From the Board . . . Kelley Berta & Bill Davis

Deed Restrictions – What are They and Why Do We Need Them?

The purpose of a Home Owners’ Association (HOA) is to provide a common basis for establishing, preserving, and enhancing the homes and properties of a neighborhood. An HOA is actually a non-profit corporation established to manage a deed restricted community. Like other corporations, the HOA is governed by Board of Directors elected by the homeowner members and a set of deed restrictions. It is the responsibility of each homeowner to know the deed restrictions and how they apply to their property.

Sorrento Woods deed restrictions are minimally intrusive and were designed and are currently being updated to protect our property values and lifestyle.

Deed Restrictions are rules for the use and management of specific real estate. Such restrictions usually are initiated by the developers, who determined what the land would be used for, divided the land into plots, and built homes on it. All owners are automatically members of the Homeowners Association (HOA) and subject to the rules and regulations attached to their respective properties. Conduct rules for things like parking, pet care and control, property cleanliness, etc., are included in deed restrictions as well.

The purpose of deed restrictions is to maintain a certain amount of uniformity and continuity within a specific

neighborhood or community, and often are put into place to preserve a desired look in a neighborhood and

maintain property values. Potential buyers choose a deed-restricted neighborhood when they want assurance

that their neighborhood will always be as nice as, or nicer than, it was when they made the decision to

purchase a house there.

Sorrento Woods is an exceptionally attractive community in the Venice/Nokomis area. It is the

responsibility of all homeowners within Sorrento Woods to maintain their properties in accordance with the

deed restrictions to ensure that those neighborhood traits remain intact for years to come.

The HOA Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring compliance through careful management and

deliberate decision-making in approving or denying applications from homeowners for changes, repairs, or

additions to a home or lot. The Board does this by referring to specifically written deed restrictions that

clearly define the parameters of compliance.

If you do not have a copy of the Sorrento Woods Deed Restrictions, visit www.sorrentowoods.org and click

on the tab “Deed Restrictions”.

Meet The Board

Bill Davis is a new member of the HOA board this year and has recently retired after 38 years in the automotive

business. Bill and his wife, Kathleen, moved to the area almost 6 years ago and spent over a year looking for the perfect

house in the perfect neighborhood. They settled on Sorrento Woods in part because of the “sidewalks to envy” where

neighbors have a safe place to get out and enjoy the Florida weather with or without their furry family member. As our

new chair of the compliance committee, Bill would like to remind everyone to keep their section of the sidewalk clean

and clear of obstructions by trimming grass and trees bordering the sidewalk and power washing as needed. Please

remember that many of our residents are elderly or children and use strollers, walkers and scooters. Cars or other

equipment should never obstruct clear passage on the sidewalk.

Kelley Berta has been serving as the Board Secretary since Feb 2016. She lives on Delacroix Circle with her husband,

Tony, and their brood of spoiled cats. Kelley was born and raised in south central Ohio but spent most of her career in

the Washington, DC area, where she and Tony worked for the Department of Defense, both in uniform and as civilians.

They have five adult sons who are scattered from coast to coast, and five grandchildren. Even before they met, they

each hoped to someday retire to Florida and they are very happy to have landed here in Sorrento Woods. Kelley

recently retired from another board position with an accrediting agency and volunteers for the Suncoast Humane

Society. She also enjoys reading, working in the yard, and walking the beach.

Neighborhood Activities

Bill Kall and Jack Carroll have spearheaded two large projects for the benefit of our neighborhood in the last

few months. The first was the completion of the long awaited Bocce ball court at our park. Other workers

carefully measuring, leveling, and spreading crushed shell and crushed granite included Kell Todd, Jim Weeks,

Tom Carter, Deb Jackson, Bob Craver, Jeff Daughtry, Sam Santeufemia, Bob Zang, and Bob Laird. Brenda Kall

graciously kept us working with roast beef sandwiches and onion rings and staved off dehydration with ice

cold drinks. Players may find Bocce balls & instructions in the lock box. Same combo as the gate.

The second monumental task involved removing all the old concrete and wood benches around the lakes,

scavenging what parts we could and repairing them with plastic slats; installing them at the Bocce ball court. Bill

and Jack’s crew then installed 12 new, indestructible recycled plastic benches after establishing a firm base,

placing the new benches (~400# each) around the neighborhood lakes. The first new bench was actually

dedicated to Lucille Summers, mother of Marjorie Barksdale on Wyeth, in honor of her 100 th birthday on April

12. Thanks go to neighbors Bob Craver, Kathy Carroll, Deb Jackson, Jeff Daughtry, Tom Foley, Tom Grover, Tom

Carter, Sam Santeufemia, Bob Laird, and Brenda Kall. Major thank you to Bill Kall and Jack Carroll for the

incredible amount of time and effort you continue to devote to the beauty and comfort of our home.

Biennial Backflow Preventer Test Notice

A notice recently received by several residents has created some confusion. To clarify, Bill Kall, SWHOA Maintenance

Chair, contacted Sarasota County and the bottom line is this: All irrigation systems require a Backflow Preventer Device,

which must be installed by a county certified plumbing company. The goal of county officials and the purpose of the

device is to prevent public drinking water from being contaminated by irrigation system water.

