Minutes of the Trustee Meeting

Queensberry Condominium Trust

May 29,  2013

Pursuant to the Article V.  Section 5.9 of the By-Laws of Queensberry Condominium Trust, a monthly meeting of the Trustees was held on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, at 6:30PM at the offices of Boston Choice Properties, 125 Jersey Street, Boston, MA.

Those Present:  Michel Grappo , Ning Hernandez, Sheryl Kelly and Jeff Schwarz , Trustees

David Sherf were not present

Pamela Pendias , Modica Associates 

The meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM.  

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The April financial report was sent out electronically in advance of the meeting.  The balance sheet as of April 30, 2013,   reflects $4,080 in the operating account and $64,804 in reserves.    With the exception of one unit owner, everyone is current with their condo fees.  

Due to the meeting taking place very late in the month,  Pam furnished the trustees with a balance sheet as of May 29^th, after all bills had been paid, reflecting $5,980 in operating and $64,804 in reserves.    The owner of the delinquent unit has listed the property for sale so the association will be receiving the aging receivable amount of $2,665.    The association has no aged payables and the reserve account has been funded in accordance with the budget. 

OLD BUSINESS/MAINTENANCE ISSUES  

Dumpsters on site – the association purchased an additional dumpster and had another dumpster repaired.    The area seems to be much cleaner.    The addition of an extra (2) yard container has alleviated the trash over flow issue.

Self-Closing Mechanisms for (3) rear gates.    (3) different lock companies were approached regarding the installation of a self-closing mechanism to ensure that these gates are closed and locked.    More often than not the gates are left wide open.    All (3) companies indicated that it would be expensive and require an iron worker to weld something on to the gate so the door closer could be mounted.    Since the closer would be exposed to the elements, there would be no warranty or guarantee on the work performed.    The trustees agreed to abandon the idea of a door closer and requested that signs be mounted on the gates stating “please keep gate closed” as an alternative.

Carpet Installation – the trustees have made a carpet selection,  Patcraft Famous Last Words II #IO147 Results May Vary # 47500.   The carpet has been ordered and will be installed shortly.   The vendor, Bradford Carpet, has indicated that he will need to apply “levelastic” to the cracks in the concrete that will add an additional $800 to the cost of replacing the carpet.    One of the trustees expressed  concern with the hallway in building 107 that leads down to the laundry.    It was decided that the trustees walk over after the meeting and evaluate the situation.   Modica is also obtaining a proposal from a contractor to better level the floor in this area.   Once received it will be forwarded to the board so a decision can be made and the carpet installed. 

NEW BUSINESS

There had been discussion about replacing the mailboxes.    Pam provided (2) proposals to replace mailboxes in both buildings.  Total Security $3,723.75, SRV $4,363.88.     The consensus of the trustees was that it was too costly a project to entertain.   

Minutes of the Trustee Meeting

5-20-13

Page Two

The last order of business was Landscaping.    Both Ning and Sheryl were in favor of accepting the proposal furnished by Peggy Prentice of GreenPea Urban Gardens.    Jeff noted that total outlined in the proposal exceeds the budget allocated for landscaping.     Pam to work with Peggy to work within the budget.     Sheryl reminded Pam to follow up with Peggy on her offer plant the urns out front at no cost to the association due to the length of time it took to obtain the proposal.

Michael Grappo stated that he would not be able to meet on Monday’s during the summer.    The next board meeting will be Monday, July 15^th, 2013.  

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:30PM. 

Respectfully submitted by:

Pamela Pendias

Modica Associates

For the Recording Secretary

Queensberry Condominium Trust

Minutes of the Trustee Meeting

Queensberry Condominium Trust

July 16, 2012

Pursuant to the Article V.  Section 5.9 of the By-Laws of Queensberry Condominium Trust,  a monthly meeting of the Trustees was held on Monday,  July 16,  2012, at 6:30PM at the offices of Boston Choice Properties, 125 Jersey Street, Boston, MA.

Those Present:  Ning Hernandez, and Jeff Schwarz , Trustees

Sheryl Kelly via telephone conference

Michael Grappo and David Sherf were not Present

Pamela Pendias , Modica Associates 

The meeting was called to order at 6:40 PM.  

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The June  financial report was sent out electronically on Friday, July 13^th, 2012.    Neither Jeff nor Sheryl re-called seeing it – although Ning said she reviewed it briefly.    Pam will send out the report again tomorrow.    The balance sheet at the end of June reflected $16,794  in the operating account and $43,099 in reserves.

