Preparedness Expo

Join Steve Jerve from WFLA Storm Team 8 May 10th at the 2014 All Hazards Preparedness Expo, an educational family event presented by the Hernando County office of Emergency Management, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Saturday at Nature Coast Technical High School, 4057 California St. in Brooksville. Topics include personal disaster preparedness, home readiness and safety products, and Jerve will be on hand to answer questions. Enjoy free hot dogs, chips and water.

For information, call (352) 754-6830 and visit www.hernandosheriff.org/em.

Free Botanical Garden Tour

Free Botanical Garden Tour
Hernando County residents are invited to see Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in action through a tour of the beautiful Nature Coast Botanical Gardens located at 1489 Parker Ave, Spring Hill, FL 34606. The tour will be held May 19 at 9 a.m.

A walk around the 22 themed gardens is a great way to see how plants can flourish the Florida-Friendly way ― with minimal fertilizer, pesticide and supplemental water use.

There is no charge for the tour.

You may register online at http://fflbotanicalgardenstour.eventbrite.com or by contacting Sylvia Durell, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program coordinator, at (352) 540-6230 or via email at sdurell@co.hernando.fl.us.

PRESTON HOLLOW COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE

PRESTON HOLLOW COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE

It’s time to gather your items for the annual Spring Preston Hollow Community-wide garage sale.

Please remind your visitors not to park on the right-of-ways, and not to block the mail boxes. No individual signs are permitted; however, a large sign will be erected at the entrance to Preston Hollow a few days in advance of the event.

The date is SATURDAY, MAY 17, FROM 8 AM - 2 PM.

We wish you good luck and good weather!

Sharon Ricks, Secretary

PRESTON HOLLOW HOA

The General Membership Meeting of United Communities of Hernando County

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEW MEETING PLACE

OAK HILL HOSPITAL

at the H2U Partner Club

11375 Cortez Blvd. (State Road 50)

Spring Hill, Florida 34613

Our General Membership Meetings are open to All the Residents of Hernando

The General Membership Meeting of United Communities of Hernando County will be held on Monday, April 28, 2014, at seven o’clock in the evening; Oak Hill Hospital in Building 5, the H2U Partners Club, see the attached map, the H2U Partners Club is located in the back parking lot of Oak Hill Hospital to the left side.

Our Guest speaker for the evening will be Nina Vaznelis, Attorney at Law, who will speak about homeowner associations, * renewing deed restrictions, etc. and there will be a question and answer period after the presentation.

ALL RESIDENTS OF HERNANDO COUNTY ARE WELCOME to come to the meeting and participate. Please encourage your neighbor to come to UCHC meetings, a wealth of information is always available that can be helpful to the all.

We greatly need your support and attendance especially at the monthly meetings. We are a non-political organization working to help and to improve the quality for all the residents of Hernando County.

Please remember your dues are due for the year 2014, please contact Mr. John Bloom about this and if your association leadership has changed, please forward the new information as soon as possible.

If you wish to be a part of the Board please contact John Bloom at his number above or through the excite.com e-mail above, as we are in need to fill vacant Board Seats.

Addendum for Preston Hollow Rules and Regulations ACC Guidelines

Addendum for Preston Hollow Rules and Regulations ACC Guidelines Failure to Maintain according to the 720 laws of the State of Florida

Failure to maintain violations will receive up to two (2) letters on a violation with the specific violation noted and giving a reasonable time frame for correction. These letters will not be adversarial as per the procedure for the notification of a violation.

Following the 720 law, a third letter will inform the property owner of the intent to place a fine against the property if the specific violation is not corrected in fourteen (14) days. The fine will be in the amount of $50.00 a day for a total of twenty (20) days or a total of $1000.00. Upon reaching this amount, with no correction of the violation, a lien will be placed against the property. The 720 law allows for this action to be placed on both the owner of the property and a tenant, if the property is not occupied by the owner

.

This letter will be mailed regular mail, to the owner, the tenant, and a copy hand delivered to the property.

The letter must state that the owner may request a hearing. The Committee for this hearing will be appointed by the BOD, consisting of three (3) members of the HOA, who are not Board members or members of any committee, a relative of any Board member or committee member. The decision of this appointed committee will hear the situation presented by the property owner. The decision of this committee is final.

