West Chester Apartment Housing Association

President's Message, Grant E. Nelson, III

In my last message, I explained the great learning experience I had on our PROA cruise last October. Now it is your turn to take advantage by joining our PROA-NREIA Real Estate Investor Cruise for 8/16-8/21/04 with 12 nat’l speakers. Cost=$595. Go to www.PROAssoc.org to get details and registration form.
Spring is here and I sincerely hope everyone is doing their annual “Spring Clean Up” of their properties, both inside & out. Remember curb appearance is extremely important & could be the difference between renting & going vacant. The market is very competitive in W.C. with over 1,200 new beds coming on line this August.
Locally, your organization is continuing to work with the Borough & University on our Gold Leaf Member program. We are also asking the Boro to take another look at modifying the Student Home Ordinance to eliminate the loss of use provision.
In addition, we will work with Boro Council to come up with a sensible trash/recycling program for all taxpayers. Barbara McIlvaine Smith has scheduled a meeting on the subject for Friday, 4/23/04. Contact barb@smith156.org if you would like to attend.
On the state front, PROA has established a task force to monitor statewide impact by local governments establishing “new ordinances” affecting our rental businesses on Student Housing, Registration, and Inspections. A statewide response to these local issues will be addressed as the above issues are identified.
On wage attachment, the Pa. Supreme Court is in the process of establishing statewide rules for counties to follow in administering Act 215. The Governor is waiting on revised Eviction language & if satisfied will permit the legislation to move forward resulting in eviction time being reduced by 10 days.
On lead paint, Darrell Zaslow, Esq. Of PROA has asked the House Committee to look at N.J.’s statue that has created a Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act. PROA is trying to ensure that property owners have appropriate financial assistance with lead paint abatement.
A state wide Educational Conference has been scheduled for Feb. 2005 in Valley Forge. Our Assoc. will be a host for the event.
Finally, I’d like to welcome our newest future member, David Graham Marshall, born to David & Whitney on April 2nd Congratulations! Remember, we’re always looking for new members!

WCAHA to offer property adverting!

WCAHA would like to announce their newest benefit to being a member!
Have a property for sale? Purchase a half page advertisement in the WCAHA newsletter. Includes a one month ad on WCAHA's website, www.wcaha.com. Ads will be for members only. This means that members will have access to these listings only! Our website is being redone to include a members only section. Members will be given a user name and password to access members only items such as newsletters, forms (for down-loading), announcements, and Property Advertisements.
We will be discussing this new option at the Annual Members' Meeting. Applications will be available at the meeting or by contacting the WCAHA office.
We look forward to seeing you at this year's meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 22.

Mold by Keir Abrahams

In recent years the growth of mold in the home and workplace has been cited as the cause of a wide variety of human ailments and disabilities. This is a brief summary of an evidence-based statement from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (http://www.acoem.org) which discusses the nature of fungal-related illnesses and the possible link to the home. Particular attention is given to the possible health effects of mycotoxins, which give rise to much of the concern surrounding indoor molds.
Fungi are found in all environments and play a vital role in the Earth's ecology by decomposing organic matter. Exposure to molds and other fungi and their spores is unavoidable except when the most stringent filtration, isolation, and sanitation measures are observed. Fungi are rarely significant pathogens for humans. Superficial infections of the skin and nails (athlete's foot, ringworm...) are relatively common and generally resolve easily. Fungal infections of deeper tissues are rare and in general are limited to people with severely compromised immune systems. The leading pathogenic fungi for people with normal immune systems may find their way indoors with outdoor air, but normally do not grow or propagate indoors. Furthermore, outdoor molds are generally more abundant and important in airway allergic disease than indoor molds. One can estimate that about 10% of the population has allergies to fungi. Only half of these would ever be expected to show clinical illness. For almost all allergic individuals, the reactions will be limited to rhinitis (runny nose, sneezing, and congestion) or asthma. To reduce the risk of developing or exacerbating allergies, mold should not be allowed to grow unchecked indoors. The mold should be remediated after the source of the moisture that supports its growth is identified and eliminated.
Molds growing indoors are believed to cause building-related symptoms (sick-building syndrome). Years of studies on the molds most widely believed to cause adverse health effects have failed to establish any relationship. Mold spores are present in all indoor environments and can not be completely eliminated. Normal building materials and furnishings provide ample nutrition for many species of molds, but they can grow indoors only when there is adequate moisture. The only proven reason molds should not be tolerated is because the mold physically destroys building materials. Current scientific evidence does not support the proposition that human health has been affected by inhaled mold spores in the home or office.

