Seacrest Services
Seacrest Services Newsletter
June  2012 
Greetings!

 

 

Servicing our communities is our privilege and our passion. For this reason, I would love to highlight our innovative Customer Service Program. This program is designed to respond to the needs of residents in the most proactive manner possible. Should you have a request, take full advantage of our Customer Service Department by reaching out to us on our online service request system at www.seacrestservices.com or by our toll free #, 888-828-6464.

 

* Our Customer Service representatives respond promptly to residents' requests for services. Once your service request has been submitted, you will immediately receive a confirmation number and the request will be tracked through to completion.  Work orders may be placed by phone or at www.seacrestservices.com

 

* When a resident calls our Customer Service Department, a work order is generated and tracked until completion.  The resident is issued a confirmation number which can be referenced at any time to check the status of a request.

 

* A detailed report of all service requests detailing the type of service, date of request, date of completion, and the name of the of the employee who performed the service is included in the monthly manager's report.

 

* All residents' calls are answered by a live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

*We will attempt to make personal contact with you once the request has been completed. If you are unavailable, a door hanger will be left at your residence.

 

* Should you have an emergency request, please do not use this service.

Instead, contact our service department directly at (561) 656-6310.

 

 

      

Sincerely,  

 

Paul Licata

Director of Business Development

Seacrest Services

561-697-4990

 

 

 

 
Ask the Expert:
Goede & Adamczyk, PLLC
Attorneys at Law
  

Q: We live in a "55 and older" community, and I am concerned about our age verification process.  Our condo association obtains a copy of the driver license during the initial approval process for new buyers and never verifies anything again.  I think this is quite different than a person certifying that they are over 55 by signing a document.  I would be very thankful if you could email your suggestions.  S.B., Naples, FL

 

A: Your community needs some help in this department.  Age restrictions are generally illegal unless the association strictly monitors and maintains data showing that at least 80% of the units are occupied by at least one (1) person who is at least 55 or older.  To properly abide by the law, the association should register with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and routinely survey the community or engage in other means of age verification at least every 2 years.  Therefore, based upon the information you provided, your community is probably not in compliance because you only verify occupancy when a unit is purchased.   The association may use any of the following types of documentation to verify the age of the occupants in the community:  (1) Driver's license; (2) Birth certificate; (3) Passport; (4) Immigration card; (5) Military identification; (6) Any other state, local, national, or international official documents containing a birth date of comparable reliability; or (7) A certification in a lease, application, affidavit, or other document signed by any member of the household age 18 or older asserting that at least one person in the unit is 55 years of age or older.Said surveys, verification procedures and/or census would need to be produced if there were ever a complaint filed against the Association for violation of this section to indicate compliance.

  

Q: I put title to our condo in my wife's name for asset protection purposes.  However, I'd like to serve on the Board for the association and I believe that I'm entitled to since I live in the unit.  My neighbors are telling me that I cannot serve on the Board since I'm not on the title.  This does not seem right.  What is your response on this?  M.G., Miami, FL

 

A: Your neighbors are probably correct.  If you are not on the title to the unit, you are not a member of the association.  While Florida law does not require individual board members to be members of the association in order to serve on the board, most association bylaws do impose a membership requirement for eligibility.  Further, your wife cannot give you power of attorney to serve on the board on her behalf.  You do have a couple potential solutions, however.  You can put title in a corporation or LLC.  If the association bylaws permit, you can designate yourself as the voting representative of the corporation.  Alternatively, you can put title in a trust.  If you are a beneficiary of the trust and live in the unit, you would be considered a member of the association under Florida law and eligible to serve on the board.  Before taking any of these steps, we recommend that you consult with the attorney who advised on your asset protection strategy. 




Goede & Adamczyk, PLLC has a concentrated focus on condo and homeowner association ("Condo & HOA") law, real estate lawbusiness lawwills/trusts/estates and all related litigation. The firm represents hundreds of community associations throughout Florida, including condominiums, HOA's and co-op associations.
 
Visit the website at www.floridacommunitylaw.com to learn more!  

 

 

SFWMD Governing Board Rescinds Water Shortage Warning  

 

From the South FL Water Management District Website 

 

 

An early start to the wet season boosted water supplies and 

allowed the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board to rescind the Water Shortage Warning order today. This is the first time since November 2010 that the District is not under a warning or water shortage conditions.

