Also, and correct me if I'm wrong, there is nothing about a dog relieving
itself on the grass that violates any rules. The violation comes when the
owners do not clean up after the pet. The grassy areas are shared/communal
space.
We did talk at the last board meeting (3 of us non-board members
attended--it's a great chance to stay informed and share your concerns!)
about the issue of urine spots in the grass and how unattractive it is. No
immediate solutions were identified, but we brainstormed several ideas. If
anyone is on the listserv reading this who has a dog, please consider
taking them outside of the gates for their potty breaks.
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 12:57 PM, Tiffany Harlow <tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Zane,
Of course there are many rules related to this, among other things.
Unfortunately, as you have seen this week, our neighbors have very loose
interpretations of what those rules are or have not taken time to actually
read them. Trust me, you are not alone in your sentiment. In the next few
weeks, I will be posting at the mailboxes, relevant portions of our
covenants that I believe residents need to be reminded of and as Kyle has
mentioned, the Board is going to try this year at being more diligent in
enforcing those rules. This may prove uncomfortable for some, but we have
to get some order around here because many of the major issues we are now
tackling, i.e. the rats, are a direct result of having gotten lax over the
years.
In the meantime, I wouldn't go so far as to suggest you engage with
neighbors that you see violating the rules (although I will give a long
stare sometimes to folks that I see at or near my patch and it has worked,
they move along quickly), but if you can let us on the board know who to
address, we will be happy to do so on your behalf.
*Tiffany Harlow, Esq. tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx
<tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx>404-931-5567 <(404)%20931-5567>*
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 12:35 PM, Zane Strebor <planetzane@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Speaking of pets, I feel that it is unfair for those of us without pets
to be subjected to dogs pooping all over our patches of grass. Are they any
rules regarding pet owners being able to utilize the yards of others for
their pets? Even if they pick it up, the stench and remnants remain and
attract insects and rodents toward our houses. I don't feel that is fair at
all. Sometimes I can barely pull out my garage because people are standing
there with the dogs taking a bathroom break on my patch of grass. Thanks.
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 12:23 PM, Traci Houston <
dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thank you!!!!
We appreciate all your dedication and efforts to help keep our community
clean.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 11:40 AM, Tiffany Harlow
<tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, thank you Marny. And we should all thank Kyle as a neighbor and
board member for helping to clean up the trash all week and disposing of
this morning's rat. It takes a village.
*Tiffany Harlow, Esq. tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx
<tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx>404-931-5567 <(404)%20931-5567>*
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Kyle Mann <kylemann1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks Marny,
CMA is supposed to be sending notices to everyone having those cans, to
remove them or be fined going forward.
*From:* highland-discuss-bounce@ freelists.org
<highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> [mailto:highland-discuss-
bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] *On
Behalf Of *Marny Heit
*Sent:* Friday, June 09, 2017 10:44 AM
*To:* highland-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [highland-discuss] Re: RATS!
It's also probably a good time for those of you with those garbage cans
full of dog waste outside your doors to get rid of them unless you want
rats on your doorsteps.
*Marny Heit*
*675 Ponce de Leon Ave., NE*
*Suite 8500*
*Atlanta, Georgia 30308*
*T: 404-313-4923*
*F: 404-393-7393*
*www.heitlaw.com <http://www.heitlaw.com>*
On Jun 9, 2017, at 10:31 AM, Tiffany Harlow <tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
The dumpster has been emptied this morning and the dead rat has been
disposed of. Neighbors, you will have to understand that in order to
alleviate this rat problem, we will temporarily see dead rats on occasion
and we cannot guarantee where they will be found. This is unfortunately
how extermination works. We have asked for your patience and vigilance.
Please continue to dispose of your trash appropriately, hold your trash and
do not dump if you see that the dumpster is already full or overflowing and
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not do this with your dog waste. We will never get
over this hurdle if we continue to just be careless.
<20170609_101622_resized1.jpg>
*Tiffany Harlow, Esq. tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx
<tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx>404-931-5567*
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 9:53 AM, Ibironke Apata <iwapata@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Thanks for sharing the update on the rats. It is truly a crisis and I'm
surprised that we were not made aware formally. I got the flyer about trash
but not about the rats. On sunday night I easy horrified to see 5 rats by
the dumpster and 2 days later. I spotted 2 rats. I believe the health
department should be notified and all actions being taken shared with us.
