leland insider: spring edition 2014
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Insider Leland
• Stay Safe – Slow
• Barking Up the Wrong
• Imagine Document Imaging
• Spring Time Sod Tips & Tricks
The Florida Communi3es of
Excellence Award represents
the pinnacle of achievement
for community associa3ons
in our state and has recog-
nized dozens of outstanding
communi3es throughout
Florida since its founding in
2008. This year 6 Leland
Management communi3es
were in the finals for the
Communi3es of Excellence
Awards. Congratula3ons to:
Avalon Park, Carriage Pointe,
Courtyards of Suntree, and
Stonecrest on their nomina-
3ons and to Bridgestone at
Legends and The Lakes of
Mount Dora on winning their
categories.
In the first quarter of 2014, the
Leland Management educa3on
team has awarded 594 state-
approved Board Member Cer3-
fica3ons to community board
members throughout the state
of Florida. We are proud of the
impact our educa3on ini3a3ves
have had on our communi3es
and look forward to our next
series of courses in the sum-
mer. Visit our website at
www.LelandManagement.com
for more info. Spring 3me is always a wonderful 3me of year. It is a
3me for growth, ac3vity, and a 3me to look forward to
those summer months. Leland Management has been
working hard on training and systems to help us pro-
vide the highest quality management services for all of
our communi3es. We have been growing as well,
hiring 10 new team members since January and wel-
coming many new communi3es to the Leland family.
Leland has also been ac3ve in working to protect com-
muni3es against legisla3on that will nega3vely affect
homeowners throughout the state of Florida. On a
recent trip to Tallahassee, I met with legislators regard-
ing the passing of Bills: HB 7037 and SB 1466 which
are designed to put a stop to efforts by the Florida Bar
to designate many rou3ne du3es performed by CAMs
and Boards as the Unlicensed Prac3ce of Law (UPL).
Without these bills, Associa3ons will be forced to hire
high-priced lawyers to do the same things CAMs and
Boards now provide to Associa3ons. It was a produc-
3ve trip, with posi3ve feedback from all of the legisla-
tors whom I met. Many thanks to the Board Members
and residents who came to Tallahassee to join us, or
have sent le7ers in support of these Bills to their Sena-
tors or Representa3ve. Your input makes a differ-
ence! As of April 29th both bills have passed in the
House and Senate by wide margins and are now being
sent to the Governor for his approval. Please share
your support of this legisla3on with the Governor by
sending a le7er or email at h7p://www.flgov.com/
contact-gov-sco7/email-the-governor/.
We have been busy over the winter with our educa-
3on ini3a3ves. Since January Leland has conduct-
ed 13 classes and 2 webinars, cer3fying 594 Board
Members throughout the state. Because these clas-
ses are in such high demand, we have recently added
addi3onal courses scheduled for the summer months.
In the past few months members of Leland’s team and
the communi3es we serve have been honored with
many awards. We are pleased to announce that two
of our Community Associa3on Managers: Chad Peck
and Traci Bradford were selected by the Council of
Community Associa3on Professionals (CCAP) as two of
the top 10 managers in the en3re country. Two other
Leland CAMs, Tracy Durham and Adina Lewis were in
the top 50. This is very impressive considering there
are over 18,000 CAMs in Florida alone. We also had 6
communi3es that were finalists for the Communi3es
of Excellence Awards. Two of those communi3es,
Bridgestone at Legends and The Lakes of Mount Dora
won in their categories. Finally, our Director of CAM
Development, Christy Borden, has been named as a
Business Execu3ve of the Year honoree by the Orlando
Business Journal. Please join me in congratula3ng
these team members and communi3es for their ac-
complishments.
Finally, I would like to thank you for partnering with
Leland Management for your associa3on management
needs. We appreciate the trust you ins3ll in us day
a@er day to keep your associa3ons running smoothly.
• Leland VP named to Florida
Bar UPL Commi7ee
• Leland Director named OBJ
Business Execu3ve 2014
• Things Your Burglar
Won’t Tell You
Rebecca Furlow
approximately 3 weeks a@er
your grass begins to green
up. Do not apply more than
3 pounds of nitrogen per
1,000 sq.@. per year.
Watering
During the spring season St.