If the violation is still not corrected following the full twenty (20) days, the matter will also be turned over to the HOA attorney for follow up and legal action. This action can be sited in the third letter as the probable outcome with further failure to correct the violation.

Once the fine becomes ninety (90) days past due, the voting rights of the member will be suspended. All other dues will be owed at the time of the due date for annual dues. These actions do not eliminate the responsibility of the property owner to pay annual dues.

Passed: April 8, 2014 Preston Hollow Home Owners Association, Board of Directors.

_____________________________ _____________________________

President Secretary

_____________________________ ______________________________

VP Outside Affairs VP Member at Large

FYI Crime Watch Update

CRIME ALERT! 1 new crime

Type Description Case # Location Agency Date Map It ASLT/BAT/LEO/COR OFC/FF/INT OF 2014-11594 10400 BLOCK OF QUALITY DR Hernando County Sheriff 4/17/2014 2:40:00 AM Map It

PHHOA April 2014 Newsletter

PRESTON HOLLOW HOA N E W S

April 14, 2014

Hello, Preston Hollow Homeowners,

If you were unable to attend the PHHOA meeting last Wednesday April 9, you missed a good, informative meeting with lots of lively discussion. Barry Buchmiller began the meeting on a positive note stating how good the Community looks overall and his perspective was that most Community members are happy with Preston Hollow.

Secretary Sharon Ricks, in lieu of a Treasurer, reported the financial status as of March 31, 2014 as follows: Savings Account: $14,917.28; Checking Account: $28,912.57. A Motion was made and carried to transfer $5000 from the Checking Account into the Savings Account.

VP Lisa Groeneveld welcomed new Community members to the meeting. She explained the process of selling a property and the criteria for ascertaining that all property assessments and liens must be satisfied before the property could be “closed” or sold. Last week she processed two Estoppels for properties in Preston Hollow; one at Clarendon Ct. and another on Forest Wood Ct. The owners expressed their happiness to live in such a beautiful community. The checks for the two properties were retrieved from the PH mailbox the day of this meeting as reported by Sharon Ricks. Another property is pending to close on April 24, 2014. That owner has been in e-mail contact with members of the Board and is eager to move here.

Lisa also reported that the bushes at the front wall are filling in nicely, but should probably be trimmed soon. She added that the front wall was painted by West Coast Painting and if anyone wanted their contact info to let her know. A member noted that the wall had mortar bleeding through the stucco. Lisa noted that West Coast Painting has a one-year warranty on their work, so she would give a call to have them take a look at it.

Barry reported extensive repair of the electrical system at the entrance. Lights were not working for a few days until an electrical contractor could be located. Three phase contacts were broken, several gang bell blades broken and now replaced. Barry and the Board agreed the cost of $472 to repair and replace this work was a reasonable fee.

VP and Member at Large Judy Thompson gave an in-depth report of the “Failure to Maintain” issues affecting Preston Hollow. She noted new Complaint Forms were created and were placed on the table for anyone to take as they left the meeting. She would also place those forms on the PHHOA Blogsite, as well.

She informed the members that PHHOA Board representatives met with the attorney as requested by a member at the January 9, 2014 meeting, and that the violations will be processed as previously outlined.

Judy discussed the 720 Law which is the State Law overseeing the management of HOAs in Florida. The Law clearly allows for charging a fine of $100 a day up to $1000 for failure to maintain lots within an HOA. Her suggestion was to charge $50/day for a total of 20 days for a total of $1000 in the event of this violation. A Motion was made and passed unanimously for an Amendment to levy a charge of $50 per day for 20 days. Judy will post the Amendment onto the PH HOA blogsite, and deliver to each Homeowner.

Judy also presented a Mission Statement (read by Lisa Groeneveld) that she wished to have signed by each Board member and adopted as another Amendment. Lisa made the Motion, and it was passed unanimously by the Board to adopt the Mission Statement as read. This, too, will be posted on the PHHOA Blogspot.

Judy then discussed and recommended that PHHOA incorporate a document entitled a “Nuisance Statement” as part of paragraph 11 of 19 of the PH Guidelines of 2012. Judy suggested that a need for something in writing relating to bullying needed to be acted on. However, no action was taken on this issue and the discussion was tabled.

Bill Thompson, Chair of Crime Watch, reported the findings of a meeting with the Sheriff on March 19, 2014. He explained the program called the “Care Line” in which a person could be contacted daily after signing on to the program in the event of illness or an emergency. Bill further noted the continuation of the “snatch and grab” from open garages, and entry through back door and sliders. He cautioned everyone to be vigilant around their properties.

