for either of these Villa Board positions, interested

candidates must submit their interest by midnight on December 5th.

Please include the following information:

● Name

● Address

● Phone Number

● Short Bio or Resume

Mail applications to:

VTAW

P.O. Box 1657

Crystal Lake, IL 60039

Mailbox Repair Guidelines

An influx of holiday cards is

right around the corner. If

damaged, follow these steps

to ensure your mailbox is

ready to receive them.

1. Call Steve Swanson, our

Acres Group Account Rep, to

file a repair request. Steve’s

number is (847) 878-7940.

2. Schedule an inspection

with Steve to determine the

quoted cost for repair.

3. Confirm the estimate,

and Steve will order any

parts required for repair. The

vendor typically takes 2-3

weeks to deliver parts.

4. Await mailbox repair.

Acres Group will complete all

fixes once parts arrive.

Mailbox Pricing *Please Note: Prices below

are not marked up. Please

account for additional cost of

freight and labor.

Complete Unit: $279

Aluminum Base: $76

Post & Box Holder: $76

Mailbox Only: $189

Bracket to Hold Box: $39

Replacement Door: $29

Flag Assembly: $10

Brass Numbers: $5

Latch Assembly: $4.50

Labor: $44/Man Hour

(Maximum of 2 man crew)

4

Understanding Our Neighborhood Covenants In an effort to ensure our neighborhood is kept uniform and in good

taste, Article X, 10.1 of our VTWA Covenants outlines homeowner

responsibilities in regard to additions, changes or alterations to the

exterior villas.

More specifically, this article requires homeowners to submit an

Architectural Review Committee (ARC) form to the Villa Board prior

to making any exterior changes to their unit. This includes written

plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, height,

materials and location of the alterations to be made. Following

submission, including all required supporting documents, villa

owners will receive pre-approval within 48-hours of receipt.

Although a slight inconvenience, properly submitting an ARC form

for Villa Board approval protects homeowners from incurring further

costs or required corrections due to covenants violations.

Villas of Wedgewood Townhouse Association P.O. Box 1657 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-1657

Comments & Suggestions

Your feedback is welcome!

Comments or suggestions

may be submitted, in 100

words or less, to the Villa

Board. Please include your

name and address. Send to:

“Comments”

P.O. Box 1657

Crystal Lake, IL 60039

Villa Board of Directors

Frank Ciangi, President…..……………………….…(847) 280-4208 Dick Moran, VP | Financial Chairman……………...(815) 455-8214 Jody Anderson, Secretary……………………….….(815) 353-1196 Al Jordan, Insurance & ARC Manager………….…(815) 685-2026 Ron McHone, Neighborhood Watch Chairman….(847) 280-4208 Bill Godar, Welcome Committee Chairman……....(815) 459-7629 Dave Olsen, Directory Coordinator Sarah Wirth, Newsletter/Marketing Coordinator

Notice: It is time to update our resident directory for 2015. You

will soon receive a request for updated contact information in the mail. Each villa homeowner is required to complete and return this form. If you will be living elsewhere for the winter months, please remember to provide your out-of-town contact information.

2015 Board Meeting Schedule Association Board meetings are held every other month. All villa

homeowners are welcome to attend.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Home State Bank

611 S. Main Street

Crystal Lake, IL

Dates: February 11

April 8

June 10

August 12

October 14

December 9

*The final board meeting of 2014 will take place at 6:30 p.m. on

December 10, 2014 at Home State Bank.

A Friendly Reminder

Villas of Wedgewood

Townhouse Association is

NOT affiliated with Howe

Real Estate Services Inc.

All questions, dues, ARC

forms or villa-related

matters should be mailed

directly to the Villa Board:

P.O. Box 1657

Crystal Lake, IL 60039

Only common ground and

wetlands matters are to be

directed to the master

board, Howe Management

Company of Woodstock.