Augus3ne seldom needs irri-
ga3on due to the spring
rains. However, if the lawn is
established, apply irriga3on
on an “as-needed” basis. If
leaf blades turn a blue-gray
color, look wilted or curled,
begin to fold over or show
foot prints from walking in
the grass —It’s 3me for irri-
ga3on.
Don’t over water! Apply 3/4”
to 1” of water per week if
needed.
Disease Control
During the spring and fall
months you may find brown
grass, in circular patches
called “brown patch” fungus.
Brown patch usually hap-
pens during humid, warm
weather and is fueled by
excessive nitrogen. Fungi-
cides may provide control. A
be7er “method of control” is
to reduce irriga3on and ni-
trogen, improve drainage
and air movement through
the soil.
Insect Control
The number one insect pest
for St. Augus3ne is the
southern chinch bug. If you
no3ce yellow spots or
drought like symptoms in
sunny loca3ons — check for
chinch bugs.
Checking for Chinch Bugs
Take a metal coffee can and
remove the top and bo7om.
Push the can into the area
you think may have chinch
bugs. Fill the can with water.
If chinch bugs are present
they should float. Generally,
it is recommended to hire a
professional to treat your St.
Augus3ne turf for chinch bug
infesta3on.
Renova�on
If your lawn is in need of
some renova3on, the spring
3me is the ideal 3me to re-
sod the area.
with heavy foot traffic, turns
brown once it is dormant in
the winter, weed control can
be difficult, and the worst —
chinch bugs can cause seri-
ous damage. Here are some
maintenance sugges3ons
you may follow during the
spring months.
Mowing
As spring arrives and your St.
Augus3ne begins to turn
green, it’s 3me to start
mowing the grass. Start by
mowing your grass o@en, at
2.5 to 4.0 inches, removing
no more than 1/3” of the
leaf blade. By mowing more
o@en during the growing
season, you will avoid build
up of grass clippings.
Fer�lizing
Before applying fer3lizer to
your lawn, it is a good idea
to get your lawn’s soil tested
every 2-3 years. Apply lime if
the soil test recommends it.
Apply 1 pound of nitrogen
per 1,000 sq.@.
Spring 3me has arrived!
This means that you will
be spending more 3me
outside surveying your
surroundings and com-
ple3ng your annual yard
maintenance. Unfortu-
nately, even the most
beau3ful lawns suffer
from sod damage during
the winter months. Below
are some helpful 3ps re-
garding St. Augus3ne sod.
St. Augus3ne grass is a
fast growing, widely-
adapted, warm season
grass. It grows in a variety
of soils and pH levels. It is
also the most common
turf grass grown and used
throughout the state of
Florida. A properly main-
tained St. Augus3ne lawn
will produce a dense, lush
carpet of medium to dark
green/blue color. It does
best growing in rich, well-
drained soil, in a warm
humid climate. The ad-
vantages of this turf are
the green, dark green or
blue green color. It has
an overall good salt toler-
ance, establishes quickly,
can be started from sod,
sprigs, or plugs and can
handle shade. However,
it does require a lot of
water, doesn’t work well
By: Christy Borden, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®
community is what social
psychologists call the “auto-
pilot” effect. The streets in
our communi3es are famil-
iar, comfortable path ways
home and drivers o@en
switch into an auto-pilot
mindset and forget to moni-
tor their speeds in neighbor-
hoods. O@en speed limit vio-
lators are unaware they are
doing so. Your community
may discuss urging the local
public works department to
install radar signs that show
drivers how fast they are
going and how to adjust their
speed.
Distribu3ng a friendly re-
minder with some sta3s3cs
may prove effec3ve in your
neighborhood. For example,
when hit by a vehicle travel-
ing at 20 mph 9 out of 10
pedestrians will survive, at
30 mph only 5 of the 10 will
survive, and at 40 mph only
1 of the 10 pedestrians will
survive. A lack of signage
may also lend itself to high
speeds. Discuss pos3ng signs
throughout the community
to remind drivers what the
speed limit is and trigger
awareness in your neighbor-
hood. Another poten3al
cause of speeding in the
With so many precious resi-
dents, ranging from children
and the elderly to beloved
pets, it is no surprise that
one of the most frequent
complaints received by the
Transporta3on Department
is speeding on residen3al
streets. There are a number
of reasons why speeding oc-
curs in residen3al areas in-
cluding: lack of educa3on,
unawareness, auto-pilot
driving, and blatant disre-
gard. Speeding is not viewed
as a serious offense in our
society and many of our
neighbors aren’t educated
on the dangers of speeding.
