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From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid

2011-12-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

December 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

December has arrived, everyone! If you are like me, then you can probably hardly believe it. I feel like I was just getting used to autumn, and now, BAM! it's winter all of a sudden. I feel like it's so hard for us So-Californians because every day it just looks the same outside, so there is nothing easing us from one season to the next. Sure it get slightly colder, but that's it. Okay, maybe the occasional rain too, but still. There's nothing like a good snow storm to announce the winter, but for us that's just not an option. I actually heard a song the other day that says it isn't Christmas without snow, so according to that, sorry guys, I guess the holiday is null and void for all of us without those pretty white crystal flakes falling from the sky. It just doesn't seem quite fair though. It's not our fault that it doesn't snow. I guess we'll just have to write our own version of the song, and it will be called "It's Always Christmas Without Snow". That's much more appropriate for us.

Anyways, now that Christmas time is in full swing, it's time for lots of shopping. Perhaps you already started this past Black Friday. I personally didn't, even though, like a lot of girls, I enjoy a good shopping trip. However, I do not consider a shopping trip "good" when it's at 4am. I would rather be sleeping, thank you very much. Last year was my only taste of Black Friday madness. A friend of mine convinced me to go to Old Navy at midnight after Thanksgiving and I was like, sure, what the heck, it probably won't be that crowded. I was terribly wrong. It seemed like everyone awoke from their Thanksgiving food coma with a new appetite to shop instead of eat. And so, fueled on thousands of calories of turkey and pumpkin pie, out came half of the Fullerton and La Habra area to Old Navy. I had just come along for the experience because I had never done any Black Friday shopping, but some of these people were serious about their performance fleece and scoop neck long sleeve shirts. I did buy several items myself which gave me that small feeling of satisfaction which is what I am sure drives a lot of people out into the stores at such ungodly times of night, but I don't know how they do it year after year because after grabbing my items any warm fuzzy feelings of shopping satisfaction soon vanished when I snapped back into reality.

For you see, picking out your items is only one half of the shopping equation, and as I especially realized that night, the only half that is pleasurable. The next half--and I mean the paying half of the equation--was, on this occasion, not only not pleasurable, but was extremely painful. Let me explain. As my eyes slowly lifted their gaze from my new shirts, pajamas, and socks all with their marked down price tags, my grin soon turned to a frown as I realized that the mass of people wrapping around the store weren't doing that for fun but because that was the line. Soon, I too entered the line like all of those other masochistic shoppers because personally, I didn't want to run out into the cold and get caught for shoplifting.

Then two hours later, yes I did mean two hours, I exited the line with a bagful of clothes, but also with two very sore feet and one tired and annoyed brain. At least when I stand in line at Disneyland I can say that I got to go on a cool ride after all that waiting. This time though, all I got at the end was a skinnier wallet and a few basic clothing staples. Woo hoo. I tried to justify what I had just done, but I couldn't. I just spent how much time in line for how much money off? However, I couldn't go back and change the past. I could only learn for next year. Needless to say, this year I was sound asleep at 2a.m. Friday morning where last year I had been in line. I had got all that Black Friday nonsense out of me last year, and I am happy to report that this year I was able to enjoy my post-Thanksgiving day sleep unfettered by any shopping concerns.

I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving, whether or not that included any Black Friday shenanigans. Obviously, it isn't my cup of tea, but if you are into that whole let's-lose-sleep-and-shop-instead, then go for it! Now that my page has run its course, it is time for me to bid you all adieu. May your December be merry and bright, even if it is snow free. Enjoy the Christmas season with all of your friends and family, and I will write you again for the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me The Lowly Office Aid, and from all of us at LS Real Estate!

Signing Off,

Joy Ellis

The Lowly Office Aid

LS Real Estate

Miss Black Friday Shopper says,

"Why waste time lying in bed asleep, when you can just drink 27 lattes and get your all of your holiday shopping in one night. In my opinion, you can sleep when you're dead!"

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid

2011-12-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

November 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

November has arrived, and along with the change in the weather and the color of the foliage, the newsletter is also turning a new leaf. Now the Lowly Office Aid will be flying solo! My letter will come to you, my lovely readers, at the beginning of every month and the new newsletter will show up on its own on the fifteenth. We hope you will like the new style! I know that change is not always easy, but have no fear, The Lowly Office Aid is here! I will not let you go through this alone, I will still be here every month. So let's get on with the show!

I know that last month I was very much in resistance mode in terms of the new season, but this month, in order to set a good example for everyone, I am fully embracing the change. I think I would be considered insane if I didn't. I admit it.

Summer is officially over. The temperature has officially dropped. The wind outside has picked up, and now our tower fan is finally getting some much needed rest. The leaves are changing colors and dropping like flies all around LA. (Well, at least the ones that can. The palm trees are still firmly green and intact.) My bathing suit is pushed deep into the back of the drawer, not to be seen again for months, and the sweaters and long sleeves are making their much needed reappearance. So I will say it now, if I haven't said it before--Fall is here, and I am trying to take full advantage of it.

