Common Questions
Answers to the most frequently asked policy questions
Please note that we are updating the information below as new guidance from COVID-19 becomes available.
Q: what are our pet policies?
While our community is pet-friendly, we do have some rules that all resident pet owners should follow to ensure a safe, clean and welcoming community.
Registration
To help us keep track of pets and help with any emergency rescues (sometimes our furry friends are like houdini and escape) you must register your pets with our management office (they will show up on your resident connect account).
Allowable pets
Only cats and dogs (other than trained attack dogs, or other policing dogs) are allowed in the development. There is a maximum of 2 pets per unit provided they are not kept, bred or maintained for any commercial purposes. Any other animal or reptile is not permissable.
Where you can walk your dog
Aside from the Dog Park (located on the North lawn), pets are not allowed in amenity areas - like the pool, pool area, tennis courts, playgrounds, recreation center and any grassed or landscaped areas. Walking your dog up on the podium level is also prohibited (with exception of walking from your unit to the elevator for those that are in townhouse units).
Pets should be leashed or carried on condominium property. And they may not be placed, leashed or enclosed on terraces or patios without their owners present.
Cleaning up after your dog
Pet owners must clean up after their dogs anywhere – both inside and outside common areas. The association provides free bags to all residents which you can find on both the north and south lawns.
Pet owners must also carry appropriate means by which to clean up after their dog whenever the dog is walked through or on any common area. Failure to carry such an item will be considered a fineable violation of this rule.
If your pet should have an accident in the lobby, elevator, garage or other public area, in spite of your best efforts to prevent this, the pet owner shall clean up the soiled area immediately. This is the responsibility of pet owners, not building maintenance.
Note: Pet owners are responsible for any damage caused to Common Elements or private property and for injury or disturbances their pets may cause or inflict.
pet noise
While there is a reasonable expectation that a dog will bark occasionally, nuisance barking (when a dog barks for a long period of time consistently) that disturbs other residents needs to be controlled. If you need help, there are many pet safe, non-shock bark control collars that can help like this example.
q: How do i rent a storage unit?
To secure a storage unit, please visit the management office.
There are two sizes of lockers available to rent. A single unit is $35/mo. and a large (double) unit is $70/mo.
Once your storage unit rental is confirmed, payments are automatically made along with your home owners association fees - the office will set this up for you.
Residents are responsible for the lock on their storage unit, accessing the storage room requires that residents go to the security gate to sign out the access key (you will need your photo ID).
A note for renters: You must first get permission from your unit owner as the bill will be charged to their account
q: how do i reserve tennis courts?
The courts are open and available via reservation on a first-come, first-serve basis (no pun intended!).
All reservations (courts and lessons) are done through the free Playbypoint app
Open it up and register for a new account
Make sure to set “Independence Harbor / Tennis Prime” as your favorite club
Book a court time
When it’s your time to play, go to the gatehouse, show your reservation in the app and pick up the key FOB from our security person so you can enter the courts
q: how much do tennis lessons cost?
While residents can play on their own, we also have a partnership with Tennis Prime, a professional tennis academy based in New Jersey led by Ivan Krcelic who is a licensed and insured professional tennis instructor from Argentina.
Ivan has been working with families and children for over 10 years and he is very dedicated to the development and support of new and experienced players
The good news is that our board has negotiated a discounted hourly rate for residents of 15% off the public rates. As an example, a 1-hour private lesson is $85 (normally it’s $100/hr).
Tennis Prime offers both private lessons and group clinics that focus on specific sets of skills. All of which can be found, including their specific pricing, inside the Playtomic app.
q: where do i get a new key fob?
Access to areas of the property requires use of a key fob—getting through the security gate, resident building entrances, common areas like the clubhouse, entry back onto the property coming from the promenade and more.
If you are a new resident, you should receive your key fobs at closing. To get them working, just bring them into the management office so they can be reprogrammed under your profile. This also applies to renters that receive keys from their landlords. The cost for an additional key is $25.
For the front security gate, we also offer a faster way to drive in. You can purchase a sticker that goes on your windshield which is scanned and automatically opens the resident-only entrance…really handy when it’s raining out so you don’t have to open your window to use your key fob. They are available for purchase for $55. Reach out to management if interested.
q: What are our pool rules?
you need a pool pass to enter
To gain access, you will need to secure a physical pool pass from management which residents must show upon entry to the pool area to gain access.
To get your pool passes, you will need to complete and return the following documents to our management team via email.
Pool application
Photo of each person you want to receive a pool pass for (a headshot)
our guest policy
Through the efforts of our community and the state guidance shifting, we are now allowing guests!
Monday - Friday, each unit is authorized up to (4) guests, no fee is assessed.