A homeowner stated the DRA near his property was not recently mowed. Barry would notify the Lawn Mowing Services to do so.

The PHHOA Yard Sale will be Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 8 – 2 pm.

Please mark the date of the next PHHOA meeting for Wednesday, July 9, 2014 @ 7 pm.

Sincerely,

Sharon Ricks, Secretary

PRESTON HOLLOW HOA

Preston Hollow HOA Mission Statement and Guidelines

PRESTON HOLLOW HOME OWNERS MISSION STATEMENT AND GUIDELINES

The HOA of Preston Hollow was established under the DECLARATION OF EASEMENTS, COVENANT'S, CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS OF PRESTON HOLLOW, filed in the County of Hernando, on May 31^st, 1999. Preston Hollow is located in Spring Hill, FL 34609, and contains 98 lots and common grounds. The mission of the HOA is to maintain the DECLARATION, as filed with the county and the bi-laws which are maintained by the association. It is the responsibility of the HOA to follow the time line for the filing and update of this Declaration as required by the county.

In carrying out the duties the HOA will follow the laws of the State of FL governing such HOA associations following what is commonly known as the 720 statutes; file all required documents with the state of FL, and county of Hernando; and follow all duties and procedure as outlined in the By-Laws for the HOA.The Preston Hollow HOA will maintain the lowest possible financial commitment by its members to meet the above responsibilities for Preston Hollow. It is expected that the HOA Board of Directors will be from the Preston Hollow Community, not be paid or receive free services from the vendors chosen to maintain the common grounds of the property or any other vendor providing services. If the Preston Hollow residents fail to serve and to fill positions, outside vendors may be employed by the HOA to carry out the duties of the PHHOA Board of Directors.

 

The Preston Hollow Board of Directors will strive to serve in the most professional manor ensuring that the spirit of community be maintained. This applies to any appointed member of the ACC or other committee members, assisting the HOA Board of Directors to carry out the activities of the HOA. Each elected member of the Board and appointed committee members will sign the Preston Hollow Home Owners Mission Statement and Guidelines, and the signed statement will be filed with the records for the year (s) that members are appointed or elected to serve.

This Mission Statement will be posted on any electronic tool used by the HOA, and available at cost to any member of the HOA. It will have periodic review and amending as may be required by the 720 laws, the County of Hernando, and review as is necessary but, at least every five (5) years.

Established: January 2014

Amended:

Signed as of this date________

Member of the HOA _________________________

Title or position _________________________

PHHOA Meeting Reminder

Please come out to the next meeting of your HOA. The meeting is set for Wednesday, yes that is a change from Tuesday due to other activities at the Beautiful Mind Center, Wednesday April 9th at 7 PM. The Beautiful Mind Center is located on the south side (left side) of Spring Hill Drive in the small strip mall just west (right) of the old Blue Stone property which is now Ocean Pediatrics. This is just past Mc Donald's which will be on your right. On your left, Brothers 1 and 11 is the name of the small strip mall and this is at the top of the Marque. There is a beverage shop at the end of one of the buildings, pull in between the two buildings and park. The Beautiful Mind Center is on the left side. You take Mariner to Spring Hill Drive, Left on Spring Hill Drive and the Brothers 1 and 11 Plaza and Oceans Pediatrics will be on your left just past all of the dividing barriers.

DEED RESTRICTION COMPLAINT FORM

Preston Hollow Home Owner's Association, Inc.

Architectural Control Committee

DEED RESTRICTION COMPLAINT FORM

The following information must be completed in its entirety in order for the HOA to commence an investigation on your behalf. Incomplete forms will not be processed.

Formal Request to have the ACC / HOA Board investigate Deed Restriction Violation(s).

Date of Request: ______________________________________________________________

Your Name: ________________________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________________________________

Contact Phone:________________________________________________________________

Address of house to be investigated:_______________________________________________

Description of the Issue(s) affecting the property:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Signature:_______________________________________________________________

Please return completed form to an ACC / Board member, or mail to:

Preston Hollow Home Owner’s Association

P.O. Box 15338

Spring Hill, FL 34604

You will be contacted by the ACC / Board member as to the status of the investigation. Following all investigations, the name and address of the complainant will be purged.