For instance, during my recent trip to the grocery store, I went in with my list of the usual staples: milk, cereal, fruit, vegetables, etc... and of course, I purchased all of those things, but how could I leave without taking home some edible autumnal delights that seemed to be around every corner? So before I could stop myself, I had already caved in to the grocery store's strategically placed marketing tactics. When I got home to unload my bags, I found that I had come home with not only spiced apple cider and dried apple rings, but also pumpkin granola, pumpkin muffin mix, and pumpkin cream cheese. Yes, yes, I know, I went a little pumpkin crazy, but how could I resist! They were practically calling my name! "Joy...Joy...Come over here...pick us up...buy us...you know you can't enjoy us but one season a year...you know you want us..." And so just like that, I fell prey to their siren song, and now I am gladly drowning in pumpkin goodness. And you know what? That is only the beginning of my pumpkin obsession.

It all started a few weeks ago, when I attended a fall party where traditional and international UCLA students mingled together and delighted in everything fall. To eat, we had traditional and delicious comfort food like Mac n' Cheese and pigs in a blanket, and after we had all chowed down there were many, many desserts to indulge in-- including, of course, pumpkin scones. Thus, me and pumpkin recommenced our love affair. As much as I tried, I could not avoid his advances, because as soon as we finished, guess what? It was time to carve pumpkins. My fate was sealed.

It felt so good to be reunited with dear pumpkin. It had been too long. I even had the pleasure of introducing two Chinese girls to the charms of pumpkin. They had never carved a jack-o-lantern before, and they had a blast giving their pumpkin a mischievous grin. After I helped them, I finally had some quality alone time with my pumpkin. I scooped and scooped out those ooey, gooey seeds until I could scoop no more, and I carved to my heart's content. The best part is that I got to take home my pumpkin and show him off to everyone. I was very proud of my creation. Unfortunately, pumpkin and I had to eventually part ways because he was just getting too moldy for me. So I had to kick him to the curb. It was a sad day, but it had to be done. However, I couldn't forget about him just yet because as his final gift to me he left all of his seeds. So as my last pumpkin delight, my roommate made for us four, yes, four different flavors of pumpkin seeds and I don't know if we will ever be able to finish them! So if you have a hankering for some, you will know where to find them! Have a nifty November everyone!

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis

The Lowly Office Aid

LS Real Estate, Inc.

Mr. Pumpkin says,

"The reason I don't come out until Autumn is because I have to spend the rest of the year getting ready so I can look good for the ladies...There's a reason why everything I'm in is delicious..."

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid: November 2011 Edition

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

November 2011

Take Our Quiz Question Here

Dear Friends and Family,

The temperature has officially dropped. The wind outside has picked up, and now our tower fan is finally getting some much needed rest. The leaves are changing colors and dropping like flies all around LA. (Well, at least the ones that can. The palm trees are still firmly green and intact.) My bathing suit is pushed deep into the back of the drawer, not to be seen again for months, and the sweaters and long sleeves are making their much needed reappearance. So I will say it now, if I haven't said it before--Fall is here, and I am trying to take full advantage of it.

When I got home to unload my bags, I found that I had come home with not only spiced apple cider and dried apple rings, but also pumpkin granola, pumpkin muffin mix, and pumpkin cream cheese. Yes, yes, I know, I went a little pumpkin crazy, but how could I resist! They were practically calling my name! "Joy...Joy...Come over here...pick us up...buy us...you know you can't enjoy us but one season a year...you know you want us..." And so just like that, I fell prey to their siren song, and now I am gladly drowning in pumpkin goodness. And you know what? That is only the beginning of my pumpkin obsession.

The best part is that I got to take home my pumpkin and show him off to everyone. I was very proud of my creation. Unfortunately, pumpkin and I had to eventually part ways because he was just getting too moldy for me. So I had to kick him to the curb. It was a sad day, but it had to be done. However, I couldn't forget about him just yet because as his final gift to me he left all of his seeds. So as my last pumpkin delight, my roommate made for us four, yes, four different flavors of pumpkin seeds and I don't know if we will ever be able to finish them! So if you have a hankering for some, you will know where to find them! Have a nifty November everyone!

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis

The Lowly Office Aid

Mr. Pumpkin says,

"The reason I don't come out until Autumn is because I have to spend the rest of the year getting ready so I can look good for the ladies...There's a reason why everything I'm in is delicious..."

July 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

July 2011 Newsletter click for pdf copy

July 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, another year has come and gone, my friends…it is I, Mother of our beloved Lowly Office Aid, making an encore appearance via this newsletter. As you may have guessed, Joy is far from home on her 3^rdmission’s trip to Haiti with the Chi Alpha Fellowship team. I recall how worried we were (I was!) when she left for her first trip; however, this year I am much more relaxed—I know that she has many good friends with her on the trip, and they all look out for each other. It also helps to see a few pix of the team’s activities posted on Facebook, and of course, Joy’s brief contact with John to wish him well on Father’s Day while she is away. I guess I’m getting better at this Empty Nest thing…

Empty Nesters—that’s what John and I are now. Strange term…referred to as a “syndrome” apparently named after a bird’s nesting habits. More specifically, the literature states (that’s my librarian-self speaking) that “Empty Nest Syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that parents or guardians may feel when one or more of their children leave home; it is more common in women…” I would say that the part about women is probably true as we tend to be the primary caregivers and nurturers. Yes, I have found myself wanting to check on the kids or communicating that I miss them much more often than John does (or at least will say he does!). I do catch him asking “have you heard from the kids?” or telling me plans he’s made with Joy or Jonathan regarding this or that. All I can know for sure is that we both are enjoying the much quieter and much neater house with the kids out on their own, and we are much more able to focus on our own plans and goals for the future (so the literature says as well!).

