June 20, 2012 BOD Meeting

Following are the Minutes for the Cloverleaf Center Condominium Board of Directors Meeting held June 20, 2012 in Conference Room A, Upcounty Regional Services Center, Germantown, MD, 20874. 

Farouk Youssef, President of the Association, called to order this regularly scheduled and announced meeting of the Board at 7:05 PM. Peter Franke, Andrew Kim, and Kreg Williams were present. Hinaya Jainoor arrived at 7:13 PM. The Manager was not available. 

Mr. Youssef noted that the doors and windows are the property of the Unit owners; the sliding doors must be removed, and if it must be replaced, the Owner must replace it. These buildings were built in 1994-97, and that is a long time ago. Steve Katchmark is here to speak later on the contractor’s proposal for replacing doors and windows. Kirby McCleary (SRG) is here and is also invited to speak later.

Mr. Franke asked to speak on several items of continuing business: There are several more instances of BBQs on Plex unit decks and patios; the 20608 DPP ACC request has been approved; and Condominium Bylaws, Chapter V, Section 14(k), states, in part: “…Any member who keeps or maintains any pet upon any portion of the Condominium shall indemnify and hold the Association, and each of its members free and harmless from any loss, claim or liability of any kind or character whatever arising by reason of keeping or maintaining such pet within the Condominium…”; additionally, our Rule 12 (June 3, 1997) states, in part: “…The law of the County addressing Animal Control and Humane Treatment is adopted as the principle of practice within the community…”  Summaries of these laws have been found at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/POL/districts/MSB/animal/summarylaws.asp  

A motion was made (PF/KG) to approve the May 16, 2012 minutes. Mr. Youssef objected to a comment in new business, item III. g. Mr. Youssef stated that it is easy to claim that they did building 1. They did not pay for it and left it for another board to deal with the debt, the lawyers, etc.  The tough part was to address how to deal with the roofs, which a recent MIT study says are responsible for 68% of leaks. We did six roofs for $350K. We are now opening building 2 to do the job as it should be built. That was promised, and will be done. Let us hold up: 4/0. 

The ACC added the following condition for approval of the garage door replacement request from 20520 Bridger Way: “Solid white, no windows.”

A motion was made (FY/AK) to pay the SRG invoices #7589 and 7590 by July 10. Approved: 5 Aye, 0 Nay.

Motion (FY/AK) to reject the bill and threat for non-payment letter from 13001 B: Mr. Youssef noted that work will be torn up by the contractor, and that was said here before. Mr. Kim noted that the owner did this on his own, and the work was not life-threatening or an emergency. Approved: 5/0.

Mr. Youssef noted that we should have had the money for the loan in the bank last week, but the bank’s lawyer found a lien on the property [including the town house property and everyone’s personal property.] Mr. Youssef will take action for trespass, and those who signed will be called to task. The lien has been removed, and we have a bill. 

A motion was made to approve the “Minutes of Meeting of the Board of directors of Cloverleaf Center Condominium [sic]”). [In plain language: The Condominium is authorized to borrow $1.3MM pursuant to certain loan documents. The loan documents are approved. The President and Treasurer are authorized to execute those documents on behalf of the Condominium, and other actions they deem necessary or advisable.] Approved: 5 Aye, 0 Nay, 0 Abstentions. Five copies were signed, a copy for each Director.

The meeting opened for public discussion. Gratitude was expressed; a question about the wood door frames; a comment about paying even more; a question whether the town houses are implicated in the loan [no]; and the order of work. 

Mr. Katchmark was invited to give an update: The roofing, trim work, gutters are done. Started the siding and replacing the wood trim, and investigating the backs (rot, framing.)

Mr. McCleary then spoke. He became involved two years ago. It was a slow process to find out what is wrong and to do the bidding, and to wait for the Association to get financing.  He investigated several of the six buildings, and found occurrences of leaks, negative sheathing, and other joint problems. He stated that in the mid 1990’s, Code did not require a weather resistant barrier, and water will find a lapse. Wall to roof joints were also not flashed properly.  Other issues found: Leaks around the sliders; deterioration and separation; water infiltration and deterioration of deck attachments; wooden floor trusses, supported on end of well beds, should attach to the ledger board (in one case, in building 3, was split.) 

Now, we have a handle on the other balconies. We’ve opened 50% of them in building 2, and did not find that. In building 2, we did find a gap and slope, and found that it had dropped, and that the block at the corner had deteriorated, due to an important defect in the design. Today we found the same condition in the opposite deck. This is not just a siding project, and we have found some structural damage, so we’re doing spot structural repairs, removing some sheathing, adding weather protection, and window and door flashing. New siding and roofs were an issue, and the window and door options.

 [Question from floor whether we’re going to remove the sheathing?] Mr. McCleary answered for deck only. [Statement from floor that in building 1 there were three stories of rot] Mr. McCleary answered that it does not have that damage or indication.  Mr. Katchmark also answered that if it is in poor shape, we will replace it, and if the thermo-ply [sheathing] is buckled, we will replace it.

Mr. Katchmark added that ideally, we want to pull all the windows, and we can replace windows at reduced cost. Doors [sliders] will be removed and put back in: We will need the help of the owners so we can remove and replace them.

Public questions and answers continued: Cost to replace a slider (about $900); warped door [will address]; quality of windows, doors (upper medium grade, better than what is there, and energy efficient); warranties (offer 5 years workmanship); what to do with deck stack (clip and water proof); the doors of delinquents (yes, a problem); can all windows and doors be done in one day (yes)?

Mr. Kim stated to just email all your requests to cloverleafproject@katchmark.com. Public discussion then broke into individual conversations involving the owners with Mr. Katchmark and Mr. McCleary.

A brief closed meeting was held to discuss the current delinquencies.

The meeting adjourned at 9 PM.