Disharoon Ridge Unit Owners Welcomes You

WELCOME:

The Board of Directors of the Disharoon Ridge Unit Owner’s Association (DRUOA) is delighted you are interested in our community.  Our goal is to provide residents with needed information to properly navigate a great experience while residing in our community and to provide copies of our governing documents to parties needing these legal instruments or other supporting legal documents, (please see Governing Documents Page or the Supporting Community Information Page). Additional general questions not covered below may be answered by visiting the FAQ‘s page.

NEW OWNER VITAL INFORMATION:

Understanding Gate Entry into Big Canoe

One of the first mysteries to solve for a new property owner in Big Canoe is how the owner and their guests will navigate entry into this gated community.  The second mystery is understanding how to authorize entry for your guests, contactors and service providers.

INITIAL ENTRY INTO BIG CANOE FOR A NEW OWNER:

The following is the process for changing property ownership after completing the closing of the purchase of a property in Big Canoe:

• The change of Big Canoe ownership is not an automatic process. The Closing Attorney will send documents to Big Canoe Accounting but there is typically a delay of 7 – 10 days or more. To initiate the entry process in a more expeditious way, a new Big Canoe property owner may stop by the Main Gate or North Gate with the top page of their closing statement.  The gate attendant will make a copy showing the date of closing, property address, seller & buyer names.  The new property owner will be given a temporary 30-day printed pass to scan for entry.  Another option is to email the closing documents to maingate@bigcanoepoa.org.  DwellingLIVE is Big Canoe’s web-based community/visitor management System. This computerized entry system will be updated with the new owner’s information within 24 hours depending on staffing & on weekends up to 48 hours.
• The new property owner may pick up a transponder application form for each of their vehicles at the gate. A transponder is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) that automatically activates a gate in lieu of using a printed pass.  Owners of dwellings get 2 transponders free, a lot owner gets 1.  Additional transponders are $25.  After ownership has been updated in dwellingLIVE, the new owner may bring the completed transponder form to the gate with the vehicle to have a transponder installed. Transponder installation must be done by a Public Safety gate attendant & the transponder must be affixed to that assigned vehicle at all times.  The activation of the transponder can only be completed after the new owner information has been updated in dwellingLIVE.
• To register into dwellingLIVE a new property owner must provide an email address. Upon registration, a confirmation email will be sent to the new property owner with a link and login The dwellingLIVE application may be accessed by computer or by dwellingLIVE’s phone app.  However, the phone app is not controlled by Big Canoe and it is designed for multiple communities.  Consequently, some options in the app may not be applicable to Big Canoe.
• If you know you will be expecting guests/contractors/moving vans on this initial day or for a few days following your closing, please give this information (name or company) to the gate attendant to assist in the entry of these individuals into Big Canoe. If there is no Gate notification/registration for a guest, contractor, service providers or a delivery company, they will be denied entry into Big Canoe.  If the driver of any vehicle trying to enter has no valid driver’s license, they will be denied entry.
• If the seller has been granted temporary occupancy after the closing date, it is necessary to supply a written statement of this arrangement signed by the buyer (new property owner) giving authorization for the seller’s occupancy. Ownership is assigned to a lot number and 911 street

For additional instructions regarding authorizing gate entry for your guests, contractors and delivery services, please download this complete Gate Orientation Document:  Understanding Gate Entry into Big Canoe

PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: All units have one private, assigned parking space which is labeled with a sign indicating your condominium unit number.  If you have an additional auto or if guests visit, there are limited parking spots labeled with signs saying, “GUEST”.  Any other form of transport must be stored in the POA auxiliary parking lot for a fee.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New or current owners who have or, in the future, will have an electric vehicle, or owners with guests or tenants with electric vehicles must arrange for charging their vehicles elsewhere.  Many sources will tout that you can charge your vehicles from household outlets with adapters, but our building configuration is not compatible with safe electric car charging.  Long extension cords are a safety, and fire hazard.  Attempting to use an outlet such as the one on the Trash Hut is inappropriate as it is theft of our Association’s utility services.  There are no electric vehicle charging stations in Big Canoe.  You may find a ChargePoint Charging Station at the Lowe’s Grocery store in Marble Hill. When driving into the main entrance turn right in front of Lowe’s then turn right again into the parking area. Drive to the end of that parking area and turn left.  Follow the outside edge of the parking area and look for the 2 green parking spots to see the charging station signs.

GENERAL NOTIFICATIONS TO ALL:
If you will be renting or leasing your unit either short term or long term, you must submit a lease registration form to Big Canoe POA.  There is a yearly fee for this registration.  For information, please contact the POA Concierge, Elaine, 706-268-3345.

