5-FAQ
NOTE: If you do not find the answers you seek below, there is a POA portal you may visit and pose any question. You will receive an email with your answer from the POA. See steps below:
The following questions are of general concern:
Q: Do condo owners pay condo assessments as well as POA assessments?
A: Yes. Condo owners must contribute assessments fees developed by the legal founders of our governing documents and is based on an algorithm. This is a fractional 3 decimal value based on the ratio of each units size relative to the total condominium square footage living area of all units in the condominium. This weighted percentage is used to equitably pay for building maintenance, repairs, roofing, garbage removal, and electric service and upkeep of the common area which we all share. If you have a small unit, your assessments are less, and conversely, if your unit is large, you will pay more. This equitable arrangement was established in the very first legal document which defined our Association and was and is a common scheme for shared benefits and responsibilities of condominiums in our state. It also has an up side, in that voting privileges are also weighted in the same respect. If you have a small unit, your vote on Association matters has less weight, and if you have a large unit, your vote has more impact. You can examine those weighted percentages in the Supplement to the original Declaration of Condominium document on the “Governing Documents” page. (It’s on one of the last pages near the end). Please note, assessment payments are due on the first of the month and late payments will incur late fees and penalty interest.
Q: May I grill outside on my deck?
A: No. No open flame outside grilling is permitted except on the DRUOA equipment provided in the common area which is the central “park” area at the center of the loop where the Trash Hut is located. Please inform guests or tenants of this requirement.
Q: What do I do with the ashes from my fireplace? Should I put them in with my normal garbage?
A: Place fireplace ashes in a metal ash container on your hearth until they are thoroughly cold then include them with your normal garbage. Please review the recommendations of our local Public Safety Director. Before Using Your Fireplace-10-9-22 The last scheduled condo fireplace inspection was accomplished during the week preceding and ending on 9-15-22. Owners may NOT opt-out of entrance access for the fireplace inspection process. The safety of all owners in a building is dependent on all fireplaces being in good working order.
Q: Do owners have assigned parking spaces?
A: Each owner has one (1) assigned parking space which is labeled with their unit number. Any guest or additional vehicle must park in spaces labeled “Guest”. Trailers, campers, RV’s, boats and similar conveyances must be parked in the Big Canoe POA Storage Yard near the North Gate. This area is fenced, electronically secured and must be leased from the POA.
Q: How does the DRUOA board help to monitor my unit while I’m not in residence?
A: The DRUOA board requires that you provide a viable key or entrance code to your unit at all times to provide access for common services and unforeseen accidents which might occur. The board will normally provide a heads-up notification if they must enter your unit for any reason, but if a pipe, toilet or hose develops a leak and you are not contactable, the board and/or repairman have the obligation to enter and try to provide a remedy to such disasters. It is the boards policy to always have 2 board members present when entering a unit or if 2 board members are not available, then one board member and another owner. If you change your lock or entrance code, please provide a duplicate key, or new code to the board.
Q: How expensive are the utilities in the condo units?
A: Electric rates are similar to other areas in Georgia and not considered excessive. Water/Sewer rates are extraordinarily high in Big Canoe. To avoid a monumental surprise on your water bill from a “running toilet”, you should consider downloading the Utilities Inc. app on your phone which monitors leaks and run-away toilet malfunctions when you are not present in your condo. This free monitoring service has saved owners thousands of dollars. Go to your phone app store and search for “eyeonwater”. The icon is a blue drop of water on a white background. You must have your Utilities Inc. account number to complete the installation. We are to have no propane utilities inside the condo buildings. Services included in your assessment fee include: the cost of trash removal from the trash building, propane for the common area grills, electric lighting around the loop, external pest control, termite control, fireplace inspections and the cost of general maintenance in the common areas.
Q: When I’m not in my Condominium for an extended period, should I turn off the water at the turn-off-valve?
A: Yes. Plumbing accidents like breaks in washing machine hoses or toilet running events are very costly. And, snow events do happen here in the winter which can cause “no travel advisories due to impassable roads” for several days at a time, and a dip in the temperature can cause horrible frozen plumbing damage without good planning. Keep in mind that your master water turn-off-valve (labeled with your unit number) is located on the right side of your building, inside the crawl space at the bottom of your building near the water meters which are visible on the right side of the building. During the winter, most absentee owners also leave their unit heat on 50 degrees and open their cabinet doors under their kitchen and bathroom sink. But don’t count of this if there is an electric outage because of snow ladened trees outside the property falling on feeder power lines. Shutting off your water is the best choice at the turn-off-valve if you will be away for an extended period during the winter or at anytime. The crawl space is dark, so take a flashlight.
Q: Do I need to take my normal household garbage to the community trash center by the North Gate?
A: No. We are blessed to have local trash pick-up service within the condo loop which is paid for out of your Assessment fee. There is a Trash Shed or building at the top of the hill, in the common area. However, there is a restriction and a request. The restriction is, only normal household garbage is allowed. All normal household garbage must be bagged in regular household garbage bags and tied before depositing them in the Trash Shed. Grocery take-out, or shopping bags are not acceptable as the seams tear open with little pressure from the larger bags and cause a mess. The request is that you practice recycling which may be accommodated at the North Gate Trash Collection Site, (aluminium cans, metal) or the Pickens Country Recycling Facilities for recycling #1 and #2 plastics, metal food cans, and glass. Cardboard box trash collection is accommodated at the North Gate Collection Site, but they are not recycled. An access code is necessary to open the door of our Condominium Trash Shed, and any board member will be happy to share that with you. If you observe a non-condo person using this privilege, please report it to a board member as this will require a changing of the access code. Only members and their leased tenants of DRUOA are allowed to use this trash service. No Boxes or construction debris is allowed. (Please see the next Q&A).
