FAQ

Since many residents are living in a townhome for the very first time we have prepared this FAQ to help you understand how you can fully enjoy the convenient and carefree lifestyle of your new home.

First and importantly, read the Declarations of Covenants Conditions Easements and Restrictions and By Laws of your Association. They are the legal documents through which your Association has been formed and establish the rules and regulations for owners, residents and guests.  A copy of these documents is provided at the time of closing.


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Association
  • chevron_rightHow can I keep informed of the finanical health of Arbor Grove?
    You can obtain financial information on Arbor Grove in several ways. Financial information is reviewed at each board meeting and posted to the website under Document/financials. There you will find the current and previous P&L statements, the Balance sheet, actual expenses to budget, and the current year's budget.
     
    You will also receive the following year's budget as part of the annual package sent to each owner. Finally, you are invited to become a member of the Finance Committee. If you're interested, please get in touch with any Board member for more information.
     
     
  • chevron_rightWhat is the Designated Voter? How can I change the designated voter for my unit?
    Illinois Law for Home Owner Associations requires if there are multiple owners of a unit one owner must be designated to vote for that unit. The voting member can be changed at any time but that person must be a current owner of the unit. There are no proxy votes allowed.
     
    You can change the designated voter by going to the homepage under document and selecting designated voter to print the form—mail form to 709 Arbor Parkway, Bourbonnais, IL 60914. Changing your designated voter means that person will receive the annual meeting information via email (if selected previously). The designated voter must have a profile on the Arbor Grove website. 
  • chevron_rightWhat is the Reserve Study and where can I find it?
    A reserve study is a long-term capital budget planning tool that identifies the current status of the reserve fund plan to offset ongoing maintenance for common areas. In addition, it is used to plan for major common area expenditures as they occur.
     
    Arbor Grove's Reserve Study can be found on the website under the Finance Committee section. If you have questions regarding the Reserves, please get in touch with a board member.
  • chevron_rightWhat are some of the services provided by the Association?
    1. Lawn care including grass cutting, weed control, fertilization, mulching, pruning, and edging.
    2. Snow removal from driveways and sidewalks. The board with the recommendation of the landscape        committee will establish their own standard for snow removal.
    3. Operation and maintenance of the clubhouse and pool.
    4. Common area lighting of the entry and grounds.
    5. Insurance of the structures excluding any improvements made by a resident and any resident’s personal belongings. The Association insurance covers all you originally purchased other than mechanical items.
    6. Maintenance of the exterior of your home.
    7. Driveways as well as concrete walk and curb maintenance.
    8. Professional management of the association.
    9. A limited amount of reserves for future exterior repairs and replacement
  • chevron_rightWhat are the responsibilities of the association?

    The association is responsible for the exterior of all buildings, all driveways, lawns, landscaping, lawn/street lighting, entrance improvements, and the clubhouse and pool. Eventually, the association may hire a management company to manage the day-to-day operations of the community. Basically, you control the inside of your home, and the association maintains and manages everything else.

    For a complete listing of homeowner responsibilities please refer to the covenants.  

