Villas Specific Information

Villas Bushes & Trees Trimming
- A reminder to villas owners that summer growth on bushes and trees needs to be trimmed away from siding, roofs, gutters, decks and fences to prevent damage during the winter weather.
- If you are unable to do the trimming, contact Select for a recommendation.
- Also mulch/soil should not come in contact with siding as this will cause it to rot. If you didn’t get the trimming done by fall, make sure you put it on your list for the next spring.

Villas Winterization
- The board cannot stress enough the importance of winterizing your unit by turning off the inside shut-off valves for exterior water spigots, removing hoses, then opening the spigot to allow remaining water to drain.
  - Check that there isn’t some water still coming through; if so, you may have to tighten the inside valve several times or call a plumber to fix leaking valves.
  - Emptying the pipes will prevent them from freezing and bursting during extremely cold weather.
  - Repairs are the owner’s (not the association’s) responsibility.
- If you are leaving for the winter, you may want to do more in case your furnace quits working.
  - There are many web sites with tips on winterization of your home. Just do a Google™ search on “winterizing your home.”
  - The board has implemented a winterization plan to help villa owners remember to properly winterize, and hopefully avoid needless, expensive repairs.
  - All villa owners are contacted by mail each fall, requesting that this winterization be done.
  - Select Management then inspects the exterior faucets to verify that the water has been turned off.
  - Thank you to all villa owners for your cooperation with this winterization program. We hope that it will help us all to avoid the headaches of flooded homes!
- Furnace Inspection
  - Another “winterization” item to consider is having an annual furnace inspection done by a qualified heating contractor prior to the onset of cold weather. This is particularly important if you are going to be away during the winter season, and doubly important if your furnace is more than a few years old, or has not been inspected in a couple of years.
  - For general peace of mind, Select offers a periodic home survey service while owners are away to be sure all is secure in your home. For more information about this program, contact Select Management at 734-663-1900.
  - DTE also offers a Home Protection Plan, which includes an annual furnace inspection. Again, the cost is relatively inexpensive compared to frozen and broken pipes.

Villa Owners Guidelines for Calling Select Management Vs. Your Own Contractor
- As a general rule, the Traver Lakes Association maintains the exterior, except for windows, doors, sliding glass doors, and exterior faucets, so generally for anything exterior Select Community Management should be called. Interior items, including windows and sliding glass doors, are your responsibility.
- The Traver Lakes Villas Maintenance Matrix from October 21, 2014 is the current document used to define villa owner responsibilities vs. association responsibilities.
- If you are in doubt, call Select Community Management! They have an emergency number to call, even on a holiday or weekends or in the evenings! And if you DO end up having an issue that the matrix details as an association responsibility, then you MUST call Select Community Management FIRST. If you do not, and you pay out of your own pocket, you may not be reimbursed.
- If the issue IS an association responsibility, then Select Community Management represents the association (all the villa owners) to observe the problem and to find and recommend the most effective and cost-efficient solution. Select Community Management is often able to negotiate better rates than an individual homeowner can, and they usually have had experience with whatever problem you are having and know who to call immediately, thus saving the association (all villa owners) money. So if you think your problem is an association responsibility, it MUST be reported to Select Community Management, and then it will be inspected by our property manager to determine the cause of the problem, whether or not it is an association responsibility, and what is the best and most cost effective solution for the problem. Remember, when in doubt, just call Select Community Management. The Emergency number is (734) 663-1900 ext 240.
- To submit a modification/maintenance request please download and fill out the Modification Request-Agreement Form and submit to Select Community Management. The Property Manager will bring it to the Board’s attention for review.