Architectural Review Committee

Come to the Hernando County Fair

The 63rd annual Hernando County Fair and Youth Livestock Show opened Friday and continues through Saturday, April 12. The fairgrounds are at 6436 Broad St., south of downtown Brooksville. Admission is $8 for ages 13 and older; $4 for ages 4 through 21; and free for children age 3 and younger. For more information go to: www.hernandofairgrounds.com.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program offers free class

Hernando County’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program presents a free class on Drought-Tolerant Plant Choices Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at the Spring Hill Library located at 9220 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. No registration is required. First come, first seated.

Learn how choosing drought-tolerant plants for your garden increases the chances of your landscape remaining beautiful through the hot, dry months. Tips on working with a color wheel to create a garden will also be provided. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping program is funded by the Hernando County Utilities Department.

Contact Sylvia Durell, Florida-Friendly Landscaping coordinator, at (352) 540-6230 or email sdurell@co.hernando.fl.us for more information. For more information about this program, please visit:

Update on Windsor Place from PHHOA Board Member Judy Thompson

The Wallers and I attended the meeting last night at Oak Hill of the United Hernando Communities.  Officer Gilchrest spoke on code enforcement.  She is handling the complaints we have with Windsor Woods.  She stated that she would be making a site visit today and we observed a Code Enforcement truck on the property just now. Some growth has returned on these lots but the back half of them which abut our property are largely with out vegetation.  She will be in touch with the owners again before the end of the month.

 

She did validate that the silk screens are no longer required on all construction sites,  not on Residential, just Commercial.  So if and when building begins there will be no screens placed around the building site.

 

The owner of the property is down in Miami, not local.  The current remedy is to place pine needles, straw, or mulch on the barren spots to cut down on the sand blowing in to our lots. 

 

Officer Gilchrist also informed us of new regulations on the use of fertilizer containing nitrogen and or phosphorus   I will inform Alan and have him post the link or the info on the  Blog site.  Basically, there is to be NO application from Jan 1st thu March 31st. Professional applicators must have a GI-BMP certification. As of June 1st all professional applicators  must have the certification and be registered with the county.  Something we need to inquire of with any company we are employing.  The full Ordinance is posted at www.extension.hernandocounty.us

 

Will keep you posted on the Windsor Woods outcome.  Judy Thompson

United Communities Meeting Information

Hello Preston Hollow,

There is a meeting of United Communities of Hernando County on Monday the 24th a Oak Hill Hospital.  A flyer and directions to the site on the hospital campus are attached.

Code enforcement is speaking.  The officer that is speaking is the one handling our issues with the Windsor Woods development next to us.  It would be in our interest to attend.  I have been told that the county no longer requires the plastic sand barriers to be placed on residential development.  The homes that abut this development are having sand blown into their lots and  pools.  I don't know when the county changed this requirement, it of course supports builders and not the home around a construction site.  It seems to me when it is a large development that it should be treated as commercial.  This is not affecting just three homes that might be around a single residential lot, but all the homes on our boarder to Windsor Woods and all the homes in Linden that boarder the development as well.  Of course our county commission may have changed this requirement as they are always pro builder. 

Hope to see a few of us there.  Don't forget to visit the www.prestonhollowhoa.blogspot.com.  I forgot to mention that the opening page will have posts from 2009.  On the right hand side you will see 2014, click there and the current years posts will appear. You will also find the deed restrictions there too. 

Hope to see you at our meeting in April as well.  Please consider joining us at our meeting.  You can pick up a request for ACC changes if you are considering work to your home or a form to report a property that you think may have issues.  On the later, you will not be identified as the Board then undertakes the investigation and becomes the complainant.

This morning on my walk,I passed out an ACC form to someone who requested one via email.   I will be happy to drop one by if you need one too, just let me know.  Judy Thompson Member at Large PHHOA 