 

The District had been in an extended dry period that included record-setting drought conditions, with a Water Shortage Warning in effect to encourage conservation and indicate a water shortage may be imminent. However, above-normal rainfall in the last two months replenished most of the 16-county region at the start of what is forecast to be an average or above-average wet season.

 

"It's a positive sign to see water supplies filling up after a long stretch of below-normal rainfall," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Joe Collins. "But no matter what the weather brings, the District remains ready for the inevitable weather extremes in South Florida, whether it's a drought, tropical storm or hurricane."

 

South Florida's wet season started early this year, resulting in May 2012 rainfall being 160 percent of the historical average for the month. The District is storing as much of this water as possible, while balancing flood control responsibilities.

 

At 11.8 feet NGVD, Lake Okeechobee is1.38 feet below normal for this time of year. However, it is a foot above the water shortage management level, and wet season rains are anticipated to improve
lake levels over the next few weeks.

 
While parts of the District were under a Water Shortage Warning starting in November 2010, all water users in the 16-county region were subject to mandatory restrictions beginning in March 2011. Over the following months, water levels quickly declined during the height of the dry season and much-needed rainfall failed to materialize.The emergency water shortage orders remained in place for the duration of the below-normal 2011 wet season. 


In response to heavy October 2011 rainfall and the District's success in capturing and storing much of that water, the Governing Board in November rescinded all previous water shortage orders and issued a District-wide Water Shortage Warning going into
the 2011-2012 dry season. The warning is no longer needed after the system recovered from the driest months.


When water shortage orders are not in place, the District follows Year-Round Water Conservation Measures that target outdoor irrigation, which accounts for up to half of water use in South Florida. The Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Rule is just one of many initiatives implemented under the District's Comprehensive Water Conservation Program.

 
The Comprehensive Water Conservation Program was approved by the SFWMD Governing Board in September 2008 to encourage more responsible use of water resources throughout South Florida. Numerous stakeholders worked with the District to define specific regulatory, voluntary and incentive-based programs and in-depth education and marketing efforts that help to foster a year-round conservation ethic

 

For more information on ways to save water, visit www.savewaterfl.com. 

 

About Seacrest Services

 

Services screenshot 

 

Our Services Include:

 

  • Property Management-click HERE
  • Landscape-click HERE
  • Maintenance-click HERE
  • Construction-click HERE
  • Commercial-click HERE 

 

 

 

Seacrest Services


2400 Centerpark West Drive
West Palm Beach, Florida 33409
561-697-4990
In This Issue
Ask the Expert
Water Shortage Article
Landscape Tip
Pest Control Tip
Follow us on Facebook!
Click the Facebook image below
Find us on Facebook

 

 

If you're interested in seeing if Seacrest Services is a good fit for your community..

Call  today for an analysis of your property!

 

Contact Paul Licata at

1-888-828-6464

 

 

Seacrest Landscape Tip:

 

You can prevent unnecessary irrigation in your landscape by implementing a shut off  

device, like a rain sensor. Rain sensors, which have been required by law on all irrigation systems installed since 1991, are available in several models and are usually connected to the automatic irrigation system remotely or by wiring. These devices detect when a certain amount of rain has fallen, and they make sure your automatic irrigation system doesn't run when it's not needed.

 

Rain Sensors provide many benefits:

 

-Conserves water

 

-Saves money -- reduces utility bills by interrupting the irrigation system after adequate     

rainfall.

 

-Reduces wear on the irrigation system because the system runs only when necessary.

 

-Reduces disease damage by eliminating unnecessary irrigation events.

 

-Helps protect surface and groundwater by reducing the runoff and deep percolation that carries pollutants, such as fertilizers, into storm drains and groundwater.

 

 

 

     

The City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department  is accepting applications for the residential toilet replacement voucher program. 

 

Property owners whose homes are located in the West Palm Beach water service area and were built prior to 1996 with toilets rated at 3.5 gallons per flush or greater may apply for this toilet replacement voucher program to receive up to $100 per toilet (maximum of 2) replaced by a WaterSense�, high efficiency toilet.  

 

Ends soon! There are only a few spots left. Apply HERE 

 

 

Join Our Mailing List