The dumpster will continue to be a source of breedinf. I wonder if we
should all have trash cans we bring out once or twice a week and eliminate
the use of a dumpster.
This community usef to be so clean! Is there a meeting about this coming
up?
On Jun 9, 2017 9:44 AM, "William Hauser" <wm.hauser@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dead rat in roadway in front of bldg 200
On Jun 8, 2017 8:31 AM, "Christian Pena" <cpena711@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks Isom, that's great information. I do also agree that in Dennis'
absence someone at CMA should help so the board, who all have day jobs,
don't have to handle this.
Please keep talking to your neighbors and bringing it up in case they
are not on the chain. Mention this chain to see if they are on it, if not,
offer to take their email down and reach out here to add them in. Mention
the trash as food source and how we are trying to get this fixed. OVER
COMMUNICATE! Let's finally all get on the same page and get this over with.
Not only is it gross (and I'm scared of rats honestly) but the property
values will lower while out HOA's will go up, nobody wins.
Best,
Christian
On Jun 8, 2017, at 8:13 AM, Wenona Belton <wcbelton@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
If Dennis is unavailable, who at CMA should be handling? Is a major rat
infestation not considered a crisis that the property management company
should address?
W. Belton
On Jun 8, 2017, at 2:04 AM, isom hawes <isom25@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello everyone, I'd like to chime in, in hopes of helping out with some
of the concerns regarding the rodent issue. Back in the early 2000's, I
use to work for Orkin and coincidentally I had a few customers in this same
complex. If I were to assume that extermination methods have not changed,
there are only a couple ways to get rid of the rats. You either poison
them or you set out old school rat traps. Both methods are effective but
depending on the circumstance, one method will work better than the other.
In dealing with large numbers, as we are now, poison is really the only way
to suppress the population.
Poison, however, will really only be effective if there are no other
food sources for the rats. They will almost always choose the food in the
trash over the poison if they have access to it. Because of this,
extermination of the rats will have to be a joint effort between us and
Orkin. Orkin can lay out poison from now until next year but the problem
won't start to improve until we stop allowing the rodents easy access to
our trash.
As I understand it, the reason the compactor was removed was to have it
cleaned and to have the space around the compactor cleaned since over time
trash had begun to build up on the grounds around the compactor. This
trash had become a continuous source of food for the rats making the
problem worse. I noticed a couple of days ago that there was a drain hole
at the base of the temporary dumpster and rats were going in and out of the
hole.... again having easy access to the trash. I'm sure this easy
access was impeding the efforts of Orkin. Today I went and bought some
steel wool and plugged the hole. I was taught when I worked at Orkin that
rats tend not to chew through it because it cuts their gums. You may want
to give it a try at your homes if you find small entry points that need to
be closed off to prevent the rats from invading.
As for the length of time it will take to fix this problem, there is no
way to really know. It all depends on how good of a job we do of making
sure the rodents can't get to our trash. If we can keep them out of our
trash, they will then start to get desperate for food, eat the poison and
the problem will improve sooner rather than later.
------------------------------
*From:* highland-discuss-bounce@ freelists.org
<highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <highland-discuss-bounce@
freelists.org <highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf of
Traci Houston <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Wednesday, June 7, 2017 11:31 PM
*To:* planetzane@xxxxxxxxx; highland-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [highland-discuss] Re: RATS!
Where is the back turn?
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 11:27 PM, Zane Strebor
<planetzane@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I wonder about the health department as well because I just looked out
my window and saw one run out a drain pipe up near the back turn. They are
everywhere!
On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 11:20 PM, Wenona Belton <wcbelton@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I am interested in the answers to the questions posed by Ms. Houston and
wonder if perhaps the health department should be notified?