The term that I feel is better suited to our current status in life is: The Sandwich Generation, which is “a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children.” Although we don’t care for our aging mothers full time, nor do we fully support our dear children anymore, we definitely could fit this description! Whether we are driving Grandma Carrie to her doctor’s and hair appointments while she was without her driver’s license for awhile, or planning a visit with Yiayia and helping to care for her rental home, John and I are active participants in the care of both of our mothers. Although Joy and Jonathan are working full-time and living on their own, it’s amazing how much help we still give the kids; whether it’s a new computer for the Lowly Office Aid, or help for Jonathan while he gets his new studio apartment up and running…Mom and Dad are right there, ready with support to help our little “birds” as they make their own way out in the big world. J

I’d say that’s it for now…I’m off to prepare our own nest for an Ellis Family 4^th of July celebration coming up soon. Happy Independence Day, All—and our Best Wishes for a wonderful, fun Summer 2011!

Happy Summer,

Julie A. Ellis (Mother of the Lowly Office Aid)

June 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

June 2011 Newsletter click for pdf copy

June 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s June! Well, at least it will be by the time you get this. Right now, it’s a gorgeous May evening and I have the front door and window open to enjoy the cool breeze and I am that sure June has many beautiful days like this in store for us here in So Cal. I have to enjoy these cool nights while I can because pretty soon I will be off to Haiti where the days are super hot and the nights are slightly less hot. I’m definitely spoiled to be from Southern California. My roommate hails from the Kansas side of Kansas City, and she reported to me the other day that a tornado had touched down blocks from her home and church. Luckily, her family and house are completely safe and it only did minimal damage where it hit. She was telling me that even though the tornadoes and the sirens that precede them are totally eerie, she is used to them and that the thought of an earthquake is totally scary to her. Obviously, I feel completely the opposite! I will take my So Cal earthquakes any day over a Kansas tornado. Those things freak me out. They weren’t messing around in The Wizard of Oz, those tornadoes are legit and not to be disrespected! I’m just glad that real tornadoes aren’t actually accompanied by the Wicked Witch and those awful Flying Monkeys. They freak me out even more than tornadoes and I already told you how I feel about those.

On another topic completely, I just wanted to take the time out to honor my computer that I have been typing these letters on for the last four and half years---yes, I did write four and a half years---can you believe that I have been sending you these things for so long? I’m surprised that I haven’t received any hate mail yet! You all are far too kind. But anyways, this will be the last letter that will be written on my dear old Compaq Presario. It wasn’t a glamorous or a pretty or a slim or a light computer. It didn’t have flashy decals or a shiny apple on it, but it was a loyal computer and traveled with me for many years and wrote many letters, emails, and papers for me. It kept my files organized and my pictures archived. You could never call it lazy. It kept my lap warm and my desk looking good. It’s been good to me, but now I have to admit, unfortunately, that my dear computer is on its death bed. I have typed it to death. The poor thing is so weak and frail—it’s akin to both a badly arthritic grandmother and a brand new baby that can’t yet support its own head. I walk around cradling it like an infant and whenever I open or close it, every bone in its little technology filled body cracks painfully in my ears. So, therefore, it is time to put it out of its misery. I will always think fondly of the Presario, who was my first computer and treated me well so many years, but now we must part ways and I just had to give it a proper goodbye. I hope it rests in peace. Now, I can’t promise that since I am getting a much better, new computer that the forthcoming newsletters will be better as well, but at least, hopefully, they won’t be worse! However, just to forewarn you all, it probably won’t be until August that you get another letter from yours truly. For you see, next month I will depart from Los Angeles to journey to Haiti for the third time. So while I am spending my last days in June on that hot, humid island that I love I will leave my duties in the very capable hands of the mother of the Lowly Office Aid. She doesn’t exactly know that she is doing this yet, but I will let her know soon.

While on the topic of Haiti, I am reminded, of course, that I need to at least mention Father’s Day. I already know what you are thinking, what do Haiti and Father’s Day have in common? Well, I’ll tell you…not much really. Their only connection is that, unfortunately, I will be there on Father’s Day and therefore very far from my father, so I will take some time now to acknowledge the wonderful “Papa Ellis” as one friend refers to him. He may be just your realtor, property manager, or friend, but I get the special privilege of being his daughter. I am proud to call him my dad and am very glad that he didn’t banish this Lowly Office Aid many years ago for filing his papers in the wrong direction (I honestly didn’t know there was a right direction at the time) and for probably many other lowly infractions. All the while working hard in his job for all his clients and residents, he’s always working hard as a dad too. So with this letter about to be done, I just want to thank my dad for always being there for me, always on my side. On that note, I send a shout out to all the dads this month. All of you are awesome! Make sure to give all of your papas some love this month!

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis

The Lowly Office Aid

Mr. Computer says,

“My deepest sympathies go out to you on the loss of your dear laptop Mr. Presario. I’m sure he was a very dear and very hardworking guy. May your next one be just as good as he was.”

LS Real Estate May Newsletter

2011-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

May Newsletter

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid

2011-05-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

May 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s hard for me to believe, but this is already my fifth newsletter of the year. Before I know it, I’ll already be on my twelfth and wondering what the heck I was doing when I was not writing these oh-so sought after pages. All I can say is so long April, it was nice knowing you, and hello May! I’m sure that just when I start to like you, you’ll be running off just like all the other months before you. I guess we will all just have to enjoy her while she lasts. She does have many lovely qualities if you all didn’t know—there are her famous flowers, of course, (and let me say, I am a fan) as well as Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, as well as both my father’s and brother’s birthdays along with several of my friends’ birthdays.