If these tac3c are ineffec-
3ve you may have to take
a firmer stance on speed-
ing and install traffic
calming devices such as
speed bumps, rotaries,
raised crosswalks, or bike
lanes. Your Board of Di-
rectors and Leland Man-
agement take the safety
of our residents seriously
and encourage you to
speak up if you see a po-
ten3ally dangerous situa-
3on in your community.
Stay Safe - Slow Down: Speeding in Residen3al Communi3es
Leland Management con3nues to grow to support the needs of our clients.
This quarter we welcomed the following team members:
● Kerry Laughlin ● Paul Daiya ● Kristina Beck ● Harry Polycarpe ● Ash Smith ● Lee Wilson ● Michelle Arditi ● ● Mark Michalek ● Jane Taylor ● Lauren Waite ● Sonja Pedretti ● Victoria Batura ● Lisa Sack ● John Stiles ●
Leland Management proudly announces that Patricia E. DuBuque, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®, MBA, has
joined the corporate team as a Senior Manager. Her responsibili3es will include business develop-
ment, corporate development and training. She will be a member of the Senior Management
Team. She carries more than 20 years of experience in the community management industry and
holds the community associa3on industry’s highest professional recogni3on available na3onwide to
managers who specialize in community associa3on management, Professional Community Associa-
3on Manager (PCAM®). Pa; is an ac3ve member of Community Associa3ons Ins3tute, published
author and speaker on issues impac3ng community associa3ons. Pa; received a bachelor of science
degree in business administra3on from Elon University and a master in business administra3on from
Salisbury University.
In an ever-changing world filled
with technological advances
that give us access to infor-
ma3on and resources at our
finger3ps, it has become in-
creasingly important to keep up
with the demands of becoming
a more paperless society. To
meet these demands, Leland
Management has developed a
document management system
which allows us to scan and
import associa3on documents
digitally to our main database.
This not only keeps associa3on
records more secure, it also
makes them quickly available
when needed including the abil-
ity to access the records re-
motely.
How it Works
• Our department receives
various documents from
Accoun3ng, Assessments &
Billing and Mailroom on a
daily basis. These docu-
ments are fed though two
high-speed bulk scanners
set to capture double-sided
images.
• The scanned documents
are then saved in pdf for-
mat and stored in folders
where they are electroni-
cally fed through a dedicat-
ed program which relies on
• Organized, reliable, and se-
cure source for all of your
community’s documents.
• Reduced costs associated
with paper, ink and toner.
• Improved customer service
An electronic record keeping sys-
tem has proven to save commu-
nity associa3ons and their man-
agers 3me, money and storage
space. In addi3on to these re-
source benefits comes the addi-
3onal benefit of being environ-
mentally friendly.
To learn more about the benefits
of a paperless system please con-
tact Diane Braswell at
• op3cal character recogni-
3on, a process of electronic
conversion of scanned text
into machine-encoded/
searchable text, to separate
the pages into individual
files.
• The individual electronic
files are then validated and
imported into our main da-
tabase, Document Locator,
based on file type.
• The original hard copies are
then filed away and placed
into storage securely.
How it Impacts your Community
• CAMs have immediate ac-
cess to relevant files, such as
vendor invoices and pay-
ments, lease agreements,
deeds, gate access forms,
mailing no3ces, homeowner
info updates/ correspond-
ence, and much more, via
the use of their mobile de-
vices. A repository of useful
informa3on at the touch of
a keypad.
• Our Accoun3ng Managers,
who provide accoun3ng
services, also benefit from
the same immediate access
allowing them to instantly
track transac3ons made
with check or online pay-
ments and overall communi-
ty financial histories.
By: Brian Knippenberg
fellow resident onlookers
cheered as par3cipants
passed by their homes.
The first resident to finish
was Daryl “Chief” Xavier
with an impressive 27 mi-
nute 3me. Prizes are being
awarded to par3cipants
for several achievements
including fastest and slow-
est. Residents were wel-
comed by rounds of ap-
plause as they crossed the
finish line as well as music
played by a local dj, re-
freshments and par3cipa-
3on medals. Resident vol-
unteers, Lake Center for
Rehab and the Ac3vi3es
Director all came together
to make this event a great
one. Stonecrest is already
looking forward to the
next 5k event!
