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Residents
approved the change to a Resident Authority Board (RAB) in which the
supervisors will be elected by residents in the area north of highway 466. A
total of 21,110 votes were cast in the November 7 election for the Straw Vote.
The change alternative for resident control of the VCCDD
decision-making process was approved by a 51% to 49% vote, or a 474 vote
margin. The
winning margin came from Marion County in which voters approved the proposal
by 61% to 39%, or a margin of 1139 votes.
Lake County voters were split at 52% for the change and 48% for the
status quo. Only in The
next step will be for the various areas involved in the vote to appoint
initial supervisors. The six
areas, each appointing one supervisor, are: CDDs 1, 2, 3, 4, the Lake County
portion of The Villages, and the VCCDD. These
initial supervisors will meet with the VCCDD to negotiate the terms of an
agreement (called an interlocal agreement).
This agreement will cover the terms of the transfer of decision-making
authority from the VCCDD to the RAB. VCCDD
officials are already on record as saying that the decision-making for
amenities and utilities will be transferred.
It is subject to negotiations as to whether ownership of these assets
will be transferred to the RAB. The
RAB will be able to make staff and personnel decisions.
The VCCDD has said that it will retain the legal responsibilities for
the previous bond issues. The
process whereby the initial supervisors are appointed has not yet been
defined. For the numbered
residential CDDs, some word may come at their meetings in early December.
Most likely, the CDD boards will call for interested parties to submit
their names and resumes. Then, an
interview process will probably follow with the best and most qualified
candidates being selected. The
selection of supervisors could come early in the new year. The
VCCDD will probably appoint one of its current supervisors.
Best bet is that Mr. Gary Moyer, the architect of the Straw Vote
concept and one of the most knowledgeable CDD and Chapter 190 experts in the
state, will be appointed by the VCCDD. The
Lake County Board of Supervisors will probably make the selection for the Lake
County portion of The Villages. Interested
parties are advised to contact the Board.
Contact information is on the POA website under the Local Government
tab. No
qualifications have yet been mentioned for these initial supervisors.
The POA thinks that previous experience with CDDs or government offices
would be extremely helpful. Previous
business experience or any kind of management or supervisory position would
also be helpful. A
prime requirement for the position would be a positive attitude toward the
concept of resident control of VCCDD decision-making.
There were a variety of people quoted recently as being against the
idea and in favor of the status quo. The
POA thinks these people should be disqualified immediately from consideration
for the supervisor positions. Likewise,
senior VHA officials gave the clear impressions (sometimes without even
unequivocally saying so) that they opposed the idea of resident control of the
VCCDD. For
example, Chico Mir, past president of the VHA and current board chairman of
CDD2, was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel as saying:
“I hope it [the organizing effort for the RAB] doesn’t go
anywhere.” These
individuals should stand by their convictions and disqualify themselves
immediately from serving as RAB supervisors.
We don’t need nay-sayers for something this important. Overall,
this vote represents a victory for residents and the concept of Residents’
Rights. We are a community of mature
adults, and we can make these important decisions for ourselves.
Especially now that we have seen the many ways that the developer and the
VCCDD have taken advantage of residents in the past.
On
the concept of Residents’ Rights, please look at the right-hand column on page
two of this and every Bulletin. See
the bottom part of the column identifying The Villages Residents’ Bill of
Rights. This Straw Vote is a
fulfillment of these principles of Residents’ Rights.
And it fulfills a goal of the POA since its founding in 1975 when the
Rights of Residents were mentioned as a primary reasons for the formation of the
POA.
The
prime reason the Straw Vote passed was that a majority of residents decided
they wanted to make the decisions for themselves in their community. This
attitude prevailed over the other popular sentiment of “If it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it.” This seemed to
be the favored mantra of those advocating the status quo. A
second reason that the POA thinks may have been the deciding factor shows up
in an analysis of the county vote. In
Marion County, the vote was 61% for the change to resident decision-making, a
margin of 1139 votes or 22 percentage points -- a landslide for the change
alternative. Marion
County voters know how the developer and the VCCDD have taken advantage of
them on issues like the Nancy Lopez golf course sinkhole, maintenance on the
streets, the Mulberry lawn maintenance contracts, the Mulberry drainage ponds,
maintenance on all the “wet” ponds, etc.
When
it came time to cast a Straw Vote, these Marion County voters remembered. So,
it was primarily the developer’s shortsightedness and bullheadedness over
these many issues, especially the Lopez sinkhole, that turned the tide.
Marion County voters understood how the developer and the VCCDD tried
to take advantage of them. Let
this be a lesson for the developer that hopefully is remembered by all. Also,
announcement of the developer’s sale of about a 15% vote in the VCCDD to a
foreign company got the attention of residents.
It is one thing to have the vote in the hands of what some consider to
be a benevolent developer; it is another thing entirely to have the vote in
the hands of a foreign company that probably knows nothing about our community
and residents. Without the Straw
Vote now, residents faced the prospect of never gaining home rule. Another
significant factor had to be the many flyers passed out at various events,
organizations, and postal stations by the cadre of concerned residents.
Roughly 10,000 copies were printed and distributed.