I knew spring was famous for its baby animals and all, but apparently it’s also just famous for babies because in the last two months I know of at least twelve friends and family members celebrating the day that they arrived into this world. I’m at the point where I think I may just stop buying groceries just so I can get everyone presents. Or, I can just buy groceries as usual and give them as gifts to my friends. I don’t know though, on second thought, I think they would much rather receive a gift card than a gallon of milk. We shall see what kind of mood I am in when the time comes.

So while on the topic of special occasions, I guess I will bring up the one most recently celebrated by most of us—Easter. I hope all of you had a lovely day enjoying time with friends and family and eating lots of Cadbury eggs for me. At the Ellis Household, we may have perhaps had the oddest Easter on record. We didn’t go to church, we didn’t have anybody over, we didn’t have an Easter egg hunt, and we didn’t even eat around the table together. Of course, all of this happened (or rather, didn’t happen) for good reason. It somehow turned out that come Sunday morning, three of the four members of the Ellis family ended up sick. Only Mom was spared, and ironically enough, she was the one doing all the work preparing for the day, which I am sure she would not have done if she’d known that she would be preparing for only three sick people. She knew I was sick because I had come home from L.A. with a cold given to me oh so kindly by the kiddos at work, but then Dad woke up not feeling good and Jonathan came home with a virus as his only Easter gift. If it’s any testament to how sick I was feeling that day, let’s just say that my favorite part of the Easter basket I got was a pack of travel size Kleenex that my mom got for me. There were even chocolate eggs right beside it, and I love chocolate eggs, but all I did was ogle the new tissues that I knew I would use up any day now. Yeah, it was that bad. That being said, the couch that day was both our church pew, our place at the dinner table, and our front row seats at the movie theater. Who knew a couch could serve so many purposes? All I know is that in between eating the food that mom had cooked for the family that was no longer coming since our house had become a giant virus-filled petri dish, I was like a lazy kid the weekend before finals. That is to say, I was spending way too much time on Yahoo games. That was great for a weekend and all, but yeah, I think it’s definitely time to get back to work.

Anyways, I hope your holiday was much healthier, at least, than ours. Fortunately for all of you my dear readers, I am still well enough to write this letter. Just know that it would take much more than a cold to keep me from my correspondence with all of you. However, since I rambled so much about our very interesting Easter, it looks like my page has about run its course. I wish all the mothers out there a wonderful day on Sunday the eighth. And to all the kids out there, no matter how much your mother tells you she doesn’t want anything, get her something anyways, at least a card—because, let me tell you, I forgot one of those one year, and I will never make that mistake again—so let that be a warning to you! Enjoy May while it lasts everyone!

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis
The Lowly Office Aid

Mr. Easter Bunny says,

“The Ellis Family should be lucky I even stopped by their house this year. I cannot risk getting a cold again this month. Those baby chicks are always getting me sick!”

Carbon Monoxide Detectors: The New Law and the Impact for Apartments

2011-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

CALLOUT: While the mandated date for apartments is January 1, 2013, apartment owners and property managers need to start addressing the issue of Carbon Monoxide Detectors NOW!!
By Carl Morello, PE, ARM, ALCM
Sequoia AVP Underwriting & Loss Control
© 2007 Sequoia Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors – This new law went into effect January 1, 2011 and requires an owner of a housing unit to install a carbon monoxide device in each existing dwelling unit that has a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage:
For all existing single-family dwelling units intended for human occupancy on or before July 1, 2011.
For all other existing dwelling units intended for human occupancy on or before January 1, 2013.
Where does Carbon Monoxide come from?
Carbon monoxide is produced by devices that burn fuels. Therefore, any fuel-burning appliance in your home is a potential CO source. Electrical heaters and electric water heaters, toasters, etc., do not produce CO under any circumstances. Under normal circumstances, CO should not be detectable in the typical home or workplace.
When appliances are kept in good working condition, they produce little CO. But improperly operating or improperly vented appliances can produce elevated -- even fatal -- CO concentrations in your home. Likewise, using kerosene heaters or charcoal grills indoors, or running a car in a garage, can cause levels high enough to result in CO poisoning.
Common sources of CO include the following wood or gas fueled appliances:

Room heaters
Furnaces
Charcoal grills
Cooking ranges
Water heaters
Automobiles run in closed garages
Fireplaces
Portable generators
Wood burning stoves