Villas Window Replacement
- The replacement windows should be architecturally similar in style to the existing window style. The window frames must be inset (insert style windows) and paintable in case the window doesn't come in the existing trim colors (i.e. brown). Many windows are white and will need to be painted to match the existing color scheme. Windows cannot be attached to the wood trim or siding on the building.
  - Step 1. Download and complete the Modification Request/Agreement – Exterior Windows/Door Walls (Patio Doors) Form.
  - Step 2. Download the TLCMA Window Modification Request Info document. It includes examples of proper and improper window installations. Refer to this information when shopping for your replacement window(s) and obtain all the pertinent model, color sizes, manufacturer information and make sure they are insert style windows.
  - Step 3. Submit the Modification Request/Agreement – Exterior Windows/Door Walls (Patio Doors) Form along with the brochure, specs, color, pictures, manufacturer information to the property manager for processing.
  - Step 4. The association board of directors will review the request and approve or reject the request.
  - Step 5. Once the request is approved, purchase and install the windows. If painting is required. Please contact the Property Manager to schedule the work.

Villas Sewer Unclogging
- If you are experiencing a slow or clogged basement drain, this is one maintenance area where you should definitely call Select Community Management first so a determination can be made about the location of the problem.
- There have been some instances of sewer drains clogging and backing up in villa units, causing flooding and damage to personal property and walls, carpet,etc. Villa owners or renters should have homeowners or renters insurance for such damage.
- The board strongly urges you to implement a preventative maintenance plan to prevent drain backups. It is not that expensive to periodically have your sewer drains “snaked out” to make sure they are draining properly. If you have trees near your villa, you might want to have this done once a year. For more information, contact Select Community Management.

Satellite Dishes & Communication Cables – Villas
- Villa owners must have satellite dishes approved by the board. If you already have a satellite dish without board approval, you still must come before the board and seek approval, or it is subject to removal.
- Villa owners are not permitted to attach satellite dishes to any exterior building component for which the association is responsible for maintaining (e.g. siding, roofing, fencing, decking, etc.). Satellite dishes are also not permitted to be placed in Commons areas. The board will consider the proposed satellite dish placement to determine if it is acceptable.
- Communication cables should not be strung along the exteriors of buildings or over roofs. Cables must be routed inside of buildings or use a wireless router.
- Unsightly and conspicuous satellite dishes and cables only detract from the appearance of the community and therefore reduce property value; and remember your neighbors may not enjoy looking at them.
- For buildings and decks being painted, satellite dishes and cables which are in the way may be removed to facilitate painting and will not be replaced.

Villas Homeowner Insurance, Rental Insurance, "Umbrella" Policies
- Just a gentle reminder: villa owners should have homeowner insurance.
  - The villas are not condominiums, but rather “zero lot line townhouses.” So make sure your agent is aware of that and sells you the proper policy. Renters should have personal property insurance.
  - Failure to have such insurance can leave you personally responsible for paying for thousands of dollars of damage to villas (or personal property) out of your own pockets! The cost of such homeowner/renter insurance is relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of potential damage to your personal possessions and restoration of the improvements in your villa (such as finished basements; upgrades of hardwood floors, new cabinets, new bathrooms and the like) and damage to other people's property. Usually, you will have a choice of the amount of the deductible.
  - Keep in mind that if you have a problem that is an association responsibility, the association by laws require only that the association repair or replace up to the state of the unimproved property, not including any improvements made by you or previous owners. For example, if you have a finished basement, and you suffer a loss, as a result of an association responsibility, that ruins your finished basement and your possessions in that finished basement, the association would be responsible only for repairs that return your basement to its unfinished state.
  - Your own personal homeowner policy would cover your personal possessions that were lost as part of the catastrophe and the return of your unfinished basement to its finished state, for example putting in dry wall, carpets, a bathroom, etc. So not only do you need your own homeowners insurance policy, but you also need to consider how much improvements in your villa need to be insured for.
  - Personal Liability "Umbrella" Insurance: You also may want to consider getting a personal liability umbrella insurance policy to cover your liability needs as well. Ask your insurance agent about this.

Window Air Conditioners in the Villas
- Because they detract from the appearance of the villas, window a/c units are not allowed.

Fire Code Info for Villas
- Villas owners are not permitted to use Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on balconies, decks, or anywhere within 10 feet of any combustible construction.
- The City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinance Chapter 111 FIRE PREVENTION, SECTION 308 OPEN FLAMES, 308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices - states “Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction”.
- For full information on the City’s Ordinance on Fire Code, see: https://library.municode.com/mi/ann_arbor/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIXPORE_CH111FIPR