AllumW (Florida)
Posts: 68
Posts: 68
Posted:
So, I posted previously about being in a 16 year old developer run HOA. We've only lived here for 2. Our neighborhood is over 700 homes and has no contact with the developer board. Our only contact is the MC. So - we complain to the MC...he pacifies those complaints and it dies...then months/years later...we complain..he pacifies and dies..rinse and repeat.
After moving here, I could tell that the main issue is there was no organization among the homeowners. It was essentially individual homeowners complaining to the MC about specific issues. Seems like when they got a certain # of complaints about said issue, they would address it. But with no follow up - IMO. Over a 2 week period - It took about 3 phone calls, 3 emails and a VM stating that if I didn't receive a call back, I would come by the office since there's no other way to get in contact. Miraculously - I received a phone call after the last VM.
Issues were/are:
*When are we going to have a 2nd meeting of the year? (asked in July) - "I'm going to schedule after school starts". When I stated that I would bring up the rest of my questions at the meeting, he stated that the ONLY thing we're discussing at the meeting is volunteering.
*Developer said they would install a traffic light. When asking the MC about the status - they would say "I hadn't heard anything" or "I called the developer but they haven't gotten back"....in 2 years. The correct answer is "The plans were submitted to the city and has to go thru their approval process. However, I will follow up with the developer for the status."
*Adding a 2nd entrance - will the new section be built with the possibility of including "I don't know..i haven't heard anything about that". The correct answer is "NO - the new section will not include the 2nd entrance and the owner of the land the road has to go thru will not sell"
*Who owns the website? It's outdated showing 2013 pool rules. I've been asking this for few months - "I emailed the person several times but not heard back". When asked who owns the website. I received no answer. It took me 20 minutes to find the owners information in a google search, send them an email and he gave me access to update within an hour. As of last week, I'm now the owner of our website and it's completely updated.
These are just a few.
Over the past 3 months - I have been researching the issues that have been brought up repeatedly over the past few annual meetings. I contacted the city and state to find out status of certain projects promised as our MC has been completely vague on the status. The MC vagueness has caused our annual meetings to descend into shouting matches. With the last one in Feb of this year requiring police to have 2 people escorted out. I've read thru all the HOA documents and posted them online for the homeowners.
Fast forward to this month. I held a meeting with the neighborhood. I didn't invite the MC but the rep attended anyway. They were concerned that my meeting was going to be a negative meeting bashing them. (MC implied this when I met in their office and asked if they would mail my agenda to the community. They said no bc it wasn't an official meeting and didn't want to risk bringing down the community with negativity).
In my meeting, I addressed the concerns with factual/verifiable information from the city/state. I was able to provide resources for many of the concerns. Anything I didn't know, I let them know I would follow up (which I provided updates online). AND - no shouting matches. Not one (YAY). We came prepared with sign up sheets to set up for committees (Event, Volunteer, Neighborhood Watch, Advisory) and got volunteers. The MC held a meeting 2 weeks later - that also didn't descend into madness. He reiterated some of the same points I brought up 2 weeks earlier. He continued to be vague on several issues and I stepped up to provide clear answers. I could tell that the homeowners appreciated clear and direct answers which stopped the beating of the dead horse. Letting the homeowners know that my answers aren't coming from the MC but directly from the city departments I called, city meetings I attended and Sheriffs meeting attended. The homeowners don't trust the MC answers previously given.
So, HOPEFULLY - these are steps in the right direction to get organized! I just wanted to share.
After moving here, I could tell that the main issue is there was no organization among the homeowners. It was essentially individual homeowners complaining to the MC about specific issues. Seems like when they got a certain # of complaints about said issue, they would address it. But with no follow up - IMO. Over a 2 week period - It took about 3 phone calls, 3 emails and a VM stating that if I didn't receive a call back, I would come by the office since there's no other way to get in contact. Miraculously - I received a phone call after the last VM.
Issues were/are:
*When are we going to have a 2nd meeting of the year? (asked in July) - "I'm going to schedule after school starts". When I stated that I would bring up the rest of my questions at the meeting, he stated that the ONLY thing we're discussing at the meeting is volunteering.
*Developer said they would install a traffic light. When asking the MC about the status - they would say "I hadn't heard anything" or "I called the developer but they haven't gotten back"....in 2 years. The correct answer is "The plans were submitted to the city and has to go thru their approval process. However, I will follow up with the developer for the status."
*Adding a 2nd entrance - will the new section be built with the possibility of including "I don't know..i haven't heard anything about that". The correct answer is "NO - the new section will not include the 2nd entrance and the owner of the land the road has to go thru will not sell"
*Who owns the website? It's outdated showing 2013 pool rules. I've been asking this for few months - "I emailed the person several times but not heard back". When asked who owns the website. I received no answer. It took me 20 minutes to find the owners information in a google search, send them an email and he gave me access to update within an hour. As of last week, I'm now the owner of our website and it's completely updated.
These are just a few.
Over the past 3 months - I have been researching the issues that have been brought up repeatedly over the past few annual meetings. I contacted the city and state to find out status of certain projects promised as our MC has been completely vague on the status. The MC vagueness has caused our annual meetings to descend into shouting matches. With the last one in Feb of this year requiring police to have 2 people escorted out. I've read thru all the HOA documents and posted them online for the homeowners.
Fast forward to this month. I held a meeting with the neighborhood. I didn't invite the MC but the rep attended anyway. They were concerned that my meeting was going to be a negative meeting bashing them. (MC implied this when I met in their office and asked if they would mail my agenda to the community. They said no bc it wasn't an official meeting and didn't want to risk bringing down the community with negativity).
In my meeting, I addressed the concerns with factual/verifiable information from the city/state. I was able to provide resources for many of the concerns. Anything I didn't know, I let them know I would follow up (which I provided updates online). AND - no shouting matches. Not one (YAY). We came prepared with sign up sheets to set up for committees (Event, Volunteer, Neighborhood Watch, Advisory) and got volunteers. The MC held a meeting 2 weeks later - that also didn't descend into madness. He reiterated some of the same points I brought up 2 weeks earlier. He continued to be vague on several issues and I stepped up to provide clear answers. I could tell that the homeowners appreciated clear and direct answers which stopped the beating of the dead horse. Letting the homeowners know that my answers aren't coming from the MC but directly from the city departments I called, city meetings I attended and Sheriffs meeting attended. The homeowners don't trust the MC answers previously given.
So, HOPEFULLY - these are steps in the right direction to get organized! I just wanted to share.