Stonecreek Homeowners Association

March 2003 Issue

Mar 05, 2003

Stonecreek NEWS
Stonecreek Homeowner's Association, Gilbert, AZ 85234 Monthly Newsletter March 2003

DIRECTOR'S CORNER:
YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!
The Stonecreek HOA Board of Directors is very concerned about the future of our Association. It cannot be said enough that we need homeowners to take the time to become a member of the Board of Directors. Please consider the enclosed Board of Directors Candidate Form. In May, the Board will have three vacancies to fill, with only two members remaining on the Board. This would be considered a breech of the By-Laws of Stonecreek HOA. Thus, the Association may be forced to go outside the neighborhood to find a Board of Director. However, the Board of Directors would prefer that only current homeowners of Stonecreek HOA serve on the Board.

Being a Board of Director is not just all work, we do manage to have some fun. One fun event that we look forward to is the Annual Ice Cream Social. We are planning the Ice Cream Social for April, before the Annual Meeting. Last year this event was a huge success. If you have any suggestions for this year's social, contact Borg Property Services.

As you may have noticed, the weeds are sprouting up throughout Stonecreek. Borg Property Services was forced to send out more than 260 violation notices in February. Everyone in Stonecreek is busy, but taking pride in our homes should be a priority. Violations in the Association are an expense that is unnecessary. The cost for the stamps, paper, and envelopes can be very high with so many violations. Please be a good neighbor - take care of your property so that your property value and that of your neighbor will continue to increase.

ANNUAL MEETING
May is the annual meeting for the Stonecreek Homeowners Association. Location: new Gilbert Rec. Center
Date: May 7, 2003
Alt Date: May 14, 2003
Time: 7-9 PM

There will be three vacancies on the Board of Directors (The term of office for Jack Maas and Judy Morgan will expire plus two unfilled positions.)

Anyone interested in becoming involved in their HOA, and who is interested in becoming a member of the Board, is encouraged to submit the Board of Director's Candidate form found in this newsletter to Borg Property Services.

The names of the people interested in becoming a Board member will be accepted from now until March 19, 2003. The April newsletter will contain a list of all the candidates and their qualifications plus the usual proxy & absentee forms. The proxy form/absentee ballot is for any homeowner who would be unable to attend the May Annual meeting to cast their vote.

As a member of the Board of Directors, your responsibility would be to attend the board meetings, conduct the business of the association, act in the best interest of the HOA, and act as a reasonable person.

There is normally one board meeting a month lasting approximately two hours. This meeting is usually during the third week of the month. The exact day of the meeting is agreed upon by the Board members and Borg Property Services each month. (We have families, classes, meeting, etc. too.)

QUESTION TO THE BOARD
Q. Last month's newsletter stated that the HOA had to ?‘tighten its belt'. What is the Board doing to tighten our belt?

A. We're doing several things:
1. We are going out for bid on various service contracts to insure that we are getting good value for services rendered (See pending contracts),
2. Consolidation of real estate tax parcels to reduce Stonecreek's real estate tax liability,
3. Borg Property Services has taken a voluntary price cut for their management fee this calendar year,
4. Capital projects are being delayed for future consideration,
5. On-site guard service at the pool during the swim season may be eliminated this year,
6. Winter rye grass was not planted and may not be planted this year.

HOA ACTIVITY:
CONTRACTS
Awarded:
Ice-cream Social vendors
Pending:
While not necessarily making changes in service companies, the following contracts are being evaluated for cost efficiency:
monthly pest control - common areas,
weekly tennis court maintenance,
weekly pool maintenance,
pool area surface maintenance,
rest room maintenance.

