For the 2025 winter season, ​the homeowner association is again contracting with Landscape Concepts to provide snow removal service for our driveways and sidewalks, stairs and walkups. As in past years, the minimum snowfall amount to receive clearing service is 2". For snowfalls larger than 2", the contractor will typically wait until the snowfall has stopped before beginning their removal services. 

Any units with a vehicle parked in its driveway will only receive clearing on the side of the driveway that is open. For any homeowners that like, or need, to shovel their unit's driveway, please do not shovel any snow into the streets. Shoveling snow into the street is against the law in Vernon Hills and you can be ticketed.

The Village of Vernon Hills is responsible for clearing snow from the streets within Sarah's Glen. The village has subcontracted with Landscape Concepts to clear the streets when they are clearing our driveways.
 
The Village of Vernon Hills is also responsible for salting/deicing the streets within Sarah's Glen. They provide salting/deicing using village owned equipment and do not subcontract that work to our contractor. 

Our contractor is not responsible for salting the HOA's driveways, walk-ups and stairways within Sarah's Glen unless the HOA determines that unique weather circumstances warrant it.

As such, please use the salt buckets and scoops that were provided to all homeowners for any salting of your unit's front walk, stairway, and driveway. As always, please store these salt buckets in your garage, rather than outside, where they can be negatively impacted by moisture, temperature variations, theft, etc.

If you need additional salt for your bucket, please contact W.L. Seymour and they will try to coordinate. The salt bucket/scoop is property of the homeowner's association and should remain at the unit, even when sold.

Hello Sarah’s Glen Homeowners,
This email serves as a periodic reminder of the Sarah’s Glen Homeowners Association (HOA) requirements regarding decks and patios, which under Sarah’s Glen governing documents (CC&Rs), are considered a homeowner responsibility to maintain, repair or replace in compliance with the HOA’s architectural and appearance/aesthetic requirements.

There continue to be a number of decks throughout the association that appear to need maintenance and/or repair. There are also decks that have been stained the wrong color/tint, decks that appear to have been painted (rather than stained), as well as decks/patios that are cluttered and being improperly used as storage.

It’s also been observed that some decks have footings/foundations that have settled and/or shifted and are no longer properly supporting the deck structure. As such, please take this opportunity to check on the status of your deck footings when you assess the maintenance and/or repairs required for your patio, deck or deck structure.

In this email, we have included detailed deck maintenance information below that can also be found on the Sarah’s Glen website (https://www.sarahsglen.org/decks--patios.html).

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS. OTHER THAN REPLACING DECK BOARDS & FASCIA BOARDS USING RED CEDAR LUMBER, ALL OTHER DECK REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS REQUIRE ADVANCE APPROVAL FROM THE HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION.

Maintenance and Repair of Decks and/or Patios

Under Sarah's Glen bylaws, each homeowner at his/her sole cost and expense, is responsible for the regular, ongoing maintenance and repair of their deck(s) and/or patio (including surface, substructure, footings/foundation and supports).  

The HOA recommends that homeowners with decks utilize the services of a NADRA member structural engineer / inspector (or similar specialist) to periodically assess the condition of your deck structure and make recommendations to remediate any issues. Damage from wood rot, insect infestation, ground settling, etc can often emerge as deck structures age, especially if not maintained on a frequent and ongoing basis.

Any repair or replacement of a deck structure must use ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL that meets current village building codes and be consistent with the original deck design.

Other than deck board and/or fascia board replacements done with red cedar lumber only, all other deck repairs and replacements require HOA approval on material and review of repair/construction plan. A homeowner's request for deck repair approval should be submitted to the management company using the architectural improvement/change form.

Replacement decking boards must be red cedar lumber, unless the homeowner has received separate HOA approval to use a composite decking product that mimics the appearance of transparently stained red cedar lumber. Replacement fascia boards must be red cedar lumber to maintain exterior appearance consistency throughout the association.

Replacement support joists and/or beams for substructure must be pressure treated lumber that is sized and spaced to meet current building code.

Any replacement upright deck posts must be 6" x 6" rough sawn red cedar attached to a steel post base on the concrete support footings to properly support the load of the deck.

