New Owner FAQs
Mill Corner is a community of 34 homes situated in South Acton. Our community was established in the mid 1990s as a Planned Conservation Residential Community (PCRC), providing environmentally-friendly zoning. As a result, 60% Of Mill Corner’s total acreage is considered to be non-developable open space.
Each home in Mill Corner has an exclusive use area (EUA), surrounded by common areas, with a large meadow available for the enjoyment of all owners. Great Hill Reservation borders much of our common property. As a condominium association, Mill Corner is governed by a Board of Governors that meets monthly to discuss/vote on various topics and issues of common interest.
The following frequently asked questions were compiled to introduce new homeowners to the Mill Corner community and the town of Acton. Please feel free to contact a Board member with any additional questions or concerns. The Town of Acton website also provides information about the town.
Shared Private Driveways (SPD)
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21 and 25 Nylander Way
27, 29, and 31 Nylander Way
33 and 35 Nylander Way
41 and 43 Nylander Way
40, 42 and 44 Nylander Way
45 and 47 Nylander Way
8, 10, 12 and 14 Abel Jones Place
Limited Common Areas (LCA)
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17, 19, 21 and 23 Nylander Way - grassy courtyard
25, 27 Nylander Way - parking pad
29, 31, 33 and 35 Nylander Way - grassy courtyard
42, 44, 45 and 47 Nylander Way - grassy courtyard
5 and 7 Abel Jones Place - parking pad
6, 8 and 10 Abel Jones Place - grass + parking
12, 14 and 16 Abel Jones Place - grass + parking
Parking pads on LCAs are for the use of the owners specified above, who are also responsible for snow clearance from these pads.
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Please note that Abel Jones Place is a private road (technically, an SPD), while Nylander Way is a Town street. This means that the town plows and maintains Nylander, but not Abel Jones. The residents of Abel Jones are jointly responsible for plowing and maintenance of the road.
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What are the Common Areas?
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In general, Mill Corner property that is not an EUA, SPD, or LCA is referred to as a common area.
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The large meadow behind the houses on Nylander Way is common area, excluding EUAs for the units bordering the meadow. The meadow can be used by any resident of the neighborhood. Mowing and any other maintenance of the meadow is the responsibility of the Board; residents should not perform this maintenance.
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There are two places to access the meadow. The first is at the main entrance by the school bus turn around and the second is via stairs at the end of the shared private driveway between 27, 29 and 31 Nylander Way. These owners have agreed to allow other owners to pass through their driveway to access the big field but their driveway is not part of a common area so please be considerate as you pass through.
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Other common areas include the entryway into Mill Corner from Main Street, the forested land adjacent to the Great Hill Recreational Area, and the grassy/forested area along the west side of Abel Jones Place.
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What if I sell my house or refinance my mortgage?
Unit owners are usually required to obtain a “6D Certificate” or letter from the Condominium Association certifying that they are up-to-date on condo fees before they can close on a mortgage. The document must be signed by the Treasurer and needs to be notarized. Please, when you sell or refinance, ask your lender well in advance of closing whether this form will be needed, so that the Board can get your form filled out and notarized with a minimum of last-minute hectic activity.
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What do I do about trash pickup?
The town has a “Transfer Station” accessible from Route 2 West that accepts trash and recyclable materials. A yearly pass may be purchased at the transfer station, or you can pay for individual loads. You’ll need a current vehicle registration form showing that you are a resident of Acton. Hours and fees are posted on the Transfer Station website.
Private trash and recyclables pickup is also available, and is used by some residents. Ask neighbors for recommendations.
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Are there any water restrictions?
During the warmer months, the Town of Acton restricts outdoor water use to certain days of the week, depending on your house number. See the Acton Water District website for details.
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Why does my property Tax bill list a value of $0 for the land?
All the land in Mill Corner is owned by the Condo Association, so the tax bills for the land are paid by the Association. (One of the items your monthly condo fee covers.) This is why you have an “Exclusive Use Area”. When you bought your house, you actually purchased the house, plus a 1/34th share of all the land owned by the association.
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How do I replace a broken/damaged window?
Most of the windows in our homes are 24” x 24” double-pane tilt-in windows made by RivCo. Unfortunately, RivCo has gone out of business, so replacement window parts are no longer available. Several neighbors have replaced failed windows with other quality units, such as Andersen Windows. Ask your neighbors for recommendations. (Another option is to use a contractor or window glass replacement company to replace the glass in the existing sash.) Remember that replacing windows requires approval from the Board ahead of time using a Unit Improvement Request.
A “foggy” window is the most common failure. The original windows are all double paned, with an inert gas sealed between the two layers of glass. When that seal fails, water vapor gets in, and condenses on the glass. When this happens, it can’t be repaired, and either the glass “sandwich” or the entire window needs to be replaced.
How do I maintain my furnace?
Many (if not all) of the oil-burning furnaces in the neighborhood homes were originally installed by Baker-Whitney Oil.
An annual service call is highly recommended. Most people do them in the fall, to ensure the furnace is in good shape for the upcoming heating season. If you detect an oil smell or an exhaust smell in your basement, that is usually the sign that something needs to be adjusted on the furnace. Generally, if you address it right away, you'll prevent a small problem from becoming a big one.
