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An
Opinion By Jan Bergemann Published April 26, 2011
CCFJ, Florida's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy organization, and its website got absolutely free advertising at the meeting of the board of The Great Outdoors Premier R.V./Golf resort Community Services Association, Inc. in Titusville on April 20, 2011. Courtesy of President of the Board Vernon Weekley, the many interested owners in attendance got treated to the view of CCFJ's Home Page with the title song "One Way Ticket To Hell" and a video of a recent presentation by homeowner Tom Baugher.
corporation he is presiding over is not a police department where problems were discussed behind closed doors -- with a union rep present. The Great Outdoors is a community association of many owners with many different opinions. There is no police chief who "straightens" everybody out before coming out to hold a press conference with lots of smiling faces. Weekley is no longer a cop with a .45 and handcuffs on his belt to make sure that everybody says: "Yes, Sir!" when he gives an order.
Let's be honest, Weekley's résumé, posted on the website, talks about his achievements as a law enforcement officer, but it definitely fails to show any real qualifications to preside over a multimillion-dollar corporation. There is a huge difference between being a law enforcement officer regulated by a multitude of guidelines, and being the president of the board of a corporation where lots of financial decisions have to be made that surely influence all owners that bought property in this community. And his style of leadership and his comments show that he seems to be ill-prepared to do this job. Weekley has to realize that he is no longer wearing stripes on his sleeves and that the people he is dealing with are not keeping their mouth shut to get a promotion. These are private property owners whose opinions may seriously differ from the folks that are trying to enforce unreasonable rules.
I am still wondering why Weekley singled out the presentation by Tom Baugher [WATCH THE VIDEO] from the article at discussion. It seems to me that Weekley had to complain about something, because he surely didn't want to talk about the actual article and the facts pointed out in this article -- and Baugher's presentation was just the most convenient with most likely the least resistance. The facts of the article surely weren't favorable for him -- or the other board members. The tenor of the article was: "WHAT IS REASONABLE?"
Let's face it: The actions of President Weekley and the other board members he presides over regarding "PROPOSED RESOLUTION TAPE RECORDING OR VIDEOTAPING OF MEETINGS" would definitely not pass the litmus test for "REASONABLENESS"!
After showing parts of CCFJ’s website on the big screen, Weekley wanted to make the audience understand his claim that websites like this would lead to declining property values. That
begs the question: "Does the truth really hurt PROPERTY VALUES?"
That question has been asked over and over again. Potential buyers have
always been told that community associations protect property values.
Nothing is further from the truth. The
recent crash of
If there is anything that might hurt property values, it's the actions of leadership, management and association attorneys. Despite what people like Vernon Weekley and community manager Keith Lamb are trying to tell you: "It's not the one reporting about the problems, it's the one creating the problems who is to blame."
As a former law enforcement officer, Vernon Weekley should have learned: "You don't arrest the person who made the 9-1-1 call to report the crime -- you arrest the guy who actually committed the crime!"
IS
"THE GREAT OUTDOORS"
LIVING IN A HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION AN
OXYMORON? |
