QUAIL RUN CONDOMINIUM TRUST
HOMEOWNERS MANUAL
Part 1
Introduction and Welcome to Quail Run
1.0 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME TO QUAIL RUN
We are delighted that you have chosen to live in one of the finest communities in the greater Boston area. Quail Run Condominium is spacious, surrounded by conservation land and close to major highways. It consists of 94 townhouse condominiums, 77 of which were built in the late 1980s; the remaining 17 units were built in 2003 - 2004.
It takes coordination and communication among the entire community and its valuable volunteers to maintain Quail Run Condominium and Common Areas. Our community requires a strong base of volunteers, making it incumbent on all residents to make their interests and availability known to the Trustees and appropriate committee chairpersons.
This Unit Owners’ Handbook is intended to be a handy reference for rules, regulations and guidelines that help keep Quail Run a pleasant place to live. The Handbook provides answers to the most frequently asked questions and concerns with respect to condominium life at Quail Run.
This Handbook summarizes what is found in more complete and explicit form in the Master Deed and Condominium Trust Documents you should have received at the time of purchase. These documents are the final authority on rules and regulations. If you have any doubts about a rule or regulation, or if you need a copy of the Trust Documents, please contact our Management Company (see the contact information provided on the coversheet of this Handbook).
As Quail Run evolves, so does its Unit Owners Handbook. Therefore we have also included guidelines that address items not specifically addressed in the Master Deed or Trust documents, and we have amplified other items that are in those documents.
You can also learn more about what is going on within our community by accessing our web site at www.quailruncondo.org.
1.1 Statement of the TrusteesThe degree to which residents respect each other’s rights ultimately shapes the quality of life at Quail Run. Rules, regulations and restrictions are necessary to preserve your right to the enjoyment of your community. In this regard, it is incumbent upon the Quail Run Condominium Board of Trustees, acting through our Management Company, to invoke all measures necessary to enforce the rules, regulations, and restrictions. The cooperation of all Unit Owners and Residents is expected, and indeed is essential.
The organizational structure of Quail Run is headed by a five-member Board of Trustees, whose members are elected to three-year terms, by the Unit Owners at the annual meeting. The Declaration of Trust empowers the Board of Trustees with the authority to manage and maintain the condominium. The Management Company, hired by the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the complex, carrying out instructions from the Board, and in general, acting to serve the best interest of all Unit Owners. The Company’s responsibilities include such tasks as: the collection of monthly condominium fees and assessments; the payment of bills; managing the selection process of contractors, overseeing their work and inspecting their services for Common Areas; enforcement of the condominium rules and regulations; procurement of insurance coverage; and the maintenance and repair of the Common Areas.
The Board of Trustees meets monthly with the Portfolio Manager and the Maintenance Supervisor to review and conduct the business of the Trust. The time and date of the meetings, usually the first Wednesday of the month, are posted at the mailbox area. Any Unit Owners who wish to attend and address the Board are requested to contact a Client Services Representative (CSR) one week prior to meetings to place their particular issue(s) on the agenda.
Unit Owners are welcome to attend and observe the open sessions of the meetings. Meetings are held in the office in the rear of the maintenance garage and space is limited. Unit Owners wishing to attend as observers should contact a Client Services Representative one week prior to meetings to assure that sufficient seating will be available. The Trustees reserve the right to limit the number of observers at any meeting.
The Board may invite Unit Owners and others to attend meetings as guests in an advisory capacity.
In accordance with the Declaration of Trust, one Unit Owner meeting is held annually in November with supplemental meetings scheduled at the discretion of the Board.
1.2 Communication ProceduresAll communications from Unit Owners regarding any Quail Run matter (for example, problems or requests concerning the owner’s unit, the Common Areas, or other Unit Owners) must be addressed to the Management Company with a copy to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees and the Management Company have established procedures to work together to evaluate requests and problems and respond to them appropriately and in a timely manner. Emergencies always take priority.
Quail Run is a safe and secluded community, but vandalism has occurred occasionally. Each resident should be alert for any sort of suspicious activity and call 911, the Woburn Police, in a timely manner.
You may communicate with the Management Company by telephone, by fax, or e-mail (see contact information), via Management Company web site or via our web site (www.quailruncondo.org). You may also leave a written work order form (see Appendix 1) or other written requests in the drop box at the mailbox shed. Please Note: If you choose to submit your request via telephone and the Condominium Coordinator or the Senior Property Manager is unable to take your telephone call or respond immediately to your request, be sure to leave a message.
It is important to understand that not all requests and problems can be treated the same way. The Management Company will frequently be able to resolve routine matters without referral to the Board, whereas some items must wait for review at the monthly Board meeting. Larger problems cost more and take a longer time to resolve. Costly solutions might have to be delayed due to budget considerations. Priority is always given to issues which affect safety.
Condominium living requires that prioritized needs and budgetary constraints be balanced by the Board of Trustees and the Management Company for the benefit of all Unit Owners; that balance may not always be obvious or what an individual Unit Owner would choose.
1.3 Posting Notices
Notices of general interest are posted at the mailbox bulletin board. Notification pertinent to all Unit Owners will be distributed in mailings from the Management Company. Any Unit Owner wishing to post a notice of general interest may do so on the bulletin board at the mailbox. Please do not tack notices to the vinyl or trim of the building. Notices that contain solicitations or advertisements are discouraged and will be removed.
1.4 Common Charges
The Trustees approve a budget annually to take effect the first of January. Unit Common Area Charges are determined by applying each unit’s percentage of Beneficial Interest as documented in each deed. An annual meeting is held to inform Unit Owners of any changes in the Common Area Charges. Common Area Charges are payable, in advance, on the first day of each month. As dictated in the Condominium Documents, late fees ($15.00 plus interest charges) will be applied automatically to payments received after the 10th of the month. There are additional penalty fees of $50 per month for any payments two months or more overdue, as well as separate penalty fees for continuing rules violations.
Checks should be made payable to Quail Run Condominium and mailed to the property Management Company. You may also arrange for your fee to be debited to your bank account automatically each month, which is the most economical method for both unit owners and the trust. Call the Management Company for details.