• Don Danos named super-
star for month of March.
• Holly Connell promoted to
Customer Service POD
Leader.
• Christy Borden named
Orlando Business Journal’s
Business Execu3ve of
2014.
• Gary Van der Laan ap-
pointed to Florida Bar Un-
licensed Prac3ce of Law
commi7ee.
• Traci Bradford and Chad
Peck named in top 10 on-
site managers na3on-
wide.
Director, Michelle Wil-
liams, to put on the event.
The entry fee was $5 with
part of that registra3on
fee being donated to the
Wounded Warriors. Chalk
road markers were drawn
along the course poin3ng
residents in the right di-
rec3on, providing encour-
aging words, and marking
each half-mile. A water
sta3on manned by volun-
teers was set up at the
half-way point and
Stonecrest’s first 5k fun
walk/jog was a success!
Fi@y-nine residents hit the
pavement the morning of
March 20th a@er the play-
ing of the Na3onal An-
them and shotgun start
under an archway of green
and gold balloons. Resi-
dents have been training
for the 3.1 mile stretch for
six weeks every Thursday
morning leading up to the
race. Lake Center for Re-
hab partnered with Ac3vi-
Accoun3ng Manager Deb-
bie Pearlman received this
beau3ful plaque of appre-
cia3on from the Harbor
Pointe Board of Directors
for her hard work and
dedica3on.
WELCOME
WAGON
Stonecrest POA Hosts Their First 5K
◊ Sherman Hills ◊ Parkside Place ◊ Mission Oaks
Condo ◊ Cove Cay Villages II ◊ Ashton Woods ◊ Wellington North
at Bay Park ◊ The Lionspaw Community ◊ Arlington Ridge ◊ Venetian Village ◊ Village Drive ◊ Captiva Condos ◊ North Forest Village ◊ Las Colinas ◊ Villas at Laguna
Bay ◊ Summer Chase ◊ Thurston Groves ◊ Misty Oaks Park ◊ Mill Creek at
Kendall Town
11. A loud TV or radio can
be a be7er deterrent
than the best alarm
system. If you’re reluc-
tant to leave your TV
on while you’re out of
town, you can buy a
$35 device that works
on a 3mer and simu-
lates the flickering
glow of a real televi-
sion.
(www.faketv.com)
12. Some3mes I carry a
clipboard. Some3mes I
dress like a lawn guy
and carry a rake. I do
my best to never ever
look like a crook.
13. Two things I hate most
are loud dogs and
nosy neighbors.
14. I’ll break a window to
get in, even if it makes
a li7le noise. If your
neighbor hears one
loud sound, he’ll stop
what he’s doing and
wait to hear it again. If
he doesn’t hear it
again, he’ll just go
back to what he was
doing. It’s human na-
ture.
15. To you, leaving that win-
dow open just a crack
during the day is a way
to let in a li7le fresh air.
To me, it’s an invita3on.
16. I love looking in win-
dows. I’m looking for
signs that you’re home.
I’ll walk or drive through
your neighborhood at
night, before you close
the blinds, just to pick
my targets.
17. Why buy a fancy alarm
system and then leave
your house without
se;ng it?
18. Avoid announcing your
vaca3on on Facebook.
It’s easier than you think
to look up your address.
6. A good security compa-
ny alarms the windows
over the sink. And the
windows which access
the master bedroom . . .
and your jewelry. It’s not
a bad idea to install mo-
3on detectors.
7. It’s raining, you’re fum-
bling with your umbrella
and forgot to lock your
door. But understand
this, I don’t take a day
off because of bad
weather.
8. I always knock first. If
you answer, I’ll ask for
direc3ons somewhere or
offer to clean your
gu7ers. [Don’t take me
up on it.] If you don’t
answer, I’ll try the door.
Occasionally, I hit the
jackpot and walk right in.
9. Do you really think I
won’t look in your sock
drawer? I always check
dresser drawers, the
bedside table, and the
medicine cabinet.
10. You’re right, I won’t
have enough 3me to
break into that safe
where you keep your
valuables. But, if it’s not
bolted down I’ll take it
with me.
Read this! You just might
learn something that will
save your home from be-
ing burglarized.
1. Of course I look famil-
iar. I was here just
last week cleaning
your carpets, pain3ng
your shu7ers, or de-
livering your new re-
frigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for le;ng
me use the bathroom
while I was working in
your yard last week.
