Dover Shores News - December
DOVER SHORES NEWS, December 1, 2024
Greetings! While it’s hard to believe another year is winding down it’s a wonderful time to reflect on all we’ve done, and express gratitude for our neighbors! We hope you have a fantastic holiday season with plenty of festivities! Your Dover Shores HOA Board would like to wish everyone in our community Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.
Here is a brief overview of what took place at the Dover Shores HOA General Meeting on November 19, 2024:
Annual Election Results
Our annual election has concluded, and we would like to congratulate our neighbors who were voted to the board and board committees. Please welcome our newest board members Rob Brauchli and Ronnie Weinstein.
The Board officers are:
| Name | Office |
|---|---|
| Tim Hawke | President |
| Emily Leach | Vice President |
| Jim Gula | Treasurer |
| Sherry Bilbeisi | Secretary |
The Board Committees are:
| Committee | Chairs and members |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Tim Hawke (Chair), Peggy Pugh, Tate Luesbrink, David George |
| Landscape | Gwen Feiner (Chair), Anne Michaelsen Yahn |
| Beach | Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair), Jodi Cassutt, Dan Converse |
| Welcome | Tim Hawke(Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair) |
| CERT | Jim Gula (Chair), Dan Converse and others |
| Finance | Jim Gula (Chair), Ross Nelson |
| Communication | Jim Gula (Chair), Sherry Bilbeisi, Esther Fine, Emily Leach |
| Dredging | Tim Hawke (Chair) |
| Social | Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair) |
If you would like to participate in any of these committee, please email us at: board@dovershoreshoa.org. We could use more help!
Beach Update
Keeping our beaches fresh is a year-round job! Recently the swim platform at Larry’s Beach was replaced, and soon the wrought iron fence and walls at Larry’s and Fisherman’s beach will be painted, along with replacing a defunct burner on the BBQ at Larry’s.
The beach committee is also excited to introduce a virtual beach calendar! Please bookmark this link:
Now you can see if there is a party as you plan your days at the beach. The process to reserve the beach remains the same, and as a reminder a reservation is always needed for parties of 16 or more.
Architecture Committee
Are you planning a home improvement project that borders a slope? Please be sure to review the CCR’s with your architect or landscape designer before submitting your plans. A pre-planning session with the association architect can save money and limit delays in getting your plans approved. Contact BHE management to arrange a planning session.
Plot plans, showing the location of all structures and showing grade elevations drainage and exterior elevations are required. Decks and their under structures cannot exceed 12 feet horizontally from the top of slope. Proposed decks cannot exceed 2/3 the width of the slope and must be centered. View preservation of adjacent lots is required. No substantial change in the existing contour lines of any lot can be made without Architectural Committee approval. The original top of slope contour line demarcation cannot be extended by adding soil. If your property abuts the back bay, be aware that there are set back limitations for structures and patio decks.
The HOA is responsible for maintenance of the common-area slopes. If common-area slope vegetation is altered as a result of your project, you are responsible for replacement of planting. If your project encloses a portion of the upper common-area slope, you are responsible for the cost of separating irrigation lines. Plant materials must be approved by the landscaping committee and access by the HOA landscaping maintenance crews must be included in your plans.
Architectural committee approval is a process separate from city of Newport Beach approval.
Finance Committee
We are happy to report that we had good returns on our reserve investments in 2024. Last year we managed to avoid a dues increase, however, with significant increases in material and labor costs, we feel an increase is required for the coming year. There is an inevitable tension between our desire to maintain and keep improving our amenities and landscaping and our desire to keep costs low for our homeowners. After some vigorous discussion, the Board compromised upon an increase of 7.5% for the coming year.
Starting in February 2025 the new annual dues will be:
- For hillside homes: $1383.01, an increase of $96.49
- For waterfront homes: $2635.90, an increase of $183.90
You will receive more details including our budget for the coming year and a formal invoice in a mailing from BHE Management in early January. Those dues are payable in February but you can prepay now if you wish. The payment options are listed in the BHE section below. Dues will be considered delinquent if not paid by the end of February. Dues that are delinquent for more than 30 days are subject to a late charge and subsequent interest charges.
Note that some properties have outstanding late charges from previous years that need to be paid. These will be noted on your invoice. You can also view your account balance on our web site (select "Account Access"). Delinquent payments are not fair to the other homeowners and we are cracking down on outstanding debts. We have begun foreclosure on several properties that are severely behind in their debts.
