Newsletter February 09

MONTE CARLO’S Issue 3

N E W S L E T T E R February 2009

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE MANDATORY According to Florida Statute 718.111 (11) (g) (3), every Condo owner in Florida is required to purchase Homeowners Insurance. Even though, until now, the buildings were required to be insured, your apartment was not. In order to help Montecarlo Homeowners comply with this Statute and purchase their Insurance, Montecarlo’s Insurance agent will be providing information and price estimates at the Clubhouse on Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 11 am to 1 pm. Please make sure to take advantage of this opportunity and purchase insurance for your home. Not only will you comply with the law, but you will also be covered in case of flood and fire damages in your property. Failure to purchase insurance will entitle the Association to purchase insurance on your behalf and subsequently assess your unit to cover the cost. Please contact the PMO for further information.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Emergency: 911 *********** Police Non-Emergencies: 305-4POLICE 305-476-5423 ********* ************ Property Management Office

ARE YOU HAVING FINANCIAL TROUBLES WITH YOUR MORTGAGE? ARE YOU IN FORECLOSURE? MONTECARLO CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION CAN AND WILL HELP! With the economic downturn affecting the nation and increasing adjustable interest loan rates, many of our homeowners are facing financial difficulty and the menace of foreclosure. To help remedy this situation and assist those in need, a nonprofit association, Keep Your Property, in conjunction with your PMO, will provide you with useful tools to help you stay in your home. There will be a seminar held at the Clubhouse on Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 11 am to 1 pm. Many of the proposed workshops will assist you in learning how to modify your existing mortgage, lower your monthly payment, and work towards financial stability. Please contact the PMO at 305-940-2588 for more information.

305-949-2588 ************ FPL 305-442-8770 ******** A T & T: 866-620-6000 ************ Direcpath/Direct TV 866-430-7284 *********** Post Office 800-275-877 18640 NW 2 Ave & 16750 NE 4 Ct.

NEW OFFICE HOURS (Effective January 26, 2009) Monday through Friday 9 am -5 pm. ~ Closed for lunch. 12 pm - 2 pm

IMPROVING YOUR HOME? PLEASE LET THE PMO KNOW… Any owner looking to make improvements to their Unit must ensure that the PMO is notified of their intent, in accordance with the Condominium documents. To avoid hazards and/or property damages, and ensure full liability, contractors who are going to perform improvements on your property must be licensed and insured. Furthermore, the contractor must register with the PMO prior to start performing improvements on your property. You will be personally responsible for any damages to the condominium’s common areas, such as elevators and other owners’ units. Contractors are not allowed to dump remodel construction debris in the trash chutes and building dumpsters and you may be fined if they are caught. Please help the Board and Association keep our property clean and safe. Any questions that you might have, please contact the PMO at 305-940-2588.

TRASH IT, DON’T DUMP IT!!! Our property grounds and building hallways are routinely disfigured by illegal dumping of bulk objects, such as furniture, mirrors, TV and sound systems, etc. Please keep in mind that the dumpsters and hallways of our property are not locations to discard bulk objects, such as the ones above mentioned. Furthermore, the garbage trucks will not pick up any object outside of the Dumpster, nor any bulk furniture or large items that extend above the dumpster top. Any large bulky objects must be discarded at the Miami-Dade County landfill or neighborhood collection site intended for that purpose. The discarding of such objects is your responsibility, not the PMO’s. Also, any and all other garbage must be discarded either in the dumpsters intended for that purpose or in the garbage chutes located on every floor. Do not place garbage bags next to the garbage chute. If the chute is full take the garbage to the dumpster or wait until the chute is cleared the next day. Please remember to breakdown cardboard boxes to maximize the dumpster. Please be responsible and show that you care about your community by having the right reflex and keeping our community clean. If you have any questions, please contact the PMO at 305-940-2588.

MONTECARLO’S

NEWSLETTER

HELP THE PMO BE PREPARED FOR THE FIRE INSPECTION In order to assess the property’s safety, the fire inspector will be performing his yearly property inspection. One of the aspects of the inspection will be to ensure that the PMO has a valid key to access each and every unit in the property grounds. The keys are needed to enter the unit in case of an emergency, such as flooding or fire. Please ensure that the PMO has a working copy of your keys. If the PMO does not have the keys as required, the fire inspector

will fine the Association or the Unit owner for this oversight. In the event that the Association receives a fine, it will be assessed to your unit as the law allows. The deadline to provide a copy of your keys to the PMO is February 20, 2009. Please contact the PMO for further information.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

PEST CONTROL SCHEDULED VISIT The Pest control specialist will be coming to the property for fumigation on February 14, 2009, starting at 9 am. He will fumigate the kitchen and bathrooms on each unit. If you have any ants or other insects in some other areas of your house, let him or the PMO know, so he may fumigate them as well. Also, please ensure that you are home or that the PMO has the keys to access your unit. If you are going to be away, please disable your alarm so the fumigation can take place.

DOG POOP! All residents are reminded to pick up their dog’s poop. All you need to do is take two plastic grocery bags with you when you walk your dog. One to pick up the poop, and the other bag to put it in, then all you have to do is put it in a trash dumpster. No one wants to step in this mess and it does create a health and odor problem. Anyone resident caught not picking up after their dog will fined. Renters can and will be forced to move if caught twice. Report anyone not picking up their dog’s poop to the PMO.

Page 2

If your unit is your primary residence, you may be entitled to receive the Homestead Tax Exemption, which subtracts $ 50, 000 out of your assessed property value. This could reduce your tax payment as well as the escrow that you pay for your mortgage (if applicable) resulting in lower mortgage payments. Other exemptions are available such as military disability of 10% or permanent civilian disability. The deadline to apply for the Homestead Exemption and other exemptions is March 1, 2009. Applications are available online at www.miamidade.gov. You can also check to see if you already have the exemption at this site. Once completed, you may mail the application with all pertinent documents to the following address: Property Appraiser PO BOX 013140 Miami FL 33101 Or you may also go in person at the following locations: Stephen P. Clark Government Center 111 NW First Street Miami, FL 33128 South Dade Government Center 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 207 Cutler Bay, FL 33189 Do not wait! Take advantage of this exemption to save some money on your tax payments.

YOUR AD HERE

YOUR AD HERE

$ 25.00

$ 25.00