A Celebration & Remembrance for One of Our Own
Our post this month is relatively short, but before we get into that we want to take a moment to remember our first and longest running employee, Jennifer Frizzell. We started this company in 2012, and she was our first hire. She worked with us, and many of you, from then until the end of 2024, with a short 1.5 year break working for a title company in 2019. When she came back, she was the same Jennifer we all knew and loved, and she fell right into place with the team that had grown so much in that short time. Unfortunately, during that time Jennifer received a cancer diagnosis, so we all pitched in to support her as she went through countless treatments. She fought long and hard, but we lost her to the illness a few days before the end of 2024.
Jennifer did not want to be remembered through sadness or even have a funeral; rather she left instructions to have a party with pizza and cake! Her mom, sister and son threw that party on 1/4/25 which all of us attended and learned that she left even more instructions. She asked for a few things, and of those there are two things that we want to pass on to all of you. First, in summary, she said when you get a chance please commit to regular acts of kindness and giving. Second, she said to celebrate her life by getting some sparklers from a fireworks stand and lighting them in celebration. We hope that all of you will also participate in her wishes as we all navigate this life that we are fortunate to have.
Valentine’s Day
It’s that time of the year again, and there are many things to do in Austin. One list we found that might be a great place to start looking for ideas is Austin Monthly’s “A Couple’s Guide to Valentine’s Day in Austin” We don’t endorse any of these, however, we trust Austin Monthly to give some great suggestions!
For those of you flying solo on V-Day, there are plenty of options as well. You never know what might happen so it’s always a good time to get out and explore Austin and all it has to offer.
Cold Weather Season
We hope you’re off to a great start to the new year. We’ve had our first major freeze event of the year as you already know, so we want to make sure everyone is prepared in case we get another cold spell. Remember to keep an eye on the weather and have plans in place to protect pipes, pets, and people if you are going to be away from home.
Here is some Cold Weather Info from the City of Austin with tip sheets available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, Hindi, Korean, Pashto, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Cooler Weather and your Fireplaces
Please be sure to follow your lease when it comes to fireplace usage and safety. Do not use fireplaces without having them checked to confirm the chimney and flu are free of obstructions, and they are safe to use. If you have questions about this please contact your property manager.
Coming Changes at Stone Oak
In the coming weeks you’ll receive some communications about changes we’re making here at Stone Oak. The impact will be minimal to you, but we want to make sure you’re aware of an upcoming email. Please keep an eye out for this email!
Thank you for being a resident of a Stone Oak rental property! Please don't hesitate to contact our staff if we can help with anything.
Routine Maintenance Reminders
- Maintenance Requests: We still receive a lot of maintenance requests that state something vague like "washer" or "AC" without any other info about the actual issue. We cannot act on requests like this and will require that you provide more info, so any request like this will only delay a resolution to the issue. Make sure you provide as much info as possible in your request including pics if possible.
- Maintenance Portal: Please make a list of any items you want to submit, and then list all issues together as one request including as much info as possible and attach photos if applicable. We will then evaluate whether they should be split up or not.
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms: As a reminder don't ever unplug and remove smoke detectors because they are beeping. Change the batteries and if that doesn't work please notify us. We find a lot of tenants unplug them and bury them in a closet or drawer instead of replacing batteries.
- A/C Filters: Make sure to check and change every month or as required by the type of filter. If any HVAC systems in your home have a reusable filter you are still required to clean them periodically, so please make sure they are kept clean.
- Toilets: "Flushable" Wipes CANNOT be flushed. Do not put anything down the drains except water, human waste, and regular toilet paper. Food, toys, feminine products, wipes, towels, wrappers, condoms, and other objects do not break apart and go down the drain. Clogs of the plumbing system may be charged back to you, so it is best to avoid this by not putting anything down any of the drains aside from water and human waste.
- Disposal Systems: This includes using the sink disposal as a garbage chute. These appliances are not meant to dispose of large quantities of food and should only be used as a last resort after all food items are scraped off dishes into a compost bin or trash can.
- Drainage: Shower, bath, and sink drains can get clogged up over time with hair and other organic matter. Do not use Draino-type products as they are extremely acidic and will do more harm than good by damaging the pipes while usually failing to fix the drainage issue. The best way to address this is to use a disposable drain snake that can be obtained from any hardware store for a couple of dollars. Please note that if we send out a vendor for this and it turns out to be this very issue you may be charged back for the cost. Here is a video on how to use those - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOb4MJ6widg
- Emergency Maintenance: this extension should not be called unless you have an issue involving Flood, Blood, or Fire. Do not call the emergency line to follow up on existing work orders or submit a new request that is not an emergency. In case of an emergency call 911 if needed and then contact us after everyone is safe. Remember that we do not monitor emails after hours, so if you submit something considered an emergency online and do not call we may not know until the next business day.
Other Maintenance Notes:
If you'd like to inquire about, or update an existing request, submit the form at stoneoakmgmt.com/maintenance or call 512-617-6766 ext-5.
Maintenance time frames continue to be extended due to the pandemic. Please allow at least 5 business days before requesting an update from our team unless it is an emergency.
For basic DIY tips and tricks to solve some issues quickly, visit our DIY rental property maintenance page.
Your Tenant Portal & Electronic Statements
The system will generate a statement even if you're moving out, so there is no need to contact us if you receive this and are moving. All charges, including any prorated rent, will be adjusted as needed when the deposit is processed.
If you are not using the portal app that keeps you logged in please take a look at the linked flyer for more info. This can eliminate forgotten passwords, and help with easy updates/access to maintenance requests and all other account details.
AppFolio Tenant Portal Information
