Clubhouse Expansion - Yeah or Nah.....

Good afternoon....

I live in a HOA community in SW Florida that was recently (December 2016) turned over to the property owners by a large national developer.

Like most HOA's prior to turn over, we have retired individuals who are former "captains of industry" that want to create their personal "monument" within the community.

The census of our community is 55% retired, 45% working families.

Current board make up is 90% retired, 10% working.

PRIOR to turnover, a group lead by the current HOA president created a scheme where he negotiated a better telecommunications deal with a national provider and banked the savings, $700.00 per year X 1,300 property owners - $910,000.00 annually. He organized a "picket" against the large national developer PRIOR to turnover to force their hand to approve this scheme.

Legal told us this scheme was unethical, but not illegal. It just doesn't feel right.

Here is the issue.....now.

The HOA and majority of the board want to expand the clubhouse from 5,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet. Approximate cost - $2.5MM. You don't build a church for just Christmas and Easter.

An INFORMAL survey was conducted, NO FORMAL VOTE, to the property owners with the survey positioned about saving $700.00 in telecommunications cost per resident, but nothing about a clubhouse expansion, or any capital improvement.

Guess what? The board is ramrodding this clubhouse expansion through the community with voter suppression refusing to allow electronic voting, which the HOA attorney has the tool to provide. The HOA attorney is a large Florida firm. The seniors want to use regular paper ballots to avoid "computer hacking". Really?

The real reason is it avoids participation within 45% of the census. Working families who will not wake up until the assessment begin and the pocket book is hit.

Questions:
1. Does a clubhouse expansion add value to the overall property values within a community?
2. Experiences with electronic voting?
3. Suggestions?

Any feedback or experiences would be greatly appreciated. I am part of the opposition group that is fighting with the board and the special interest pressing these issues.

Thank you!

This is why those who oppose it need to start knocking on doors.
If proxies are allowed, solicit proxies.

Great suggestion!

Anything other feedback is greatly appreciated.

Any recommendations on emails, or physical mail piece delivered to the mail box?

Experiences with greatest impact and successes?

Be factual.
Don't embellish.
Cite resources.
Give locations where things can be verified (for those who trust but want to verify)
Summarize at the end: I oppose because of a) b) c)
Keep it short - one page max

I would try to come across as unbiased as possible. You may not have a lot of facts, but you can generate enough interest that will draw out the facts.
For instance you may not know what the actual assessments will be per lot, so you can say "I have read where improvements such as these can lead to assessments being in the thousands". I've read that people that couldn't afford it lost their homes...". Scare tactic? Hell yes. Raise the level of fear to get the participation.

I would also mention that this new addition will change the existing the reserves. A new analysis will need to be completed. The Power bill will likely double.

Don't rely on it not being used all year. Swimming pools are like that and people still pay for them to ready when they are.

There's nothing in the Florida HOA statute regarding the need for homeowner approval for capital improvements above a certain dollar figure. I think there is no statutory requirement to conduct a vote of the homeowners regarding such an expenditure. There may be one in the governing documents. If it was a condo association, things would be different but HOA law lags behind in Florida.

Another option is to recall some or all of the directors and replace them with others who will vote against the project. That's going to require 651 signatures on a recall ballot, however, and there's no provision in the law to conduct THAT vote online.

Electronic voting is sort of new, only becoming legal last year. If authorized by a board resolution, each owner must be given the OPTION to vote electronically. The statute does not call for an all-or-nothing electronic voting system that forces people to vote online. I, too, worry about the security aspects but there are some clear benefits, especially in larger associations, and 1,300 homeowners is a pretty good size. Obtaining quorum may be challenging in larger HOAs and an additional benefit of electronic voting is that every vote cast electronically counts as an owner "in attendance" for the purpose of establishing a quorum at a meeting.

A $2.5 million expenditure seems like fertile ground for shenanigans and a board hell bent on ramrodding through a large expenditure like this clubhouse expansion does raise some red flags of suspicion.

If the board doesn't want to let the members vote on the project and there's nothing in the governing documents that says such a vote is necessary, you're out of luck unless you can find 651 signatures to recall directors before any contracts are signed.

Success with letters from some of us to every member was an election campaign. There were 3 open seats on a board of 7, and we had three candidates. We wrote a clear honest letter with no hyperbole or attacks on the oppositions. Strictly facts about how we three would help improve our HOA. So, I agree with Tim & Douglas and definitely, no more than one page. I do think many owners will not think ahead to the e increased expenses of such a large space and the increased contribution to our expanded reserves components.

(Two of us won the above election, and one year later we were in the majority. Even for that interim year we were very successful in fostering more openness and transparency and and forcing the weakening remnants of the old regime to abide by our governing docs and state laws.