Jasmine Heights Online
Jasmine Heights - Come and join us!

Tree Menu Help

Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: In this section Ajay Seetharam, a homeowner, answers some questions that have frequently been asked at HOA meetings. The views expressed are solely those of the author and may not reflect the views of the Board or Architectural Comm members of Jasmine Heights.

Who does what?

Nature of work Contact Point (Current) Service Provider
"Common Property" (as defined in CC&Rs) Issues Management office Miscellaneous depending on nature of service
Asphalt Management office Citation Homes
Stucco Questions Management office Citation Homes
Parking Violations in Homeowner assigned parking spot Rebello's towing service Phone: (408) 292 8300 or (408) 295-5121 Rebello's towing service
Security Patrol Issues and incorrect Parking Tickets Management office Creative Security Concepts
Pool Maintenance Questions Management office Aqua Clear Pool & Spa
Pool Maintenance Questions Management office Aqua Clear Pool & Spa
Lake in front of Jasmine Heights (including trees around the lake) City of San Jose - 24x7 InfoLine City of San Jose
Neighborhood Parks City of San Jose - 24x7 InfoLine City of San Jose
Recycling Services City of San Jose - 24x7 InfoLine City of San Jose

Back to top of page

What does management office do for Jasmine Heights?

An analogy might help here - The Board is like the City Council of San Jose. management office is like their administrative staff. Think of management office in the role of an administrative assistant to the CEO of a corporation. When you want to communicate with the CEO, you'd have to work through the administrative assistant. If the CEO does a great job or a poor job - the administrative assistant plays a role - but a very limited role in the success or failure of the company.

Therefore, when a vendor (service provider) needs to be selected, letters have to be written, checks have to be signed, maintenance needs to be done at Jasmine Heights - it is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to pick a vendor (done through a quote bid process), approve the final letters, sign checks and authorize work at Jasmine Heights. Management office assists the Board in the day-to-day discharge of its duties, mails out newsletters and coordinates between various service providers-residents-Board-Arch Comm. They remind the Board to prepare budgets and assist in the work to prepare and tabulate accounts. When a resident writes to management office about maintenance issues, management office tries to determine if it is "common property" and coordinates with the Board to request authorization to move forward with servicing the request. After the Board authorizes the work, a work order is sent to the service provider. After completion of the work, the Board signs checks to pay the service provider. It is the responsibility of the resident to inform the Board (in writing through management office) if the work has not been completed to their satisfaction so that the Board can follow up with the service provider.

Residents have to follow the rules in the CC&Rs. The definition of "common property" is buried in legalese (see the CC&Rs). The Board follows the rules laid down in the By-Laws of Jasmine Heights. The CC&Rs and By-laws are a part of the paperwork that every homeowner signs when they purchase a property at Jasmine Heights. Please contact management office if you have misplaced these documents.

Back to top of page

Where do my HOA dollars go?

Jasmine Heights has tried to be conservative in spending the HOA funds while balancing the quality of services and cost. Expenses vary every year. Jasmine Heights, being a relatively new community, has low maintenance overhead. We can expect that HOA dues will increase over the years to offset inflation and increased maintenance costs. The following approximate numbers provide an insight into the HOA expenditure. The cost per resident per year is computed by the following formula:

Cost/year = (Amount spent * Annual dues per resident)/Assesment Income

The Anticipated Annual expenses and assesment income for 2002 [from the Treasurers Report for Fiscal Period ended July 31, 2002 (presented August 28, 2002)] was used in these approximate calculations.

For details please see the Budget mailed to all homeowners in November 2002 and contact Management office if you have any questions or comments

Sort the table by clicking on the column header

CategoryService ProvidersCost to resident per year
Accounting Levy & Company CPAs 7.34
Management Svcs Management office 135.89
Office Supplies Management office, Kinkos 8.00
Corporate Taxes Franchise Tax Board 0.05
License & Fees Santa Clara County Environmental Health 3.63
Insurance Premiums Prematic Svcs/Ghofranian Insurance Agency/Farmers Insurance 140.68
Electricity PG&E 95.40
Water San Jose Municipal 23.63
Refuse Disposal City of San Jose, Lets talk trash & Union City Trash Removal 233.76
Clean up & Maintenance Lets talk trash, Union City Trash Removal, M L Nielsen Construction Inc 26.70
Pool and Spa Services Aqua Clear Pool and Spa 23.03
Pool and Spa Repairs Aqua Clear Pool and Spa 10.60
Gutter Cleaning Credited by Citation Homes 0.00
Miscellaneous Contingency Enviroscapes, Posard Broek & Assoc,Creative Security Concepts, J.R. Gibson, TG's Backflow Service 49.56
Reserve Transfer Required by law 334.79

Back to top of page

How are vendors selected for work at Jasmine Heights?