Stonecreek Homeowner's Association Newsletter. Published monthly.
Web Site: www.neighborhoodlink.com/gilbert/stonecreek

CALENDAR:
March
3 - "Star Spangled Banner" became the US National Anthem (1931)
11 - Town of Gilbert Primary elections,
12 - Girls scouts of USA founded (1912),
17 - Uncontained trash pick up week,
17 - St. Patrick's Day,
26 - Board of Director's meeting, *
29 - Feathered Friends Festival. *
April
6 - Begin daylight-saving time,
23 - Board of Director's meeting*
May
3 - Annual Ice Cream Social
7 - Annual HOA Meeting,
14 - Annual HOA Meeting (Alternate)
* NOTE: The Board of Director's usually hold their monthly meetings at the Mesa Public Library (64 E. 1st Street, Mesa, AZ) from 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM. Confirm meeting date and times with Nancy or visit our web site calendar. If you wish to speak at the Board meeting, contact Nancy by March 19, 2003 so that you may be added to the agenda.

Call 480-503-6871 if you have questions about the Gilbert primary election.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
BOARD ACTION ITEMS
The following items are currently under discussion and consideration by
the Board of Directors:
ACC seeking volunteers,
New Board Members,
Val Vista/Juniper retaining
wall/Front landscaping.
If you have any topics you wish to have addressed by the Board of Directors, please contact Borg Property Services at 480-456-6927 or e-mail at BorgProp@AOL.COM.

IDENTITY THEFT - AGAINI thought I was always being aware of identity theft. Note that I said "I thought" because I was very surprised when I received a phone call from one of my credit card holders inquiring about unusual purchases on one of my cards. And it was on a card that I had not used in a long time. It turns out that my card number had been ?‘compromised' by some unknown person. The authorization had been denied, so I was not liable for any purchases, but it could have been different.

Since I shred everything with my address, phone or social security number, how could this happen? Best guess is they put pieces of information together and then used sequential numbers until they found a valid credit card number. (We don't have control over what a merchant does with their charge slips - especially those voided and "destroyed at the end of the day".)

They didn't steal my identity as much as they could have, but they were on their way of taking my money. So, watch everything. Browse sites like www.fraud.org for information about telemarketing and Internet fraud.
Narrative by Nick Koroulis

THANKS MIKE
Mike Armstrong (a Stonecreek resident) was discovered painting the block wall around his house because he cared about his property and wanted to keep it looking nice. Thanks Mike!

ANNUAL ICE-CREAM SOCIAL MAY 3
It's going to be that time of the year. No, not taxes, not mid term exams, but our Second Annual Ice Cream Social. It will be on May 3, 2003 at the tennis courts. Some of the activities will include: clown/face painting, D.J., moon walk and ice cream. This will be a BYOC&B (Bring Your Own Chair & Beverage) event, so come prepared. Watch for further information.

DAY OF FUN W/ANIMALS
The Riparian Reserve at Water Ranch will hold its 3rd annual Feathered Friends Festival March 29 from 9:00-2:30. Admission is free. There will be over 50 activities and exhibits. Find us across the lake from the Southeast Regional Library.

WANT TO JOIN A COMMITTEE?
Call Nancy Borg for information.

PAINTING? BUILDING? DIGGING?
The CC&R's require ACC approval before starting projects that will change the appearance of your home or yard. (Blue stake: 602-263-1100.)

HOW'S YOUR STUCCO?
Before it gets too hot outside, now might be a good time to look at the outside of your home and make any repairs that might be needed. We have found that those homeowners who do yearly maintenance on their fences (wrought iron/block) are the homeowners with the least damage.

Look at the walls around your home, seal cracks, scrape rust and paint as necessary to keep the work load manageable and keep the expense down. You might want to do the same with the stucco on your home.

Those homeowners with a wrought-iron fence that abuts a common area is a "common wall". The Association will reimburse an individual homeowners the actual cost of the material to paint this common wrought-iron wall, up to a maximum of $50.00. For more information, contact Nancy Borg.

APPROVED PAINT COLORS:
BASE COLORS: (Dunn Edwards or equivalent)
Pheasant, Baja White, Desert Dawn,
Navajo White, Bone China

No ACC approval is needed if the house will be all one color and you use an approved base color. Likewise, no ACC approval is needed to paint the "pop-outs" (raised stucco surrounding the windows and/or garage) if an approved trim color is used.

TRIM COLORS: Original Cinnamon, Briar, Dry Earth, Adobe South
ROOF TILE = Monier #1604 or equivalent Lifetile #108.