On weekends and holidays, a maximum number of two (2) guests per unit will be allowed, however, they must have a guest pass (a book of 5 passes is $25).
You can purchase guest pass books through the Management Office. Personal Checks or Certified Checks must be made payable to Independence Harbor. Cash will not be accepted.
In addition, residents can bring up to (2) non-resident children per unit that are two years or younger. They will not be considered guests for the purposes of count, but will be subject to all other rules and regulations.
An additional guest will not count towards the allowable guest count for a single unit owner.
Guests must always be accompanied by a resident. No exceptions.
Using the pool
Full details are posted outside the pool, however most are common sense.
No running or diving.
Radios, music, etc. should only be used with earphones so as not to disturb other residents.
No beer, wine, alcoholic beverages or smoking of any kind permitted in the pool area
No pets allowed
To ensure our children are safe, we have a few rules for their use as well
Under the age of 10, children must be accompanied by an adult
Between the ages of 10 and 14, children don’t have to be accompanied by an adult but they must demonstrate swimming proficiency to the lifeguard first.
Under 14, children are not permitted in the whirlpool
Children with diapers are not allowed in the main pool - they should use the smaller, shallow pool
In all cases, the use of the pool is at your own risk - parents are responsible for their children
q: Can you rent the clubhouse for private parties?
Yes you can! It includes the main room plus use of the kitchen and the bathrooms. Alcohol is permitted and you can rearrange the furniture based on need. Trash receptacles are also provided for your convenience.
To book the room, go to the management office to confirm availability. Costs are $350 for 4 hours, plus $75/hour thereafter. Parties cannot go past midnight.
If you also want to rent the boardroom, you can do so for $50/hour.
Once your party is over, residents should return the clubhouse back to the condition they received it - returning furniture to it’s original placement, removing all food & drink, etc. The maintenance staff will do the heavy cleaning the following morning.
Please note that the times the clubhouse is available for rent are limited to certain windows at the current time - management can provide the specifics.
q: Is there bike storage?
Yes there is and it’s free to residents!
To store your bike, you first need to register your bicycle(s) with the management office and obtain a sticker which you need to put on your bike. To access the bike storage room, you will need to get the bike room key from the security guard located at the gatehouse. You will need to present your valid picture ID with address on it so the guard can confirm you are a resident. Once finished, residents must return the key after each use.
q: How do i contact security?
Either head over to the gatehouse or give them a call 24/7. Their telephone number is: (201) 945-0540
q: who do i call for emergency weekend maintenance?
Our gatehouse should be your first call - they have a list of the right people to reach out to depending on your situation. Their telephone number is (201) 945-0540.
Please note this is for maintenance items like plumbing. For life-threatening concerns, please reach to the respective town agency (fire, police, hospital, etc.)
q: What are all the building names?
Below is a quick map of the development you can reference - check out our history section for why our buildings are named this way. If you need help navigating the property, check out our new help page
Source: Google Maps 2018
q: What are our delivery policies?
For small items, restaurant orders, etc you can have delivery anytime.
For bigger items like furniture or large appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, etc), items can be delivered Monday - Friday between 9-4pm or on Saturday (Furniture only) between 9am-1pm. Exceptions cases can be made to management.
All large deliveries must be scheduled with management ahead of time so they can take the necessary steps to minimize the downtime of the elevators and protect them from damage (installing padding).
Also, you will need to secure a certificate of insurance from your vendor and send it to management prior to the delivery.
q: Is there a reservation system for the BBQ grills?
No, right now the grills and surrounding tables are secured on a first come, first serve basis. If it ever gets to the point of overcrowding we will re-evaluate whether a reservation system is needed.
Remember that when you are done to please use the scoop to clear your remaining coals from the grill and place them into the provided buckets so that the next person starts with a clean area.
q: where do i get our master flood insurance certificate?
Please reach out to one of our representatives at SIP Risk
Jacqueline Caro
Direct: 201-809-4174
Fax: 201-809-0003
Elizabeth Viera, CIC
Direct: 973-798-7361
Fax: 973-798-7381
q: Where is visitor parking?
Rule of thumb: Green is good.
If the spot is painted with green lines, it’s for visitor use. Below we have highlighted where those green spots are on the property
There are also spots in the front of the property that look like visitor parking but are not - we have indicated them in red below.
All visitors are required to stop at the security gate, secure a visitor pass and place it in their windshield. Enforcement of this policy is for the protection of our community. If not followed, a security boot will be applied and the fine to remove it will cost $150.
Please note: residents cannot park in green visitor parking spaces. If you have more cars than spaces deeded to the unit you are living in, you have options. Contact management to register your car and they will share with you the spots available to rent for an additional fee.
Have more questions?
The Knowledge Base on our management companies official resident portal contains an easily searchable database that you can look through to find more answers.