Seville News March/April 2011

ALUMINUM WIRING FIRE IN FEBRUARY! Board of Directors

Don't think the aluminum wire problem can’t happen Kathe Gustafson President
to you or just affects others. Seville resident Vicky
(303) 690-1297
Wright had a fire in her townhome that was caused
by a faulty aluminum wire connection. Mike Simmons Vice President
She went into her bedroom about 8:00 a.m. and rphcolo@comcast.net
smelled smoke. Then she heard a sizzling sound Bill Hutchins Treasurer
and saw smoke. She immediately pulled the plug
that was in the smoking outlet and called the fire (303) 690-3036 bbhehu@gmail.com
department. Rex Bourne Secretary
The fire department shut off the electric power to (303) 699-0286 f9airbourne@comcast.net
the house and checked the outlet for continuing fire.
Chris Wiegand Member-at-Large
They also suggested that she call an electrician
before turning the electricity back on. chris@wiegandfamily.com
Vic ky c alled Alex at Aluminum W ire
Upcoming Recycling Dates
Repair who replaced the outlet and repaired the
connection. Please note the pictures of May 3rd May 17th
Vicky’s burned outlets throughout the newsletter. All
of the aluminum wiring repairs in her unit May 31st June 14th
have now been completed. Call Alpine Waste & Recycling at (303) 744-
Vicky was a skeptic about the need for the 9881 to get started today! There is a one-time
aluminum wire project before this fire happened, but $10 charge per recycling container ordered,
now she realizes that the whole building could have
Next Board Meeting: April 26th @ 4:15pm
burned down if she had not been home when it
started. Vicky says you are welcome to call Location: Mission Viejo Library, Large Room
her at 303-981-7072 if you are a skeptic too. Unless otherwise notified, meetings are every 4th
Tuesday of every month.
By Bill Hutchins

Help Prevent Identity Theft

You receive a phone call, from someone claiming to be a “jury coordinator” or an “officer of the court”.
They may even say they are from your bank or mortgage company. They say you failed to report for
jury duty, or your card was reported stolen, maybe even that you are being foreclosed. The caller then
asks for your social security number, birth date or maybe even a credit card number, for “verification
purposes”.
If this happens to you, ask them what company they’re with, their name, and say you will call them right
back. Do not give personal information about your identity over a call you received. Whether it’s your
bank, a credit card company or the government, you should always call them back and ask if the
person who called you works for the company, and ask to be transferred if it’s legitimate.
Many people each year fall prey to these scams. Once a criminal has your information they can easily
apply for loans in your name, open accounts as you, and then they’re gone and you are left with the
debt and bad credit. A little prevention can keep your identity secure.

By Chris Wiegand
 Page 2

WIRING #1 – PLAYING WITH FIRE

If your name is on the list of 134 Seville owners who haven’t had your aluminum wiring repaired,
you’re strongly advised to continue reading this article. Your safety and possessions may depend on it!

If you’re one of the 109 who have already completed the aluminum wire repairs in your home or whose
units were originally built with copper wiring, please skip down to the Wiring #2 and #3 articles.

Okay, we understand that all 134 of you are really tired of facing this wiring stuff in every single issue of
the newsletter for more than 3 years now. We’ve heard all the excuses: You have other stuff to deal
with, money’s tighter than ever these days, it’s a huge inconvenience, etc., etc. So let’s look at it from a
different angle.

Many of the owners who’ve already had the work done were shown graphic proof of fire disasters wait-
ing to happen. There was evidence of hot spots, singing, or melting on the wires or near their outlets.
Further proof comes from the several electrical fires that have already occurred in Seville, two of them
just within the past couple of months. Thankfully, no one was hurt and damage was “relatively minor.”

But there’s always a next time. When you ignore electrical wiring consisting of a type of material which
was never designed or intended to be used for that purpose, it will cause problems eventually – espe-
cially when it’s more than 30 years old. You’re literally playing with fire if any of your lights flicker when
on or they trip the circuit breaker.

“Insurance will cover me if there’s a problem,” you say? Well, yes and no. Your homeowners policy
may replace your personal property such as computer and recliner if there’s a fire inside your unit. But
the Association would be unable to do anything to replace damage to the outside of your building. Or,
let’s suppose we have another severe hailstorm. All 233 of us may find ourselves without roofs over our
heads because there won’t be any exterior insurance coverage – for any of us – for any reason. Can
you see now how your failure to repair your aluminum wiring in your townhome becomes our problem
because it will cancel the property insurance for all of us here in Seville on December 31, 2012? Do
you understand now why there’s been so much attention paid to aluminum wiring?

