There Neighborhood FAQ Click here to download this document in .pdf format. Q: What is a Neighborhood Zone? A: A Neighborhood Zone is a 45-acre or 100-acre plot of land that can be rented and customized with virtual objects. Terrain for each Neighborhood varies according to on the location of the Zone. Premium members rent Neighborhood Zones to create residential communities, private gathering places, shopping centers, themed areas and other projects. Neighborhood Zones allow you to build your dream and realize your vision in There.   Q:  What is a Neighborhood Lot? A: A Neighborhood Lot is a smaller plot of land that can be dropped into a Neighborhood Zone and customized with virtual objects. Neighborhood Lot sizes range from 1/16 of an acre to 2 acres. Members can purchase Neighborhood Lots from Shop Central and drop the Zone in the Neighborhood of their choice. Lot Owners will pay a set amount of rent to the Neighborhood Zone Owner every 30 days. Q: How much do Neighborhood Zones cost? A: The final purchase price of a Neighborhood Zone will be the cost of rent plus any additional bid placed to win the Zone in auctions. Neighborhood Zone owners pay a monthly rental fee of 180,000T ($100) for a 45-acre Zone and a monthly rental fee of 360,000T  ($200) a month for a 100-acre Zone.  To help new Neighborhood Owners get started Neighborhood Zones purchased from There in auctions will receive the first 60 days of rent-free. Used Neighborhood Zones (older than 2 months) purchased directly from another member or purchased from the auctions from other members do not include two months of free rent.  Here’s more information about Neighborhood Zone options: Be the first to know about new Neighborhood zones up for auction in There! Join the New Neighborhood Auctions Club to be notified via ThereMail whenever new NH Zones are up for auction.   Q: How can I purchase a Neighborhood Zone? A: 45-acre and 100-acre Neighborhood Zones are placed in the auctions by There on a regular basis with a minimum bid of $100 for a 45-acre Zone or $200 for a 100-acre Zone. You can also find used Neighborhoods for sale by previous owners in the auctions.  Check the Neighborhood Auctions for listings. Q: How much do Lots cost? A: Lots are available for 5 different purchase prices, ranging from 1,000T to 6,000T depending on the size of the Lot.  The 30-day rental period for a Lot ranges from 4,500T to 36,000T. The following chart contains details about Lot purchase and rental fees:   Q:  How can I purchase a Lot? A: New Lots can be purchased from  Shop Central. The 30-day lot rental charge starts the date the Lot is dropped. The charge for that month is deducted at that time and will be paid to the Neighborhood owner at the end of the month. Used Lots are also available for purchase from previous owners in the Auctions. If you buy an existing Lot (already in a Neighborhood) from the current owner, you will not have to pay rent until the expiration of the 30-day period (It has already been paid for by the previous owner). If you purchase an already existing Lot and relinquish it to move to another Neighborhood Zone a new 30-day rental cycle will begin once you drop the Lot in the new Zone. Q.  What are “drop counts” and why are they limited? A. Drop counts indicate how many total objects can be placed into one Zone or Lot.  They are limited to avoid lag and performance issues and ensure optimal performance within the Zone. Therefore 45-acre Neighborhood Zones are limited to 500 drops and 100-acre Neighborhood Zones are limited to 1,000 drops.  The Neighborhood Zone owner has a total of 50 drops to use in a 45-Acre and 100-Acre Neighborhood Zone. If the Neighborhood Owner needs additional drops for the Neighborhood Zone then Lots can be dropped to accommodate additional drops.   Q: Once I purchase a Neighborhood Zone or Lot, how do I get started setting it up? A:  We recommend that all new Neighborhood and Lot owners review the following set-up manuals, which contain step-by-step instructions for purchasing, customizing and decorating Neighborhood Zones and Lots. Neighborhood Zone Set-Up Manual Neighborhood Lot Set-Up Manual Q. I belong to an established PAZ community.  Why would we switch to a Neighborhood? A. Neighborhoods offer the ability to link your community to a club in order to share one large piece of land.  The Neighborhood Zone itself can be used to hold events, as can the individual Lots.  