To: Amblebrook HOA Board of Directors

Mr. Karel Stoitchkov

cc: Joann Dwyer

Resident Advisory Committee (RAC)

Finance Committee

Date: July 30, 2025

We, the undersigned homeowners and members of the Amblebrook community respectfully submit this petition requesting that the Amblebrook Board of Directors:

1. Include funding for a full reserve study in the 2026 HOA budget.
2. Schedule the reserve study to be delivered at least 3 months before the deadline for the 2027 draft budget so there is adequate time for review and revision of the report.
3. Share the results of the draft study with the Financial Committee and authorize them to comment and contribute to the planning of the study and review of the draft and final reserve study reports.
4. Implement reserve funding recommendations noted in the report in the 2027 Operating Budget.
5. Post the final reserve study report on the portal within 30 days of receipt of the final report.

Rationale for these requests:

Conducting a full reserve study of the existing Amblebrook amenities and infrastructure will provide an objective evaluation of the physical and financial health of the community, help prevent unexpected special assessments, and support proper budgeting and future planning. Best practices for HOA reserve studies recommend conducting and updating reserve studies every three to five years.[1] We acknowledge that over $700,000 in reserve funds have been set aside to date. However, without a reserve study to assess the level of funding needed to support even current Amblebrook amenities and infrastructure we can have no confidence that the reserve funds we are accruing are adequate. Continuing to delay a reserve study puts our community and our individual property values at risk. Respectfully, we request that a full reserve study be commissioned and completed on the schedule noted above.

At the Developer-Homeowner meeting on July 24, 2025, the Developer demonstrated both a lack of knowledge of reserve studies and a lack of respect for Amblebrook residents by patronizing those who were seeking clarification and by deliberately and repeatedly evading their questions. He repeatedly referred to the operating budget, and particularly the landscaping budget, which is not a valid determinant of reserve requirements; this is especially true in the early years when the maintenance costs of brand-new facilities are less than normal. Furthermore, the range of 10-15% of HOA dues identified by the Developer as a best practice is merely an average of many communities that may or may not be comparable to Amblebrook’s amenity-rich design.

When asked why the Amblebrook board does not follow HOA industry best practices of conducting reserve studies every three to five years, he replied that the community was still under construction and that as developers they have set their own best practices. The widely accepted best practice of conducting reserve studies every three to five years allows for additions/revisions to amenities and infrastructure and are critical to ensure adequate funding of reserves. The Developer has also referred to the fact that Pennsylvania law does not require reserve studies; the FSR reserve fund guide specifically addresses best practices in Pennsylvania.

A premier community such as Amblebrook cannot maintain its cachet by doing only what is the bare minimum under the law. Delaying the study puts the fiscal stability and quality of the community at risk.

Ultimately, the Developer refused to specify timing for a reserve study and was evasive on other issues.

We urge the Board to place these requests on the agenda for discussion at the next HOA Board meeting and to engage with the RAC in an honest, transparent discussion. Thank you for your attention to these important matters.

PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS PETITION WITH ANYONE WHO IS NOT A HOMEOWNER IN AMBLEBROOK.

[1] First Service Residential, Strategies for Successful HOA Reserve Funds, May 3, 2021. FSR Guide: Secrets to a Better Association Budget Process. Both are available on the FSR website.