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Questions New Safety Requirements Back Garden and Patio Condo Board/Committees/Management Emergencies
General
HVAC
Jose/George Mail & Packages Moving In/Out Covenants Violations Roof Deck Storage Space Trash/Recycle
Unit Maintenance
Answers
Can I get more information on our self-closing fire-rated front
door requirement?
Every owner at the Bader must replace their unit front door
with a self-closing fire-rated door by December 31, 2009. Front
doors are the unit owner's responsibility.
This came about because our last insurance company was going to
raise our master plan rate by a large amount due to our multiple
fire code violations. Those violations have been overlooked in
the past since we were an old building and were therefore
grandfathered in. Ever since 9-11, insurance regulations have
been getting more and more strict every year.
We shopped around and we could get insurance at a reasonable
price again only if we did several things, one of which is
replacing unit front doors with self-closing fire-rated doors.
We are looking around at several companies for a bulk deal on
doors for everyone and will get back to you when we find the
best deal. It's looking like the cost will be about $1,500
per front door installed but that is just a guess and we will
get back to you with a hard number once we have one.
Everyone should be able to use the same knobs, locks, and spy
hole, so there should be a savings there. One door company
who sent a representative by to look at the building said that
it would probably be best to use single hinge doors since the
door frames are not always square.
Note that unit owners are also required to get their smoke
detectors to be dual-powered, that is hard-wired to the electric
grid with battery back up, by December 31, 2009. That will be
another unit owner expense.
The association is also required to replace all stairwell doors
with self-closing fire-rated doors and add a sprinkler system to
the trash chute. The association will pay for those enhancements
and the unit owners will not be charged for them.
The Board regrets this expense placed on the owners but we have
to have insurance and this is what our insurance company now
requires of us.
Every owner at the Bader must make sure their unit smoke detector
is dual-powered, that is hard-wired to the electric grid with
battery back up, by December 31, 2009. Smoke detectors are the
unit owner's responsibility.
Note that this is just hard-wired to the electric grid, NOT
hard-wired into our fire safety system. Many unit owners already
have this
smoke detector configuration so they will have to do nothing.
In the image, the smoke detector is powered by a wire running
off the hall ceiling light contained in a plastic conduit glued
to the ceiling.
This came about because our last insurance company was going to
raise our master plan rate by a large amount due to our multiple
fire code violations. Those violations have been overlooked in
the past since we were an old building and were therefore
grandfathered in. Ever since 9-11, insurance regulations have
been getting more and more strict every year.
We shopped around and we could get insurance at a reasonable
price again only if we did several things, one of which is
making sure that all unit smoke detectors are dual-powered.
Note that unit owners are also required to replace their unit
front doors with self-closing fire-rated doors by December 31,
2009. That will be another unit owner expense.
The association is also required to replace all stairwell doors
with self-closing fire-rated doors and add a sprinkler system to
the trash chute. The association will pay for those enhancements
and the unit owners will not be charged for them.
The Board regrets this expense placed on the owners but we have
to have insurance and this is what our insurance company now
requires of us.
Any Bader resident can use the back garden/patio. Only Bader
residents can host a function in the back garden/patio. The
back garden/patio can be used from 8am to 10pm Sunday through
Thursday and 8am to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Any Bader resident can reserve the back garden/patio. To
reserve the back garden/patio, speak to or leave a note for
Jose or the Board Secretary.
Any Bader resident can build a temporary structure in the back
garden/patio as long as building it does not harm the patio or
garden, the resident reserved the back garden/patio, and the
structure is taken down at the end of the reserved time period.
Yes, currently BRIM with Bernie Robinson and Sarah
Mohepath as our managing agents. Our management company
helps us with day-to-day operations at the Bader, employee
management, contracts management, payroll, budgeting, and
emergency services.
As per Article IV, Section 4 of the Bader Bylaws, Board
members are elected to office by the owners at the Bader
annual open meeting in the Fall. Board members serve a
two year term. Currently Board member terms are
staggered so that three members terms expire one year
and four members terms the next year. As per Article V,
Section 2, once elected, Board members then elect Board
officers from the seven member Board.