Issues and Guidance for Apartments
A 17-year-old girl died, and her 15-year-old sister was critically injured, when carbon monoxide from a malfunctioning wall-mounted gas heater overwhelmed them in their Berkeley, California apartment. More than a hundred other people in the apartment complex had to be evacuated to shelters. When the landlord had purchased the building a year prior to the November 1999 incident, he had failed to obtain inspections for the building’s utilities. Officials measured the concentration of carbon monoxide in the girls’ apartment and in nearby units at 2,000 parts per million, far more than the 35 parts per million considered to be safe.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about 500 Americans die each year from accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and another 20,000 are sickened. About 40,000 emergency room visits are generated by people with possible CO poisoning.
In California, CO poisoning causes between 30 and 40 deaths each year, leads to about 700 emergency room visits, and causes hundreds or thousands of avoidable illnesses and injuries. According to the California Air Resources Board, more than half of all CO deaths in California are linked to malfunctioning or improperly-vented combustion appliances such as space heaters, furnaces, and water heaters.
Apartment owners and property managers have an important role to play in ensuring that carbon monoxide – the “silent killer” – does not create a health hazard for tenants.
To minimize carbon monoxide risks and associated liabilities, apartment owners and managers should take several simple – but essential – steps.
First, recognize the dangers of carbon monoxide, and understand how it might be produced in your properties.
Second, ensure proper installation, maintenance, and use of appliances that can produce carbon monoxide.
Third, take steps to protect your tenants by installing and maintaining CO detectors, and by offering information with which tenants can protect themselves.
Recognize the Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, highly toxic gas which is produced by the incomplete combustion of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels (natural gas, propane, gasoline, oil, kerosene, wood, etc.).
Fuel-burning appliances found in and around residential properties are common sources of carbon monoxide. (Electrical appliances cannot produce CO.) Indoors, problems can arise through improper installation, care, or use of space heaters, furnaces, water heaters, gas-fueled kitchen appliances, clothes dryers, wood-burning stoves, and fireplaces.
Outdoors, careless use of charcoal or gas grills, gasoline-powered engines (cars or trucks, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, generators, snow blowers, etc.) can cause exhaust to enter residential areas and poison the people inside. And of course, using outdoor appliances (such as gas grills) indoors, or leaving a car running in a garage, can have fatal results.

Carbon monoxide is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, where it replaces essential oxygen. Exposure to high levels of CO can cause brain damage or death within minutes by depriving the brain and other organs of oxygen. Any person or animal can be affected by carbon monoxide; infants and children, unborn children, and people with anemia or heart disease are especially vulnerable.
Exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide causes flu-like symptoms, including dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, and irregular breathing (but without the fever typical of flu). It is thought that mild CO poisoning is under-reported because victims may think that they are suffering a cold or the flu, or health professionals may misdiagnose the symptoms. Exposure to higher levels may cause a loss of consciousness (“falling asleep”) and death before any of the milder symptoms are experienced or reported.

At an apartment complex in Chevy Chase, Maryland, eight people became ill when construction workers using gasoline-powered tools elsewhere in the building did not take precautions to vent carbon monoxide from the building. A carbon monoxide alarm sounded during the March 2005 incident, alerting the residents to the danger and providing time for them to escape before they were overcome.

Because CO is odorless and colorless, and is not detectable in typical home and work conditions, it offers no warning of its presence, thus earning it the nickname of “silent killer.” And because CO deaths are so often associated with the use of furnaces and heaters during the winter months (when windows are kept closed), it is even more aptly called the “silent, cold-weather killer.”

Minimize CO Risk with Proper Installation and Maintenance

When fuel-fired appliances are installed properly, inspected regularly, maintained scrupulously, and used properly, the carbon monoxide risk is very low. The risk becomes much higher in properties where equipment is malfunctioning, where inspections and regular maintenance are not performed, or where the exhaust is not safely vented outdoors. Under these circumstances, CO can quickly accumulate to dangerous levels, when it can overpower and kill people in the area.

Install Equipment Properly. Proper installation is the critical first step. Select the appropriate appliance for your need, follow manufacturers’ installation instructions carefully, and hire a professional to do the installation. Pay close attention to fresh air intake (to ensure sufficient oxygen for complete combustion) and exhaust venting (to ensure that all toxic gases are removed). Be sure to comply with all applicable building codes. If in doubt on any aspect of installation, check with the appropriate local building or health official.

Inspect and Maintain for Safe Operation. Regular inspection and timely maintenance should be part of your building service plan. Engage a qualified service technician to provide annual inspections for all heating systems and gas-fired appliances (e.g., clothes dryers).

For heating systems, ensure that inspection is completed before the system is turned on for cold weather heating.

Inspectors should look closely at electrical and mechanical components, including thermostat controls and automatic safety devices. They should also carry out close examination of chimneys and vents, to ensure tight connections, to check the condition of seals and other components, and to ensure that chimneys and vents are not blocked.

Inspectors should look for these signs of potential malfunctions:

Corrosion or stains

Loose or missing parts, masonry, or connections through which carbon monoxide can leak

Deposits of soot or smoke outside the vent or chimney that appear anywhere in the building, not just in the utility room

Debris or soot falling from the chimney, vent, fireplace, or appliance

Inadequate heat production or decrease in the hot water supply

Constantly running furnace or water heater

Burning smell or unusual odors

Increased condensation inside the building

The exhaust ducts for these gas water heaters are not properly connected. The exhaust – which includes deadly carbon monoxide – vents directly into the room. This hazard will endanger tenants and their guests as well as employees. (Photos courtesy Sequoia Insurance Company)

Help Tenants Reduce Their CO Risk

Take steps to protect your tenants by installing and maintaining CO detectors in all units, and by offering them easy-to-understand information on how they can minimize their risk.

Provide Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Even in a property where equipment is carefully maintained, it’s possible that an appliance could malfunction and release dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. For this reason, it is prudent to install carbon monoxide detectors throughout the property.

