Hurricane Ian Edit page

Residents,

Below are the minutes from the October 4, 2022 Emergency Board meeting where the Board met with Triton Renovation representatives Chase Ward (owner) and Tony Lang (project manager) and discussed the special assessment in detail. Below is also a summary in FAQ format of questions that have been asked or you may have.

How is the Association paying for the Hurricane Damages? What is the Special Assessment for?

The Hurricane Ian insurance deductible for the Association is $539,106. The Board has voted to assess the owners a $4,000 special assessment to assist in paying the Association hurricane deductible. The total amount per unit is over $5,300, however the Board voted to use the Insurance Deductible Reserve fund to lower the amount that homeowners would have to pay. Homeowner insurance policies include a minimum of $2000 “loss assessment” coverage. Homeowners can contact their insurance companies to pull out their loss assessment coverage, which would be used towards the special assessment. The Board of Directors and Management have recommended at several past meetings that homeowners speak with their agents about increasing “loss assessment” coverage in their homeowner policy. Several owners have reported that increasing their coverage was at a minimum yearly cost, so if you haven't already please speak with your agent about this. The Board has made their decisions with an interest in keep the costs lower for owners without depleting our Reserves, which would have caused an increase in fees in the future. 

Who is Triton Renovation?

Triton Renovation is a company which works for the Association for catastrophe cleanup, remediation and restoration. 1st Choice signed an emergency contract prior to Hurricane Ian which gave Triton the ability to be onsite and mobilize quickly for mitigating damages on Association property as well as for cleanup. Tony Lang, the project manager, was onsite Thursday morning to assess damages to the Association and communicate with Triton about what would be needed. The Board voted at the Emergency Board meeting October 4, 2022 to sign the restoration contract with them. The Association pays Triton for the insurance deductible, and then Triton receives the coverages from the insurance policy to restore the property back to “pre-hurricane” status. Triton uses sub-contractors for many areas of restoration and is working with vendors that the Association is familiar with, such as Air360, Precision Gate, SecurePro, and others. They will fight to get the best coverage to pay our vendors for any damage that is hurricane related.

How does 1st Choice know Triton Renovation?

Brenda Binder worked with a company called Paramount after Hurricane Charley in 2004 when Brenda was working for another management company. Paramount handled over 70 community associations and worked hand in hand with Brenda in bringing those projects to completion. The owners of Paramount eventually created smaller companies, in which Triton was formed. Tony Lang was the project manager that Brenda worked with in 2004 and eventually returned to this area. She has worked with him several times on other restoration projects and he successfully remediated properties after Hurricane Irma. Brenda has used several catastrophe teams, but has found that Tony Lang and Triton are the most efficient and provide the best services. Brenda signed the emergency contract with Triton when Hurricane Ian was headed towards us, because she knew he could successfully handle the workload that Preserve would need and require. 

Why is the Association paying for clean-up when we have a landscaper?

The clean up is covered under the insurance policy that the Association has. Triton does that as part of our coverage. The landscaper is willing to do clean-up, but it is NOT covered under their regular contract and would be an out of pocket cost to the Association. With Triton, it is not out of pocket.

What about my AC? When will it be fixed?

The silver lining to a hurricane (if there is one) is that the Association covers air conditioner system damage after a hurricane. Although owners are usually responsible for their air conditioning, because of Hurricane Ian any damages will be included in the Association claim, rather than your personal insurance. Triton has been doing roof assessments and testing. Should it be determined that the Association needs new roofs, a temporary roof will be put in place until materials are available for the full re-roof. Once the temporary roof is on, the Association will be replacing any units that are broken or damaged. Air360 has already been contacted and will be doing full inspections and documentation in the coming days. 

Do you need access in my unit?

Yes! A blast email will be sent out when Triton is meeting with the Association adjusters and will be doing the documentation inside the units. A blast will also be sent out when Air360 makes contact to assess the interior units. We will always notify you when we need internal access. If you have an adjuster that needs to gain entry, please place a work order.

Additionally, please do not approach Tony Lang or the workers to discuss their performance, questions, etc. The workers on the property are being supervised and will be adjusted and instructed as necessary. There are several project managers and supervisors that are onsite and are instructing the workers. If you have concerns or comments, you can place them through the website. Please keep in mind, that these workers are in the sun working in 80 degree weather for hours. If you see them resting or taking a break, please do not assume the worst or approach them. They are instructed to take water breaks in the shade and to wait for further instruction when their assigned tasks are completed. They are still adjusting to the specifications of our job, as today was only their second day on our property.

We also need residents to keep in mind, that there is A LOT going on behind the scenes. The Board, Management, and Triton do not have the time or capacity right now to be updating residents on all of the calls, emails, etc that are taking place at the moment to get things going and to keep things going smoothly. The Preserve has an elected Board and hired management and contractors so that residents don't have to stress the details. The community will be updated with blasts and at the Board meetings as necessary.

We hope that this answers many of the questions and concerns that you may have. Please read the attached minutes in full, as they are filled with a lot of details. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to 1st Choice via the website or email.