While I was in there, I
unlatched the back
window to make my
return a li7le easier.
3. Love those flowers.
That tells me you
have taste . . . And
taste means there are
nice things inside.
4. Yes, I really do look
for newspapers piled
up in the driveway.
And I might leave a
pizza flyer in your
front door to see how
long it takes you to
remove it.
5. If decora3ve glass is
part of your front en-
trance, don’t let your
alarm company install
the control pad
where I can see it it’s
set. That makes it too
easy.
“About 30 percent of
all burglaries are
through an open or
unlocked window or
door.”
u3lizing our extensive ac-
coun3ng, management,
technology, and customer
service experience. Leland
Management strives for
excellence in every aspect
of our business; winning an
award solely based on cus-
tomer input is very special
to us.
We look forward to con3n-
uing to serve our communi-
3es and extend a sincere
thank you to all of our
board and community
members that voted.
any associa3on, Leland is
family owned and managed.
We understand that building
solid, long term rela3onships
is very important to the qual-
ity of our services and suc-
cess of our company. Le-
land’s owners are very in-
volved in day-to-day opera-
3ons and are readily accessi-
ble to our clients and other
business partners. Leland
Management maintains an
excellent reputa3on based
on honesty, respect, trust,
teamwork, and customer
service. Our mission is to
provide homeowner and
condo associa3ons with the
highest level of service
Leland Management is proud
to announce that we were
selected by the readers of
the Florida Community Asso-
cia3on Journal as the Dia-
mond recipient of their first
annual Readers Choice
Awards. We are especially
proud of this award because
our communi3es and board
members took the 3me to
cast their vote for us. There
were 155 service providers
and 3,800 votes cast.
We believe what makes Le-
land unique is that although
Leland is large enough to
have all the resources neces-
sary to meet the needs of
Best Management Company:
FLCAJ Reader’s Choice
Leland Management is pleased to announce that Gary van der Laan, Vice President, was
named to the Florida Bar’s Unlicensed Prac3ce of Law (UPL) commi7ee. Gary, who has
worked at Leland Management for over 7 years has been appointed to serve on the
commi7ee for a 2 year term beginning on July 1st. The Unlicensed Prac3ce of Law (UPL)
program was established by the Supreme Court of Florida to protect the public against
harm caused by unlicensed individuals prac3cing law. Being named to the UPL commi7ee is not only an honor
for Gary, but a testament to his professionalism and his commitment to protect the public interest. Please join
us in congratula3ng him on this most recent accomplishment.
McLean & Company found
that disengaged employees
cost an organiza3on approxi-
mately $3,400 for every
$10,000 in annual salary to-
taling a $350 billion loss per
year in the American econo-
my.
L eland Management has
chosen to invest in their
employees and host an
offsite, catered luncheon
annually. Through team
building events mid and
end year, we enjoy low
a7ri3on rates and produc-
3ve employees. We have
seen tremendous growth
this year and look forward
to another successful
year.
The most frequently cited
mo3va3on is to reward and
thank employees for a suc-
cessful year. Boos3ng mo-
rale, networking, and build-
ing camaraderie amongst co-
workers were also forerun-
ners. Ul3mately, corporate
par3es are a strategic tool to
increase employee engage-
ment and boost your bo7om
line. Companies with a highly
engaged workforce experi-
ence a 19.2% growth in op-
era3ng income over a 12
month period and grows
profits as much as 3x faster
than their compe3tors. Hav-
ing high levels of employee
engagement also lowers
a7ri3on rates by 87%.
All of these sta3s3cs are
strong incen3ves for compa-
nies to consider reinsta3ng
the annual picnic in the park;
but if your HR department
needs a bit more convincing,
encourage them to think of
the cost of disengagement.
With the summer months
fast approaching you may
have been invited to,
asked to host, or even
know of a company picnic
or barbeque coming up.
Many 3mes people ques-
3on whether a corporate
party is produc3ve or
simply zapping the com-
pany budget. In its annual
survey on holiday par3es,
global outplacement and
business coaching firm
Challenger, Gray & Christ-
mas Inc. found that 64
percent of companies are
planning corporate par-
3es this year, up slightly
from 62 percent a year
ago. About 4 percent of
those holding par3es this
year are doing so a@er
one or more years with
no party due to the reces-
sion. With the economy
s3ll fragile, what is inspir-
ing companies to take on
the extra expense of a
party?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We Want to Hear from You!