NEW BUSINESS

The first order of business was the resolution of the pipe breaks underneath 111 Jersey Street 20-A.   There were two (2) different breaks in the pipes located below this unit.    The owner of the unit, directed Modica Associates to open up the floor of the 2^nd bedroom of the unit where the first break was found.    The original video camera of the line indicated a break in the line under the toilet in the bathroom which is where the sewer flies were found.    However the unit owner thought the video was inconclusive.    On Monday, June 4^th, Modica had a crew open and jack hammer the concrete where a broken pipe was found.   The repair was made, the unit put back together, carpet replaced, unit deodorized,   sanitized and treated with an anti-microbial disinfectant.    The work was completed and the girls were told they could move back in to the unit on Friday June 8^th.     Tuesday, June 12^th, the unit was treated for flies.   On Wednesday, June 13^th, Modica had John’s Sewer revisit the property to video camera the lines.  Paul,  Modica’s plumber,  was also present during this visit and confirmed that there was a pipe broken under the toilet of the unit.   After making arrangements with the girls, on Monday, July 18^th, Modica’s  plumber opened up the floor of the bedroom, that backs up to the toilet  and  exposed the broken pipe below the floor.    The pipe was repaired, floor replaced, bedroom painted and the unit was made habitable again by the afternoon of Thursday, June 21 ^st, 2012. 

 

The girls in 111-20A are seeking to be compensated for rent, food and cleaning supplies as a result of their having to relocate to accommodate the repairs.    The trustees do not want to set a precedent of offering to reimburse them since they have not filed a claim under their homeowner’s insurance policy. Sheryl’s unit sustained water damage prior to the roof being replaced and did not look to the association for compensation.   They should look to their landlord for compensation. 

The association filed a claim for damage with the master insurance policy and received compensation to help defray the costs of making the necessary repairs.   

 

Pam suggested, and the board agreed, that replacing the rear courtyard, drainage work  and removal of the planters that is allowing moisture to seep through the brick wall in the living room of 111-20-A  should be prioritized.    The trustees voted to   accept the revised proposal from Cappuccio Construction for the sum of $15,100 to include the removal of the planters.    The trustees are also entertaining replacing the wrought

iron fence around the perimeter of the building.    Nino’s revised their bid to include changing the design to $15,100 for a total of $30,200 to complete both projects.     Replacing the fence around the perimeter will be deferred until fall.   The trustees will discuss a possible assessment of one month of double condo fees to defray the cost in order to complete both projects this year.

OLD BUSINESS  

Jeff stated that he had a contractor in his unit regarding the moisture infiltration who was of the opinion that the windows were not a contributing factor.     Jeff is awaiting a proposal to paint and repair the walls.

Touch up paint building 107 and wall/carpentry repairs in basement of 107.   The trustees opted to defer this until September after the moving season is over.

Sheryl had company over the weekend who suggested a carpentry repair to the front door to allow it to close.   The guest stated that that too many screws have been placed in the door and that sections of new wood need to be cut out and re-glued to reinforce it so it will close properly.    The North Bennet Street School was suggested as a possible source.    Pam stated that this is a “trade school” and that most likely the students would not have insurance.    Pam to contact a contractor who bid to replace the doors last year for a proposal.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:30PM. 

Respectfully submitted by:

Pamela Pendias

Modica Associates

For the Recording Secretary

Queensberry Condominium Trust

Notes from the Annual Owners' Meeting on February 15, 2011

Attending:

Pam McNeil (MA) --Modica Associates
Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Financials' Review 

• Cash flow at the end of 2010
• Associations' reserve was grown to $23,00

Reviewed 2010 budget

• Revenue (e.g. condo fee income)
• Mandated that 10% of the annual budget is set aside in the reserve
• Expenses
• Manager fees - small but acceptable increase
• Utilities are the big expenses
• Question:  What are we paying for oil?
• $2.699/gallon (capped).  MA can provide a spreadsheet with the history of oil consumption and payment for the buildings
• Board is investigating converting to gas as a cost saving measure
• Question about efficiency of converting to gas?gas com
• Repaires
• Over budget because of the sewer leak outside
• Leaks in the common areas due to skylights and roof problems
• Building insurance
• Question:  What does it cover?
• Catastrophic loss.
• $15,000 deductible total for both buildings
• Owners express concern that the insurance premium is too high for the deductible

Reviewed 2011 Budget

• Assessment to replace the roof
• Question: Who establishes the operating budget? 
• The board
• Some owners express concern about not being presented with bids and contracts reviewed and/or signed by the board
• Question:  What is the timeline for replacing the ceiling in the common area? 
• Will be replaced along with the roof, probably after the roof is replaced.
• Question:  What will happen to the funds remaining from the roof replacement assessment? 
• They will go to the reserves and other repairs.
• Upcoming projects:
• roof
• 107 laundry room
• pipe issues in the basement
• front doors

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

August 17, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information

111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
MA made one further phone call to Hadco, asking for a final refund of $250.00. MA has received no response and therefore asked David Sherf to write a letter.