Yes, as long as you are a unit owner. You can attend
the entire meeting except "Executive Session" where
the Board discusses dilinquent home owner association
dues.
The Board President presides over the Board meeting.
First minutes from the previous Board meeting are
reviewed and accepted by the Board. Next the President
and Treasurer give their reports. Then committee heads
give their reports followed by the managing agent's
report. It is during the management report that the
Board goes into "Executive Session" where the Board
discusses dilinquent home owner association dues. Next,
the Board discusses old business followed by new
business. This is usually the point where non-Board
member unit owners can bring up any issues they have.
Then the next meeting is scheduled and the Board meeting
adjourns.
The Board meets at least once every quarter. Notices
of the next meeting are posted on the lobby and laundry
room bulletin boards.
Yes, as long as you are a resident unit owner.
Non-resident unit owners and renters are not allowed to
serve on the Board.
There are four committees at the Bader: Covenants, Garden,
Facilities, and Web Page. The Covenants Committee is in
charge of enforcing the rules and fining violators. The
Garden Committee oversees the health and foliage of the
Bader front and back gardens. The Facilities Committee
makes decisions concerning common area aesthetics
including paint colors, carpet colors, and re-decorating.
The Web Page Committee oversees the design and maintenance
of the Bader Web Page.
Yes, as long as you are a unit owner. Non-resident
as well as resident unit owners can serve on a committee.
If you smell gas in your unit, check your stove and
oven. If a burner or the oven was on, turn it off and
open your windows. If the stove and oven were off,
open your windows and call the
Washington Gas emergency number at 703-750-1400.
If you smell gas in a common area, call the
Washington Gas emergency
number at 703-750-1400.
Contact our managing agent IMMEDIATELY. Also contact
Jose or George if the leak is discovered during their
working hours.
Contact our managing agent and ring the elevator
emergency bell. Also contact Jose or George if stuck
during their working hours. If you cannot contact any
of the above and no one comes to your assistance after
ringing the elevator emergency bell, use the elevator
emergency phone to call the DC Government for
assistance.
Lock outs are NOT an emergency so do NOT call the
Bader's managing agent. Contact Jose or George if
locked out during their working hours. For renters,
if locked out outside of Jose's and George's working
hours, call your landlord to come let you in. Certain
Board members can let you in but are not required to
do so. It is advised that residents give a spare key
to a trusted neighbor in anticipation of lock outs.
In case of an emergency (gas leak, fire, water leak), if
the unit owner is not home, the key provided to the Board
of Directors will be used to gain access to the unit. If
the unit owner has not given the Board of Directors a key,
the unit owner is in effect granting the Board of Directors
permission to forcibly enter by destroying their door
should there be an emergency. In that case, the unit owner
is responsible for replacing the door.
The current hollow doors are in violation of DC Fire Code
as per the DC Fire Marshall, but are grandfathered in.
Should the unit owner have to replace their door, the DC
Fire Marshall requires that the door be fire rated which,
as of 2005, ran about $1,500 installed.
So, it's up to the unit owner...a key for $2.95 or a door
for $1,500+?
The Board cannot stop you from installing a washer/dryer
in your unit but the Board requests that you refrain from
doing so as the added burden on the antiquated sewage
system could cause back ups and water leaks. There is a
laundryroom in the Bader basement.
The Board has professional cleaners clean the outside of
all windows twice per year.
Security is a serious matter at the Bader. There have
been thefts, break-ins, and at least one incident of
robbery on the elevator, so the Board requests that you
only let into the Bader people that you know. Should
someone try to follow you in the door, politely ask that
they contact the person they are visiting and ask that
person to let them in. If you see someone hovering
outside the front door and you don't want to have to
confront them, use the back door instead. If you do not
know the person but they "look safe", consider
that one resident had a restraining order placed against
an ex-boyfriend who was harassing her. He was a clean
cut K Street consultant so looks are NOT a good
indication of "safe".