Furnace Exhaust blowers: Many of the houses in the neighborhood have exhaust blowers for the furnace. (Houses with fireplace chimneys don't have them.) The blower is a powerful fan that is designed to suck out all of the combustion gases (nasty things like carbon monoxide and CO2) out of the firebox and send them outside. If you can smell furnace exhaust in your basement, then your exhaust fan may need to be adjusted to run a little longer. In addition, during the wintertime, it’s important to keep the blower exhaust vent clear of snow, as a clogged vent can cause the exhaust to back up into the home.
Why are we maintaining a sewer system? I thought we connected to the town sewer.
Are there any usage restrictions relating to our sewer system?
Are there any condominium documents I should review?
What areas am I expected to maintain?
What are the common areas?
What if I sell my house or refinance my mortgage?
What do I do about trash pickup?
Are there any water restrictions?
Why does my property Tax bill list a value of $0 for the land?
How do I replace a broken/damaged window?
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How do I pay the condo fee?
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The current condominium fee is $85 per month, due by the first of each month. You are welcome to pay the fee for several months at once, as long as the payment is in advance (e.g., pay $255.00 to pay for March, April and May by March 1st). Electronic payment is preferred; contact the Board at millcorner.board@gmail.com to set this up. Checks are also accepted and should be made out and mailed to:
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Mill Corner Condominium Association
P.O. Box 2394
Acton, MA 01720
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Why am I paying a condo fee?
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The condo fees provide the funds for the operation of the association, and funding for both an operating budget and a reserve fund. The main expenses covered by the fee are generally allocated as follows:
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Local, state, and federal taxes
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Insurance
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Maintenance and operation of the shared elements of the sewer system
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Maintenance and landscaping of certain common areas, such as the front entrance
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Capital Reserve Fund to cover extraordinary costs related to sewer system
Why are we maintaining a sewer system? I thought we connected to the Town sewer.
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One of the most important functions of the Board is to look after and maintain the shared neighborhood sewer system infrastructure. The sewer system for our neighborhood consists of a series of pipes leading from each house to our main sewer lines (under the manhole covers), a pumping station, and a connection to the Town sewer by the bus turnaround.
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Even though we are connected to the town sewer, MCCA is still responsible for the network of pipes, pumps, etc. that start at each house and eventually connect to the town system.
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There is a service road and path to our sewer pumping station that starts at the bus turnaround. It goes down the hill behind the meadow, and eventually connects to the path that connects to the Great Hill Conservation Area (a large Town of Acton conservation area). At the intersection of these two paths, you’ll see the station. There is a power panel there, and some locked covers. These covers provide access to the holding tank. The tank is a giant tank—it is a vertical cylinder, about 12 feet in diameter, and 25-30 feet deep. Anything sent down the drain or flushed from all or our 34 houses eventually ends up in this giant tank.
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The connection to the Town Sewer is uphill from here—it is up by the bus turnaround. To get the wastewater there, there is a pair of large pumps in the bottom of the tank to send it up to the turnaround. These pumps do not run continuously—rather they run on a cycle. When the water level in the tank gets to a certain level, the pumps come on, empty the tank, and then shut off. This system has been in place since the development was built; it has been very reliable.
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If something goes wrong with the pumps, the tank will start to fill up, and a “High Water” alarm will go off. This is a loud buzzer and an orange flashing light. If you ever notice this alarm is going off, please contact a Board Member right away. We need to take corrective action before the tank starts to overflow.
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Are there any usage restrictions relating to our sewer system?
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The sewer system infrastructure is the most expensive common asset we own. Maintenance of the sewer system should be of primary importance to all owners, since the repairs could be costly if we don’t take care of the system.
To make our sewer system infrastructure last as long as possible:
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Garbage disposals are prohibited. They grind up food into fine particles, which will collect in the pipe bends and the collection chambers, eventually causing clogs or backups that may be difficult and expensive to clear.
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Washing toxic substances down the drain or storm drains, (e.g., oil based paint, pesticides) is prohibited, not only for environmental reasons, but because it kills bacteria which are necessary to break down solids. The Town of Acton usually sets aside two days per year to collect hazardous waste items at the transfer station (see https://www.acton-ma.gov/141/Hazardous-Waste for details).
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Do not put items such as diaper wipes, condoms, or sanitary napkins into the system, even if the product label says it is safe to do so. They do not decompose and may clog the system, possibly forcing expensive repairs.
Are there any condominium documents I should review?
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There are three documents that describe the condominium rules, structure, and guidelines:
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The Master Deed is the overriding legal document, which sets up the condo.
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The By-laws contain specifics about how the Association will be set up and run, including rules for election, etc.
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The Rules and Regulations contain a smaller, easier-to-understand version of rules which impact you as an owner.
In addition, the Mill Corner website contains many resources residents may find useful, such as plot plans, guidelines for unit improvement and maintenance, and a contact list of residents. (Some resources are in a password-protected section of the site; contact millcorner.board@gmail.com for the password.)
What areas am I expected to maintain?
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The extent of the Exclusive Use Area (EUA) for each unit is documented in the unit plans found in the private section of the Mill Corner website (contact millcorner.board@gmail.com for the password). This is the area that you must maintain as your yard.
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Please note that if you have an electrical transformer box on your EUA, you are required by Eversource (the electricity provider that owns these boxes) to maintain a four-foot clearance area around the box clear of bushes, flowers, or structures. Please see this Eversource brochure (page 118) for details.
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In addition, some units have shared private driveways (SPDs), which the owners must maintain and plow, and limited common areas (LCAs) which are grassy courtyards or parking pads, which owners must collectively maintain. These are identified in the Master Deed and shown below.