Support Our Sponsors

Don't forget to save your sponsor insert on pages 4 & 5 of your newsletter. Our sponsors help to support us, let's show them our appreciation by supporting them. Give them a call whenever you need a plumber, a lawyer, a realtor, a banker, an appliance, a carpenter, a mason, a handyman, an insurance agent, etc. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback from our members that have used the services of our sponsors.
Please note that we have several new sponsors including Joe Ward Plumbing & Heating, and the Fence Dr. Also new to our sponsor page are Mike McGinley from IBX, and Nancy Glenn from ReMax.
We'd like to thank our sponsors for their support of our organization, and we'd also like to encourage our members to use the sponsors whenever they are in need of an electrician, floor & window supplies, a cleaning service, paint or a painter......

PROA Credit Card Offer

PROA members can now process credit card payments at reduced rates. PROA has entered into an agreement with PNC Merchant Services which allows PROA members and groups to accept credit card payments at special group discounted rates. Processing charges are as low as 1.59% + $0.24 per transaction. Features include: reduced expenses, complimentary account analysis, equipment programming, no hidden fees, and much more.
For more information on this program visit www.PROAssoc.org/PNC.html

DELCO Presents Mr. Landlord

DELCO Property Investors is pleased to announce a presentation by "Mr. Landlord", Jeff Taylor.
When: Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Place: Ramada Inn, 76 Industrial Highway, Essington, Pa.
Time: Registration at 6:15 PM
Admission: FREE
Jeff Taylor is the guru of landlording. If you have never heard him speak, you are in for a treat. For those who have already heard him, it's guaranteed he will have something new for you. This is a great opportunity for you and your clients, and/or members, whether they are current or potential real estate investors, to experience an evening of education and networking.
FREE
About our association: go to www.delcopropertyinvestors.com

Round Table Updates by Karen Grim

February:
As you may have gathered by now, our organization meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:45 PM at the Courtyard Inn. For the February meeting we were graced with the presence of West Chester Borough Councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith. Ms. McIlvaine is an accomplished person from an academic and personal standpoint. I believe I can speak for all in attendance when I say Ms. McIlvaine puts a warm fresh face on local government. Her gracious demeanor may well be a breath of fresh air for WCAHA and Borough Council.
While the subject of trash is not usually an engaging subject, under Councilwoman McIlvaine the subject was quite lively. Our organization discussed recycling, composting of household, yard, and tree limb trash, mulching possibilities and the like. We discussed various costs of the same, how to minimize and dispose of the above, as well as how to fund the above.
Of great interest to the group was the tree/urban renewal plan in the works for the Borough. Remember, think green: wouldn't lovely shade trees enhance the value of our properties?
On the more serious side, we discussed much dialogue to improve the quality of life for ourselves and our tenants. Ms. McIlvaine discussed issues on our little town library and how we may see a "going down" project to make it more user friendly.
So please get "going down" the road to our Round Table Meetings!

March:
We were fortunate to have Sergeant Dan Dixon from the W.C. Police Dept. as our guest speaker. Sgt. Dixon explained the Operation Vigilance Program as a multi-tasked based enforcement Boro-wide. In conjunction with O.V.P, The University has a graduated punishment system -including dismissal. The goal of this is to give landlords the option of going to the University for trouble-shooting.
I also learned that for $10 at psp.state.pa.us a criminal background check can be performed. The WCPD can also do these checks.
Remember: Property owners have to be responsible for their own properties! Please be advised: if there is a problem or complaint at your property, the officer is directed to make an arrest.
We also discussed the Landlord-Tenantact.com website and how the eviction process has shortened from 90 days to as quick as 39 days.
So plan on attending our next meeting, an open forum, on Wednesday, May 10th.