You can purchase an e-key from Jose for $25. Only owners
are allowed to purchase e-keys.
There is a bulletin board in the laundry room where anyone
can post a notice to the rest of the building.
As of February, 2008, there were 37 owner residents in
The Bader. There are 96 units in The Bader for an
owner occupancy rate of 38.5%.
Latitude = 38.903 Degrees North
As per Article VI, Section 8, Part B, Paragraph xv of the
Bader Bylaws, the minimum lease term allowed by the Bader
is six months.
As per Article VI, Section 8, Part B, Paragraph xv of the
Bader Bylaws, the lessee is NOT allowed to sub-lease their
unit at the Bader.
Advanced Conservation
Technologies, Inc (ACT) is a water conservation company.
They, for free, install low flow toilets, shower heads, and
faucet filters. They also, for free, fix all minor water
leaks and continue to service, for free, all minor water
leaks for the life of the contract. They are then paid the
difference between the new lower water bill and the old
water bill before the conservation devices were installed.
For instance, when The Bader entered into a five year contract
with ACT in January, 2006, the Bader yearly water bill was
around $33,000. They cut our yearly water bill to around
$20,000 so they made around $13,000 in the first year of our
contract. This contract freezes our water bill for five
years, provides us free minor water leak servicing for five
years, and, once the contract expires, leaves The Bader an
efficient user of water which will keep our water bill down
into the future.
As per the Bader Handbook, only resident owners can have
a dog at the Bader. The dog can be any size up to 35
lbs.
There should be one jack for each of Comcast, RCN, and the
roof antenna in everyone's unit.
The Bader Board has decided not to let anyone mount satellite
dishes on the window sills for aesthetic reasons. Residents
are welcome to mount satellite dishes inside their units and
try to get the satellite signal thru the window.
The HVAC unit contained within your apartment consists of
a radiator and a blower fan. The blower fan sucks air in
the big duct, blows the air across the radiator, and out
the little ducts. The Bader sends chilled water to the
radiator during the warm months and heated water to the
radiator during the cold months. Therefore, the system
can deliver only heat or A/C but not both at the same
time.
First check the obvious, that you have the temperature
on your thermostat set high enough in the cold months
or low enough in the warm months to cause the HVAC to
come on. If the fan inside your wall comes on but the
air coming out is not cool in the warm months or warm
in the cold months, then speak to Jose about checking
the HVAC riser pipe to your unit. If the fan inside
your wall won't come on, then your HVAC system needs to
be repaired. The part of the HVAC system contained
within the unit is the unit owner's responsibility.
The decision to switch is never easy as there are those
on the North side of the building whose apartments never
get any Sun and those on the South side of the building
whose apartments get baked.
The temperature here in DC is very fickle with hot and
cold spells in the Spring and Fall being the norm. Normal
temperatures for the Spring and Fall range from the 40's
to the 70's but days with temperatures outside of that
range are common. If there is a heat wave in the Spring,
there is no guarantee that it won't get cold again before
the general warming trend into Summer. If there is a
cold snap in the Fall, there is no guarantee that it
won't get warm again before the general cooling trend
into Winter.
To make the switch, Board approval is needed so the Board
President contacts all Board members asking for their vote
on the matter. It usually takes a day or two to get in
touch with everyone. If the decision is made to switch,
the Board President then contacts our condominium
management agent and asks him to contact the plumber at
start of business the next day to set up an appointment
to make the switch.
Since many schools/businesses/apartment buildings in this
area have the type of HVAC system we have (A/C or heat,
but not both at the same time), the plumber we use for
the switch is sometimes already booked for the next
several days and can't start the work immediately.
Note that the switch from heat to A/C and from A/C to
heat is not a simple process but a complicated and
expensive all day job. Therefore, once we switch, we don't
go back until the next Equinox.
