Residents eject board that gave 'a black eye'

Majestic Oaks votes to replace homeowners association that turned away Katrina evacuees.

 

"Some members (of the old board) were responsible for really embarrassing this fine community."
Fred Malmsheimer --Majestic Oaks resident 


Article Courtesy of The Ocala Star-Banner

By

Published December 9, 2005

 

OCALA - Members of a newly elected Majestic Oaks homeowners association say they are poised to restore dignity and harmony to their community, badly damaged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The damage was caused not by the storm itself, but by the maelstrom of controversy kicked up by the former association's decision last September to bar residents from taking in hurricane evacuees.

In the subsequent swirl of media attention, the ban was recanted and an apology issued, but not before the community became fodder for ridicule on The Drudge Report, Fox News' Hannity and Colmes, CNN and Time magazine.

In what was described as a clean-sweep, residents voted Tuesday for a new, five-member board. That board meets for the first time Saturday to appoint its president and other officers.

Henry "Hank" Ware, new HOA board member, said he considers the outcome of the election a "mandate of the people" triggered by the hurricane housing ban.

"What they did gave the entire community, not just Majestic Oaks, a black eye," Ware said. "We're hoping to forget the past and start anew."

While other communities throughout Florida and elsewhere welcomed Hurricane Katrina's storm-weary survivors, those in the 600-home subdivision southwest of Ocala were told by their HOA board that deed restrictions prohibited them from doing the same.

Other deed-restricted communities, including Oak Run, Saddle Oak and Spruce Creek Preserve, relaxed age-restrictions so residents could offer temporary housing for evacuees.

A flier, distributed by the HOA in the days after Katrina hit, said that "additional families" were not allowed in the community, and residents were instead advised to contribute to hurricane relief funds.

Two directors, who had voiced opposition to the flier, resigned within days; two others, who had endorsed the flier, subsequently stepped down amidst the furor.

At the time, former board member Fred Malmsheimer told Fox's Sean Hannity he hoped the "court of public opinion" would force the board to change its mind.

Malmsheimer said Thursday that the election of a new HOA board was "way overdue."

"Some members (of the old board) were responsible for really embarrassing this fine community and causing all kinds of grief," Malmsheimer said. "I certainly wish them (the new board) well. . . . Unfortunately, some friction will probably remain, but I just want people to know this is really a nice community and the great majority of people are wonderful people."

Bob Watson, unseated as board president, said Thursday he had no comment. However, in earlier reports, Watson told the Star-Banner the board felt it had exercised its legal responsibility to enforce the deed restrictions.

Watson and the remaining board members, who could not be reached for comment for this story, later signed a public apology asking that Majestic Oaks not be judged too harshly for the HOA board's "serious error" and "unfortunate mistake."

"We believed that more than one family in a house for an extended period of time would be a violation of the covenants which could expose the homeowners to litigation for not enforcing the covenants," Watson said in the apology. "No matter how well intended we were, it was an error and we sincerely apologize."


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