Q: If the Trash Shed is only for normal household garbage, what should I do with other trash?
A: The POA has a large, drive-through, trash collection area near the North Gate. They also promote recycling of Aluminium cans, and metal so you can make an environmental impact. Cardboard boxes are not considered normal household garbage in our Condominium Trash building, but you can take cardboard boxes to the North Gate collection area as well. Larger items such as old or broken furniture and building materials such as rugs, carpet, wood or other construction material should be held and discarded on “Bulk Trash Days” which are announced in advance by the POA. The usual months designated for Bulk Trash collection are January, April, July and October. The POA provides large dumpsters for ANY trash on that day in the North Gate Trash Collection Site – (lower maintenance area). Also, POA may provides a paper shredder on some Bulk Trash Days. There may be charges for disposal and services, please see POA announcements for details.
Remaining 2024 Bulk Trash Dates – Located at the North Gate Trash facility:
October 26, 2024
All Dates are on Saturday between 10 AM & 2 PM
$20 per car load, $40 per truck or trailer
Call 706-268-3390 for more information
Q: May I decorate for holidays outside my unit?
A: Decorate inside your unit all you like. But no ordinary outside decoration lights (restrictions listed below) or blow-up figures are allowed in Big Canoe. There are limited outside specifications. This comes from the POA:
- Holiday Decorations or seasonal decorations shall consist of live natural materials or artificial materials with a natural appearance. Decorative accessories and trimmings (including holiday and seasonal decorations) intended for the enjoyment of the Property Owners shall be positioned so as not to offend the community or the immediate neighbors. All seasonal outdoor decorations are allowed for the applicable holiday period and must be removed within two weeks after the holiday.An additional clarification from the POA:
RE: Holiday lights-
- Winter Holiday (Christmas, Hanukah, and others) decorations must consist of live natural materials or artificial materials with a natural appearance. Decorative accessories and trimmings (including holiday and seasonal decorations) intended for the enjoyment of Property Owner(s) must be positioned so as not to offend the community or the immediate neighbors. All outdoor decorations are allowed for the applicable holiday period and must be removed within two weeks after the holiday.
- Outdoor lighting approved for the winter holiday season is limited to miniature clear/ white bulbs displayed at the front door entry, foundation shrubs which extend up to fifteen feet (15′) on either side of the front door and adjacent small trees less than six inches (6″) in circumference and less than ten feet (10′) tall.
- Flashing, flickering or running lights are not allowed. Icicle-like and other mimetic-shaped lights are not allowed.
- There may be no lighting that delineates fences, handrails, decks, eaves, posts, columns, beams, windows, doors, or driveways except the front entry door. Holiday garlands with lights are permissible on the front entry door only.
For more information, contact Treena at tparish@bigcanoepoa.org.
As of January 2024, the instructions for disposal of live Christmas Trees with no tinsel or decorations is to place them in the Yard Debris bin at the North Gate Trash Facility. Reminder: All holiday decorations must be removed within two weeks after the holiday.
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Q: My dog is very well trained and obedient, may I walk him without a leash for exercise?
A: No. All of Big Canoe is a “leash-only” environment except in designated, fenced, Dog Park areas. Our Condominium Loop conforms to that rule, and owners/tenants and guests must clean up the solid waste of their pets. Do not put pet waste bags in the Trash Hut individually but include them in your regular bagged and tied household trash bags.
Q: Why are the decks and the deck floors and ceilings not included in the general maintenance covered by the Condo Association.
A: Because of the lay of the land, each of the 7 condo buildings in our association has been built to different specifications. Because decks are far more varied in size and shape and because owners select to improve these outdoor areas in varied ways, they could not equitably be included under the general assessment design. For example, buildings 4 and 5 have extremely small decks, whereas other buildings have larger ones and in the case of the three bedroom units, they have double decks (upper and lower). It would not be fair for unit owners with almost no deck to support assessments to maintain larger ones.
Q: I want to touch up the paint of my unit on the outside on my own. What is the type of paint and the colors used during the last renovation so I can match the paint properly?
A: Buildings were last painted in 2021 and 2022. The brand of paint is “Sherman Williams” (satin finish). The colors used during the last renovation are:
Siding: Pepperwood
Walkway, railing, trim and sanded paint: Porpoise
Window/Door trim: Cabot Cinder
Door: Rustic Red
There may be extra paint left over from the renovation available for your use. Please check with any member of the Board for location and availability of this possible resource.
Q: If I sell my condominium, will there be a transfer fee due to the DRUOA Association?
A: Yes, beginning January 1, 2024 a $400 transfer fee is due the owner’s association when title is transferred to a new owner. This is 10% of the POA transfer fee which was voted into effect in the past. This fee will increase yearly until the maximum of $500 is reached in the future.
Q: May I trim a bush or plant a tree or flower around my condominium?
A: All flora alterations need to be approved by the DRUOA Board of Directors. The Big Canoe POA has very strict rules about the removal or addition of all plants on the property.
Q: If I see someone who is disregarding our Rules and Regulations, may I say something to them?
A: Yes. We all strive, in a kind manner, to maintain a good neighbor attitude and demeanor. Normally we can assume the offending visitor, new tenant or new owner is unaware of the rules and regulations we have adopted to maintain a beautiful and congenial community. A simple sharing of information to make the offender aware of an infringement is usually enough to correct the situation and make a new friend. If continued disregard is noted, then a Board Member should be informed to take further action.