To Recap, the Basic Deck Repair Material Requirements are:

• Deck Boards - Red Cedar Lumber (unless composite decking approved separately)

• Fascia Boards - Red Cedar Lumber

• Upright Deck Posts - 6" x 6" Rough Sawn Red Cedar

• Steel Post Bases attached to concrete footings

• Horizontal Joists/Beams (under deck) - Pressure Treated Lumber

• Decorative wrap around bottom of deck posts - Red Cedar Lumber (1" Beveled)

To increase lateral stability of an existing deck, usage of substructure steel angle braces, properly attached to joists, beams and posts, to strengthen the deck structure and reduce lateral movement, is permitted. The HOA will also consider approval of minimal appearance, underside diagonal cross bracing (horizontally installed under the deck’s joists) or underside sway braces (eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEwVzIR0bzQ)

Any proposed installation of these bracing options must be submitted with your deck repair approval request via the architectural improvement/change form. Knee bracing, or other types of add-on bracing that alters the visual appearance of the original deck design, are not permitted.

All wood decks and their supporting structure should be stained / sealed only with:

• a natural CEDAR Tinted Transparent or natural CEDAR Semi-Transparent Stain/Sealer

        or

• a Clear Exterior Wood Stain/Sealer

Solid Stains, Paints or other Tint colors (such as redwood, brown, etc) are not approved by the association. Depending on usage, quality of care, weather and other environmental conditions, this type of maintenance may be needed as often as every two years.

What items are permitted on decks/patios?

Lawn/porch furniture, barbecue grills, decorative plants and toys shall be the only items kept on balconies or patios.  Structures such as storage sheds, dog/animal shelters and cages, etc are prohibited. Hanging clothing, towels, bedding or other articles over balcony railings is prohibited. See R&R's for further information.

For more information, visit https://www.sarahsglen.org/ Thank you, 
Bethany Seymour Roe, CMCA
W. L. Seymour, Inc. 
847-358-8980
[email protected] 

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Hello Sarah’s Glen Owners,

THE SEALCOATING OF THE DRIVEWAYS IS SCHEDULED TO START THIS WEEK (WEATHER PERMITTING).

The work will be divided up into 2 phases. Owners must have their driveways clear by 7am on the date of the work being completed. You will not be able to drive across the driveway for 24 hours so if you need your vehicle, please move it to the street. The police department has been notified and you may park your vehicles on the street overnight.  

Following the sealcoating, owners will need to stay off the drives for 24 hours. There will be flags placed in front of your drive for that 24 hour drying period.

PHASE 1 (RED): Scheduled for Tuesday, August 20th (weather permitting). The attached map has these units marked in RED and the addresses for this group are listed below:
CHRISTINE: 1223, 1229, 1235, 1241, 1247, 1253, 1259, 1265, 1271, 1277, 1316, 1322, 1328, 1334
SARAH: 1251, 1257, 1263, 1269, 1275, 1281, 1287, 1293
ASHLEY: 1345, 1339, 1333, 1327,1321, 1315

PHASE 2 (BLUE): Scheduled for Thursday, August 22nd (weather permitting). The attached map has these units marked in BLUE and the addresses for this group are listed below:
CHRISTINE: 1208, 1214, 1220, 1226, 1232, 1238, 1244, 1250, 1256, 1262, 1268, 1274, 1280, 1286, 1292, 1298, 1304, 1310
SARAH:  1234, 1240, 1246, 1252, 1258, 1264, 1270, 1276
ASHLEY: 1260,1266, 1272, 1278, 1284, 1290, 1296 

​Thank you,
Bethany Seymour Roe, CMCA
Community Association Manager
W. L Seymour, Inc.
1921 Rohlwing Road, Suite D
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
847-359-8980

​W. L. Seymour, Inc. is officially transitioning to CINC Systems on February 1, 2024.  The transition period will occur through the end of February.  Please note that during the transition period, you may experience a delay in some processes.  It is imperative that we briefly suspend transactions in order to bring your community’s data into the new system.  For example, homeowner balances may be temporarily unavailable.  Late fees will not be assessed for the month of February.
 
Registration for the new portal is now live! To register for the new portal please go to our website at www.WLSEYMOUR.com and go to the Homeowner Portal Tab. You will be redirected to the new Portal Website.  Once on the site, click the REGISTER button at the TOP RIGHT CORNER. If you own multiple properties, you can register each property by going to the “My Profile” page under the “Account Info” drop down menu. Once your registration request is reviewed and validated by W. L. Seymour, Inc. , you will receive an email with a link to set your password. You can then log in with your email address and new password to make payments and access information about your community.   
 
