IMPORTANT FACTS REGARDING CONDO ASSOCIATIONS' INSURANCE RENEWAL

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I hope this message finds everyone in good health and joyful spirits before the Holiday Season. Reading about insurance is not always the most enjoyable thing, but every so often we feel compelled to reach out to the Village Residents and clear the air. Hopefully this communication is not too cumbersome.

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We have been working on the renewal policies for the Associations in Century Village West Palm Beach for the past 4 Months. As you may already know, Brown & Brown successfully proposed the best coverage terms and premium options against two well known competitors: “Insurance Office of America” and “Corporate Insurance Advisors”.

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As the Incumbent Agent for some 240 Associations in Century Village, we were able to improve the coverage terms when available, and the premiums when possible again this year.

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For the past few weeks, we have been aware of other Agencies meeting with Associations on an individual basis and sending around “Estimated Quotes”. They then ask for an Agent of Record letter to be signed on their behalf so that all of our hard work over the past 4 months can be assigned to them based on their “Estimations”.

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As you review these guessed premiums and coverage terms please consider the following:

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Property Insurance:

1. Ordinance & Law coverage that is in place for your Associations has been cut in half in the estimates:

The “Estimated Quotes” severely reduce the Ordinance & Law Coverage we have in place for the Associations. The coverage mentioned limit is only HALF OF THE ACTUAL COVERAGE. For a Building Insured for $1,500,000 Limit, the Ordinance & Law Coverage is REDUCED FROM $75,000 In Coverage TO $37,500 in Coverage. If you see a lower premium in the property quotes from estimates, you will know why.

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1. DUE TO CLAIM HISTORY IN PREVIOUS YEARS MANY ASSOCIATIONS IN CV-WPB ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A $2,500 DEDUCTIBLE!

Either way, the difference in premium between a $2,500 Deductible and $5,000 Deductible is about $80 Per Association, Per Year! It’s not recommended to have such a low deductible for older buildings. The claims frequency will increase rates in future years.

1. The very large deductible that is of the highest concern for the association is the Hurricane Deductible. The other estimates DO NOT and CANNOT provide an option to reduce this deductible so that large assessments can be avoided following a Hurricane.

Liability Insurance:

• THE COVERAGE LIMIT APPLIES TO EACH ASSOCIATION ON A SEPARATE BASIS FOR BROWN & BROWN’S INSURANCE PROGRAM. THAT WAS THE CASE IN 2011, AND WILL BE THE CASE IN 2012.
• It is irresponsible and incorrect to suggest that the coverage limit is shared on our program. The insurance policy clearly states the application of separate limits for each Association.

Equipment Breakdown Insurance:

• Once again, the “Estimated” quotes being circulated around the Village also EXCLUDE this key coverage part. One guess is that this is so that the total premium can be made to look lower on their “estimates”.

Umbrella Policy:

• OUR UMBRELLA POLICY LIMIT ALSO APPLIES SEPARATELY TO ALL ASSOCIATIONS. IT IS NOT A SHARED LIMIT.
• The coverage limit offered in the “estimated” quotes distributed to associations provides a much lower coverage limit than that of our policy. In fact it is $10,000,000 less in coverage.

Directors & Officers Coverage:

• Our coverage form and deductibles are more beneficial. We will be happy to share the 5 page coverage comparison form that was provided to the Insurance and Bid Committees with you upon request.

Crime Policy:

• Coverage has been extended both in coverage limits, and coverage terms for the renewal.

As you compare our Proposals to the Estimated Guesses of others, please pay special attention what you’re being asked to give up. All in all, we believe you will still find our proposals to be more competitive in pricing when compared to any other available out there.

Please come see us at the UCO office during the week days so that we can address any questions in coverage forms, payment schedules, or premiums. We will continue our hard work for Century Village West Palm Beach.

Happy Holidays; and a Healthy 2012!

Ty Beba, CPCU, CIC, ARM, AIC

Executive Vice President

Brown & Brown-Palm Beach/Treasure Coast Division

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JUDGE POULTON'S TRANSPORTATION ORDER

NEW CV BUS TO ARRIVE ON JANUARY 1, 2012

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Hi all,
Occasionally, I am asked why our CV bus system is a common expense. It is so, because of a court case decided in 1983. (Official Records, Book 3961 Page 1864)

The decision is to be found at the following URL:

http://goo.gl/PoGn8

Judge Poulton's decision may also be accessed from the sidebar under Core Documents.