Update: Rental Permit Suit by Robert Kappe

West Chester Borough appealed Judge Sanchez's Decision which was written in favor of the appealees; Robert Kappe, Grant E. Nelson III, and John P. O'Connell. The Briefs and oral arguments were presented prior to and at commonwealth court of Pennsylvania. The three judges that preside at the hearing were: The Honorable Robert E. Simpson, Jr.., Dan R. Pellegrini, and James R. Kelley.
Kristin S. Camp, Esquire represented the appellants (West Chester Borough) and Lee A. Stivale represented the Appealees.
Each attorney was allowed approximately fifteen minutes to present their argument and the judges asked a few questions of each.
A decision should be reached within approximately ninety days.
We will keep you informed of any new information.

WCFD Rapid Access System

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide improved fire protection services within the West Chester Fire District, we have adopted the WCFD Rapid Access System for properties with automatic fire alarm systems.
Benefits of this voluntary program include:
Quicker access to premises by fire department personnel
Reduction in forcible entry property damage when key holder is not available
Reduction in late night owner notifications for alarm system resets.
The program that we have implemented uses secure Knox Box Rapid Entry surface mounted key boxes. Inside the key box, you keep access cards, access codes and keys necessary to access your property and the alarm system for the building. The Knox-Box can only be opened by authorized fire department personnel for the purpose of investigating fire alarms and to reset the system as necessary.
To obtain a Knox-Box for your property, please contact:
Lieutenant Dave Thomas
at: 610-436-6535

Fire Prevention Tips:
* Never smoke in bed.
* Do not set lamps too close to curtains.
* Do not leave a burning candle unattended.
* Unplug appliance when not in use. (i.e. toasters, bread makers, etc.)
* Keep matches and lighters away from children.
* Practice your fire drill-teach children what to do in case of fire.
* Change the battery in your smoke detectors when you turn your clocks forward and back.
* Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
* Keep a fire escape ladder in all upstairs bedrooms.
Be safe!

Town Gown Update by Dave Marshall

Town Gown Council is a forum where students, West Chester Borough residents and other interested parties meet to discuss hot topics and to update one another on events, issues and activities surrounding West Chester University and the Borough.
Here are some highlights from this spring:
A campaign on fire prevention was given to students upon their return from winter break and plans are being made to repeat the program in October.
The university's new night time shuttle bus is looking for additional riders and is considering adjusting the route.

The Borough has setup an anonymous telephone hotline for use by residents to report suspicious activity as part of a program called "Operation Drug and Crime Watch." The hotline number is 1-866-WCBTIPS and the corresponding email address is WCBTIPS@west-chester.com. West Chester Police will collect all reports and collate them to detect illegal activity in the Borough.
The final Town Gown Council meeting for the spring is scheduled for Monday, April 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Sykes Union Building.

West Chester Recycles by WC Councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith

Recently, I read that education or advertising does not encourage a sustainable change in behavior. Instead, community-based social marketing achieves results through several steps, one of which is identifying the barriers to and the benefits of an activity. What can we do to help recycling become a sustainable behavior in our community?
A meeting has been tentatively scheduled for Fri., 4/23 at noon at boro hall. We will be discussing ways to help W.C. become a model community for recycling. Together, we can do it! If you would like to attend contact: barb@smith156.org
Late last year, Boro council dropped its plan to change that way we dispose of trash. In its place, the idea of re-educating our residents about recycling as a way to reduce our waste stream was presented. Over the years, we have seen a slow decline in the amount of recycling in the county, especially in the boro.
In 2003, the boro recycled 494 tons of cardboard, 858 tons of mixed paper, and 547 tons of commingled items. It is interesting to note that when we started to allow all recyclables to be placed in one container for curbside pick up, we started to see an increase in "contamination."
" contamination" is what happens when caps are left on bottles or when number 5 plastic, which can not be recycled, is thrown into the container. When contamination occurs, the entire load may have to be sent to the dump instead of being recycled! Therefore, we need to re-train our residents to think before tossing in an item.
W.C. sends out a quarterly newsletter to educate its residents but it's time we did more.

Disclaimer:
The enclosed information does not represent a legal position by the Association. Please consult your professional for legal advice.