Does you community have a story or photos of an event you would like to share? Send us
your photos and stories to [email protected] and check us out on our
Facebook, Twi7er, LinkedIn, and WordPress.
Leland Director Named OBJ
Business Execu3ve of the Year
Congratula3ons to Traci Bradford (onsite at Villanova at Hunter’s Creek) and
Chad Peck (onsite at StoneCrest) on being named among the top 10 on-site
managers na3onwide in the Council of Community Associa3on Professional’s
2014 Manager of the Year Awards. The purpose of the contest is to inspire ex-
cellence and professionalism by recognizing and rewarding the best managers in
the na3on. Also noteworthy are Adina Lewis and Tracy Durham who placed in
the top 50. All of these placements are very impressive considering there are
over 18,000 CAMs in Florida alone!
marke3ng, presenta3ons,
and networking as well as
being instrumental in lending
her knowledge towards de-
veloping and implemen3ng
company process improve-
ments. While she spends the
majority of her 3me at the
Leland main corporate office,
she is also tasked as the
Volusia Division Director. In
this role she is responsible
for the sales development,
networking, opera3ons and
staff management for the
en3re Volusia Division. In her
professional career Christy
has obtained the
Christy who has been in the
management industry since
2001 was granted this honor
based on the impact she has
had not only at Leland, but
on the community and her
personal connec3ons as well.
At Leland, Christy is responsi-
ble for the training, manag-
ing and supervising of six-
teen licensed associa3on
managers that oversee ap-
proximately seventy four
associa3ons located
throughout Orange, Semi-
nole and Volusia coun3es.
Christy is thoroughly in-
volved in client rela3ons and
reten3on, sales,
Leland Management is proud
to announce that we had
four nominees for the Orlan-
do Business Journal’s 2014
Women Who Mean Business
awards. Rebecca Furlow,
Tracey Clement, Stacey
Peach and Christy Borden
were all nominated for their
extreme professionalism and
business, personal, and com-
munity accomplishments.
Christy Borden, Director of
Management Development,
has been named an honoree
among the Orlando Business
Journal’s Business Execu3ve
of the Year for 2014.
CMCA®, AMS® and
PCAM® designa3ons.
She is also an ac3ve
member in several
local chamber of
commerce and the
CAI mid-Florida chap-
ter. We look forward
to celebra3ng with
her and ask you to
join us in congratu-
la3ng her on this ac-
complishment.
Assessments & billing
does their best to support
our clients along with the
rest of the Leland staff.
Customer service is a part
of our company philoso-
phy and is reinforced from
the top down. This con-
sistency has allowed ex-
cellent customer service
to become second nature
to all members of our
team and has posi3vely
influenced how we com-
municate with everyone
we come in contact with.
How can this be done? Le-
land Management manages
over 400 communi3es with
approximately 100,000
homeowners. We take hun-
dreds of calls, emails, and
fax a day from people who
need assistance or have con-
cerns. Over 3me, we have
come up with some im-
portant customer service
guidelines that have proven
to be successful in dealing
with even the most challeng-
ing situa3ons.
One of these tools is the vir-
tual call center ins3tuted in
our Assessments & Billing
department. Every call that
is placed to the department,
which handles the majority
of homeowner calls, is put
into a queue and answered
on a next available basis. In
the month of March, the call
center team consis3ng of six
people answered 4,165 calls.
The wait 3mes and dura3on
are tracked and the sta3s3cs
are monitored weekly to
ensure the highest level of
service is being provided. In
March, 3,089 calls were
answered immediately or
under 1 minute, and only
43 calls waited longer than
five.