This is a reasonable decision devolving from Condominium living. In due course of time, we may all require the buss to get around. We have one of the finest transportation systems in Florida, try it, and  enjoy.

Dave Israel
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Happy Chanaukkah and Merry Christmas to all bloggers!!!

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy 2012!!!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

On behalf of myself and everyone at Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. I want to wish you a happy holiday season and a happy and healthy new year.

ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance - the new security company is here. Help them do their job, we are our own best friends, if you see something suspicious call the rover car (561) 459-0740. Please.

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SEARCH/NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

IMPORTANT

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!

WHEN YOU ARE WRITING YOUR BIO, DO IT AS IF

YOU ARE APPLYING FOR A JOB.

IT MUST BE IN "RESUME" FORM

GIVE US A SHORT HISTORY OF LIFE BEFORE

COMING TO CENTURY VILLAGE.

WHAT WAS YOUR OCCUPATION AND EDUCATION?

FOLLOW IT UP WITH WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN

CENTURY VILLAGE AND

FOR WHAT POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING.

IF YOU SUBMITTED YOUR BIO IN ANY OTHER FORM,

PLEASE RE-DO IT IN THE ABOVE FORMAT.

E MAIL ALL RESUMES TO ME AT

RGWLBF@GMAIL.COM.

PLEASE DO THIS AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE. TIME IS SHORT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, E MAIL

ME AT THE SAME ADDRESS.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

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UCO REPORTER - JANUARY 2012 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

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Hi all,
UCO proudly announces the publication of the online edition of the January 2012 issue of the UCO Reporter.

Please follow the link:     http://goo.gl/I3GFe

The UCO Reporter online may also be accessed via the sidebar link.

Dave Israel
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Where is our Grass?

Spring to Fall

The weather in Florida is so extreme, drought, flood, drought, etc. that whole species of plants disappear from year to year. I remember when there was no Riccardia – the starry flower ground cover (so I am told) – everywhere now.
My Association grass died last Spring, a few weeds began and now they provide total cover (no grass). I do not mind. The weeds are frogfruit, sorrel, day flower, riccardia, little yellow flowers, dollar weed (oops too much rain). I hope they continue to fill our place.

Holidays in CV

Try a tour of the village by day or night.

Passwords

Sites where I have a password encourage me to change the password every few months. Do passwords become weaker with time??

NOTICE OF SHOW CANCELLATION - REFUND AVAILABLE IF DESIRED

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - REFLECTION BAY

REFLECTION BAY

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The image above is the latest data from the County. Note well the dimensions marked in red showing distances from CV buildings in Greenbrier and Golf's Edge. Dimensions (in red) from structures, roads, and the water. Just what we, or our parents purchased here for!! Let the County Commissioners know what you think.

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Dave Israel

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PBC COMMISSIONERS - EMAIL ADDRESSES

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Hi All,

Following are the Email addresses of our Board of County Commissioners.

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Please let them know your views concerning development of the Golf course:

kmarcus@pbcgov.org

pburdick@pbcgov.org

svana@pbcgov.org

sabrams@pbcgov.org

baaronso@pbcgov.org

jsantama@pbcgov.org

ptaylor@pbcgov.org

BCC-AllCommissioners@pbcgov.org

Dave Israel

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Car Wash Pad

I will apologize in advance if this subject has been covered in the past, but I was wondering if C.V. has a location with a spigot available for residents to wash their cars? For the time being, I am able to wash my car and would like to spare the expense of the car wash. Additionally, it seems the car wash scratches or damages something after each visit. If it is an issue of water conservation, could "gray" water be used?

Is there any prohibition of an individual condo making such an accommodation available?

NO TO REFLECTION BAY!

In perpetuity means FOREVER. Let's hope the Commissioners agree also and say NO to construction on the now-defunct golf course.


Why not use the land as a park where we could go walk or bike at our leisure, in a safe environment?

Just think: turning this land in a "community" will only destroy another natural habitat and ultimately cause traffic, noise, crime, overcrowding, air pollution, flooded area, etc.

Is this what we really want?

DELEGATE ASSEMBLY- DECEMBER 9, 2011 - LIVE IN CYBERSPACE

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Hi all,

The Delegate Assembly video of December 9, 2011 is now live in Cyberspace for your viewing pleasure.

Follow the link:     http://goo.gl/CLT4f

You may also access the Delegate Assembly videos for the past three years by way of the sidebar.

