Dover Shores News, February 1, 2026

Happy Valentine’s Day! The holidays are long gone and we have finally stopped saying Happy New Year! Next comes Spring! Once again, here is the latest update about what is going on in our neighborhood.

January 20, 2026 HOA Meeting

Here is a brief overview of the main discussions and actions taken at our most recent Dover Shores Board Meeting:

Insurance

Our Dover Shores Community Association Insurance is up for renewal February 12, and renewal quotes were discussed. Unfortunately with the active lawsuit still pending and unresolved, on which the association is a party, coupled with the dismal current insurance market in California, costs continue to increase bringing our annual premium to $41,357.73.

Committee Plans

New President Emily Leach asked the Committee chairs to present their plans, and goals for the coming year. Here are some committee plans:

• Architecture Committee: plans on redoing the architectural guidelines and going back to a tracking spreadsheet for all submittals.

• Beach Committee: plans on meeting quarterly to inspect the beaches and discuss issues. One of the goals is to update the beach policies and increase harmony at the beaches. They are open to all suggestions.

• CERT: plans to conduct a meeting and a drill, and also make sure all medical supplies are up-to-date. The CERT Committee would also like to recruit new members.

• Dredging Committee: needs another member. Any interested resident can let us know by replying to this newsletter. Dock owners received an email on July 25 with information about a program through City of NB for dredging that would make permitting easier.

• Finance Committee: would like to recruit another knowledgeable new member. Again, interested residents can let us know by replying to this newsletter.

• Landscape Committee: plans to redo as many slopes as possible within its budget.

• Social Committee: also needs new members. The goal this year is to include entertainment for the kids at the BBQs, and perhaps find a new location for the Annual Dinner.

• Welcome Committee: will continue to welcome new neighbors, with the goal of giving each an updated welcome packet.

A Message from our HOA President:

Dear Neighbors,

As we begin a new year, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you. A new year brings new opportunities to renew our sense of community, to care for the place we call home, and to connect more meaningfully with one another.

As we look ahead, our goal is to continue bringing neighbors together—through community events, open communication, and opportunities to connect. We encourage you to get involved, share your ideas, and take part in shaping the future of our neighborhood. Together, we can foster a welcoming, vibrant, and supportive environment for all.

Whether you are a longtime resident or new to the neighborhood, thank you for being part of Dover Shores and for helping make our community such a wonderful place to live.

With gratitude,
Emily Leach
President
Dover Shores Homeowners Association

A Message from BHE Management Corporation:

It's February - can you feel the love in the air?

Your Board of Directors is forging ahead with its mission to have this year be as positive and productive as possible! In support of this, the Board of Directors adopted a “Code of Conduct” for itself at the last meeting in an effort to ensure that it is acting as a Team; we also are scheduling a (complementary) Board training. Please communicate with Management if you are willing to help us on our mission! We also want to remind everyone that we are always open to suggestions on ways to improve the neighborhood, and/or our service to you!

Annual Dues to be Paid

Reminder that our annual HOA assessments are due this month; those that go unpaid February 28 will get a late fee, and if not paid by March 15th we will send out our Notice of Intent to Lien the home – don’t let this be you!! This week you should receive your invoice by US mail. You can also access your account online here. Please pay the amount shown on your invoice. Many residents owe more than the normal dues due to past late fees etc. If you have any questions on your invoice, or if you cannot locate the invoice that was sent, please reach out to us as soon as possible to ensure that your dues stay current.

Counting the days until Spring,

BHE Management Corporation
www.BHEManagement.com (949)363-1963
Marla Hemmel, Managing Agent, MarlaH@bhemanagement.com
Lisa Parra, Community Manager, LParra@BHEManagement.com
Melissa Mora, Assistant Manager, AP@BHEManagement.com

Beach Committee

In anticipation of a busy spring and summer your beach committee met in January to check in on the beaches. Never hesitate to let us know if you see something on the beach that needs attention or maintenance!

BHE mailed out renewal notices in January to those homeowners who are currently renting a space at Fisherman’s beach. If you are not renewing your space or did not get a renewal letter, please let BHE know immediately. There are currently no open spots, but if you would like your name added to the wait list, please let BHE know.

The board has been actively investigating, obtaining estimates, and discussing the many various options for enhancing our beach security. The Beach committee will now be following up on zeroing in on the best and most effective choices for our particular needs and present their recommendations at the next Board meeting.

Also, due to constant problems with doggie waste bags being thrown over the beach fences which frequently miss the trash can target, a decision has been made to eliminate the small open trash cans at the beach. We ask that for the sake of the health of our community and cleanliness of our beaches, residents please stop leaving full pet waste bags at the beach in the future.

And just a reminder or two - Please remember to always make a reservation if you are having a beach party or event for a group exceeding 16 people and,

We ask that everyone enjoying our beaches always be considerate of our beach neighbors and try to keep the noise level reasonable.

Thank you!

Landscape Committee

The Landscape Committee is constantly improving our common areas and looking for areas needing improvement. It’s a never-ending process.