Some detectors will sound an alarm when small amounts of CO are present; others will go off only when CO reaches life-threatening levels. Consult a professional to determine the best type of alarm for your property. Be sure to choose only alarms that are listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Because CO spreads quickly and evenly throughout the building, install CO detectors in sleeping areas and also in hallways and stairwells to alert all occupants as quickly as possible. Choose detectors with audible alarms; however, in units where hearing-impaired residents are present, install detectors that attach to beds and alert residents with strong vibrations to shake them awake.

Follow manufacturers’ instructions for installation. In general, wall or ceiling installations are preferred. Keep detectors at least five feet away from chemicals, household cleaners, etc., as these can damage the detector or cause false alarms. Do not install CO detectors on top of, or directly across from, fuel-burning appliances. It is normal for these appliances to emit a small amount of CO when they first turn on, which will trigger a false alarm.

If the detectors are “hard wired” (connected directly to the building’s electrical system), test them monthly and replace the batteries according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. If the detectors are battery-powered, test them according to manufacturers’ recommendations and replace their batteries annually.

Some municipalities require that apartment owners install carbon monoxide detectors in residential units. Check with local authorities to determine what is required for your properties.

Help Tenants Use CO Detectors. Be sure that tenants know about the CO detectors and understand how they should respond to any alarm that might sound. Advise tenants to take the following actions if the CO alarm sounds:

Take the alarm seriously. Do not attempt to silence it or disconnect it. The CO alarm is designed to sound when dangerous CO is present.
Turn off all fuel-fired appliances.
Open doors and windows immediately to introduce fresh air.
If any one is experiencing any symptoms of CO poisoning, call 911 and evacuate the building. (If affected people begin to feel better in the fresh air, then CO poisoning is likely. Seek medical help.)
If no one is experiencing any symptoms, increase ventilation and contact management so that a qualified technician may be summoned to identify the source of the problem and repair it as needed.
Remember that the additional ventilation from open doors and windows may reduce the CO levels in the area temporarily. However, until a technician has identified and corrected the problem, do not operate any fuel-burning appliances until everything has been declared safe.

Rarely, residents will experience “nuisance alarms,” frequent soundings from the detector. Advise tenants to contact you if this happens so that a technician can inspect for pervasive low levels of CO.

Help Tenants Reduce their Risk – and Yours. Many carbon monoxide poisonings occur when consumers misuse fuel-fired appliances. You can help your tenants reduce their risk by providing these easy-to-understand guidelines:

Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, or confusion).
If you suspect CO poisoning in yourself or someone else, or if the CO alarm sounds, turn off all appliances, leave the building immediately, and call 911. Notify the apartment manager immediately. Alert other residents on your way out if you can.
Always follow manufacturers’ instructions for safe use of any appliance or fixture that has a flame, such as gas ovens or burners; fireplaces and wood stoves; gas-fired dryers or refrigerators.
Never use appliances intended for outdoor use (such as generators, charcoal or gas grills, etc.) indoors or in an unventilated garage.
Never use gas stoves or gas ovens for space or comfort heating.
Never run a vehicle, generator, or grill in the garage, even if the door is open. The exhaust can quickly enter the building and spread to many units.
Before using a fireplace or wood stove, open the damper and keep it open until the fire is out and the ashes are cool. The open damper allows the poisonous carbon monoxide to leave the building.

In her Provo, Utah, apartment in September 2003, a young woman turned on the heat for the first time that season. Within a half hour, she and her housemates experienced headaches; suspecting carbon monoxide, they turned off the furnace. They reported the problem to the landlord and requested repair of the furnace; an apartment employee acknowledged the request but did not act on it. Three weeks later, the tenants turned on the furnace, expecting that it had been repaired. The young woman was overcome by carbon monoxide and suffered brain damage. An inspection showed that the apartment furnace was faulty. In 2006, the young woman, who had suffered brain damage, filed a $350,000 lawsuit against the apartment complex, seeking a minimum of $250,000 in general damages, a minimum of $100,000 in special damages and unspecified punitive damages at a jury trial.

Consider prohibiting tenants’ indoor use of unvented gas or kerosene space heaters. Be careful, too, about the new “flameless” catalytic heaters. Although these heaters don’t have a flame, they burn propane gas, which generates carbon monoxide. Check with your local authorities to determine if any of these heaters are permitted in your municipality.

When apartment owners and managers reduce the threat of carbon monoxide (the “silent killer”) they also reduce their own liability for injuries and illnesses related to the presence of CO in their properties. A simple three-point approach – recognizing the CO hazard, maintaining equipment to minimize CO production, and protecting and informing tenants – will reduce risk and provide a safer environment for all.

© 2007 Sequoia Insurance Company. SRA-002 This document is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for specific technical advice on the issues discussed within. For more information about managing your business risks, call Sequoia Loss Control at 831.657.4507.

The risk management material presented in this article is provided by the insurance underwriters and servicing agencies of the CAA Value Insurance Program and is reprinted with their permission. The CAA is not responsible for the information in the material and assumes no liability in connection with it. In addition, the information is of a general nature and is provided for informational purposes only. It may not be applicable to, or suitable for, any particular circumstances or needs and should not be a substitute for professional consultation. You should direct your particular issue(s) or inquiries to your professional insurance and/or legal counsel who will be able to provide appropriate guidance under applicable California law(s).