Note also that the decision to switch is not a financial
issue (saving on energy costs), but one of consideration
for everyone in the building. We will have to pay the
plumber to make the switch whether it's early or late in
the season so the finances are a wash. We make the
decision based on balancing the comfort and discomfort of
everyone in the building. At any time around the
Equinoxes, the South side apartments can be hot while the
North side apartments are cold.
Note also that your Board members live in the building
with you and suffer through the same temperature extremes
that you do so it's not as though we are absentee landlords
detached from the situation.
So, the Board apologizes in advance for any temperature
discomfort you may experience in the Spring and Fall should
we get a suprise heat wave or cold snap. We will make the
switch at the appropriate time based on the long term
temperature trend forecast.
Note that DC Housing Laws dictate that as of October 15th
the indoor temperature has to be kept at 65 degrees or
greater which means turning on the heat. There is no
deadline for turning on the A/C in the Spring/Summer.
In the warm months, cold water is pumped through the
radiator inside your HVAC unit and as a result,
condensate forms on the radiator fins. When the system
is switched from A/C to heat in the Fall, hot water is
then pumped through the radiator inside your HVAC unit
which evaporates the condensate off the radiator fins.
That water then condenses back out on the ceiling and
walls around your HVAC vent. On the A/C-to-heat switch
over day, the Board suggests you crack your windows and
leave your thermostat set to run the heat (set to low
or high fan speed and temperature set high) to clear the
humidity from your unit.
As per the Bader Handbook, twice per year, as a preventive
maintenance service, the Bader replaces all HVAC filters in
all units. This is done by Jose. Should you notice that
your filter is clogged, you can, at any time, request a new
filter from Jose.
This service is provided as a courtesy to Bader unit owners
but the Bader is not required to perform this service.
There is a pan underneath the radiator inside your wall
to catch the condensate that drips off the radiator fins
in the warm months when the A/C is on. There is a drain
in that pan that feeds into the Bader sewage system. If
that drain becomes clogged with debris/dust/etc, the
condensate water in the pan overflows out into your unit.
If that happens, it is suggested that you contact Jose
immediately to get the drain cleaned out before damage to
the unit below yours occurs. As a courtesy to all Bader
residents, the Board has all condensate pan drains cleaned
out once per year shortly after the A/C has been turned on.
This service is provided as a courtesy to Bader unit owners
but the Bader is not required to perform this service.
Neither Jose or George are qualified to be called building
superintendants as they do VERY little repair or maintenance
work. Both spend much of their time cleaning the building.
Jose semi-manages George who does the lion's share of the
cleaning. Together, they share the following duties:
vacuuming the carpets, mopping the floors, dusting, cleaning
the laundry room, accepting packages, monitoring moves
in/out, monitoring contractors, cleaning the front sidewalk,
watering the front garden, weeding and planting flowers,
minor painting, minor repairs, dumping the trash, handling
the recycle, organizing the storage room. That is by no
means a complete listing of their duties but that covers
most of them.
Jose works 10am to 3pm Monday through Friday. George,
or a surrogate, works 8am to 4pm daily.
If there is an emergency, Jose, George, an emergency worker,
a gas worker, or what ever contractor The Bader hires to
stop water leaks can come into your unit when you are not
there. It behooves you to provide a key to your unit to
the condominium association so in case of an emergency, we
won't have to break through your door.
For non-emergencies, if you are uncomfortable letting Jose
or George into your unit when you are not there, please let
them know that and any time they need to get into your unit
for servicing of your HVAC or other, schedule a time with
them to come by when you are there.
See Jenny Brake in unit 804.
As per Section III of the Bader Handbook, mailboxes are
the responsibility of the unit owner. Federal and DC Law,
and therefore the Bader, requires that all residents keep
their mailboxes in working order. If yours is broken, it
is up to you to get the lock fixed or replaced.
Outgoing mail can be slipped into the mail slot on the
wall to the right of the counter in the lobby around
the corner from the map. Outgoing packages can be left
on the far right end of the counter in the lobby.