Right now, watch for new landscape beautification on corner entrances to Dover Shores on each of the two ends of Santiago. Dirt areas will soon be replaced with new landscape.

Architecture Committee

The architectural committee would like to remind owners to submit an Architectural/home improvement application before starting your home improvement or major landscaping project. If you are uncertain about whether this applies to your project, please review the HOA Guidelines as this explains the process and the rules. If you have any questions that are not covered in the document, or need clarification, please contact BHE management at (949) 363-1963.

Communications Committee

WANTED: DOVER SHORES PHOTOGRAPHERS: We always like to open our Newsletter with an interesting photo of Dover Shores, and we need your help. If you ever take a picture of our community that you would like to share with our Dover Shores residents in our Newsletter, please submit it by replying to this newsletter, and hopefully we will be able to use it in the future. Of course, our photographer neighbor will be given credit.

Thank you.

CERT and Neighborhood Watch

Masked Video Creeps

A new plague has descended on our area: masked creeps who video people, often older women, in public places in a threatening or intimidating manner. Their intent is to create a strong emotional response or panic attack in the victim that they can record and then post on YouTube to earn money from views by their followers, who apparently find these videos amusing. Unfortunately there is little the police can do to prevent this. Under the law, you have no expectation of privacy in a publicly accessible area and anyone can film or video you, in a store or even in the post office. They were recently videoing people at the Crystal Cove Trader Joes and the NBPD received 13 911-calls in one day about them. These guys know the law well and have a secondary goal of trapping the NBPD in an inappropriate response so they can sue the city. If you are approached by them, the NBPD recommends that you do not speak to them and do your best to ignore them. They will shift their focus to a more promising victim.

E-bike Municipal Code Enforcement

The recently passed Newport Beach Municipal Code covering E-bikes becomes effective today, February 1, and the NBPD traffic officers plan to begin vigorous enforcement of the code. Anyone operating an E-bike in an unsafe manner such as doing wheelies, ignoring traffic rules or riding without a helmet will be subject to a $200 citation and possible impoundment of the E-bike. Fines double on subsequent violations. More info is available here on the NBPD web site.

Note that the maximum speed of an E-bike is 28 MPH, electronically governed by the manufacturer. Any bike capable of higher speeds on level ground, whether by design or because of modifications by the owner, becomes an electric motorcycle requiring a regular motorcycle driving license, registration and insurance. Young people driving such bikes will receive a citation and have their bike impounded. If a parent knowingly gives such a fast bike to a young person or assists them in modifying the bike to exceed its manufactured limit, they may be prosecuted under felony child endangerment.

South American Burglary Crews

You may have seen a recent press release from the NBPD and Irvine PD about the capture of a burglary crew suspected of multiple home burglaries in Newport and Irvine. We applaud the strong work that resulted in this arrest but warn that the crime syndicate that sent them will likely send more crews soon. These burglars are not immigrants. They are members of an organized crime ring based in South America. The crews arrive in the US legally, claiming to be tourists or students, most commonly from Chile as no visa is required to enter the US from Chile.

These burglary crews have very consistent MOs. They often approach a house from the back using slopes or a golf course. They usually go directly to the master bedroom, entering by smashing a door or window and searching for jewels or handbags. Their stay may be very brief, as little as one minute. Burglaries can occur at any time but are most common in early evening when residents may be away for dinner.

While there is no sure-fire way to prevent a burglary, the NBPD suggests that if you follow these steps, your risk will be very low:

1. Make your house look occupied with inside lights and the TV on or with a TV simulator. The crews are not armed and avoid residents as encountering a resident turns a burglary into a robbery which results in a much longer sentence if they are caught.

2. Always activate an alarm any time you leave the house. Note that since the burglars smash doors and windows, the old-style magnetic alarm contacts may not activate as the door or window is not actually opened. An internal motion sensor or break-glass sensor is much more effective. The NBPD recommends that your alarm connect directly to NBPD dispatch rather than an alarm company, as the delay in response going through the alarm company may result in the burglars getting away. NBPD monitoring costs $214 / year. More info here.

3. Install perimeter cameras. In a recent meeting, the NBPD reported that the OC District Attorney will often decline to prosecute burglaries as unwinnable if there is no image of the burglars, even when there is other good evidence such a cell-phone tracking that places the burglars at the scene of the crime.

4. Do not put safes in the master bedroom. The burglars will find your safe and either open it using tools they brought with them or they will steal the whole safe, smashing walls as necessary to remove it. If you have a safe, put it in the garage, bolted to the slab.

5. Get a dog. Burglars do not like dogs and may pick a different house if they encounter a dog. We have a dog and a motion sensor in our master bedroom so we close the bedroom door when we leave so the dog will not activate the motion sensor.

Again, no protection is perfect but the NBPD reported that of the 17 recent burglaries in the Crystal Cove - Newport Coast area, not one of the burgled homes had an active alarm or camera.

Next Dover Shores HOA Board Meeting: March 17, 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 meeting occur bimonthly on the 3rd Tuesday. Dates of the remaining board meetings for this year:

• March 17
• May 19
• July 21
• September 15
• November 17

Committees

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.