107 Laundry Room Floor
The board discussed possible ways to repair the floor: pouring the slab on grade vs floating slab.

• Floating slab—is lifted on joists above the soil, creating a "gap" between the ground and the floor.
• Slab on grade—is poured down against the soil, thus sealing the so called "gap".

The current floor is a concrete slab on joists with plywood on top.  The proposal (whose?) is for thicker concrete slab with the floor. 

The board needs the following questions answered before deciding on the "slab on grade" floor:

• Are there any pipes between the current "floating slab" floor and the dirt?
• Is there a significant price difference between the 2 types?
• If plumbing work needs to be done (pipes burried to allow for the "slab on grade" floor, what would the extra costs be?

Fire code violation was discovered when the laundry room wall was opened. No insulation (no 2nd layer of sheet rock) between the laundry room and an abutting unit.  David Modica is aware of this problem, and this minor issue will be fixed with other work in the laundry.

MA to request 2 specs from Wolf Rock Development and ask about pros and cons. The board will review the specs.

[Later edit:  In an email David Modica reminded the board that we have reviewed bids for this work and questions the need to rebid the work.  Notes about previous bids can be found here -- the latest bid information was noted in the March 16th Meeting Notes.]

Bad Smell in 107
The BWS contractors have found the problem.  The pipe in the street is not only sagging, but also collapsing.
This is now a major problem that with effect the entire block. The city will now have to rip up the entire street from Queensberry to Perterbourgh in order to fix the problem.  The time line for this work is not known, but the smell can intensify at times until the problem is repaired.  David Modica continues to work with BWS to try to get some idea of what it is involved for going forward.

DM met with David Modica in the laundry room and looked into the cut in the slab.  Failed pipe (in the street) was leaking and filling up the space under the slab.  The town should fix the pipe.

Landscaping

Tree was cleaned up where the branch was cut.  The faucet (by the 107 entrance) is leaking.  A rhododendron bush has died (on the Jersey Street side of the building).  MA to inform Malkasian about the dead  rhododentron bush. 

[Later edit: The dead bush has been removed.] 

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs

Chiccarelli and Pires has estimated repairs of the sidearms at $1,600.00 with the additional costs of permits.  The board has reviewed the bid and approved it.  MA to schedule the work sometime before November. 

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm

• Unit owners of 20-19 and 20-19 have agreed to replace the skylights. MA forwarded them a couple of proposals and put them in touch with each other.
• Cresent Painting will be happy to repair and repaint the ceiling on the top level of 107 for $550.00 (includes replacing the ceiling) We need to wait till the skylights are repaired before scheduling that job.

Roof Replacement
MA has received two roofing bids. Richard Roofing was the least costly by far, at $69,000.00. Two more bids are coming (from Eagle and Cappucio).  We are using Maurice Richard’s scope/spec.
DM proposes that the board considers using white rubber roofing.  It is supposed to be good at reflecting heat.  MA to request prices for this version as well.  The board asks that the spec is revised to include the repairs/replacement of the damaged roof decking--there should be an allowance for fixing the decking (the amount to be discussed with David Modica).

Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors
MA recieved bids for sanding and refinishing the front entrance doors.  Corinne pulled out bids from last year, and both companies would honor the prices.  (Vogt & Company - $7600 total, and Crescent Painitng—3^rd bid. $3500 total.)  The board eliminated Summer Painting.  DM will talk to Vogt & Company(the high end bid), and MA will talk to Crescent.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Earthquake insurance will be included in the master policy.  No flood insurance, because we are not in the flood zone.  Item Complete.

Financials

Overdue unit owners have agreed to pay the balances before September 1.  MA to send reminders and let the board know when the payments arrive.