United Communities March 2014 Meeting

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEW MEETING PLACE OAK HILL HOSPITAL at the H2U Partner Club 11375 Cortez Blvd. (State Road 50) Spring Hill, Florida 34613 Our General Membership Meetings are open to All the Residents of Hernando The General Membership Meeting of United Communities of Hernando County will be held on Monday, March 24, 2014, at seven o’clock in the evening; Oak Hill Hospital in Building 5, the H2U Partners Club, see the attached map, the H2U Partners Club is located in the back parking lot of Oak Hill Hospital to the left side. In response to your requests our Guest speaker for the evening will be from the Hernando County Code Enforcement Department, Ms. Gail Gilchrist. Please come and voice your concerns about your community and or our county as a whole. There will be a question and answer period after the presentation. ALL RESIDENTS OF HERNANDO COUNTY ARE WELCOME to come to the meeting and participate. Please encourage your neighbor to come to UCHC meetings, a wealth of information is always available that can be helpful to the all. We greatly need your support and attendance especially at the monthly meetings. We are a non-political organization working to help and to improve the quality for all the residents of Hernando County. Please remember your dues are due for the year 2014. You will receive your packet shortly, please contact Mr. John Bloom at the number above if you have any ques-tions. If your association leadership has changed, please forward the new informa-tion as soon as possible. If you wish to be a part of the Board please contact John Bloom at his number above or through the excite.com e-mail above, as we are in need to fill vacant Board Seats.

Happy Spring to all members of the Preston Hollow HOA

Happy Spring to all members of the Preston Hollow HOA. I hope that we have had our last cold night of the season and can enjoy a wonderful spring time. I have been able to get out and walk through our neighborhood once again since my surgery last year. It is so good to see everyone getting ready for another season of outdoor life in Fl. I usually walk in the afternoon and if you see me please feel free to stop me and chat awhile about any of your concerns for Preston Hollow.

 

I have noted that many of our homeowners are busy putting lawns back in shape after our winter weather. Remember that we have a "duty to maintain our lawns and landscaping" for all to enjoy. Many lots are in need of sidewalk cleaning as well. If you do not have a vendor for this task and will not be doing it yourself we can supply the name of the vendor that did all of the common ground sidewalks last year. The price was competitive and we were satisfied with the work.  All of the deed restrictions can be viewed on this Blog spot. Please take the time to review the landscaping and lawn requirements. The things that easily get overlooked are the height of hedges not to exceed six feet, should not have any overhang onto public sidewalks, lawns of grass not weeds, and no overhang of tress onto public sidewalks. Now is the time to trim bushes and re sod or seed lawns.  It is wise to read all of the restrictions from time to time to keep them fresh.  If you have concerns about a property please let the board know so that we may communicate with the owner. You are never identified by the board. We wish to keep all communication on a positive note in regards to upkeep and will strive to do so. 

 

I am saddened to report that no one has come forward to volunteer to fill our open board spots. Nor has anyone volunteered to be on the Architectural Control Committee. This has placed additional responsibilities on the board. There are very few requests for ACC needs as our homes are all built out and we have received very few requests for changes. It would not take a lot of time to serve on this committee.

Currently the Treasure's position is un filled, as is the inside VP position. We have continued the tradition of two signatures on all checks with the Secretary and President signing all debits. As our books were reviewed at the close of 2013 we received complements on the program we are using for book keeping. It is simple to use and very easy to follow. The board is willing to continue to work in this fashion with someone that would come forward and help with the program. We currently have collected a very good portion of the dues and will be following through with the current steps in place for handling our few delinquent memberships.

 

If you have these skills to lend to your HOA please contact us. We hope to continue to keep our dues low and do not wish to have to pay for additional services or supports. Such costs could raise our costs and dues.

 

We have much to report at the next meeting. There has been some cost to repair the electronics at the front Preston Hollow Marque, some expense incurred with our attorney due to a members inquiries. We are planning for a spring yard sale and have other items to share with the membership. Your input is valuable to us, and we hope to hear from a larger portion of the membership.  

 

Please come out to the next meeting of your HOA. The meeting is set for Wednesday, yes that is a change from Tuesday due to other activities at the Beautiful Mind Center, Wednesday April 9th at 7 PM. The Beautiful Mind Center is located on the south side (left side) of Spring Hill Drive in the small strip mall just west (right) of the old Blue Stone property which is now Ocean Pediatrics. This is just past Mc Donald's which will be on your right. On your left, Brothers 1 and 11 is the name of the small strip mall and this is at the top of the Marque. There is a beverage shop at the end of one of the buildings, pull in between the two buildings and park. The Beautiful Mind Center is on the left side. You take Mariner to Spring Hill Drive, Left on Spring Hill Drive and the Brothers 1 and 11 Plaza and Oceans Pediatrics will be on your left just past all of the dividing barriers.