Vendors are selected through a quote process. A "Request for quotation" is sent out to vendors that provide a service. Management office may suggest vendors that provide quality services based on their experience with other communities, but the Board reserves the right to accept or reject these suggestions. The Board picks the vendors that should receive the quote. After the vendors return the quote (typically takes 4-6 weeks), the Board decides which vendor should be selected usually based on price. Then a work order is sent to the selected vendor. The Board is always open to homeowners providing suggestions of vendors. Therefore, feel free to talk to your friends that live in similar communities in the Bay area and provide the Board with the names of quality vendors.

Back to top of page

Parking for me and my guests

Please contact Management office for guest parking permits.

As a reminder, all vehicles parked on the property after 1:00am must display a permanent or guest parking permit (unless parked in your assigned numbered space). Vehicles without the properly displayed permit are subject to tow without warning. Vehicles parked at the end of driveways and/or in front of garages will also be towed without warning. This Parking Policy is being enforced. Please read and follow the "Parking Rules" carefully - see the "Related Links" box on this page and click to "Parking Rules".

Back to top of page

How do I dispose of my trash/garbage properly?

Jasmine Heights spends significant amount of money each year to clean up trash that is not properly disposed of. These charges are incurred per occurance - so each homeowner disposing garbage incorrectly adds to this bill! Garbage items, cardboard boxes, bulky items should not be left outside of bins. If it does not go into the bins, then a separate clean-up company hauls the trash away at a significant extra cost to Jasmine Heights. Also, this is very unsightly. Please follow these simple guidelines for your trash:

  • Put all garbage inside the dumpster.
  • Recycling items should be placed in the appropriate labeled bin.
  • Cardboard boxes should be broken down and put in the recycling bin.
  • Please make sure that the garbage and/or recycling get placed in their proper containers and do not leave things on top of the bins or on the floor of the enclosure. The garbage company has contacted Management regarding these issues and will not pick up if the problem continues.
  • For your bulky items the correct thing to do is to put it into a landfill area. The nearest one to us is the Zanker Road landfill. They charge per cubic yard and there is a minimum $20 fee. Call them at (408) 263 2383 for detailed detailed directions and rates. [Click here for Landfill website]. Their "scale office" phone number is (408) 934 2415. Directions: 101N - 880N - 237W - Zanker road exit - Right on Zanker Road.
  • Consider giving your used items to charity. Charitable organizations may be interested in the items that you do not need and would be willing to pick it up for free.
  • Hazardous materials should not be not be disposed in the garbage containers at Jasmine Heights. Contact the landfill for information on disposal of these materials.

Back to top of page

How do I rent the Jasmine Heights clubhouse?

As of August 2001, there is a policy/agreement in place for the clubhouse (clubroom). If you wish to use the clubroom, please contact the management company. (see related page for contact info.) There is a $300 refundable deposit (provided that upon leaving, the clubroom is left clean and in the condition it was in before use) required to use the clubroom and all paperwork must be completed and a check received no later than ten (10) days prior to the date reserved.

Back to top of page

How do I pay my HOA dues?

You will receive monthly statements from our management office. Payment should be made payable to Jasmine Heights . Please send your payment in the enclosed First Bank envelope. Make sure to write your address on the payment or mail your payment with the enclosed payment stub. You may also choose to setup automatic withdrawal from your bank. Please see the forms section for "HOA DUES AUTOPAY FORM" and contact the management office with any questions.

Back to top of page

Are jumpies allowed in the common property area?

The Board considered a request from a homeowner in May 2003 to allow a jumpy in the common property area for a birthday party. This was not allowed based on the following considerations - safety/reliability, noise levels increase for neighbors, potential damage to landscaping and common propery area. Alternative locations for birthday parties can be Evergreen park (corner of Yerba Buena/San Felipe). There are a lot of kids birthday parties at a park further down on Yerba Buena, just before getting to Silver Creek Valley rd. (coming from 101, it will be on the right hand side.)

Back to top of page

Exterior Paint Colors for Jasmine Heights

Primary Stucco: Hickory - Dunn Edwards #SP177
Secondary Stucco: Stonish Beige-Dunn Edwards #SP68
Trim/Fascia and Garage Door: Bone China-Dunn Edwards #SP514
Shutters and Front Door: Boxwood-Dunn Edward #145
Please check with the management company prior to doing any work on the exterior of the building.

Back to top of page

Prior work on the pigeon issue?

The following is a quick tip that was recommended to help eliminate pigeons: Mix together half non-sudsing ammonia and half water (for example 1 cup of each) in a large supersoaker. Squirt the area where pigeons are nesting or roosting and they apparently go away.