Yes, you can. It's good to let them know that the package
is coming and what day you expect it to arrive. They can
either hold the package in their office in the basement,
lean it against your front door, or set it inside your
front door, your choice. Most residents tip them a dollar
or two for doing that.
Please see the Bader Handbook, Page 8, for the move in/out
process, rules, required documentation, and fee.
Residents are only allowed to use the back door for moves
in/out.
Jose and George are only there to monitor the move to
make sure that the Bader is not damaged in the process.
They put the pad up on the walls of the elevator and
then run the elevator for the person moving in/out.
They are NOT required to help the person move in/out.
Quiet hours at the Bader are 10pm to 8am Sunday through
Thursday and midnight to 8am Friday and Saturday.
We first ask that you talk to your neighbor and ask them to
keep the noise down. If you are feeling nice, feel free to
ask them to keep it down a couple times if they do it again
but once is all we ask. After that, if they continue to be
a nuisance, please write a note explaining the circumstances
and slip the note under the condominium president's door.
The president will forward the note onto the Covenants
Committee chair. Depending on the severity of the violation
the Covenants Committee chair may give the violator a warning
or choose to fine the unit owner.
Should the neighbor be having a party where you suspect
people are drinking and they are committing a noise violation,
we suggest you let the police deal with the situation. Call
the police and then be available to let the police in the
front door and guide them to the party.
To avoid reprisals, we will try to maintain your anonymity.
Although vandalism peaked in 2007, it still continues to be
a problem at The Bader. Should you see someone commit an
act of vandalism, try to tie that person to a certain unit
number and slip a note explaining the circumstances under
the condominium president's door.
If the vandal(s) continue and stick around, call the police
and then be available to let the police in the front door
and guide them to the vandal(s).
To avoid reprisals, we will try to maintain your anonymity.
Any Bader resident can use the roof deck. Only Bader
residents can host a function on the roof deck. The
roof deck can be used from 8am to 10pm Sunday through
Thursday and 8am to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Any Bader resident can reserve the roof deck. To reserve
the roof deck, give Jose, George, or the Board Secretary
a note listing your name your unit, and the date and time
you want to reserve the roof deck.
The roof deck cannot be reserved during Independence Day
fireworks.
Any Bader resident can build a temporary structure on the
roof deck as long as building it does not harm the roof
deck or roof, the resident reserved the roof deck, and
the structure is taken down at the end of the reserved
time period.
Cooking on the roof deck is NOT allowed as per DC Fire
Code. The Bader could have our roof deck closed
permanently by the DC Fire Marshall should a fire code
violation occur so anyone caught cooking on the roof will
be fined the maximum fine allowed as defined in the Bader
Handbook.
Climbing out onto the Bader roof or up on top of the
elevator shaft penthouse is NOT allowed. The Bader
had a new roof installed in 2003 and walking on the
roof can cause damage to the water-proofing. As such
damage can lead to costly water damage and costly roof
repair, anyone caught out on the roof or up on top of
the elevator shaft penthouse will be fined the maximum
fine allowed as defined in the Bader Handbook.
As per the DC Fire Marshall, the maximum number of people
allowed on the Bader roof deck at any one time is 33.
You can but the Board requests that you play nice with the
other residents. The division of the storage room was an
after-thought so the walk paths are only 12 inches wide in
there. If everyone were to build a permanent structure
that completely filled their storage spots (4 feet times 4
feet), that would leave only the 12 inch walking paths. If
that were the case, owners whose storage spots were in the
back would have a hard time getting big things to/from
their storage spots.
The Board therefore requests that you build your structure
to be at most 3 feet times 3 feet and that it be on wheels
so that it can be easily moved by others so that they can
get big things to/from their storage spots.
When entering the storage room, you can place it either
just to the left of the entrance door in the open area in
the corner of the storage room closest to the recycle bins
or to the right of the entrance door at the end of the
storage room where the ceiling is very low. Once placed
there, Jose/George will eventually remove it.
Small trash should be placed in a sealed bag and dropped
down the trash shoot next to the back stairwell entrance
door on each hall.
