January News from Your HOA
Notes from the Board
HOA DUES
The yearly dues were due January 1st, delinquent February 1st. If you need more time to pay your dues, request a payment plan now before being turned over to the attorney for collection and avoid paying much more. Save yourself a lot of extra money and possible judgment and foreclosure. Unlike many other subdivisions, there is no charge for a payment plan if you enter into one before being turned over to the attorney’s office for collection.
IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR INVOICE, PLEASE CONTACT SPECTRUM ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT AT 281-343-9178.
ARE YOU SAVING THE MONEY YOU DESERVE ON YOUR PROPERTY TAXES?
While doing some research on our neighborhood recently, I noticed that numerous Westfield Homeowners have not filed for Homestead Exemption on their property to save money on property taxes. (You must occupy the home to qualify for this exemption.)
A homestead exemption helps you save on taxes on your home. An exemption removes part of the value of your property from taxation and lowers your taxes. For example, if your home is valued at $100,000 and you qualify for a $20,000 exemption, you pay taxes on a value of $80,000.
An Application for Residential Homestead Exemption (same form for over-65, disability, over-55 surviving spouse or 100% disabled veteran homestead exemptions) can be found by hovering over Forms Page at www.hcad.org, choose popular forms, then choose form #11-13, which is the 1st form on the list. Homestead exemption, General Residential, over 65, disability, over 55 surviving spouse. Follow the instructions on the form.
To check your property to see if you have the homestead exemption, go to hcad.org, hover over property search, then choose search by address and fill in your address. (You will have better success if you do not use dr. cir.pl. etc.) Look about halfway down on the left under Exemption Type, this will show the type of exemption you have or none if you do not have any exemptions. There are videos to watch for complete instructions to fill out the homestead exemption form and the documents you will need to send in with the application. You can contact the Harris County Appraisal District at 713-957-7800 if you have any questions.
STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
All neighborhood activities are posted in the following places:
• Sign up on the Spectrum website: Go to spectrumam.com. Click on Homeowner Assistance. Click on Create an account and follow Instructions. After signing up, you will receive e-blast on all upcoming events. You can find the following items on the Spectrum website:
Deed restrictions, minutes of Board meetings, ACC approval form, Account information, pay your account online, report violations, pool information and financials.
• Check the Westfieldhoakatytx Facebook Page. Make a friend request on Westfieldhoakatytx.
• Join Nextdoor.com
Monthly Board Meetings
Residents are encouraged to attend any of our monthly Board meetings. They are held on the third Monday of the month beginning at 6 PM (Executive Session) and 7 PM open session, at Spectrum Association Management’s office located at 16990 Park Row, Houston, TX 77084. If you have concerns, questions or just want to hear what is going on, please attend.
WESTFIELD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tom Clark - President
Mary Carpentier - Vice President
Jacque Freeman - Secret Secretary/Treasurer
Marian Miller - Director
Richard Salce - Director
Abraham Montemayor - Director
Nick Niccoletti – Director
NUISANCE ABATEMENT
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has an overall Nuisance Abatement program for neighborhoods. Empty homes with junk and clutter in the front and back yards, eyesores for the community, inoperable vehicles, health and safety hazards… these and much more are addressed under Texas law as it applies to Nuisance Abatements in the Traffic Code and the Health and Safety code. All Deputy Contract units are trained in every Nuisance Abatement law on the books. Each law will be enforced quickly. Once again, we are putting a burden on the Sheriff’s Office that rightfully belongs on other agencies and the homeowners’ associations, but this is the most expeditious way of solving the many problems we are seeing. So, if you know of a home that is abandoned, has a junk vehicle in the driveway or street, trash, debris, high grass, a dangerous swimming pool, etc., please contact the management company, Spectrum Association Management, 281-343-9178, ask them to forward the information to our deputy or the district nuisance abatement deputy who will act on it immediately. This program began in 2011 following the training of all deputies. New deputies who bid into contracts are trained in Nuisance Abatement prior to their new assignment. The vehicle Nuisance Abatement and parking code are enforced in an ongoing policy. The health and safety laws will supplement that for further improvement in our neighborhoods. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Harris County Health Department and the County Attorney in an effort to clean up these problems.
REPORT STREETLIGHT OUTAGES
Please report outages of streetlights to Centerpoint Energy. You will need the pole number as well as the nearest street address and call 713-207-2222 or go to their website and complete an online form. It is very important that non-working lights are reported for the safety of our each of us. We pay the exact same whether the light is working or not.
WCA Garbage Collection Holidays and Guidelines
Collection Days: Monday and Thursday
Holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
WCA TRASH RULES
Tree and yard waste will be collected on all regular collection days and must be located at the curb area of each residence and maybe contained in containers or bags not exceeding forty (40) gallons or forty (40) pounds. Trees, shrubs, brush trimmings and fencing must be stacked in neat stacks and in lengths no greater than four (4) feet with no branch diameter exceeding three (3) inches. Size limitations are required to avoid damaging the equipment in the crushing process. Bulky items will be collected on all regular collection day sand must be located at the curb area of each residence. Except as excluded below, all bulky items such as appliances, furniture, carpet (up to I room, rolled up four feet wide and less than fifty pounds) and cardboard boxes(flattened), will be picked up. By Federal Law, refrigerator sand freezers or any other items containing Freon must be drained of Freon and have an accompanying certification to validate such service was performed before being collected by WCA. Items excluded from normal collection are dirt, rocks, bricks, concrete, tires, batteries, motor oil, cooking oil, waste generated by a private contractor or any materials or items deemed hazardous materials. WCA will leave a tag explaining the reason for any non-collected item(s). With respect to special collection of other than normal amounts of residential refuse, yard trimmings or bulk items, if notified in advance, WCA will meet with a resident prior to collection day to determine a price for such special collection. If a resident does not notify WCA of such a special pick-up before its scheduled day, then WCA will leave a notice for the resident to contact WCA during normal office hours before the next scheduled pickup day.
Homeowner Hot Line
There is help for your homeowners association!
The Greater Houston Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) has launched a free HOA Hotline, a resource for homeowners and Board members owning homes/units in condominium, townhome and subdivision community associations and have questions about the operations of their association. The Hotline is staffed with local non-attorney experts knowledgeable in community association best practices. Please contact the Hotline by calling 832-251-1874.
We urge homeowners to take advantage of this free resource. After all, isn’t it better to resolve issues quickly and reasonably now before they get out of hand later?
*Please note, the HOA Hotline panel, as well as CAI Staff will NOT give out legal advice. If seeking legal help, please contact the appropriate attorney or legal service. LegalLine is a free legal service, open to any Harris County citizen. It is held on the first and third Wednesday of every month, from 5-9 PM. To reach a volunteer attorney, call 713-759-1133. This program is by telephone only. For Spanish speakers, Consejos Legales is the first Thursday of the month from 6-8 PM. To reach a Spanish speaking volunteer attorney call 713-759-1133.