Historical thread on this issue: Several homeowners have raised the issue of pigeons in the past. From the October 2, 2001 minutes - "Several homeowners were present to discuss the issue with the pigeons on the buildings by the pond. One homeowner did research and found a company that will do some type of wiring that will not hurt the birds and has a lifetime guarantee. Someone from the company already came out and is working on a proposal. The homeowner mentioned it would be around $3400 per building and if may be the Association can work with the homeowners and pay half. The Board will meet with the gentleman providing the proposal and discuss it further once the proposal is received. It was noted that homeowners would have to agree to paying money out of their pocket to have this done." From the December 6, 2001 minutes - "The board has reviewed the materials provided by one company and has denied installation of electric wire device on the roofs of buildings around the lake. The board feels that although the device may be effective in repelling pigeons, it poses dangers to both residents and maintenance crews because of the high voltage. Besides, it poses a fire hazard during rain or thunderstorm. Birds may also be electrocuted on occasions and may cause problems to the gutters. Financially, the initial cost is high and there is a high annual maintenance fees. The board is currently looking for alternatives to this system. The board noticed that the wooden owl installed by the builder may be an effective alternative." A subsequent survey of homeowners in 2002 indicated lack of support for the electrical wiring option to repel pigeons. Other ideas proposed have included installing devices to emit predatory sounds, wooden owls and barbed wiring on window sills. The cost for these options has not been determined.

Back to top of page

Plant Policy at Jasmine Heights

Please note the following guidelines for plants/landscaping:

  • Plants must not be planted in the ground.
  • Planters must not be placed on the lawn or in a location where they will damage existing plants.
  • Plants must not be leaning against or placed on the stucco walls.

Back to top of page

Water Sprinklers - what to do if they are sticking out of the ground?

If you notice that a water sprinkler is sticking up from the ground, please contact the management company as there could possibly be a problem with the valve that may lead to an overflow of water causing the water bill to increase.

Back to top of page

What are my responsibilities as an animal owner?

Please do not let your dogs run loose in the Common Area. If you take your dog for a walk, you must have it on a leash. There have also been complaints about owners not picking up after their pets. The presence of this is unsightly and unsanitary. Please be considerate to your neighbors and clean up behind your pets.

Back to top of page

What needs to be done if I see people trespassing?

If you witness people trespassing and do not feel comfortable confronting them, please call the non-emergency police number at 311 (or alternatively, 408-277-8900.) Trespassers usually gain access to the swimming pool area in the summer and engage in vandalism. To fix the results of vandalism, costs are incurred each summer. Please support lower HOA dues by keeping a watchful eye on the pool in the summer.

Back to top of page

Has the HOA considered Earthquake insurance?

Several homeowners have raised the issue of earthquake insurance. From the January 16,2001 minutes - "Management stated that the annual premium for Earthquake insurance would be $10,000. The value is for $1.81 million and the deductible is 7.5% of the total insured value, regardless of the amount of loss. The amount of the deductible would be $135,750. The Board of Directors agreed not to purchase earthquake insurance at this time."

Back to top of page

Has the HOA considered changing the garbage pickup time?

Homeowners have requested changing the garbage pickup time. The pickup time is set by GreenTeam schedules and they have not been receptive to our request to change the pickup time.

Back to top of page

What is involved in being on the Board?

Based on my (Ajay) experience, Board work takes about 5-6 hours per week (usually spread out over the week in small time increments responding to emails). Some weeks the time involved in Board activities is more especially if there is a Board meeting. Email access is critical since the Board members are in constant communication over email. A committment to attend Board meetings, annual meetings and other homeowner events is very important. Ideal Board members are involved in the community before getting on the Board - this includes attending homeowner, neighborhood watch meetings etc. and have good managerial skills to collaborate effectively with other Board members, Management office, Architectural Committee members, homeowners and service providers. A finance background for the Treasurer is highly desirable.

Back to top of page

How can I start getting involved in the Community?

Homeowners can get involved in the community in different ways. Here are some suggestions:

  • Meet and get to know your neighbors. Jasmine Heights is a diverse community with people from different countries and cultures with varied hobbies and interests. Make a new friend at Jasmine Heights today!
  • Subscribe to the unofficial mailing list (see instructions on the home page).
  • Participate in homeowner and neighborhood watch meetings.
  • Get involved in preparedness activities (see "Preparedness" link on the left of the page).

Back to top of page

:: Management office ::

If you have an issue or complaint that needs attention of the Board of Directors or Management you must submit it in writing to Management office by mail or fax.

Please see the main page: www.jasmineheights.com for management office contact info.



  Web Site Feedback: Contact Web Administrator at jasmineadmin@jasmineheights.com  
  This is an unofficial web site owned and maintained by residents of Jasmine Heights. It is not an official communication channel for the Board or Arch Comm of Jasmine Heights  
  Copyright © 2003 Jasmine Heights - All rights reserved.