In addition, the Neighborhood owner has control over who gets to place a Lot in that Neighborhood.  The Neighborhood owner can also control the privacy settings of the Zone, determining who can join the Neighborhood and who can and cannot access the Neighborhood.   As a tenant, you can also control who can and cannot enter your own Lot.  With the privacy setting options, each Neighborhood can be turned into a completely private space for its members if they wish.  Q. How can I join a Neighborhood as a tenant? A. Stand in the Neighborhood Zone you wish to join. Click on the Resident's Club. Join the Club. If the Neighborhood is open to everyone, you can join the Neighborhood simply by dropping your Lot in the Neighborhood Zone.  Each Neighborhood has a club associated with it.  You will join the club automatically when you drop your Lot.  Not all Neighborhoods can be joined automatically.  If the Neighborhood owner turns off “auto accept” on the club’s Administration page, they will need to approve individual club applicants.  You will need to fill out a Neighborhood application. In these cases, there will be a waiting period before you can join the Neighborhood and become a tenant. Q. What are the responsibilities of a Neighborhood owner? A. The Neighborhood owner must pay a monthly rental fee to There.com every 30 days.  The rental period begins on first day the owner rented the Zone. He or she also leads a Neighborhood club associated with the Neighborhood Zone.  The owner has complete control over setting access and membership in the Neighborhood and the associated club.  Q. How will the Owner be able to set the rules and customs of the Neighborhood? A. The Neighborhood owner decides what the themes and customs will be for the Neighborhood.  It is up to the owner to educate the Neighborhood members about the rules, and he or she has the ability to remove anyone from the Neighborhood who does not follow those rules. Q. How can I evict someone from my Neighborhood? A. Neighborhood Owners have the ability to evict individual Lots or to remove multiple Lots owned by the same avatar all at once. The Neighborhood Owner can enter into a Neighborhood Lot and select This Place -> Evict Tenant to remove the individual Lot from the Neighborhood. The Lot will then be returned to its owner’s inventory. Any portion of the rent that is unused is returned to the Lot Owner at the time of the eviction. If a Neighborhood Member is removed from the Neighborhood Club, all Lots placed within that Neighborhood Zone would be returned to their inventory. Any portion of the rent that is unused is returned to the Lot Owner at the time of the Neighborhood Club removal.  Q. What happens if a Neighborhood owner doesn't pay rent?  A. If the Neighborhood owner is unable to pay rent, the Neighborhood Zone reverts to There_Renter.  If the owner does not reclaim the Neighborhood within 10 business days, the Neighborhood Zone will be offered to the current Neighborhood tenants. If the Neighborhood Lot owners do not contact There within 10 business days of the Neighborhood Zone ownership offer, the repossessed Neighborhood will be placed into auctions and will be available for all members to bid on it. Neighborhood owners will receive up to 3 reminders about rental due dates.  The Rental system will send a fourth email stating “Your Rental Period Has Ended. When a Neighborhood owner does not pay the rental fee the Neighborhood will transfer ownership to There_Renter. The Neighborhood Owner has a one-time free pass to regain ownership of the Neighborhood. The Neighborhood re-transfer appointment will be scheduled at There Staff’s convenience at which said time There_Renter will transfer the Neighborhood back to the Owner. The second time and every time thereafter the rent is not paid there will be a fee to re-transfer the Neighborhood. Please see the Neighborhood Repossession Policy. In cases of a defaulted Neighborhood, There_RealEstate will initiate contact with the previous owner to schedule a re-transfer. If the owner does not contact There_RealEstate within 10 days from the rental due date the Neighborhood will be offered to residents within that Neighborhood. An email will be sent to all Neighborhood Lot owners notifying them of the opportunity to become the Neighborhood Zone owner and they will have 10 days to respond. - If no responses are received after 10 business days, the Neighborhood