Information for New Residents
2022 Board of Directors:
Ann Wallace, President, Unit #18
Jeff Boland, Treasurer, Unit #11
Michael Song, Secretary, Unit #14
Management Company:
Prime Association Services, Kizzy Sumo, manager, kizzysumo@theprimeas.com
Owners and Renters
Some of the following does not apply to renters. The primary recourse for tenants is to the unit owner (or their agent if one is employed). The Board and its manager do not have a contractural agreement with each tenant; Landlords are required to include a clause in their leases to the effect that they have distributed the HOA rules to prospective tenants and such tenants must agree to follow those rules in addition to applicable state and local regulations.
New Owners, or prospective owners and their agents, should ensure that their escrow includes, in addition to the usual documents and disclosures these items:
Two laminated guest parking placards identifying your unit
Keys for the electrical service room, the outer doors, the roof alarm, your mail box and unit doors
Codes for the back alley gate and back stairwell doors
A garage door remote opener
Copies of the Rules, HOA CC&R, the Building CC&R, the Condo Plan (These are available on this site as well)
Agents are generally not very aware of our security practices and may try to give new residents entry codes from previous residents. This will, and has, resulted in people being locked out. Old codes are cancelled when a resident moves. Be sure to apply for new codes for all residents and any vendors you may regularly use as described below unless your landlord has specifically requested new codes for you. Relying on the management company for codes and keys will result in appreciable delay.
Information and Notices
Notices to owners, HOA information and meeting notices as well as important community information, are posted in the basement lobby. Additional notices may be emailed and/or posted in the elevator and by the mailboxes. Please check the bulletinboards in the basement regularly as we try to minimize email clutter. General notices are sent to everyone@toywarehouselofts.net and owner-only notices sent to owners@toywarehouselofts.net. Please be sure to keep your email address on file updated and to white list the HOA and Board members’ email addresses if necessary. General information, resources, and relevant documents (minutes, insurance, budgets, etc) may be viewed and downloaded from our website, toywarehouselofts.net. Some pages are password protected; the password can be obtained from a board member and is not to be distributed.
Meetings
The board meets approximately once a month. Meeting times and agendas are posted in the basement lobby. You may request email notification. There is a quarterly meetingof all members that is mainly informational and a state-mandated annual election meeting near the end of the calendar year. Board meetings are open to owners except executive session.
Garage and Parking
Parking spaces and storage cages are permanently assigned and not subject to change or available for general use. Storage cages are identified by a blue number on the floor by the cage. The number corresponds to the condo unit number to which the cage is assigned. No other number is relevant. Parking spaces are numbered on the floor by each space. Consult the Condo Plan if you have not been shown your assigned spaces. Please see rules for parking and garage use in the Rules and Regulations document. Be sure to get your parking tags for guest parking; these should be part of the escrow package for owners or may be obtained from your landlord if renting. Lost tags can be replaced for a $25 fee. Parking rules are strictly enforced. Excluding the storage cages, no personal property may be stored in the parking garage. Only vehicles are allowed in your parking space. Bicycles and service carts are considered vehicles.
Roof
The roof may be accessed only for repairs and only by owners and authorized repair people. It may NOT be used for sightseeing or parties. The access hatch at the top of the North stairwell is alarmed. Each owner has been issued an alarm key which can be replaced for $25.00. Renters are not insured for roof activity and are NOT allowed on the roof under any circumstances. Owners shall request that service personnel use protective mats to prevent damage to the roof surface.
Pets
Please see rules for pets. Toy Warehouse is compliant with City of Los Angeles laws which are posted in the basement lobby and also included in the Rules and Regulations.
Plants
Valerie Mitchell and Tim Keating, Unit #8, are in charge of our plants. We allow up to two plants by your entrance. Please see rules for more information. If you place plants outside your unit, they are considered to be owned by the HOA for insurance purposes.
Trash Chute
You will find the trash chutes in the second and third floor closets by the South-West staircase. The trash chute clogs easily. Only small, standard-size kitchen bags should be used. Please do not use the chute after 10 PM or before 7 AM. Boxes (even if small and broken down) and larger waste MUST be carried down to the dumpsters in the alley. Boxes must be flattened to prevent overfilling the bins. Individual units will be charged if a chute service company is called to remove an obstruction.