Miscellaneous

• The gate on Queensberry Street side was repaired again but whether or not it is a permanent fix remains to be seen.
• MA have sent a letter to unit 21B asking to remove the wires from the window. No answer has yet been received.  MA suggests a legal letter sent via certified mail.  The board requests MA to send another letter to 21B and give them a deadline to remove the wires.  After the deadline, the unit owner will be subject to fines. 
• Wires in a 107 1^st floor unit.  MA to send a letter.
• The board requests that no hard copies of the financials and bills be made.  The board will review them electronically. 
• MA to find out if there is a new requirement (from state? from insurance companies?) about oil tanks. 
• The iron fence on the Queensberry Street side is severely rusted.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

April 20, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
MA sent the letter and gave Hadco 30 days to reply. If there is no response, the next step would be for David to send a letter to Hadco.

Bad Smell in 107
The smell has returned in 107 (see email from 4/15). The smoke test will be performed to determine where the sewage smell comes from and how bad the damage might be. Smoke test is currently scheduled for Thursday if the city sewage lines are cleared by then on the corner of Queensberry and Jersey Streets.

107 Laundry Room Floor
On hold until the smoke test is done.

Landscaping
The board met with Rick Malkasian (of Rick Malkasian Gardens—the company that has been doing our landscaping so far) to discuss improving the plantings around the building. The board decided to ask Malkasian to work with $1000 (total, labor inclusive) to add plantings and improve the landscaping with the following specific requests: 1) no arbovitaes, 2) add approximately $100 worth of annuals in locations Malkasian sees fit. The board would like this landscaping work to begin right away.

The board also discussed the linden tree (city tree) near 111 Jersey entrance with MA and Malkasian. (Some of the tree branches are growing into the fire escape of 111, and thus may be a fire hazard.) MA will find out the price for cutting down the branch closest to the building. MA will also find out the price for spraying the Jersey side linden tree and another linden tree (also a city tree) on Queensberry side of the building. MA will also find out if we need city permission to cut down branch and/or spray these city trees.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
Chicarelli will not do the work. MA will talk to B&M Restoration about cost for applying partial fix.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Contractors fixed the problem with the damaged door of 107-19 (put in the new beam), and found no structural damage. DM did not like the quality of these contractors’ work. (They were Wolf Rock Construction).

Roof repairs (excluding skylights) to take place tomorrow. (A skylight is the owner’s responsibility. Skylight in 107-18 failed a long time ago and was sealed incorrectly. This improper seal now increased the effects of the leak. (Both skylights in 107-18 and in 107-19 are old. The skylight in 107-19 has been patched, but its seal was done correctly as opposed to the one in 107-18.)

MA to notify unit owners that skylights need to be replaced, and give them 60 days to do it. 107-18 and 107-19 both need higher curbs and/or better curbs. MA to ask them to present specs for the work before the work is done to protect the common areas. The board will review the specs promptly (within 3 business days) not to hold up the work.

The board questioned why the improper seal was not discovered earlier and proposed to add inspection of all skylights to our yearly roof inspection. MA stated that the skylights are already being inspected as part of the roof inspection.

The 107 door to the roof has wood with sealant on it, and the sealant is failing. The door needs to be resealed. Currently, resealing the door is not included in the quote from the roofer for fixing up the leaks in the roof. MA will ask roofers to fix the door as well (and hopes that it will be at no additional charge).

The ceiling in the common area will stay open until another big rain storm to make sure that the roof patches are holding up. MA to ask unit occupants in the nearby units to keep an eye out for any new leaks.

MA to start asking for estimates to replace the roof.

Repolishing Wood on the Fronnt Doors
On hold.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Our insurance policy will be renewed in August. Can we renegotiate the deductible down to $5K for the common areas. The board thinks that while the deductible of $15,000 is appropriate for individual units, it is hard to manage for the common areas.

Move In Fees
In the efforts of raising income for the association, the board decided to increase the move-in fee for all owners. Starting on June 1st, the move-in fee will be $150 as opposed to $50 (currently).

Miscellaneous

• The board will consider being approved for a line of credit so that when we are ready to do the work, we can proceed even if we do not have enough cash in the reserves.
• MA has sent the letter to the 111-11 owners about the AC unit being installed too early in the year.
• MA to check if there is any money from the city available for dealing with the building settling due to the ground water issues, (when MA calls the city about permission to treat and trim the city trees around the property).

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible

(04/20/2010) Our insurance policy will be renewed in August. Can we renegotiate the deductible down to $5K for the common areas. The board thinks that while the deductible of $15,000 is appropriate for individual units, it is hard to manage for the common areas.

(05/18/2010) Modica will continue to collect bids at the $5,000 and $15,000 deductible levels.

(08/17/2010) Earthquake insurance will be included in the master policy. No flood insurance, because we are not in the flood zone. Item Complete.