The Sarasota County approved plumbers list is available at

https://www.scgov.net/Backflow/Documents/Certified%20Tester%20List.pdf

The installation of a backflow preventer can be expensive, but lower rates might be available to multiple homeowners

(five or more) arranging for installations at one time. Listed here are three county certified plumbing companies.

Residents may choose any other plumbing company on the Sarasota County list and negotiate rates on their own.

1.) Russell Adams of RSA Plumbing from Englewood, 941-281-8565, rsaplumbing74@yahoo.com.

Group rate (5 or more at one time) for ¾” or 1” RP backflow preventer device, installation, permit, and testing is

$441.

Group rate for testing an existing backflow prevention device and filing the certification report ONLY with Sarasota

County is $25. Testing is required by Sarasota County every two years.

An additional $35 for a relief valve could be incurred if you do not have an expansion tank on the top of your water

heater. (This is required by SC code).

2.) Ryan Dalton of Babe's Plumbing in Nokomis (Sorrento Woods resident), 941-488-2402.

Group rate (5 or more at one time) for a 3/4" RP backflow device, installation, permit, and testing is $500.

Group rate for a 1" RP backflow device, installation, permit, and testing is $565.

Group rate cost for testing an existing backflow prevention device and filing the certification report ONLY with

Sarasota County is $75.

3.) Mike Douglass Plumbing of Englewood, 941-473-2344.

Group rate (5 or more at one time) for ¾” or 1” RP backflow device, installation, permit, and testing is $500.

Group rate for testing an existing backflow prevention device and filing the certification report ONLY with Sarasota

County is $65. Prices shown do not include any additional items such as sod or landscape repair where digging is

involved, concrete pads, or additional repairs to any other plumbing or meter boxes.

Additional costs might be incurred for a relief valve at the backflow preventer if you do not have an expansion tank

pressure relief above your water heater. (This is required by SC code.)

Provide the plumbers a copy of your backflow preventer letter for the information from Sarasota County required for

permit. Arrange for your method of payment, which is due upon completion of the installation, on your own with the

plumber.

Sorrento Woods HOA assumes no liability for providing this information. To determine your personal

responsibilities and needs, contact the Sarasota County Backflow Dept. 941-861-6790.

https://www.scgov.net/Backflow/Pages/ResidentialRequirements.aspx .

Thanks to Kathy Carroll and Bill Kall for researching this issue. If you need to talk to Bill, call 309 -798-6158.

Other Notices

The inaugural gathering of the SW Ladies Lunch Group was

held in April and they continue to meet on the 4th Wednesday

of the month. The locations will be announced on the Next

Door Sorrento Woods web site or you can call Kathy Carroll

for further information.

Thanks to the efforts of Kathy Carroll we are now giving out welcome baskets to new neighbors containing a

” Welcome to the Neighborhood” letter, copies of the SW Phone Directory, the latest copy of the SW

Newsletter, SW Bylaws, current Deed Restrictions, Request for Building Approval, Sarasota County useful

phone numbers, a bottle of Meyers Hand Soap, a sleeve of cookies or treats, a package of cocktail napkins and

a small plant.

Any neighbors interested in participating in a Sorrento Woods Garden Club please contact Kathy Carroll or

Bob Laird. With enough interest we can meet and discuss ideas and goals including sharing information, plants

and working on landscaping of common areas.

Plan now to attend the SW neighborhood picnic scheduled for November 12, 2017. Location to be

announced.

Congratulations to Ken Modzelewski who is retiring as president and CEO of the SKY Family YMCA after 17

years. The YMCA board expressed gratitude for Ken’s leadership and strong direction for the Y’s future. Ken

plans to devote even more time and energy to his work as volunteer treasurer for SW HOA. Thank you, Ken

Condolences to the families of Gabrielle Levin, Pat Woeckener, Eleanor Pearsall, and Gordon Walker who

have passed away since our March newsletter.

2017 Board of Directors

President: Steve Black* 518-307-1728

Vice Pres: Cherif Elsadek 941-416-1700

Treasurer: Ken Modzelewski 941-488-2733

Secretary: Kelley Berta 941-484-4275

Compliance: Bill Davis * 352-228-3369

Maintenance: Bill Kall 309-798-6158 Building: Sam Santeufemia* 412-216-5576

Newsletter: Bob Laird* 808-756-2066

Social: Kathy Carroll* 815-979-6235

Member: Lisa Lightner 941-445-5983

Member: Jan D’Ambrosio* 941-484-0024

*denotes new board member 2017

Other Volunteers

Phone Directory: Brenda Kall 309-235-1733

Newsletter

Please submit newsletter comments, articles, or questions to:

sorrentowoodsnews@gmail.com Read the newsletter in brilliant color at sorrentowoods.org

2017 Sorrento Woods HOA Board Meeting Schedule

Meetings are generally held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Residents are welcome to attend. Please call a board member for meeting location. If you

wish to discuss a specific issue it may be added to the agenda by notifying the board president several days prior to the meeting.