will be placed in auctions. - If only one resident responds after 10 business days, they will be offered the chance to purchase the Zone for the price of rent and become the new Neighborhood Owner. - If more than one resident is interested in purchasing the Zone, it will be offered first to the resident who has lived in the Neighborhood for the longest period of time. - If there are two or more residents interested in purchasing the Zone who have lived in the Neighborhood for the same period of time, the resident with the greatest number of Lots within that Zone will have first right of purchase. Q. What happens if a Lot owner doesn’t pay rent? A. If there are not enough T$ in a Lot owner’s account to cover their Lot when it is due, the Lot will be automatically placed back into their inventory.  Defaulted Lots can be replaced when the owner has replenished the account with more T$. The layout of the Lot will remain as it was before it was repossessed. When the Lot is re-placed a new 30-day rental period will begin. Q. Can I extend the rental period on my Neighborhood Zone? A. Neighborhood Owners and Lot Owners have the ability to extend the Zone rental for an additional 30-day period. However, if your rent is due 30 days or more in the future you will not be able to extend the rental payment. On your menu bar go to This Place > Information about Zone > click Extend Rental > Rent It > I Agree to extend your rental period. Q. Can I schedule an event past the rental due date? A. Yes. You can schedule an event up to 30 days past the rental due date.   Q. Once I own a Neighborhood, will I be able to sell it to another member? A. Yes, but you must add that member to the Neighborhood Club BEFORE the Neighborhood transfer is complete. If you do not add the member who is purchasing your Neighborhood to the club before you transfer ownership then the Owner will not be able to drop items or control permissions within the Zone. A transfer of Neighborhood ownership also involves the transfer of the Neighborhood Escrow account (for rental payments) and any attached club leadership/control.  All Lots within the Neighborhood will remain in the Neighborhood after a transfer of zone ownership, so Lot owners are not affected by Neighborhood transfer.  All money currently placed into the Escrow account will also transfer to the new Neighborhood owner. Q. What happens if I want to move my Neighborhood Lot? A. You can relocate within the same Neighborhood freely.  Your rent covers you for the whole 30-day period wherever you are within that Neighborhood.  If you want to move within the same Neighborhood, just show the boundaries of your lot, pick it up from its post, and then place it anywhere else within the Neighborhood (you might want to ask your Neighborhood owner’s permission first, in case he or she has any plans for the area).  If you want to move to another Neighborhood, you simply relinquish the rental (this is an option under “This Place”).  The Lot will return to your inventory and you can place it in someone else’s Neighborhood.  If your Lot has been present in the Neighborhood Zone for longer than 24 hours you will not receive a rental refund. The Lot money in Escrow transfers directly to the Neighborhood Owner’s account if a Neighborhood Member relinquishes their Lot.  Note: If you drop your Lot and change your mind within the first 20 minutes, you should get a full refund of your rent money upon picking up the Lot.  If it’s within the first 24 hours, you will get 29/30ths of your rent back.  After that, you will not receive a refund for any unused rental days in your previous Neighborhood. Q. Can PortaZones be dropped into a Neighborhood Zone? A. No, only Lots can be dropped into a Neighborhood Zone. Q. Neighborhoods seem pretty expensive - how can I afford that? A. Rent from the Lots placed in the Neighborhood will offset that amount.  It’s even possible to make more than the cost of the Neighborhood rent depending on how many Lots are there.  Plus, Neighborhood Zones are pre-paid for 60 days, allowing new Neighborhood owners time to get set up and accumulate tenants to help contribute to the cost of the Neighborhood. Q. I am a Neighborhood owner.  With so many renters potentially coming and going, how can I keep track of my Neighborhood’s finances? A. If you are a Neighborhood owner, you will have access to an escrow page, which contains detailed information about your Neighborhood account.  