Fire Inspection
There is a mandatory fire inspection every year that includes the interior of every unit. Owners are responsible for making sure that their unit is opened for inspection. If there is no access to a unit the owner will be charged the substantial fee for a second visit. If code violations in their unit require a second visit, they will also be charged.
The HOA is, in general, legally prohibited from dealing directly with tenants. Landlords are responsible for providing keys, security codes, and parking tags to tenants. They are also responsible for providing tenant information for the intercom and email list serve systems prior to move in.Landlords must provide the HOA with contact information for ALL tenants as well as copies of leases (redacted leases with any banking or other sensitive data removed are preferred) and must provide move-in, move-out dates at least 4 days in advance. Landlords must provide a copy of the current HOA rules to tenants and assure their compliance in writing. Roof access keys are not to be provided to tenants Supervising workers on the roof is the landlord’s responsibility.
Moving
There is a fee of $400 for move in/move out, Owners will be be charged additionally for any damage caused directly by them, their tenants, or movers/vendors. Owners can also be fined for not notifying the manager or the Board four days in advance of move in/move out. Failure to provide notice and tenant information will result in a $500 charge levied as an assessment on the unit owner.
Security:
We do not have many security problems; we take precautions to keep it that way. Unit keys and the outer door key are each owner’s responsibility. The HOA will provide replacement keys for the front door for $25.00 per key. A copy of your unit key (or pad combination) must be provided to the HOA for emergencies. The combination for the back gate door and the alley door may be obtained from the code czar when entry box codes are issued.
We have had thefts when doors are left opened. DO NOT prop open doors or allow your service people to do so. All owners have been provided with a key to the electrical area exterior door at the far North end of the alley. This is the location where all the power, cable, and telephone service entries are accessed. The key can be replaced for $25.00. A clicker for the back alley gate is available from the board for loading. Signature is required, and a replacement fee will be charged if lost.
Jeff Boland, Unit #11, aka the code czar, jeffrey.boland.email@gmail.com , is in charge of the door entry system. Contact him to set up your entry and security code. Please note that Jeff is also a volunteer and allow extra time for him to assist you. Each resident has their own entry code…there is no common building code. These codes operate 24/7 and are not to be distributed to ANYONE . Special daytime-only codes are available for cleaners, dog walkers and other regular individual vendors (a very important security feature) – please allow time for these to be generated. An arriving guest must enter your unit code on the touch screen of the callbox. The box will auto-dial your number. Calling you directly on a cell phone will not allow you to buzz them in. To provide entry, AFTER VERIFYING that you know who you are letting in, select the appropriate button on your phone screen to open the front door or the garage for guest parking. More complete instructions are included below and a full video is available on the cellgate website. If you do not have a smart phone, the box will dial a plain phone. Please request instructions if this is the case, though, so far, it has not been an issue.
It is also possible to set up temporary codes for visitors or one-time vendors. Please consult the Watchman manuals for specific instructions.
The Watchman information is located on the ‘maintenance’ page of this site for your reference.
Businesses in Residential Units
Toy Warehouse is live/work building, but any business operated in the lofts must be approved by the HOA Board. Only businesses of permanent residents are allowed; no owner or renter may use the space for only business purposes. There is a Business application form on the “Operative Documents” web page. This should be filled out and submitted to the Board for approval. Please consult the Rules document for details.
Unit Repair
There is a list of recommended vendors on the website under resources. Note particularly that our windows require special maintenance and there are very few companies able to replace and/or balance the spring system. The management company does not provide repair services to individual units. Listed vendors have no formal relationship to the HOA; the listed service companies have been recommended by various owners. The Board attempts to maintain the list, but there are NO GUARANTEES and the Board assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY for any work done on any part of the property for which individual owners are responsible. Feel free to submit the contact information for vendors with whom you have had positive experiences.
Modifications to the interior of a unit must be approved by the Architectural Review Board. Painting and superficial changes do not need approval, but any more involved renovations will require approval and, likely, city permits. Please review the renovations section in the Rules document.
Welcome to Toy Warehouse lofts and thank you for your cooperation.