A W. L. Seymour smart phone app will be available in late March for all iPhone and Android users!
 
For your convenience, W. L. Seymour, Inc. will provide the following methods of payment: 
 

1. Direct Debit: This option will allow us to debit your bank account automatically for your monthly payment.  Using this option, your payment will be deducted from your bank account between the 5th and 10th of each month. Your payment will also be automatically adjusted in the event the assessment changes and you will never be late. Direct Debit Form can be found on the Portal under the Documents page. If you are already on Direct Debit with our office, you do not need to complete a new form. We will transfer the information to the new system and debit your account as usual.

 

1. Online Payments:  You will be able to make online payments using either e-check or credit cards (Bank Fees apply). To make your payments, please go to our website at www.WLSEYMOUR.com and then to the Homeowner Portal tab. You will be directed to the portal website from there. This website has been specifically designed to allow you the convenience of making your payments online and accessing your account information.

 

1. Online Recurring Payments: Our website also allows you to set up automatic recurring payments.  To setup your recurring payments, please go to our website at www.WLSEYMOUR.com and then to the Homeowner Portal tab. You will be directed to the portal website from there log into your account and then click the Pay Assessments Link.  On the Pay Assessments page, you can choose to set up your recurring payments for eCheck or credit card by clicking on the New Recurring ECheck or New Recurring Credit Card link. Bank Fees apply for online payments.

 

1. By Check:  If you pay by personal check, you will be receiving new payment coupons in the mail.  This is a new lockbox address so previous coupons will not be accepted. The new coupon book will start in February and go through December. When writing your check, please make sure to make it payable to your Association and include your account number on the memo line.   Please Note: The new lockbox opens February 1, 2024 and not a day before. To avoid risk of early payments floating and/or getting returned, we did not order the new coupons until the week leading up to the first of February. With that, there will be NO late fees issued in the Month of February.  Estimated time of arrival for the new books is the week of February 5th-9th. 

 

1. Your Bank’s Online Bill Pay: If you pay your assessments using an online bill payment service or your personal bank’s online payment service, you must delete and set up a new payee using the updated information below.  Also, please make sure your Account Number is listed on the Memo Line. Account Numbers have NOT changed.  This will ensure your payment is posted promptly.   

 
Your Association Name 
C/O W.L. Seymour, Inc.
PO Box 16
Wheaton, IL 60187
 
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the transition to our new software or any of the features that will be available.   

There is a water main break in the vicinity of Route 45 & Port Clinton that has caused water service failure in Sarah’s Glen and surrounding neighborhoods.
 
Lake County Public Works is on-site working hard to isolate the problem, repair the water main as quickly as possible, and restore service.  
 
There will be a boil order issued. Once service has been restored, do not drink water from a water connection in your home until notified by Lake County that it is safe to drink.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Lake County Public Works.
https://www.lakecountyil.gov/180/Public-Works

In December of 2019, salt buckets and scoops were provided to all homeowners for use on your unit's front walks, stairways and driveways.

Please store these salt buckets in your garage, rather than outside, where they can be negatively impacted by moisture, temperature variations, theft, etc.

Our seasonal snow removal contractor will plow driveways and shovel the walks and stairways, but will not be salting the driveways, walk-ups and stairways unless the HOA determines that unique circumstances warrant it.

Hence, please use the salt in your bucket as you feel necessary.

Please remember that the snow removal contractor will not do any plowing or shoveling unless the snowfall reaches at least 2 inches. By providing all units with a salt bucket, you will have easy access to salt during those times between and after plowing.

 As a reminder, the Village of Vernon Hills is responsible for any salting/deicing of the streets, as they see fit, once they’ve been plowed.

If you need additional salt for your buckets, or a replacement scoop, please contact W.L. Seymour.  The salt bucket/scoop is property of the homeowner's association and should remain at the unit, even when sold.
 

In the fall and spring seasons, Sarah's Glen often becomes overwhelmed by the large number of Stevenson students improperly parking their vehicles on our streets and common area parking spaces. Parking on Sarah's Glen streets and common area spaces is limited to registered vehicles belonging to residents of the Association and guests that are visiting the residents’ homes. Parking in the these areas of the property for the reason of gaining access to Stevenson High School is prohibited. Any vehicle parked on the property in violation will be subject to removal at the vehicle owner's expense.