Our condominium community trash hut is ONLY used for normal household garbage (no cardboard or construction trash) which is to be placed only in 13 gallon plastic, tied, garbage bags (please no grocery bags as they tear and leak).  Kitty litter should be double bagged.  The code for the trash hut entry can be obtained by emailing the DRUOA board at  disharoonridgecondos@gmail.com.  See additional information on trash handling on the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Consider downloading the free Utilities Inc. phone app “eyeonwater” to monitor your water usage and detect leaks while you are not in your condo.  Detecting a running toilet or a small leak in a timely manner can save you a great deal of money for water bills are extremely high for our area due to the condominiums being on sewer service.  See the details on the FAQ page in the discussion on the cost of utilities and be sure to have your utility water account number available when registering.

NEW OWNER ORIENTATION AND ALERTS:

An Orientation Summary:  This will answer the normal new-owner, tenant or guest inquiries like, “What County are we in?”, “Where is the nearest hospital?”, “Who should I call for what?”.  Plus there is a Big Canoe Map to help you get around and locate emergency exits.
DRUO Neighborhood Orientation
Best quality large map and legend of Big Canoe only.
Big Canoe Street Map 2022 PRINT

Be informed about the POA General Rules for all of Big Canoe.  Here’s a link to download a “quick print-out” for yourself and your tenants.
POA General Rules for All
Additional Condo Rules and Regulations for our neighborhood may be downloaded from the Governing Documents Page.

Explanation of  Your Lot Number:
Generally, your lot number is your unit number.  If you own a unit with a B behind the unit number, your lot number is configured differently and has the number “10” inserted before the unit number.  The “B” is dropped.
For example, if your unit number is 431B, your lot number will be 10431.

Paying you condo assessment fees:  Instructions for paying assessment fees are also posted on this website on the Owner’s Roster and Assessments web page.  Email announcements regarding fees are sent from the Association’s email account,  disharoonridgecondos@gmail.com.  If you have questions, please contact the board members through this email address.
New owners, PLEASE NOTE, Assessment fees are due on the first of the month, and late payments will incur late fees and penalty interest.  No invoices will be mailed to you.

General Articles  for Introduction to Understanding Condominium Ownership:
The following articles could be a great help in understanding the scope of condo ownership, the privileges and responsibilities, and understanding condo fees.  Avoid misconceptions and disappointment by being informed.  Condominium life can be delightful and liberating if you know what to expect and are properly prepared for community ownership.  We offer the following independently published articles to help each owner understand how their fees are determined and how they are used.  Download these short articles and read at your convenience.
1.  The distinctions between condominium and HOA (like Big Canoe POA) fees.
Condo Fees vs HOA fees
2.  4 Misconceptions about Condominiums.
4 Money Misconceptions About Condominiums
3.  An In-depth explanation of condominium fees (assessments).
Condominium Fees In-Depth

PROTECTING YOUR CONDO DURING WINTER:  

If you are a full-time resident of Disharoon Ridge Condominium Association or you lease your unit to a full time tenant, your preparation for winter weather will be different from interim owner/occupiers or short term lessors.  Regardless of your ownership status, preparing for severe winter events is the best strategy for protecting your investment.

Please be warned.  We have had major plumbing freeze disasters in the recent past with expensive repair consequences, not only in the unit with the frozen pipes, but in the units under the burst pipes.  It is very important to protect your unit as well as protecting neighbors around your unit.

Interim owner/short term lessors may believe they can turn down the thermostat to 50 degrees, open their cabinets under sinks in the kitchen and bathroom and be safe.  This is not true.  If electric feeder lines outside Big Canoe break resulting in power loss, you may have no heat for an undetermined period resulting in possible frozen/broken pipes.  The best practice for freezing safety when you are absent, especially when extended below-freezing temperatures are forecast, is to turn off your water at the incoming turn-off-valve.  Your turn-off-valve is labeled with your unit number and is located on the right side of your building behind the utility meters, in a crawl space at ground level.  There is no light in that area so take a flashlight.

Our Big Canoe Fire Chief and Safety Officer, Ricky Jordan, has prepared a check list for Big Canoe owners.  Please read and heed the good advice provided below. Download the following document to learn how to protect your property and yourself in Big Canoe during a severe winter event. You can apply the appropriate advice to your unit and your residency.
2025-Winter safety from Safety officer

AMENITIES AND RESOURCES:

Big Canoe Chapel Library is Open to all:  The Big Canoe Chapel is now open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The library is open to all homeowners in Big Canoe and operates on a self-serve basis. In addition to a large-print collection, audio, and DVD options are also available along with children’s books and movies.  The honor system prevails in checking out materials from the collection. Books may be checked out for 21 days, movies and audio-books for seven days. The check-out box is in the front room with instructions posted beside the box. Simply sign the card that is in the pocket of the book or DVD, add the date and your telephone number, and place the card in the box. Returns are to be placed in the cabinet in the hall beside the library door.  All information stated here has been verified as correct as of 8/1/23.

Additional event and community information may be found at bigcanoepoa.org , (your ID is your lot number), smokesignalsnews.com , insidethegates.org

EMAILS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Owners or tenants may send emails to the Board of directors at the following email address.
 disharoonridgecondos@gmail.com

© 2016