Thank you,
W. Belton
On Jun 7, 2017, at 10:24 PM, Traci Houston (Redacted sender
"tracihouston" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
While circulars were posted to everyone's door I'm not sure all the
residents truly recognize the severity of this rat infestation. I sure
didnt! This is what should be communicated. If residents knew they were at
risk with their health, informed that the rat infestation could potentially
grow where rodents could enter our homes, and that our property values
could be negatively impacted - maybe people would listen. This is very
serious! I absolutely do not take this problem lightly. In fact, Im scared
to even go to the dumpster now.
As a homeowner and resident I would like to know what is the overall
detailed action plan to address this issue?
I know that the extermination process started today but what's
involved? What specifically is the exterminator doing? Who is the
exterminator? Are they coming daily? Weekly? How long will the process
last? Does the exterminator have an aggressive plan of attack? When do they
anticipate we will be rid of these rats? Is this easy to do? Or is this a
long term project? What role do all residents have (other than proper
disposal of trash) during this process? Do we need to schedule any
extermination to our individual homes and who pays for it? Who do we
contact for questions or if we see a rat in our homes?
My next question is what specifically is being done about the dumpster?
I assume the trash compactor doesnt work at all? If not, what is the plan
to have a working dumpster or are we going to have more frequent trash
pick-up? When will any action be taken? Whats the timeline?
What responsibility does the HOA mgmt company have in this entire
process - if any at all?
Lastly I think it would be extremely helpful to over-communicate during
this crisis - yes, crisis. If we dont communicate the seriousness of this
issue people will not be aware of this grave problem. If I wasnt part of
this group thread I wouldnt be aware of anything. If we dont arrest the
problem now we could be at serious risk for other problems none of us want
diwn the road.
There should be communications that are posted/emailed/mailed/text to
all residents that a) outline the problem we currently have and how it
occurred b) communicate the actions that have been taken and next steps and
c) how we can collectively prevent this from happening in the future. Along
with these communication channels we need some type of signage - even if
temporary - around all common areas reminding everyone about the trash
guidelines.
I have not seen this type of detailed communication just yet. Is there a
plan for one? I am more than willing to assist with writing the
communication and distributing to my fellow neighbors.
Can someone answer these questions?
Thank You
Traci
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 6:38 PM, Tiffany Harlow
<tiffany.harlow@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yeah the person who left the trash needs to come back and get it. We are
all adults here. Members of the board, friends of the board and random
other community members should not have to do this every time. It's getting
ridiculous.
And for the record, if you know you live next door to a neighbor who is
not on this list or who doesn't get the info, each one teach one, pass the
info along.
Word of mouth is not a new concept.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 7, 2017, at 6:36 PM, Zane Strebor <planetzane@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Just drove out the gate and there were 2 huge rats feeding off that bag
of trash on the ground. Someone really needs to move that bag of trash.
On Jun 7, 2017, at 5:44 PM, Jodie Victor <jodievictor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I've been gone since the Sunday morning, but have read all the emails
from another state. I just left the neighborhood after being home for about
15 minutes. Sitting by the compactor is a bag of trash. As I waited for the
gate to open, a rat exited the bag of trash. It is apparently not clear to
all residents of what is currently going on in our community. Why is that
so?
I am a renter, but I am curious why a private company is being used for
trash?
Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/ghei36>
------------------------------
*From:* highland-discuss-bounce@ freelists.org
<highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <highland-discuss-bounce@
freelists.org <highland-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf of
Joseph Curtis <josephcurtis07@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Wednesday, June 7, 2017 4:27:07 PM
*To:* Highland
*Subject:* [highland-discuss] RATS!
There is a dead half eaten rat in the back of the pool deck! Behind the
trash can. And many many live rats around the trash dumpster. We need to
put the plug back in the dumpster because the rats are using it as a door
into the dumpster. buffet time!
Joseph Curtis
Sent from my mobile phone.
--
Zane
Publisher
Strebor Books/ATRIA Books/Simon and Schuster
Office 202-618-BOOK
"Subjecting yourself to the perception others have of you will keep you
ordinary."
<20170609_101622_resized1.jpg>
--
Zane
Publisher
Strebor Books/ATRIA Books/Simon and Schuster
Office 202-618-BOOK
"Subjecting yourself to the perception others have of you will keep you
ordinary."