Large trash (furniture, rugs, etc) should be taken to the
basement and left next to the recycle bins around the
corner to the left when exiting the elevator.
There are two recycle bins in the basement around the
corner to the left when exiting the elevator. One bin
is for cans, bottles, and plastic, and the other is for
newspaper, magazines, and cardboard.
Hazardous waste and old electronics should be taken to the
DC hazardous waste collection center.
The Bader's trash disposal company does NOT handle
hazardous waste.
As a unit owner, you own from the outer walls of your
unit inward. That includes your interior walls, the
interior surfaces of your floors, walls, and ceilings,
the horizontal pipes inside your walls, your
front and interior doors, your door locks and hardware,
your windows, lighting fixtures, kitchen and bathroom
fixtures, your toilet, your sinks, your tub, your HVAC
unit(s), your electrical switches and outlets, and your
appliances. You do NOT own the vertical pipes coming
up to your and other's units in your tier and the
vertical sewage pipes from your and other's units in
your tier, your front door frame or doorstep, or your
window frames. Those are all owned by the condominium
association so that they can be kept standardized
across all units. For more information, see Article VI,
Section 5, Paragraph B of the Bader Bylaws.
As per Article VI, Section 7 of the Bader Bylaws, no unit
owner shall make any structural addition, alteration, or
improvement in or to his/her unit without the prior
written consent to the Board of Directors. Most requests
to the Board are approved as long as no load bearing
walls or columns are removed or altered.
Either ask Jose to have it painted or feel free to paint
it yourself. As of November, 2008, the paint color for
the outside of front doors is Duron 8762W, Touchstone,
semi-gloss finish.
To get minor water leaks (dripping faucets, leaks external
to the wall) fixed, contact
Advanced Conservation
Technologies, Inc (ACT) at 301-840-0500. They will fix
your leak for free Monday thru Friday. Note that they do
not service major water
leaks.
Depending on where you are, the interior of the walls can be
made of brick, cement, cinder block, mortar, or terra cotta
block. The surface of the wall is a layer of plaster and
then, most likely, many layers of paint.
Over time, plaster can delaminate from the surface below it
and paint can delaminate from the plaster below it. Since
The Bader was built in 1938, these occurrances are common in
our building.
Note that since the bathrooms do not have exhaust fans,
moisture can cause the paint to bubble. To repair this scrape
the loose paint off, repair the plaster, and put several
layers of Kilz primer on
the repair before repainting.
Here are several links dealing with plaster repair:
Over time, plaster can delaminate from the surface below it
and paint can delaminate from the plaster below it. Since The
Bader was built in 1938, these occurrances are common in our
building.
Since the bathrooms do not have exhaust fans, moisture can
cause the paint to bubble.
If you touch the damage and the plaster is mushy/wet or there
are "fluffy crystals" growing on your wall, there is probably
a water leak in the wall or in the apartment above yours and
you need to report this immediately to the management agent
and/or Jose.
For information on plaster repair, see
this answer.
Yes, you can replace the glass but not the frames. The
unit owner owns the glass but the condominium
association owns the frames. Replacing the glass is
good for the Bader's energy usage and could possibly
give the unit owner a Federal tax break as new windows
will be a better insulator. The windows in the Bader
are double pane with an inert gas between the two
panes. If your windows are foggy, there's a good
chance the seals between the two panes of glass have
degraded and so air, dust, and water vapor have gotten
between the two panes.
Some Bader residents have had a good experience with
Blaine
Window Repair Service, Inc in Silver Spring, MD.
This is just an aid in providing you with a useful vendor
and should not be considered a recommendation or
endorsement by the Board.
Yes, but you must replace it with a fire rated door as per
the DC Fire Marshall. The current doors are not up to DC
Fire Code but are grandfathered in by the DC Fire Marshall.
Some Bader residents have had a good experience with
House of Doors
in Alexandria, VA.
This is just an aid in providing you with a useful vendor
and should not be considered a recommendation or
endorsement by the Board.
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