You 134 owners have until December 31, 2011 to voluntarily get your aluminum wiring repaired. On
January 1, 2012, the Seville Townhome Association takes over in order to have all 233 units in compli-
ance by December 31, 2012. In 2012, you will forfeit all control in the matter. The work will be done for
you, even if legal action is required to get it done. With so few contractors certified to do this type of
work and the insurance companies requiring it to be done on most structures with aluminum wiring, it’s
probable that your convenience for the two days necessary to complete the job won’t be given much
consideration. The costs for the repairs will result in a lien being placed on your home, so that means
you’ll have to pay the lien off before you can sell it should you want to move.

You may want to look into the City of Aurora’s home renovation loan program that several of us have
taken advantage of (see page 3 for more details). It’s especially designed for owners who don’t plan to
move from their homes for many years. Feel free to call me for more information from first-hand experi-
ence.

But you’re strongly advised to get started now and do something about repairing the aluminum wiring in
your townhome. Time is running out – for all of us.
 Page 3

WIRING #2 – CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION

Westwind informed the Board during the March meeting that their numbers aren’t adding up. There’s
quite a difference between the number of certificates in their file and the number of owners who claim
their work is finished. We have approximately 69 certificates on file currently.

If the electrical contractor gave you an original Certificate of Completion or notarized letter, it is your
responsibility to provide that paper to Westwind so it can be forwarded to the insurance company. A
call to Lisa’s office can verify whether or not your certificate is on file. You are strongly advised to take
care of this oversight as soon as possible so you won’t incur future inconvenience for non-compliance.

WIRING #3 – COPPER WIRED UNITS

The good news is that approximately 30 units in Seville, originally constructed with copper wiring, are
exempt from the expensive aluminum rewiring project. The bad news is that you still need to certify it.

If you think your unit has copper wiring, you can hire any licensed electrician for verification. The elec-
trician then needs to give you a letter or document to submit to the Association’s insurance company to
prove it.

Please complete this important task as

soon as possible.

By the Seville Board of Directors

To the right is a picture of an outlet

taken from Vicki Wright’s unit when she
called an electrician after a recent fire.
Luckily she was at home when the fire
happened, or it could have been a major
catastrophe for everyone in her building!

Affording your COPALUM

rewiring
I can certainly understand that many of you are concerned about how to pay for the rewiring. When I
first found out how much it might cost me, I honestly freaked. Once I calmed down, I started to save my
money each month towards the cost, but even with that I will still have to take out a loan to finish
paying for the rewiring.

I recently visited my bank to start the process to borrow the money. They worked with me, and gave
me a few options. I could take a personal “signature” loan for the repairs, I could use my credit cards
(and pay exorbitant interest rates) or I could use my car for collateral on a secured loan. If you make
under $48,000 a year you may qualify for assistance from the City (see page 4 for contact info).
Please consider talking to your bank NOW to find out what options you have for paying for the rewiring
and get the paperwork started. Waiting to figure this out at the last minute will cause unnecessary
stress and may delay getting your wiring fixed.

By Chris Wiegand
 Page 4

Advertisements
Guest Parking and Fire Lanes
There are two issues that repeatedly come before
the Board. These are the issues of unit residents
parking in the Guest Parking spaces and people
parking in the fire lanes.

Section 8.06 reads “Vehicles owned or operated by

a resident or members of his family shall be parked
in the garage designated for use with the Lot/
Townhome occupied by the resident. Parking of
vehicles on Association Property outside the
designated garage including, but not limited to, the
Common Area, “Guest Parking” spaces, alleys, Aluminum Wiring Assistance
and firelanes is prohibited.” Section 8.07 is even
more clear, stating “Parking of any vehicles in Call Anita Burkhart with the City of Aurora at (303)
driveways and fire lanes is prohibited.” 739-7900 for information on the Single Family
Rehabilitation Loan Program. The Aurora
The problem comes in enforcing the above Neighborhood Services Department may be able to
sections. The Property Manager not only manages assist you with paying for your aluminum wiring
our 47 buildings of 233 units, but also manages 6 project if you qualify.
other properties with 940 units. The manager is not
a meter maid, and to effectively use her time it is
essential that when you observe a resident parking
Aluminum Wiring Reminder
in a “Guest Parking” space that you obtain the The deadline for voluntary
license plate number, the date and time of the wiring compliance is:
event and, if possible, if it is a recurring issue.
Please email or call Westwind Management and
give them this information, along with your name
December 31, 2011
and address. The information will be processed in
accordance with Seville procedures, and the Board 29% of units certified
treats the identity of the source as confidential.