Providing good customer
service can prove a chal-
lenge in almost any busi-
ness. In Associa3on Man-
agement, where we deal
with such issues as cove-
nant enforcement and
collec3ons, it can be es-
pecially tricky. No ma7er
how challenging the situ-
a3on the bo7om line
is: good Associa3on
Management companies
should provide great cus-
tomer service. Unfortu-
nately, this is not always
an easy task. Associa3on
management companies
are faced with the chal-
lenge of having mul3ple
customers to support in-
cluding: board members,
homeowners, vendors
and employees. To add to
the challenge, homeown-
er’s complaints/concerns
are o@en emo3onally
driven as they
are concerning their larg-
est and most sen3mental
investment, their
home. To maintain excel-
lence, it is important that
all of their concerns are
validated and handled in
a professional manner.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Giving Back to Your Home Owner’s
Association: Organize a Social Event
As I was driving out of my community this morning, I no3ced a
sign posted at the entrance that said, Volunteers Needed
ASAP, Easter Egg Hunt may be canceled. In our last issue we
touched on the benefits of volunteering for your Homeowners Associa3on by serving on the Board of Directors. To-
day it occurred to me to touch on the fact that while serving on the Board is an extremely important job, there are
other ways in which one can help out the community. People o@en complain that their community offers minimal
social opportuni3es to get to know your neighbors. Perhaps, this is due to the lack of volunteers to organize these
events. It is the old adage that you get out what you put in. If you are a social person who loves to organize par3es,
why not use your skills to get the community together and organize a Community BBQ or Fes3val. By organizing
an event for the community you will help foster community spirit, promote goodwill among your neighbors, and get
to know the people who share your HOA. Your work will certainly be repaid when you see the smiling face of your
new friends and neighbors. If you are interested in helping out your community and volunteering for your commu-
nity associa3on, contact your HOA Board of Directors or the HOA Management Company.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Summit Greens Security Office
Awarded Ci�zens Service Award
Summit Greens’ Security Officer, Ronnie Baldeo was awarded the Ci3zens
Service Award by the Clermont Police Department on April 8th, 2014. The
award recognized Ronnie for responding to an emergency involving an unre-
sponsive male resident who was floa3ng face down in a swimming pool. Security Officer Baldeo successfully
kept the resident’s head above water un3l assistance arrived to li@ him from the pool. Assis3ng police offic-
ers and EMS personnel successfully administered CPR allowing the man to reach the hospital alive. Although
the resident passed away, his family expressed apprecia3on for everyone’s efforts having allowed the family
to have valuable 3me with him before passing. Ronnie was recognized in a brief ceremony and awarded the
cer3ficate signed by the Clermont Chief of Police.
Summit Greens’ residents and staff all know Ronnie as a friendly and informed member of our team. She
was also awarded a cer3ficate of thanks by the Board of Directors at Summit Greens and was presented the
award by Board President, Tom Sadecki at the last board mee3ng. It is truly an honor to know and work with
Ronnie. Congrats!
6972 Lake Gloria Blvd
Orlando, FL 32809
407.447.9955 ph
407-447-9899 fax
www.LelandManagement.com
Barking Up the Wrong Tree Did you know 15% of pet owners have had a neighbor complain about their fluffy friends? Here at Leland
Management we receive consistent complaints about neighborhood dogs from residents. Ranging from bark-
ing to bathroom choices, we have heard them all with one resident distribu3ng flyers throughout his commu-
nity and another star3ng a pe33on. While it's true some owners might be inconsiderate and not care how
the noise affects others, most are simply not aware of the barking or that their neighbors are annoyed. Hurt
feelings, anger and frustra3on -- on both sides -- make for a very stressful situa3on. Here are a few 3ps that
we have found are helpful for both par3es.
• A common trigger for consistent barking is boredom. Before you leave the house plan a walk or play
session with your dog to s3mulate his a7en3on.
• Leave treat filled toys around the house that present a challenge for your dog. The 3me and energy
spent with the toys will distract him/her from any outside s3mulus.
• Buy an an3-barking collar. This may seem harsh for an act that comes naturally to dogs but there are
non-pain collars that produce desired results by emi;ng a vibra3on when he/she barks.
• Finally, take an olive branch to your neighbor and explain that you are working on the
problem and would appreciate his or her feedback. Your neighbor can be a great help in
solving the problem, since he or she is home during the day and might be able to help you iden3fy
when your dog is barking. Ask your neighbor to keep a log of when and how
long your dog is barking, and if he no3ced anything that might have triggered the barking in the first
place. This might be the detec3ve work you need to get to the bo7om of the barking, as well as a way
for your neighbor to be part of the solu3on.
Leland and your community associa3on manager are not able to step-in in this area. If
you feel the complaint needs to be addressed by someone other than your neighbors
the best thing to do is call city hall.
For more informa3on about ways to curb consistent barking visit h7p://
www.pe?inder.com/dogs/dog-problems/dog-barks-le@-
alone/
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