| Hidden Lake Estates P r o p e r t y O w n e r s A s s o c i a t i o n Hawley, Pennsylvania |
Ripples on the Lake
| Spring 2008 Well, we made it through another NEPA winter! Once again the sure signs of spring are all around us. The roads are closed for spring thaw, the ice is starting to melt on the lake and if you drive around the community you will see more and more people outside. I have noticed the geese overhead migrating to the North. The mail shed is completed and a very special “Thanks” goes to Ed Moen for all the time and energy he put into the project. I would also like to thank everyone who helped. I think this community can be proud of the project. We now have a mail shed that is out of the weather, large enough to hold mail boxes for everyone, safe from traffic and an asset to the Community. The storage area on the end has replaced the shed that was near the lake; which was falling down. The board is looking into improving the parking area so there will be less of a mud problem. We placed a bulletin board in the shed to keep everyone posted as to what’s happening in the community. This is for our interest! Outside commercial advertisements should NOT be posted. If there is any question as to what can be posted, please call one of the board members. We just do not want this to become a commercial for outside businesses. A problem that has been occurring in the shed is the discard of unwanted mail. We all get things in the mail that we don’t want. Please have the common courtesy to dispose of this when you get home instead of throwing it in the shed. I can’t believe I have to actually ask people not to throw their trash around! But than again how much garbage do we see along the roads? The contractor is returning in the spring to sweep the loose stones into the spaces between the concrete on the face of the dam. This should finish the project. Everyone is asked to keep their vehicles off the grass area along Acacia. There is no parking except in the parking area by the mail shed. This winter the board decided to develop a water quality testing program for the lake. Back in February 1997, the community spent a substantial amount of money for a water quality study performed by F.X. Browne, Inc. Lake and Watershed Management Consultants. The results of the test showed the lake to be in good shape. There is no evidence that any testing has been done since than. What we are going to do is use the 1997 test as a base line and establish a regular testing program to maintain the lake water quality. I have spoken to many experts in this field and the unanimous opinion is that it much more effective and economically sound to keep a lake pristine than to try to restore one that has gone bad. We have added many more homes to the community since 1997 and the environment around the lake is always changing. This testing will inform us if the lake is changing before it is too late. Another concern is the fish population. We are working with several organizations to develop a healthy fish population which is necessary for good water quality. Many members who fish the lake, regularly, have noticed that the bass are all the same size with large heads and thin bodies. This is a two fold problem. One, there is not enough bait fish to support the larger fish and two, no one is keeping the bass they catch. We are working with PALMS (Pennsylvania Lake Management Society), Pennsylvania Fish and Game and C-SAW (Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds) to help solve this problem. If you are a regular fisherman in the lake please contact me. We want to set up a slot limit and keep records of the fish caught in order to evaluate the program. The success of this type of program will lead to bigger and healthier fish, which in turn will improve lake water quality. Another concern is the introduction of outside plants or fish into the lake. We ask all members to make sure their boats are clean and free of all vegetation before entering the lake. Do not introduce any fish or bait from outside the lake. Remember, only boats with a current sticker and metal tag are allowed on the lake. All of these regulations will help maintain the water quality. One last suggestion about the lake; this is a community asset and everyone should be involved with its maintenance. The lake adds to the value of ALL the homes and should be the concern of ALL association members. This board is committed to maintaining a community we all can be proud to live in, and all we ask is that everyone cooperates by abiding by the rules and regulations they agreed to when they purchased property here. Our lake is the community jewel and if ALL members follow the regulations we can keep it that way. Please remember that boats should not be returned to the lake area until April 1st. In continuing with the topic of following the rules and regulations of the association, the board has been busy in representing the community members in court to uphold our covenants. We have won several cases this winter against members who could not abide by the rules they agreed to when first joining the community. The courts have ruled in favor of our regulations and have awarded judgment and compensation be paid as written in the covenants. It is regrettable that we have to spend so much time and effort on a few individuals who refuse to follow the rules. All members can be assured that this board will continue to uphold our covenants and represent the community in cases that have to be resolved in court. Have a Great Spring, Brian J. McCarthy Ed Moen requests anyone with mailbox keys, from the old boxes, please get them to him. He needs these keys for the post office. NOTES FROM THE BOARD The annual meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday July 26, 2008 at 9:30am. It will be at the Lakeville fire house on Rt.590. Further details will be in the May mailing. There is one board position up for election and Bob Essex said he will seek re-election. Anyone interested in running should contact the board by May 20, 2008. There has finally been resolution, by the courts, of some of the issues with a few lot owners: Lot 33-has removed a fence erected in violation of the covenants, restrictions and rules of the HLEPOA and paid $2000 toward the costs of the litigation. Lot 22-has a civil action for dues. Lot 80-has been directed to pay the HLEPOA back dues and fees in the amount of over $8800. Lot 81-has a civil action for dues. Lot 101-has been ordered to pay over $1300 in fines and fees for violating the rules on completion of construction in the required period of time. Lot 118-has already paid over $10,225 in fines for not completing construction in the required period of time and is still adding up fines because the construction is not finished. Lot 55-has a civil action underway for back dues. Lot 56-has a civil action for dues and fines. You can see from this list that the ACC and Board are diligently and aggressively going after unpaid dues and fines and violations of the rules of the community. Also, the courts in cases in which we have prevailed, have reinforced and given creditability to our covenants, restrictions and by-laws and the associations power to enforce them. The board and the ACC are NOT a bunch of dictators, but a group of duly elected representatives of you, the HLEPOA, and they deserve some respect and appreciation for their efforts in keeping this community one of the best in N.E.P.A. whether or not you like them personally. The board and the ACC can also be reasonable and understanding of member’s complaints and problems if we are approached in a civil and timely manner when questions and problems arise. Please be aware that even if you have a permit to carry a concealed weapon you cannot use it or carry it in the open in this community. There was an incident on March 6, 2008 between 7:00 and 7:30pm where a black or dark pickup with two males in it approached a visitor who had made a wrong turn into the community. One male aggressively questioned the victim while holding a hand gun. We do not want “vigilantes” in the community and will take whatever legal action to prosecute anyone committing such an act. With sincere appreciation to the members who respect and support the community, the board of directors will continue to manage the association with the best interests of the community as a whole in mind. Bob Fredericks President HLEPOA |
By Brian J. McCarthy
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