Message from the Board

I hope you are enjoying our early summer weather. We continue to keep our building looking great inside and out so enjoy our amenities.

If you joined us for our April HOA meeting, you heard from our local SDPD team. Five officers attended our meeting, including our new Community Relations Officer, Marlo Woods, to share with us what is happening in our village and what we can do to keep our facility safe. The Board was very pleased when Detective Sgt. Dean Thomas stated that our security system is one of the best in downtown. The quality of our camera images, lighting and garage exit approach lead the community. We have worked hard to improve our systems and continue to do so with additional cameras being installed this month. He also stressed that we all must be vigilant to not leave any items in our vehicles and be very careful when letting people enter our building unless they show they have a FOB.

Det. Thomas also stated that we should never leave our garage FOBs in our vehicles in order to continue the success of our FOB exit system.

Our social committee has happy hour and movie events planned so watch for notices in the elevators. Speaking of La Vita committees, we can always use your help so please stop to see Sabrina to volunteer to work on our various committees. Most of our Board positions have been filled from past volunteers.

Our next major project is to paint the tower. Previously, we have painted our townhouses and the mid-rise and now as part of our reserve funding schedule, it is time to update the tower. In keeping with the color schemes of the townhomes and the mid-rise, we will add some new color to the tower. The work will start in June so for tower owners, be prepared to remove furniture etc. from your balconies in advance of the power washing and painting.

I hope to see you at one of our monthly HOA meetings. In the meantime, enjoy our summer weather at La Vita.

Ken Henehan
La Vita Board President

Thank you!

Your Board is aware that there had been some concerns regarding the implementation of using the FOBs to exit the garage. We are very grateful for your patience while this process was worked through.

Detective Dean Thomas, during the April meeting, informed us that our FOB exit requirements made it possible for SDPD to identify a suspect in a string of Downtown auto thefts. The fact that the suspect was unable to exit the garage quickly after a vehicle theft allowed detectives to extract a clear image and physical description.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Reminders

I’ve heard that the updated Homeowners Handbook (aka Rules & Regulations) has been approved? What are the highlights?

After much effort, discussion, and input from a number of homeowners, the updated Homeowner’s Handbook was approved during the April HOA meeting with two modifications from the original updates. The two modifications were concerning personal trainers and large groups in the common areas. Highlights of the updated R&Rs are:

• Contradictory language between the CC&Rs and the Handbook has been corrected. This included specifics about handicapped parking, flood and water damage mitigation, and maintenance requirements;
• Fee and fine scales were modified to more adequately address the most frequent violations including (but not limited to) renting for less than 30 days, failure to provide leases, and hazardous activities;
• Common area uses and concerns were clarified. This included adding language to cover the courtyard and barbecue areas, requirements that personal trainers must provide proof of liability insurance (naming La Vita as additionally insured) to the Management Office, and groups using the common areas are limited to residents and four additional guests unless prior approval from Onsite Manager and Board.
• Other specific changes can be found in the letter mailed to owners in March.

How will I get a copy?

We will send out hard copies of the updated Handbook as soon as we can get them printed. You can also pick up extra copies in the Management Office. Remember, if you have tenants you must provide them with a copy of the Handbook as well.

In addition, a PDF of the updated Handbook will be available on our website: www.lavitaHOA.org

Thanks to all of the Homeowners who participated in this process!

Summer reminders

With summer comes warm weather and….mosquitos!

If you have outdoor plants make sure there is no standing water in your plant trays. Mosquitos can breed in miniscule amounts of water. If you have anything else on your patios, decks, or balconies that could possibly retain please keep those empty as well. With concerns about West Nile virus, and the new Zika virus, we ask all residents to be proactive with mosquito abatement.

And remember, when watering outdoor plants please be mindful (and respectful) of your neighbors below. Make sure to use plant trays to catch any excess water and/or don’t overwater. A frequent complaint to management is regarding unexpected “showers” from plant watering on balconies above.

Smoking

Smoking of any type is not allowed in any common area, including exclusive use balconies, patios, or decks.

There has been a flurry of complaints about smokers recently. Remember that smoke will blow inside other units and cannot be “corralled” to your own unit or balcony.

If you experience issues with neighbors smoking, try to locate the offending unit. If possible contact security or onsite management while it is happening. Or contact the management during office hours.

Continued smoking violations can incur fines for the owner.

Owners, remind your tenants of the regulations regarding smoking.

La Vita HOA Meetings:

The next meetings are May 17, June 21. 6:30pm