  • chevron_rightWho controls the association?
    In mid- 2017, a meeting of all owners was held to elect five members of the board of directors. The elected board provides the leadership for the Association, determines policies and procedures, and monitors finances in accordance with the Declarations and Bylaws. The board is responsible for selecting contracted vendors as well as managing cost and services. The board has the authority to hire a property management company; however, at this time the board has chosen to work as a volunteer group to control costs. The board will hold quarterly meetings and schedule a Special Meeting if determined necessary.
    Once each year all owners are invited to attend an annual meeting during which at least two of the five board terms will be open for election. Your board of directors will be made up of fellow homeowners. Their purpose is to protect and maintain the value of your community. The board will ask owners to volunteer to serve on committees such as Finance, Maintenance, Landscape, Social, Rules and Clubhouse.
  • chevron_rightWhom do I consult regarding questions about the Association?
    Please contact any member of the board of directors who will be happy to help answer any questions you have.
  • chevron_rightHow do I volunteer to serve on a committee or the board of directors for the Association?
    Notify a member of the board of directors of your interest to serve on the board. You must be nominated and elected by the owners at the annual meeting. Nomination procedures are discussed in the annual meeting notice that is sent to homeowners.
  • chevron_rightDoes the board choose its officers?
    Yes, the annual voting for open board positions, the board of directors then nominates the officer positions. Board terms are two years on a rotating schedule. The Board and positions and be viewed by accessing the Home Page and selecting Committees
  • chevron_rightAre the board meetings public?
    Board meetings are not open to the public but are open to all owners. Board meeting notices are generally posted at the mailbox a week before the meeting and on the website. So that you know, you will be notified of the time and place of the board meetings. 
Clubhouse
  • chevron_rightHow do I reserve the Clubhouse?
    To reserve the Clubhouse, you will need to login to the website. 
    • Select Resources at the top of the page and AG Clubhouse Reservation.  
    • Once on the Reservation Calendar, you will see the current month and next month. Select the day you would like to reserve by clicking on the day.  Details of the day selected will be shown below. You can quickly see if the clubhouse is available for the time desired. The Clubhouse may be reserved for rental only once each day.  
    • If your rental is for a later month, select the month from the drop-down in the upper left and hit Go.
    • To begin reservation, click on the box next to your desired starting time. You will see the Terms/ Conditions of your reservation.
    • Scroll down the page. Your name, email address and start time are pre-filled.  Enter the End Time of your event and the purpose of rental i.e .. shower, family gathering.
    • Review your reservation information and if correct, hit submit.
    • The ‘Reservation submitted ‘screen lets you know your reservation has been sent for approval. 
    • You will receive an email that your reservation has been submitted. And another email with the Terms and Conditions of the reservation for you to keep. Please review the Terms and Conditions carefully.
    • Once your reservation is approved, you will receive an email stating it has been approved.
  • chevron_rightWhat are the Terms and Conditions of reserving the Clubhouse for my exclusive use?
    The Terms and Conditions contain important information regarding renting the Clubhouse. A copy is available for review in the Document section of the website or click here.  You will also receive an email copy when you reserve the Clubhouse. 
  • chevron_rightDoes the Clubhouse have internet/ WIFI connectivity?
    You can utilize the internet anywhere in the Clubhouse. The network name and password are posted on the bulletin board inside the Clubhouse.
Common/ Limited Common Areas
HOA Fees
  • chevron_rightWho determines the amount of the Association fee?
    The board of directors determines Association fees each year based on input from the owners and the finance committee.
  • chevron_rightHow do I pay my Association fees?
    Association fees are due on the first day of each month and can be mailed to 709 Arbor Grove Parkway. We offer and prefer a direct ACH from your account. Since we are a volunteer organization, ACH is the most economical and convenient method to pay your monthly Association fees.
  • chevron_rightShould my monthly fees increase substantially during any one year?
    The Association fee may increase up to 15% annually via the covenants. However, assuming inflation is controlled, the annual increase should be modest. Unforeseen circumstances, however, such as tax increases or rising insurance, repair, or maintenance costs, may cause these to increase. The Finance Committee usually determines the budget in late July each year and is sent to the Board for review. The Board of Directors approves the final budget, which is sent to the homeowners no later than 30 days (per the covenants) before the Annual Meeting held in September.  
Rules and Regulations
Website
  • chevron_rightWhat is the Network Name and Passwork for the WiFi at the Clubhouse?
    You can log into the internet at the clubhouse with your wifi enabled device. First, make sure you have your devices’  wifi turned on. You can usually do that under settings on your device.
     
    Choose the network you want and click Connect. The network name is CBCI-C5AO -2.4 or
     CBCI -C5AO-5.0
     
    Next, type in the password: Network password is located under Documents on this websitevor at the Clubhouse in the cabinet drawer next to the TV.
     
    If you want to connect automatically to the clubhouse wifi each time you’re there, turn on that feature on your device.
    You will know you are successful when you see the little wifi icon on your device or try to use the internet.
     
     
  • chevron_rightHow can I login to the Arbor Grove website?

    The Arbor Grove website can be accessed at www.arborgrove. org.   There’s no need to log in to view the Homepage, where you’ll have quick access to   Announcements, Events, and FAQs.

    Many pages will require you to log in with a username and password to access them. These pages are only available to members and cannot be seen by the general public. This protects the private information on our website, such as your name, address, and email address.

     

    The requirements for all usernames and passwords are:

    • 8 – 40 characters,
    • case sensitive,
    • these characters are accepted a-z, A-Z, 0-9, ­_  , - , ! , @ , #

    Changing your Profile:

    Your profile is an essential feature of the Arbor Grove website. We will rely on you to update your information so we can communicate important information and happenings.

    After logging in, you will notice your name in the upper left-hand corner. You will also see “Your Profile” next to your name. All the information for your member account is kept in your profile. You can change your username and password, upload a photo, and update your profile here.  Please review your email address and phone numbers in your profile and make any necessary adjustments.

    Be sure to click on save so your changes will be kept.

    Don’t worry if you notice an error after your work is saved. You can correct and save your edits. 

    There will be a couple of items under your profile, such as view transactions and event registration, which we are not using now but in the future.

    Once you’ve logged in, you have full access to the Arbor Grove website. Be sure to check out some of the great features of our new website.  Enjoy!

    New Residents

    Your real estate agent will request information from Arbor Grove as part of the purchase. We then ask the agent for the new owners' names (s), email addresses (s), and phone numbers.  The new owner (s) is registered on the Arbor Grove website, and a Welcome email is sent with their username(s) and log-in information.  

  • chevron_rightWho can see my profile information?
    The Directory can only be accessed after a visitor has logged in to the website. And log ins are available only to residents of Arbor Grove. So you can feel secure your profile information is safe from casual visitors to our website.
    You can even set the specific information available to anyone under your profile by selecting Directory Preferences. That way you are in control!!