The Lamppost
Vol. 2007/2 May 2007
The Official Newsletter of the Walden Pond Homeowners' Association
On the Internet at http://waldenponddurhamnc.org
Regularly Scheduled HOA Board Meeting
Wednesday, May 9, 2006, 7:00pm
McMannen United Methodist Church
4102 Neal Road , Durham
All Walden Pond owners and residents welcome
Homeowner's Insurance: Is It Really Optional?
Ten weeks have passed, and the signs of destruction at Pine Knoll Townes in Raleigh are almost gone.
There are only bare concrete slabs and driveways, for the most part, to mark the site of one of North Carolina 's most destructive residential fires in recent years.
No one was injured there on Feb. 22, but 27 townhomes were destroyed and 11 others damaged. More than two dozen families were left homeless.
The destruction at Pine Knoll Townes should send shivers through all townhome owners and residents, including those at Walden Pond .
It could happen here. Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Next week.
Will you be prepared?
ALL WALDEN POND OWNERS SHOULD HAVE HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE. WALDEN POND RENTERS SHOULD INSURE THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
North Carolina law does not require that homeowners insure their dwellings or their contents. But given your investment in your home and belongings, it just makes good sense.
Moreover, the covenants and restrictions that govern Walden Pond require that owners repair any damage to “party walls” – walls between adjoining townhouses – from fire or “other casualty,” such as weather damage.
(See the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions, Art. VII, Sec. 3, on the HOA website.)
Essentially, that means that a townhouse damaged or destroyed in a fire must be repaired or rebuilt. If that ever happens, you'll want to be insured for the full replacement value of your home and belongings.
A landlord's home insurance won't necessarily cover a tenant's belongings for loss through fire, weather, or theft. Renters should take a thorough inventory of their belongings and figure out the replacement cost, before shopping for renter's insurance.
(An inventory of personal property, even done simply with photographs or a video, will come in handy if you ever have to make a claim.)
For additional information about homeowner's and renter's insurance, contact the Consumer Services Division of the N.C. Dept. of Insurance at
1-800-546-5664 , or at their website: http://www.ncdoi.com/Consumer/consumer_home.asp
NEED INFORMATION???
about Walden Pond , the HOA, paying monthly fees, emergencies?
CONTACT Ms. Frankie Johnson at
Morgan's Property Mgt. LLC
PO Box 71294
Durham NC 27722-1294
Ph. 919.479.5762
Fax: 919.471.4280
Email: MorganPropMgr@aol.com
Be sure to make your $68.00 monthly fee check to: Walden Pond HOA
Contact Frankie about paying by monthly bank draft!
Frank B. Morgan, 1958-2007
Mr. Frank B. Morgan, a co-founder and partner in the property management firm that serves the Walden Pond HOA, died on April 22 after a short illness.
Frank's wife, Sheryl, and their associate, Frankie Johnson, will continue to provide management services to the HOA.
The HOA offers sincere condolences to Sheryl, their sons Dylan and Trentin, and to all of Frank's family and friends.
Upcoming HOA Board Meetings
Wed., June 13 – 7:00 pm
Sat., July 14 – 10:00 am
Wed., Aug. 15 – 7:00 pm
All meetings at McMannen UMC
File Your Homeowner's Policy with the HOA!!!
When you obtain a homeowner's policy for your Walden Pond townhome, please let the HOA know about it.
To prepare for emergencies, the HOA would like to find out just who is insuring each Walden Pond townhome. This information will be kept confidential and known only to the HOA property agent (Morgan Property Management).
Please ask your insurance firm or agent to FAX or mail a copy of the “declarations page” from your policy to Frankie Johnson or Sheryl Morgan. Their contact information is on the front page of this newsletter.
The HOA must verify this informa-tion with the insurance agent, so it's best that the agent convey it rather than the homeowner.
For more information, please call Frankie at 919-479-5762 during business hours. Please take time to do this TODAY!
Trash Container Numbers
HOA vice president Laura Atkinson has completed relabeling roll-out trash containers on Grove Park, Astor, and Quintin. She hopes to do Prestwick, Durbin, Wildberry and Finley on May 19. Georgetown and Providence residents will be informed by letter about a June date for labeling their containers.
Walden Pond residents should remove trash containers back to the rear of each unit within 24 hours after trash collection on Thursday. The City of Durham will levy fines on containers left too long on the street. Each unit is limited to a single container, but homeowners can request, in writing, HOA permission to use a second container.