CAA Value Insurance Plan • 866.913.6293 • Assurance Risk Managers
980 Ninth Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814-2741 CA License #0C73841

Fair Housing Month Reminder: Don’t Get Caught in a Fair Housing Violation

2011-04-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

What’s New At The Department Of Fair Employment & Housing?
Beth Rosen-Prinz
Regional Administrator
Department of Fair Employment & Housing

April, Fair Housing month, provides an opportunity for housing providers to renew their commitment to providing equal opportunity in housing. It also is an excellent time to review and revise policies and procedures to ensure that they are fully in compliance with fair housing laws. Recent cases handled by the DFEH identify emerging issues and provide a framework for identifying problems.

A tenant with a disability was denied the opportunity to have an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation and was evicted from the apartment in which she had resided for over ten years. The matter was resolved prior to a final determination for nearly $15,000 in damages and an agreement to develop a reasonable accommodation policy and attend fair housing training (Los Angeles County).
Testing by a fair housing group revealed that the landlord had no reasonable accommodation policy and refused to provide a person with a disability the opportunity to have a companion animal as a reasonable accommodation. The matter was resolved prior to an administrative hearing for $2,500 and an agreement to develop a fair housing policy, post fair housing posters and notify current and future tenants and applicants of their fair housing rights (Santa Clara County).
Tenants with children were subjected to overly restrictive rules that limited pool use and prohibited children from playing in the complex. The matter was resolved prior to trial for $70,000 in damages. The landlord also agreed to rescind the discriminatory rules and replace them with new non-discriminatory rules, attend fair housing training for three years, develop a fair housing policy and advertise affirmatively (Orange County).
A resident with children in a condominium complex was subjected to overly restrictive rules that prohibited children from playing in the complex. The matter was resolved prior to trial for $115,000 in damages. The homeowners’ association also agreed to revise its discriminatory rules, post DFEH posters, and attend fair housing training for four years (Sacramento County).
A resident with a disability was denied reasonable accommodation and forced to remove a therapeutic Jacuzzi she had installed. The matter was resolved prior to trial for $40,000 in damages and transfer of a two and a half acre property to the complainant. The landlord also agreed to attend fair housing training, to develop and disseminate a non-discrimination policy and to develop procedures for requesting reasonable accommodation (Kern County).
A tenant with a disability was denied unrestricted access to the elevator in the apartment building as a reasonable accommodation for her disability. The landlord had a locked elevator policy that restricted use of the elevator by tenants on the second and third floors. After an administrative hearing before the Fair Employment & Housing Commission, the landlord was ordered to pay the complainant $4,000 in damages, develop and disseminate a disability/reasonable accommodation policy, and post notices of violation and rights and responsibilities (Sacramento County).

As part of its ongoing outreach and education activities DFEH distributed its Fair Housing 101 videos to over 1700 high schools in California. The goal is to educate high school students and their families about their fair housing rights and responsibilities.

DFEH is also working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and Rio Hondo College in Whittier to educate community college students about fair housing law and enforcement options.

On April 22, 2011 the DFEH-initiated Fair Housing & Public Accommodations subsection of the Real Property Section of the California State Bar will be holding its 3rd annual symposium at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. Additional information is available at http://realpropertylaw.calbar.ca.gov/Education/FairHousingSymposium.aspx.

Obama Signs Law Repealing Business Tax Reporting Mandate

2011-04-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

By Richard Rubin - Apr 14, 2011 3:01 PM PT

President Barack Obama signed a bill repealing a tax-compliance mandate in last year’s healthcare law, giving a victory to business groups that led a campaign against the requirement.
The repealed provision, under which companies would have had to report more transactions to the Internal Revenue Service, was included in the law as a revenue-raising measure. It was to have taken effect in 2012.
“Small business owners are the engine of our economy and because Democrats and Republicans worked together, we can ensure they spend their time and resources creating jobs and growing their business, not filling out more paperwork,” Obama said today in a statement released by the White House.
To cover the cost of the forgone revenue from the repeal, the legislation Obama signed today includes provisions that will curtail health-insurance tax credits in the health-care law. The president signed the bill despite his objections to those changes.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Congress to improve the tax credit policy in this legislation and I am eager to work with anyone with ideas about how we can make health care better or more affordable,” he said in the statement.

Widespread Criticism

The tax reporting requirement, dubbed 1099 for the tax form it would have required, drew widespread criticism after Congress passed it last year.
Under the provision, businesses would have had to report transactions totaling at least $600 in a year paid to all businesses for goods and services. The repeal law returns such information reporting to its previous state, in which businesses must report only payments to unincorporated businesses for services.
Congress wrote the 1099 provision to combat tax evasion by businesses that underreport income. Business groups argued that the law created a paperwork burden for minimal benefit, and they lobbied for repeal.
Lawmakers in both parties agreed, and Obama endorsed changes to the 1099 provision in his State of the Union speech.
The biggest problem they encountered was covering the cost of the $21.9 billion the provision was estimated to raise. The Senate voted 81-17 on Feb. 2 to repeal the 1099 provision and offset it with spending cuts.
The House took a different approach, voting 314-112 on March 3 to pass the version of the bill that became law today. The Senate passed the House version, 87-12, on April 5.