A Message from BHE Management Corporation:
Happy Holiday Seasons to all of Dover Shores!!
As we wind the calendar year down, we are also winding down the Association’s fiscal year, which ends January 31, 2025. That means that it will be time again for our annual dues payments! Your invoice will come to you during January; please keep an eye out for it and contact management if you don’t receive your invoice!
As a reminder, there are many ways to pay your dues:
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Writing a check – this is still popular amongst some owners, especially for the annual payment, and is acceptable! You can mail it in with the envelope provided.
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E-Payment – if you prefer, you can go online to dovershoreshoa.org and select to “Make a Payment” – you can pay by e-check or credit card, please note however a fee is charged through Zego/Paylease.
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ACH – You can complete the “AutoDraftForm”, and your payment will be auto-debited annually by the Association from your checking account (note that ONLY the dues themselves will be debited).
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Prefer to receive your annual billing by email? Just complete and return the “Electronic Billing Request” form!
Please review your invoice carefully upon receipt; the Association does charge interest on delinquent amounts, so you want to be certain that you are paying in full (which could be a bit more than the annual dues themselves).
Thank you and wishing everyone a Blessed holiday season! BHE Management Corporation
BHE Management Corporation
www.BHEManagement.com
(949)363-1963
Lisa Parra, Community Manager, LParra@BHEManagement.com
Melissa Mora, AP & Architectural Assistant, AP@BHEManagement.com
Marla Hemmel, Managing Agent, MarlaH@bhemanagement.com
CERT – Neighborhood Watch Updates:
Team Meeting
We haven't had a group meeting in a while and there are some new members so we would like to get together at Larry's Beach on Saturday, January 11 at 11 AM to get reacquainted and refresh our supplies. If you haven't been to a Dover Shores CERT meeting before and would like to learn more, please join us. And please RSVP to board@dovershoreshoa.org so we can reschedule if it rains. It never rains in Southern California, does it?
Fraud
In many forms, fraud is an ever-increasing and constantly evolving threat. The NBPD has a 3-person team focused on fraud. They will help you if they can, but in many cases by the time the police get involved it is too late and the money is gone. The best protection is avoid getting drawn into a scam. The CA Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) has put together a very informative booklet downloadable here or ordered in hardcopy from Outreach@dfpi.ca.gov. If you think you have been the victim of a fraud, contact the NPBD front desk at 949-644-3681 and they can direct you to the proper officer.
Elder Abuse
All of us age and as we get older we inevitably become more vulnerable to fraud and abuse. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to online scams but are also vulnerable to physical abuse from malevolent "care" givers. If you suspect someone is being mistreated, contact Orange County Adult Protective Services at 800-451-5155. For an urgent safety matter, call 911 or the NBPD at 949-644-3717. The Council on Aging of Southern CA (coasc.org) has a web site that offers many resources for seniors. They have created a useful booklet here that offers fraud protection information oriented toward seniors and includes phone numbers for many services useful for seniors.
Phone Apps for Emergencies
The following phone applications might help you deal with emergencies:
- Watch Duty is a new app focused on providing the latest information and warnings about fires in our area.
- MyShake can provide you with a few critical seconds of warning before an earthquake hits to allow you to drop, cover and hold.
Next Dover Shores HOA General Meeting: January 21, 5:00 PM
The board is continuing to offer Zoom access to board meetings. All meetings will use the same credentials listed below. The general session for homeowner participation for these meetings begins at 5PM.
Join Zoom Meeting with your browser
Meeting ID: 880 4927 2107
Passcode: 940601
One tap mobile: (669)900-6833
For the foreseeable future, those wishing to attend in person can attend at the principal office of the Association which has been designated by the Board as the place of business of BHE Management, located at 30011 Ivy Glen Dr., Ste.118, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. BHE Management will be present.
Board meetings occur bimonthly on the 3rd Tuesday. Meetings for 2025:
- January 21
- March 18
- May 20
- July 15
- September 16
- November 18
Finally
If you would like to submit an article for publication in the Newsletter that you think might be of interest to Dover Shores, please let us know by responding to this Newsletter by email.
Please let your neighbors know how to contact us at board@dovershoreshoa.org if they are not part of our email list and would like to join. Or please forward this email to them. Our goal is to reach every Dover Shores neighbor.
Note that past newsletters are always available at our archives.