One month into the New Year and most have already broken their resolutions for 2017, but at Lake Forest Shores it's a different story; we're on schedule to completing the re-piping project. As you may have already noticed, the re-piping project conducted by "Repipe 1" has already started and should be completed by the end of the month, January 31, 2017. Each unit should only take three days to complete. The following gives you a guideline as to what is expected each day, minus the painting (explained further down):

• Day 1 - Repiping (PEX plumbing and each unit will have own water valve)
• Day 2 - Inspection (Inspection of the property by the City of Lake Forest)
• Day 3 - Dry Wall (Walls/ceiling are patched and ready for painting)

You can access the link to the downloadable schedule for your review by clicking here. Each phase/location within the complex will be labeled with a start date.

If you will not be present on the specified scheduled dates for the repiping, it is the resident/owner's obligation to make arrangements for garage access to limit the chances of delayed repairs. Below is the information to call:

Jenny or Veronica @ Repipe 1 - (866) 737-4731

If access to your garage is not granted, a locksmith will be on the premises to assist with gaining access to ensure completion of the project in a timely manner. All fees incurred will be billed to the resident.

Furthermore, an amendment to the CC&R has been made by the Board to ensure cooperation of all residents in minimizing delayed work and inconvenience for everyone. The below emergency rule was adopted on December 6, 2016 and will remain in effect for 120 days:

"The Association will undergo a re-piping project in early 2017. The Construction Manager has initiated scheduled walk-throughs with occupants to inform occupants as to how they must prepare for the re-piping work. Occupants must provide access to their home for the Construction Manager's walk-through and to the plumbing contractor when the work actually begins until such time as work has been completed in that home. An occupant's failure to provide access to the home on a scheduled day for a walk-through or construction shall result in a fine of $500 per day to the owner of the unit for each day access is needed and not provided."

Lastly, let's talk about your painting options. Once the walls have been patched and textured, a separate painting contractor has been hired by the Association to color match and paint the walls that have been affected by the repiping. On the other hand, in order to SAVE MONEY, the homeowner(s) can opt to take care of the painting on their own. This would save the Association money by not having to pay the full amount per unit to the painting contractor.

I'm sorry, what?!

Based on the information I’ve reviewed, the contractor is being paid $990 per unit. Homeowners who choose to handle the painting themselves will receive a $500 credit on their HOA account. That may sound reasonable at first, but what happens to the remaining $490?

Why does painting only a couple of walls cost nearly $1,000 per unit? Across the entire complex, the contractor will receive approximately $86,130 for work expected to be completed within about one month. It raises a fair question: what was the Board’s reasoning when approving this amount?

The decision to re-pipe the complex already appears to have come two to three years too late. During that delay, the community reportedly spent more than $284,000 over a three-year period addressing water-intrusion damage. Homeowners are now responsible for assessments exceeding $7,011, with the final cost potentially higher for those unable to pay the balance in full and avoid interest charges.

Whatever factors contributed to the painting cost, it seems reasonable to believe the Board could have negotiated a better price while still achieving the same result