Dave Israel
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GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT - REFLECTION BAY - TOWN HALL MEETING

Theater Ticket Pricing

I happened to look at the Pembroke Pines listings and their ticket prices are lower than ours. For instance Tommy Mara is $8.00 at CVWPB and $6.00 at Pembroke Pines. They also show a seating chart which leaves me to believe that they are allowed to choose where they sit in the theater!

UCO ELECTIONS - CANDIDATE ANNOUNCES

Hi all,
As you are aware, elections for UCO Officers will occur in March 2012. I am pleased to advise you all that on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 Barbara Cornish advised me that she would be a candidate for Vice President of UCO.

Barbara has advised me that she is an independent candidate, not affiliated with any organization nor is she necessarily supporting any other candidate as yet.

I wish to heartily endorse Barbara's candidacy for VP. I have personally observed Barbara take on difficult issues and through a combination of research and native intelligence resolve the problem.

Barbara is the personification of the type of Officer we need in UCO, and I strongly recommend that she is deserving of your vote.

Dave Israel

UCO OPEN MEETINGS POSTED - DECEMBER 2011, JANUARY 2012

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Hi all,
See links in sidebar for UCO Open Meeting schedule for December 2011 and January 2012:

UCO OPERATIONS

• UCO OPEN MEETINGS - JANUARY 2012
• UCO OPEN MEETINGS - DECEMBER 2011
• UCO OPEN MEETINGS - OCTOBER and NOVEMBER 2011

The links above are live as well.

Dave Israel
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Something new to think about- COMMON GOOD

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I am reading again and this time it is Tom Brokaw’s new book, “The time of our Lives, a conversation with Americans". He is reviewing much of the good of this country and some of the not so good. He talks about today's committees and lobbyists who have issues that they are fighting for. He says that years ago, these people presented and fought for their cause but in the end they compromised and voted for the COMMON GOOD. This is missing in the world today and particularly here in Century Village.


We have a committee whose only agenda is to rebuild a golf course. I do not believe that there is anyone in the state that has the wherewithal to renovate a golf course and maintain it, has it on their TO DO LIST to build a golf course for the empty property on Haverhill road. This golf course would almost be guaranteed to lose money as the previous two management people have. The golf course was nice to have so close, it was at times very pretty so that even the people who did not use it could enjoy it. These are different times we have to think of the COMMON GOOD.


The golf course that the pro-act committee wants is NOT one of the answers on any multiple choice questionnaire that the county authorities might have in front of them.


Why is our committee ignoring the COMMON GOOD. These are hard times, many people here in the village are struggling just to make ends meet. Many associations are really having a hard time dealing with several units which for various reasons, have stopped paying. Associations are ignoring their bylaws and allowing sales to people who should not be eligible for residence in the village. If things don’t get better, we could be looking at a total collapse of our wonderful lifestyle.


Who is looking out for the COMMON GOOD?


Why don’t we have a committee who would work with the developer to adjust his plans so that the development that we get will be something that we can life peaceably with? Five years ago when the developer was D.R. Horton, his lawyer agreed to a gated 55 and over community with a limited number of units. We wouldn’t even listen, let alone go the next step to get that offer in writing. Today are we going to just keep spending money to fight our current developer and then live with whatever he puts up because we were too stubborn to compromise.
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NOTICE OF CLOSING - CAMDEN POOL

THE GATE ARMS: A QUESTION

Are the gate arms at the Haverhill and Okeechobee exits still sometimes kept in the open position? I think they sometimes are, and if so, I have a question.

Sometime ago on the blog there was a “movie” of someone exiting at the Haverhill gate, going a mile a minute, and breaking the gate arm. Could it be that some drivers, seeing that the arm is in the UP position, assume the gate is in the kept-open position and so drive right through? Because driving toward an exit gate, it can be hard to tell if the gate is the kept-open position or if the gate arm is just slow in coming down—as is normally the case with the exit gates

Could this "not knowing which way it is" be contributing to the number of drivers crashing into the exit gates? Could it be that because the exit gates are in the kept-open position SOME of the time, there are more, not fewer, crashes?