You can view the escrow page via the Neighborhood Details Page. Under the Events Schedule, there’s a link to the “My Escrow” page. Keep in mind that the Neighborhood Zone rental due date is on the same day every month and collection from Lot rents can happen on any given day of the month based upon the date the Lot was dropped.  Neighborhood Zone Owners will not receive a lump sum of rent generated by Lots. The rent from Neighborhood Lots will filter in throughout the month. Q: Can you explain in more detail how the Neighborhood Escrow works? A: Here’s a detailed timeline that illustrates how the Neighborhood Escrow works: Day One The Neighborhood Zone is dropped in There. The first and second 30-day rents are included in the original price of Neighborhoods purchased from There.  60 days from when the Zone is dropped will be the due date for the first rent payment for the Zone. (300k for 100 Acres and 180k for 45 Acres) On this day your first tenants may begin moving in by joining your Neighborhood Club, purchasing a Neighborhood Lot from Shop Central, and dropping the lot in the Neighborhood. When a tenant drops a Lot, he or she is prompted to pay for the first month’s rent (amount determined by size of Lot).  A "Yes" click sends the rent into an escrow account, where it will sit for 30 days. After the 30 days is up, the rent in the escrow will go to the Neighborhood owner and the next month’s rent will be collected and held in the escrow account.  Because the first two rental periods for the Neighborhood are covered in the initial purchase price, this will enable the owner to collect rents from the Lot renters before paying the rent for the Zone. Day Two Let us say, for the sake of this example, that the Neighborhood starts getting more tenants on day two. 10 new renters drop their Lots into the Neighborhood Zone and begin building their new homes. The rent for the first 30 days is charged to the Lot owner as the lot is being dropped (see rent chart). The rent is deposited the escrow account for the Zone, which will be available to the Zone owner after the 30 days. Day Three 9 more renters join the Neighborhood.  If all of the renters have 1 acre Lots, this will fill a 100-acre Neighborhood to capacity (with 50 drops for the Zone owner, this brings the total to the Zone maximum of 1000 drops).  Each renter will be paying 24,000 T$ per 30-day period, which will total 456,000 T$. The Neighborhood owner's rent will be more than covered, and there will be a 96,000 T$ profit every 30 days. 19 Renters x 24,000 T$ rent ea =  456,000 T$ 30 day rent for the Neighborhood = 360,000 T$ Profit per 30 day period  =  96,000 T$ Day Twenty-eight One of the renters from the first group decides to leave for another Neighborhood.  Even though they have not yet been in the Neighborhood for the first 30 days, their rent will still go to the Zone owner at the time their 30-day escrow clears. Day Twenty-nine A new renter joins the Neighborhood Zone, and the rent for their first 30-day period is paid into the escrow account. Day Thirty No Zone rent is due because the rent for the second 30-day period was included in the initial purchase price of the Neighborhood. Day Thirty-one The rent paid by the first set of renters for the first period is released from the escrow account to the Neighborhood owner. These renters pay the rent for the second period which goes into the escrow account (to be released 30 days later to the owner). Day Thirty-two The rent paid by the second group of renters for the first period is now released to the Neighborhood owner, and they now pay the rent for the second period, which goes into the escrow account. Day Fifty-nine The rent from the renter who joined on day twenty-nine is now deposited in the Neighborhood owner’s account (again, this is 30 days after this renter joined the Zone), and this renter pays the second period’s rent which goes into the escrow. Day Sixty The Neighborhood rent is paid by the owner. However, the last month’s Lot rents have been released from escrow to the owner, and so the owner can cover the cost of the Neighborhood rent.  In this case, the owner would make a profit, as the rents paid by the Lot renters are greater than the rent charged for the Neighborhood, which goes into escrow. For information on Development Zones and Development Lots please read the Development Zone FAQs and the Development Lot Set-Up Manual.