Call Frank (Stonecreek resident) at 480-926-4412 to review or checkout the paint chips. He asks that you call him between 10 AM - 8 PM, M-F.

If you choose a different color than those approved by the ACC, then you must submit an ACC form with a large sample of the color you wish to use. You must allow 45 days for approval of a new color.

TAX SCAM?
Be on-guard for scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You can report suspected tax fraud to the IRS at 1-800-829-0433.

TAX SCAM REPORTED
"A scam is being conducted via e-mail. If you are sucked in, you will be sorry you ever heard about the Internet. Some taxpayers have received an e-mail from a non-IRS source (of course acting as an IRS source) indicating that he or she is under an audit. The Email also requires completion of a questionnaire within 48 hours to avoid the assessment of penalties and interest. The e-mail refers to an "e-audit" and references IRS form 1040. The "questionnaire" asks for social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other confidential information. Do not provide the requested information. This is probably an identity-theft attempt... the IRS does not conduct "e-audits", nor does it notify taxpayers of a pending audit via email. . . . "
Source:Taxperts, Ltd, & Martin Freeman Cpa
WWW.TAXpertsltd.com/indexhot.html downloaded 2/17/03

UNRESOLVED TAX PROBLEMS?
If you are unable to resolve an ongoing tax problem through normal IRS channels, try the Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS.

This service is an independent organization within the IRS, headed by the National Taxpayer Advocate.

Contact this service if the established IRS systems have failed to resolve the problem or dispute.

To contact the taxpayer advocate in Arizona, call 602-207-8240.

EDITORS' WEB SITE OF THE MONTHwww.benefitscheckup.org
Two hundred plus pharmaceutical companies have various programs to help people afford their medications. This web site does not require a name or a SSN, but after obtaining certain information from you, it will search a database to see if you qualify for any assistance on your medications. Folks here in down town Stonecreek HOA qualify, so give it a try.

FREESTONE PARK CONCERTS:
March 6, Apr. 3,
May 1, June 5, 2003

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATE FORM
The following form to be completed by any person wishing to be elected to the Stonecreek Homeowner's Association Board of Directors. This information is to be received by Borg Property Services by March 19, 2003. Any form not received by this date will not be included on the proxy form which will be mailed in the April Newsletter. The information below will appear in the newsletter, except address, lot #, and phone numbers.

We will have three (3) positions to fill at the May election. Any person running for the Board of Directors must have the following qualifications:
Act in the best interest of the HOA,
Act as a reasonable person,
Be in good standing with the Stonecreek HOA,
Be an impartial observer,
Make commitments of both time and effort to the running of the HOA,
Cooperate with other Board members and the property management company.

If you have any questions regarding the Board of Directors, please contact Nancy at (480) 456-6927.
******************************************************************************************************************
Name: ____________________________

Address: ____________________________ Lot #: _____________

Home Phone #: _______________________ Work Phone #: _________________

Number of years you have lived in Stonecreek: ____________

Why would you like to be a member of the Board of Directors? __________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

If you are elected to the Board of Directors what would you like to accomplish? _____________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Please attach any additional comments on separate paper. Return this form to:

STONECREEK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
BORG PROPERTY SERVICES
1245 W. GUADALUPE ROAD, SUITE B6-306
MESA, ARIZONA 85202MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 19, 2003
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NEWSLETTER DEADLINE:
March 10, 2003 is the deadline for all information to be in the next issue. (1268 E. Laurel Ave., Gilbert, AZ 85234.)

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that you only pay one penny for five gallons of fresh tap water? (SRP/CAP)
HAS THIS BEEN RECALLED?
Visit www.SafetyAlerts.com for a list of drugs, consumer products, autos and food that has been recalled.

"You Can Never Do a Kindness Too Soon Because You Never Know How Soon it Will Be to Late."
Emerson

NOLVADEX or TAMOXIFEN or PRILOSEC
On February 20, 2003, the FDA approved multiple generics for Tamoxifen citrate (sold under the brand names Nolvadex and Tamoxifen). The FDA has recently approved generics for Prilosec. Always consult with your doctor on all medications.