 

Hope to see you there.         Judy Thompson Member at Large

National Flood Safety Awareness Week: March 16-22, 2014

On average, flooding causes more property damage in the United States than any other weather related event. It is a threat to life and property that can occur in any of the fifty states or U.S. territories at any time of year.  In 2013, the nation watched as deadly floods from severe storms impacted the Great Plains during May and record rainfall caused devastating flooding in Colorado in September.  Last year, 85 people lost their lives to freshwater flooding. More than half of those fatalities were a result of people driving into floodwaters. On average, there are 89 fatalities and $8.3 billion in damages annually.

During National Flood Safety Awareness Week, March 16-22, 2014, NOAA and FEMA will highlight the importance of preparing for a flood before it strikes and teach the actions you should take when faced with a flooding situation. This week we ask that you Be a Force of Nature by knowing your risk, taking action and being an example where you live. Following these simple steps year round can help keep you and your loved ones safe when hazardous weather strikes. Keep tabs on the local forecast, create a disaster supplies kit, and alert others via texts and social media when a flood threat or other hazardous weather threat exists! 
Online Marketing Toolkit


Whether you're a blogger, reporter or social media superstar, you can help spread the word during National Flood Safety Awareness Week. The materials listed below are free to use in print publications, online news stories and even Facebook. Help the National Weather Service and FEMA build a Weather-Ready Nation, one that is prepared for severe weather whenever and wherever it occurs.


Flood Safety Information - Find out what to do before, during and after a flood by visiting our newly redesigned Flood Safety website!

Manatee Awareness Day scheduled

Hernando County, in partnership with Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, invites residents to participate in the first Manatee Awareness Day on April 4, 2014, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, FL 34606.

Several vendors will provide education on the importance of protecting Florida’s state marine mammal, the manatee. Manatee boat tours will also be running in hopes of seeing a glimpse of this endangered species. During the tour you will also learn about threats to the manatee’s natural habitat and how you can help protect it.

Regular park admission applies. Those who participate in the manatee boat tour will receive one free admission ticket to return to the park another day, while supplies last.

For more information about Manatee Awareness Day, please call (352) 754-4000.

Speaker available on Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ topics

Looking for a speaker for your club or organization? Hernando County’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program coordinator, Sylvia Durell, is available to talk on a variety of topics related to the nine FFL principles, including:

• Practical Alternatives to Turf
• Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds
• Landscaping for Hurricanes
• Drought-Tolerant Plant Choices
• Plants that Do Well in Hernando County
• 10 Important Design Rules
• The Evolution of Gardening

Contact Ms. Durell at (352) 540-6230 or sdurell@co.hernando.fl.us.

Suspicious Behavior in Preston Hollow

Late Saturday night, I received a phone call from Carlos Manrique about and incident he observed when he was taking his dog out that night. He saw someone on his cellphone run between my house at 276 Preston Hollow Dr. and my neighbor's who lives on the corner of Clarendon and Preston Hollow. Carlos reported this to the Sheriff's Office. I walked my dog around the neighborhood after receiving the call from Carlos and saw nothing suspicious. Thank You Carlos for being a good neighbor and I hope everyone watches out for their fellow neighbors.

Hernando County Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program

Hernando County Florida-Friendly Landscaping program presents Practical Alternatives to Turf at 10:30 a.m. Thursday 1/30/14 at the West Hernando Library, 6335 Blackbird Ave., Brooksville. This class will provide alternative ideas to replace and beautify problem areas in your lawn. The class is free and no registration is required, however, first come, first seated. For more information call (352) 540-6230 or email sdurell@co.hernando.fl.us.

Preston Hollow Newsletter Jan 2014

We hope that everyone had a safe and joyful holiday time with friends and family, and that 2014 will bring health and blessings.

This is a general newsletter and a report of some of the topics of our PHHOA meeting on January 14th. This should not be taken as minutes of the meeting. Our renewed entry marque looks wonderful! Lisa Groneveld guided the project. The trees were in need of trimming; walls were cleaned, patched, sealed, and painted twice. Thank you Lisa! Bill Thompson attended a meeting with the Sheriff’s Dept. for Crime Watch. Much of Bill’s report was already emailed and posted on the blog with the notice about the crime this past weekend. There are also some “vendors” going door to door. It is noted at the entry that no soliciting in Preston Hollow is permitted. Be alert, they may be casing us for occupancy. Be sure to lock all doors and garages and call 911 if you see anything suspicious.