It is a homeowner responsibility to be sure that W.L Seymour has an up to date list of vehicles/plate numbers registered to your town home unit. Other vehicles may be subject to removal if it appears as though they are improperly parked in Sarah's Glen. 

​If a resident witnesses a Stevenson student parking a vehicle within Sarah's Glen, please contact W.L. Seymour with the vehicle's description/license plate information. See www.sarahsglen.org/parking.html for more information.

A few weeks ago, our landscape contractor installed soil/grass seed where dead Ash trees have recently been removed, as well many areas of the property where the turf had degraded or significant bare spots existed.

Shade tolerant grass seed blend was used in low light areas where there is less sunlight due to building structures and dense tree canopies. Even so, some amount of sunlight (typically a minimum of 4-6 hours) is needed for the shade blend seed to grow/mature. There are also some challenging soil conditions and grading in certain areas that can make it even more difficult for turf grass to take hold. Unfortunately, there is little we can do about either of those situations.

While we hope that the earlier planting time-frame and the spring rainfall will help with the initial germination/growth of the grass seed, it is the responsibility of individual homeowners (or their lessors) to sufficiently water plants, shrubs, trees and grass located on or around the owner's town home (see R&Rs-Homeowner Maintenance Responsibilities).

As we get further along into the spring, drier weather patterns tend to become more frequent. As such, please water any of these areas near your unit as often as needed to ensure successful germination of the seed & healthy growth of the grass! Shade areas typically require a bit less watering because the shade prevents quick evaporation of dew or surface water due to rainfall.

Tips for Growing Grass in Shady Areas

• Our landscape contractor recently installed soil & grass seed near many of the unit driveways. While we hope that spring rainfall helps with the germination/growth of the grass seed, it is the responsibility of individual homeowners (or their lessors) to water plants, shrubs, trees and grass located on or around the owner's town home (see R&Rs-Homeowner Maintenance Responsibilities). As such, please water any of these areas near your unit as often as needed to ensure successful growth!
• An Arborist/Tree care contractor will be on-site to remove most of the remaining Ash Trees from our property. The trees that are being removed have been marked with a plastic yellow ribbon. This work is tentatively scheduled to take place on Monday May 2nd & Tuesday May 3rd (weather permitting).  Shortly after the Ash Trees have been removed, we are planning to have the landscape company install soil & seed blankets on the tree areas/circles where these trees have been removed. If your unit is in close proximity to where these soil/seed blankets are installed, please water them regularly to help ensure successful seed germination & growth.
• In the near future, we do intend to replace the 5 or 6 parkway trees that have been removed (or have fallen) in between some unit driveways.​

Thanks for all your help in keeping Sarah's Glen beautiful!

Recently, there have been several homeowners with questions or comments regarding the overall landscape plan and the plant materials that are chosen to replace dead, dying or diseased material throughout the property.

Currently, the board relies almost entirely on our landscape service provider(s) to recommend species of plant materials based on size, location, life expectancy, ease of care, resistance to disease, resistance to deicing chemicals (if close to driveways/walks), etc. The board then approves these new and replacement plant materials based on funds available from the approved fiscal year landscape budget.

In the not to distant past, we were very fortunate to have had some homeowners with a bit of green thumb or an amateur interest in gardening that have served the community via their volunteer participation in a formal landscape committee. 

Unfortunately, it has been several years since the landscape committee has been active and the board would like nothing more than to see it reestablished. 

So...are you a homeowner that would like to have an impact on the appearance of the Sarah's Glen community and have a say in the recommendation, selection and placement of landscape features? If so, we want you!

There is a small time commitment involved, but anyone actively participating in the landscape committee has a voice in recommending and helping the board make decisions on all landscape features/plant material throughout the property. FYI, the entire outdoor area of the property is considered common or limited common area, so the results of the committee's participation has the potential to greatly impact the look and feel of the property over time.

Your time volunteering for the landscape committee would generally be spent at following activities:

• occasional "walk-throughs" of the property with other committee members, board members, management company and service providers.
• soliciting and reviewing proposals from landscape providers to help make landscape feature recommendations to the board (within budgetary limits).
• communication with board members/management company.
• participating in occasional board meetings where landscape quotes/proposals are discussed.

Interested in volunteering?? Please let us know via an email to [email protected] with your contact information and a board member will respond to you.

Thanks!! We look forward to your participation!!