Geneology Club begins

The first meeting of the genealogy club will be at the clubhouse January 9 at 1:30PM. The first meeting will be more of an organizational meeting with some time for sharing. If interested, please plan to attend. Any questions you can contact Anitra Kraus at 629-7522 or akraushouse@gmail.com

REFLECTION BAY - GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT HEARING

Hi all,
George Pitelle sends along the following:
Dave Israel
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The Hearing on the Golf Course

Along with hundreds of other C.V. residents I attended the Golf Course/Reflection Bay Project hearing before the Zoning Commission on 12/2/11. We first listened to the Magistrate read the comments from cards submitted by our residents as well as some personally presented. With the possible exception of 5 or 6 they were mostly opposed to the project. Many echoed the arguments presented by the two attorneys representing these people in stressing the restriction of the development of the Golf Course and its remaining as such in perpetuity. Other comments stressed the hardships and difficulties the Reflection Bay development would have on the residents of C.V. and other communities. These would include health concerns for people having trouble breathing air contaminated with dust brought on by the construction. Others stressed concerns related to the impact the project would have on traffic and water, with specific points better than I can relate here.

Anyone sitting through the proceedings up to this point might well have thought the arguments presented against the project were quite strong if not compelling.

After a break the attorney for those opposing the project briefly addressed the Commission, next the attorney for Reflection Bay took to the microphone. He was asked specific questions posed by some of the commissioners. Referring to the project plans he seemingly answered them to their satisfaction.

What followed was several votes which quite frankly were not clear to me. The votes were all in the affirmative with one commissioner voting opposed on I believe each one. The result of all of this was the approval of the application for the development of the Reflection Bay Project and the defeat of efforts in opposition to it.

Now lets look back at the hearing. With most of the comments opposing the project citing the restriction of development being in perpetuity I can not recall it ever being addressed and can only wonder if the issue of in perpetuity was somehow dealt with in the votes. If so with there being no comment or discussion it was in my opinion certainly given scant consideration. It has been often pointed out that the same issue was ruled in favor of a community in Mizner Park in opposition to building a golf course. What was the legal distinction in the two cases?

After the hearing I was told by one other attendee how he expected the C.V. residents most strongly opposed to the project will continue to fight it, perhaps by going to court. My response was “and who will be paying for that“, to which we both declared with certainty that the residents of C.V. will not agree to pay for it. I understand there was going to be another hearing on 1/5/12, What does todays action do with that?

George R. Pittell
Chatham D

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PALM BEACH COUNTY ZONING COMMISSION TO CV - POUND SAND!!

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See noon report at:

http://cvbitbucket.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post.html

Dave Israel
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For the Brits Amongus

Diamond Jubilee info. Plenty of time to plan for next June.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517

BBC America is channel 114 on TV, and for the totally shameless Brits it is showing Top Gear marathons.

Remote Control article

Thank you Marilyn Pomerantz for the great article in UCO concerning how to use the remote control. I've got it covered in plastic - ready for review at all times. That had to take a lot of time.
One thing though, can anyone please tell me how to save a station as a Favorite? Now that UCO has listed all the higher channel numbers for our favorite stations, I would like to save some to my Favorite list. I can't figure out how to do it. If somebody does know, please pass it along.
Thanks

WHAT WE WERE PROMISED - DON'T LET IT GET AWAY

Hi All,
Those of you who are original unit owners were promised something, do you remember what it was?

Let me remind you, follow the link:  http://goo.gl/wqZRR

One of the items on this full color  rendering is a Golf Course. This Golf Course was further etched in stone by way of the official Palm Beach County Plat number 14, which is annotated "To remain for Golf Course purposes only in perpetuity"! Thus, those of us who came after the original owners are also beneficiaries of the "In Perpetuity" promise.

Tomorrow, the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission, will hear the pleadings of a Developer to overturn this Plat Restriction. We in UCO and the ProActive Committee are diametrically opposed to this extended urban sprawl and ask all those who read this Post and are also opposed to this development, to come tomorrow, Friday, December 2, 2011, to 2300 Jog Road, to the Vista Center hearing room to show your opposition to the Zoning Commissioners.

Your numbers will send a message, some of you may also get to speak to the issue! So, look at the brochure at the link above and don't let the promise be taken away.

Thanks to Mr. Phil Shapkin for the Brochure.

Dave Israel

ZONING COMMISSION HEARING ON REFLECTION BAY - AGENDA POSTED

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Hi all,
The Zoning Commission hearing on the Golf Course proposed development, Reflection Bay, is scheduled for December 2, 2011 at 9:00am. This hearing is to be at the Vista Center at 2300 Jog Road, just off Okeechobee Blvd. (West on Okee., right at Jog Road)

The agenda has been published by PBC, follow the link:

http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/Zoning/zc/2011/dec/agenda120211.pdf

All concerned residents of CV should make every effort to attend.

Dave Israel
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