Regulation #2 of the Covenant discusses towing

and you may want to familiarize yourself with it.
The issue of parking in the fire lanes is more
serious and can be quite expensive.

The Fire Department and other emergency vehicles

have the legal authority to clear a path so they can
perform their duties. If your car is parked in the fire
lane, they have the authority to push it out of the
way and they may use their vehicle to do so,
possibly incurring damage to your vehicle. The
owner can be ticketed by the city for $75 plus court
and legal costs. Additionally, it is a violation of
Section 8.06 of the Covenants and the Board may
take action on the violation. If you file a claim with
your insurance company, they may not choose to
pay for damage done while your vehicle was
illegally parked.
By Mike Simmons
Friends of Mission Viejo Library PAC
Many members from the Board, along with others
interested in keeping the Mission Viejo Library
open, attended a community meeting in late March
to discuss setting up a political action committee.
The PAC will organize a petition to put a measure
on this November’s ballot asking voters to approve
a General Improvement District to help fund the
library. With an added cost of $25 per household
per year, we can have a library that has enough
books for everyone. Contact any member of the
Board if you'd like to sign the petition and someone
will bring it to you at your convenience.
 Page 5

Important Contact Information for Seville Board Actions

Lisa Spriggs, CMCA ®, Account Manager
303-369-1800 x113 During the regular February session, the Board
Lisa@westwindmanagement.com approved the HOA’s tax return, decided not to file a
lawsuit against the siding manufacturer, and approved
Lynnette Maury, Accounting Representative the renewal of Summit Service’s annual contract.
303-369-1800 x109
Lynette@westwindmanagement.com The Board held a work meeting on March 1st in order
to tour the property and review Summit Services’ bids
Tara Delgado, Administrative Assistant to revitalize the Common Area. Summit has already
303-369-1800 x125
started work to replace existing landscaping with
Tara@westwindmanagement.com
newer material that will use less water.
During the regular March session, the Board approved
several work orders for Summit Services, declined
some bids, and reviewed the issue of a bank-owned
unit that had water damage due to a cold snap, which
caused damage to an adjacent unit as well.

Landscaping Update
The Board of Directors has been taking steps to move forward with some much-needed renovations to
the community’s landscaping in 2011.
The goal is to increase water conservation and manage the water we do use more wisely. Last year
Summit Services, our landscape company, went through the entire irrigation system and identified
many areas that are inefficient or waste water. Some of these areas are due to normal growth of the
plantings on the property, while others are older design practices that didn’t address the expense of
water and maintenance of supplying it.
There have already been some areas on the property that had trees and shrubs removed for reasons
of the safety of our residents and overgrowth hampering maintenance. The plant replacements in the
areas that are being renovated are selected by the guidelines of aesthetics, water use and long-term
maintenance. Plant selection will also include as much color as possible without increasing the cost of
maintenance. Plants selected are part of the Xeriscape plant list developed for the region.
The main goal for Seville is to increase the value of the property without increasing the expenses to
maintain it. The Board is making decisions based on sound economic principles to provide an updated
appearance for all residents in the community.
By Pat Bruno, Summit Landscaping

Below you will find a summary of budget from last year and this year. If you have any questions, please contact
our treasurer Bill Hutchins at bbhehu@gmail.com or (303) 690-3036.
Year To Date Annual
Operating Fund Actual Budget Variance Budget
Delinquencies:
Total Income $153,684 $151,656 $2,028 $606,624
Expenses $135,224 $161,535 $26,311 $606,624 March $13,460.34
Net Gain $28,338

Replacement Fund
Acct. Balance $54,474
Remember to pay your dues
Income $120,537 $48,303 $72,234 $193,214 before the end of the month in
Expenses $32,932 $53,346 $20,414 $213,385 order to avoid late fees on your
Acct. Balance $165,132 account.
 These were found inside of a Seville resident’s unit during her
COPALUM rewiring. Read inside for more information on what you
need to do to prevent this from happening to you!

Se v i l l e T o wn h o me A sso ci a t i o n , I n c.

15150 E Iliff Ave

Aurora CO 80014-4513

www.sevilleaurora.com