Health Tax Credits

The new law changes the portion of the health-care law that deals with the health insurance tax credits that low- and middle-income Americans will get.
Eligibility for the tax credits, which are paid directly to health insurers, is determined each year by examining income from a prior year. At the end of each year, there is a reconciliation through which the government can seek repayment of credits from people whose incomes rose.
The new law changes the calculation and will require more people to return overpayments. Democrats maintained that this portion of the legislation represented a tax increase for people who happened to receive a year-end bonus.
The bill Obama signed also repeals a separate tax reporting requirement that was passed in another law last year. That rule, which took effect Jan. 1, required landlords to report more information about their business expenses.
To contact the reporter on this story: Richard Rubin in Washington at rrubin12@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net

Extend 3 Day Notice to 14 Days

2011-04-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

CAA’s Legislative Briefing is an exclusive member benefit provided to keep you informed of legislation and other regulatory issues that could or will have a direct impact on California’s rental housing industry.

CAA Members Succeed in Challenging Two Bad Bills

Language to Extend 3 Day Notice to 14 Days Removed from Bill

Yesterday, Assembly Member Tom Ammiano removed from his bill - AB 265 – the language that would have extended the 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit to 14 days. The changes to the bill are due in large part to the thousands of opposition letters sent to him and other legislators by members of the California Apartment Association (CAA).

The negative impacts of this proposal to the rental housing industry would have been many, including delays in rent payments, the inability for some owners to meet mortgage and other financial obligations and the added delay in evictions.

Unfortunately, the fight is not over. While Mr. Ammiano has removed the 14 day language, he has added amendments to the bill that will allow for additional delays in the eviction process. The new proposal will allow tenants to ask the court to stop the eviction action – at any time during the process – so long as the tenant pays the rent and pays the landlord’s attorney’s fees – not to exceed $350. Among other things, the bill language doesn’t take into account the many delays the tenant may have caused throughout the process and the costs the landlord may have expended.

Sue Your Landlord Bill Stalls on Assembly Floor

Assembly Bill 934 (D-Feuer, Los Angeles), legislation that would have allowed a tenant to sue a rental property owner based on the statements the owner made in an unlawful detainer action has stalled on the Assembly Floor. Based upon persistent lobbying against the bill by CAA staff and more than 1,200 opposition letters sent to legislators by CAA members, Assembly Member Feuer was unable to garner enough votes to move the bill forward this week.

This bill would have stripped rental property owners of current court protections known as litigation privilege. CAA successfully argued that AB 934 unfairly targeted the rental housing industry, removing it from important legal protections. No other industry or group has been so unjustly targeted.

CAA also argued AB 934 would discourage property owners and managers (out of fear of being sued) from protecting their other residents and property by promptly serving notices to tenants who violate their leases, disturb or threaten other tenants, damage the property, or violate the law.

The fight to keep the bill from moving forward is certainly not over. Watch for updates and additional calls to action.

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid

2011-03-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

April 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

It is my pleasure to introduce you to in this little letter a good friend of mine. She’s a bright and cheery girl who loves blue skies, white fluffy clouds, but also enjoys a good spring rain shower! She’s a huge fan of flowers, especially lilies and tulips. She also adores baby animals, with lambs and chicks being at the top of her list. Her favorite holiday is Easter, of course (she can’t get enough of those Cadbury Eggs), and anything pastel is her color of choice. Ladies and gentlemen, LS Real Estate is proud to introduce to you—by way of me, the Lowly Office Aid….the month of April.

Despite the fact that I just personified April as an overly cheerful and optimistic ditz with just a tad too much naïveté, I really do like this month, and I think that if she really was a person, we would be friends. However, she’s not…it’s not…so I will just resort to saying, I really enjoy the month of April. Winter was great and all, and March gave us a taste of spring, but really turned on us toward the end. My poor apartment (known fondly by my roommate and me as the half-pint house due to its diminutive size) felt the wrath of March during the storm on the twentieth. All started off well enough…the cold and the rain were on the outside and I was toasty and dry on the inside, but not for long. Unfortunately, the rain infiltrated our ranks of apparently weak ceiling tiles, and pretty soon it was wet inside also. In my humble opinion, I only think it should be wet inside my shower and sink, but the rain had other ideas. Luckily, our very large stainless steel pot collected the offending drops and now the only thing that protects us from whatever is lurking in our ceiling is a garbage bag from Target. Let’s hope the quality is as great as they say it is. So far so good.

As you can see, I am really ready for some full blown spring action! I really love me some good springtime with all the sunshine, the flowers blooming, and all that Lion King circle of life stuff going on…you know…new life beginning and all that jazz.

Speaking of new life…even LS Real Estate is getting into the spirit of spring…on the internet! If you haven’t visited it yet, lsrealestate.net has been completely revitalized, or should I say, reincarnated into a brand new website. I hardly recognized it when I went on. It looks great and has a little something for everyone, whether you are a resident, buying or selling, or just looking to rent. It even has a link to this month’s quiz question. Just click and answer and if your name is chosen as the winner you will receive a $25 gift card to the place that you select.

However, this is not the only new thing happening at LS Real Estate…not only do we have a revamped website, but guess what…we are also now on Facebook! Yes, readers, we are now part of the social network. Maybe this makes us cool, but maybe this just makes us normal. Whatever the case may be, it at least makes us available for you to become fans of. So please, just to boost the fragile self-esteem of this very, very lowly office aid, please click the “Like” button lots of times…not that I’m trying to pressure you into to anything, of course.

However, as much as I would love to write many more pages to you all, every letter has an end, including this one. Before I go though, I wish you all a beautiful April and a wonderful Easter Sunday celebrating with friends and family.

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis

The Lowly Office Aid