We had a speaker from Hernando County Appraisers Office which was most informative. Preston Hollow is seeing the expected number of sink hole activity as being seen in the rest of the county. If you have had one, you want to be sure that it gets marked as “ repaired” when work is completed. Some buyers are asking to see only homes that have repaired sink holes, this becomes an asset in selling a home.

Thanks were extended to Board Members that have ended their terms. John Cucinella, Second VP, who supervised the care and repair of our common spaces, and Joe Deller, who served as Treasure. We all will be missing their contributions. Lisa agreed to serve a second term and was elected. Thank you Lisa. To date we are still short two board positions. If unfilled we will have to look at management and accounting services to fill these gaps. That will be additional expense. Currently Joe Deller is helping with the treasurer duties and will through Jan. The board is looking at how some items can be done by others to ease the responsibility of this position. The board would like to continue our approach to be frugal and not raise dues, to continue to grow the savings account to the previous status that will safeguard us in the need to replace the sprinkler system “brain” and the walls at the entry way. Our walls are on county property. Please joining the BOD. We have many talented residents.

Other items that came up at the meeting are the continued misunderstanding of the change in the duties of the ACC, procedures for” failure to maintain”, and the sighting of one property on a violation. Briefly, last early summer three board members met with our attorney after the sighting of homeowners on violations of lawn and landscaping. Procedures set up by the liaison to the ACC at that time, were not followed. The Board members at the meeting with our Attorney were informed, that according to our original documents, the ACC should handle only changes to property and new construction. The board should handle failure to maintain. Policy and procedures were reviewed and found correct with a failure to maintain. 

To let you know this process, it involves receiving a signed concern in writing, two Board members observing the concern and if valid taking a picture dating and signing the copy. These board members will have to appear in court if it is an issue that is carried out to that end. Letters are to be sent by the board following a specific communication guideline: must be specific to the violation and site the exact restriction, reasonable time frame for the repair of the item sited, and request for dialog if hardship might be imposed or interpretation needed. Further communication with additional pictures if no action is taken by the owner, up to three letters, and then the interaction may be turned over to our Attorney for further follow up. The Board at that time took over the handling failure to maintain items.

The Board received a complaint from a home owner on a failure to maintain. The procedure was followed including several pictures to demonstrate the situation. A first letter was sent. An adversarial letter was returned, a second letter was sent. One aspect involved a code violation, the home owner who filed the complaint called this department. The failure to maintain was corrected. During this time frame a member of the ACC was removed from duty by the Board, relative to that persons actions on the failure to follow the previous guidelines when the ACC was handling the failure to maintain issues. The two remaining members ACC members resigned over the change in how the ACC functions, citing a “powerlessness” in the duty to maintain areas which they formerly handled.

As only one current member of the board was present at the meeting with the attorney last spring, (the two others have left the Board of Directors), a motion carried that the current Board will meet with an Attorney and go over our procedures in place, and who should address both ACC and failure to maintain issues according to our documents. Results will be reported on at the next HOA meeting in April.

A community member presented to the Board a contract from a HOA management company and requested that the Board review and consider such a contract to put all of these issues into the hands of a third party. Another home owner gave information on a second company offering such services. The Board will investigate these possibilities. Should we not have someone come forward to assist with accounting duties, the board will need to seek accounting services.

FYI from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit has observed a pattern of activity occurring within Hernando County and would like to warn citizens. There have been several recent fraud crimes committed that directly relate to mail theft. Both incoming and outgoing mail thefts have been reported. Identity theft, check theft and forgery, credit card theft, and fraudulent use of credit cards are a few of the crimes directly related to the mail theft. There have been prior arrests made and additional subjects related to this activity have been identified and are currently under investigation. This is not isolated to one geographic area, so all citizens should be on alert. Similar activity occurred several years ago, and a few subjects from that group are STILL in prison. The faster these subjects can be identified, the quicker similar crimes can be deterred. Tips to help prevent these type crimes:

1) Do not put outgoing mail in the mailbox the night before (especially if checks or personal ID information is in the envelope).
2) Use post office mail boxes or drop locations ,if possible.
3) If you have to use your mailbox ,put the mail in at the latest possible time to limit the availability to thieves. 4) If you will be out of town,put a “hold” on your mail or have someone you trust collect your mail for you. 5) If you believe you have a check/credit card that is overdue, contact your financial institution to make sure it hasn’t been delivered and/or has not been used.
6) If you make a check out to cash and put it in the mail,try to put as much detail as possible in the memo section to hopefully prevent and/or deter someone from attempting to cash it. (i.e. ,for John’s birthday, specific service, etc.).
7) If you observe a suspicious person/vehicle that appears to be driving around your neighborhood,call the HCSO (352-754-6830) with as much detail as possible. www.hernandosheriff.org SHERIFF Al Nienhuis

Information from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office

Below is a notice from the Sheriff's Office about documenting items in your house in case of a burglary or theft. Click here to print out a sheet that will help you. The items listed below are commonly stolen. Please document the items you have. Doing so will aide in the recovery of your belongings should you become the victim of a burglary or theft. List as many items as possible and be descriptive. Taking photographs of unique items such as jewelry can also helpful when attempting to recover stolen property. Firearms and collectables, i.e. Coin collections should be listed. Once you have compiled this list, keep it in a safe place along with the photos in case you become the victim of a crime.

Our deepest condolences

Our deepest condolences to our friend and neighbor Margaret Greco on the passing yesterday of her mother, Mrs. Angelo Mancuso.

 

With Sympathy.

 

Board of Directors and Community of Preston Hollow HOA.

Crime Watch Alert

A home on Hollow Oak Court was broken into for the second time last night.  This time both the screen cage in the rear of the home was cut and the glass on the front door was broken.  The Sheriff's department have been interviewing homeowners in that location for any sites or sounds they may have been aware of last night. We are notifying you so that you may be more vigilant for yourselves and others.

At our meeting last week Bill Thompson reported from the Sheriffs Department that although over all crime is down in Hernando County, there is an increase in break ins from the rear access to homes.  Many have gained entry because the rear doors or sliders have been left unlocked.  Please check rear entries before you leave your home, and before you retire at night.  Keep your screen doors locked as well.

Additionally there has been an increase in garage robberies.  This is done with the garage left unlocked, or opened and has been accomplished even while the owners are at home.  Do not leave your garage unlocked or open.  Trucks with small trailers or flat beds are being used for some of these robberies.  The garage is entered quickly and quietly emptied of valuable items.

We all see the same lawn care companies week after week but if you should see a strange marked or unmarked outfit you can call and report suspicious behavior to the department. We can also stop and ask them where they are going or if they are lost.  They then know that someone has taken note of their presence. Do not get out of your car and do not follow anyone, go home or use a cell phone to report suspicious behavior.

Bill Thompson our liaison to the Sheriff's Department will ask for increased night patrol in light of this second break in.  It might serve us all well if we turn on our outside lights before retiring for the night to keep the front of our houses better lit. It is known that there are fewer occurrences when lights are left on making someone more visible at our front door.  Having lights that are on motion sensors will also be a deterrent.

Should you see or hear anything unusual please call the 911 number at once and report the event. We can not have to many eyes and ears.

Judy Thompson  Member at Large

Crime Watch Update

CRIME ALERT! 2 new crimes

Type Description Case # Location Agency Date Map It BATTERY 2014-01850 300 BLOCK OF SPRING HAVEN LOOP Hernando County Sheriff 1/17/2014 8:33:00 PM Map It BURGLARY COMMERCIAL 2014-01758 11100 BLOCK OF COUNTY LINE RD Hernando County Sheriff 1/17/2014 7:43:00 AM Map It

Martin Luther King Day Information

The Brooksville MLK Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. and Lineup will begin near Hernando High School at the corner of Varsity and Oakwood Drive travels west down Oakwood Drive to Howell Avenue, then go south before turning east onto Fort Dade Ave. and ending at Bell Avenue.
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Hernando County government offices will be closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. City of Brooksville offices will be closed Monday, as will public schools. No mail will be delivered Monday.

Trash collection schedules and landfill hours will not be affected.

Preston Hollow HOA January 14th 2014 Meeting Reminder

The Preston Hollow Homeowners’ Association will hold its January HOA Meeting 1/14/14 at 7:00 PM. at NAMI ,The Beautiful Mind Center at 10554 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, Florida. John Emerson the Hernando County Property Appraiser will be our guest speaker. We Hope to see any many of our Homeowners' there.