Thanks to the many individuals who took the time to volunteer to pass out
these flyers. Thanks also to the
many golf cart drivers who taped the “Vote No” flyer to their windshields
and residents who put the flyer in their windows. The Hall of Fame committee under the direction of Frank Renner has submitted its recommendation to the POA Board. An announcement and investiture ceremony will be held at the general POA membership meeting on Wednesday, December 20, at the Paradise Center. Please join us at the meeting to acknowledge the significant contribution of this year’s class of POA Hall of Fame members. This is a great honor that all members of the POA should be proud of.
Dorothy
Cheshire, a past POA board member, passed away November 12, 2006.
In
the recent Straw Vote for residents north of highway 466, two significant
groups of voters were disenfranchised: Foreign nationals, and snowbirds with
their voter registration at locations outside The Villages. The
VCCDD decided to have the three local counties handle the Straw Vote on the
November ballot. Thus, you had to
be registered to vote at an address in The Villages north of highway 466.
The
VCCDD did it this way to push the cost and the responsibility for tabulating
the vote onto the three local counties. So, if you were a foreign national or had your registration elsewhere, you couldn’t vote. This is in spite of the fact that you pay amenity fees and property taxes on your property here. The
VCCDD could have avoided this problem in either of two effortless ways: First,
it could have handled the ballot easily in the monthly amenity fee billing that
all residents receive. Or, it could
have handled the ballot just like it does the Annual Survey.
The
annual POA elections for officers and directors was held at the November general
membership meeting. The membership
filled these positions in an open-meeting election rather than having these
positions appointed by the board of directors in a closed meeting as is the case
with the VHA. Joe
Gorman was re-elected as President. Mary Paulsboe was re-elected as Secretary.
Frank Carr was re-elected Treasurer.
Sue Michalson was newly elected as Vice President. Re-elected
as a director was an incumbent, Jack Ryan. Beverly
Drennan, a director in 2006, decided to not stand for re-election.
Joe voiced thanks to Beverly for her fine service. In
commenting on the election, President Joe Gorman thanked the membership for
their vote of confidence and support over the years.
He mentioned that it is an honor and privilege to serve the membership on
the POA Board. Gorman is beginning an unprecedented sixth term as president. Please
join us in congratulating these elected POA officials for their decisions to
volunteer their time and effort in support of your very own POA.
Year-end
is a good time to consider donations to your favorite causes.
We hope you are keeping the POA in mind for a donation to one of our
Funds. The
Legal Action Fund is designed to help us prepare for any potential legal actions
in the future. In the past, our
hands have been tied for any legal actions by a lack of funds.
We
considered legal action on the Activity Policy that severely restricted our
freedoms of speech and assembly. We
also considered action on the Bob Evans location issue when the heavy hand of
the developer tried to intimidate residents.
In both cases, we were unprepared due to lack of funds. We
also need contributions to our General Fund from which we pay the expenses of
printing and distributing the Bulletin. These
expenses, amounting to about $36,000 per year, are heavily subsidized by dues
and donations. Thus, we need your
help here also.
If
you happen to have been at the November POA meeting you were one of the
fortunate ones to have heard our guest speaker Lesley Blackner, president and
one of the founders of Hometown Democracy. The
organization exists for the purpose of putting a constitutional amendment on
the November, 2008, Florida ballot that would take away growth decisions from
elected officials and put these decisions back in the hands of voters. Twenty
years ago the Growth Management Act was delivered to the people of Florida as
a salvation to the problems of continual growth.
It is hard to believe that 20 years ago these problems were recognized
in light of the out-of-control explosion of growth that we see today. At
the time the hope was that the new state law would bring rationality,
planning, and expertise to the business of growth. The
intent was to prevent greedy local politicians from irresponsibly flooding
fragile ecosystems with back-to-back subdivisions without considering the
consequences. The hope was that it
would ensure the preservation of Florida, and that mindless, directionless,
and irresponsible growth would not destroy our beautiful state. Many
people believe that whatever the “growth management” legislation may or
may not
have hoped to accomplish, it clearly has failed.
The Act is still on the books, yet it has not protected Floridians from
the bulldozers and the erosion of our quality of life. Let
us be clear, The Growth Management Act never was intended to STOP growth, its
intent was to MANAGE growth and to ensure that the proper infrastructure be in
place before the bulldozers hit the ground. There
has been endless debate and little agreement as to what constitutes,
“adequate infrastructure.” The
buzzword is “concurrency,” otherwise known as “cooperation.”
For many developers, getting the roads in and the houses up, then
running with the money, is their only concern.
Lack of schools, traffic congestion, over-extended fire and police
service: building on wetlands and open space has been ignored or manipulated.
Little concern or forethought has gone into the question of adequate
water supply. Will
there be enough water to drink and preserve the life style most of us are
accustomed to? Will
our lakes, rivers and wildlife preserves be preserved? Quite
naturally, confronted with what appeared to be insurmountable technical and
legal decisions, Floridians turned to the “experts” to guide them.
Unfortunately, in too many cases these “experts” have become an
extended arm of developers’ machines for growth.
They have put together a pseudoscientific lingo that is intimidating
and not understandable to the average person; often the city and county
commissioners don’t understand it either. Hometown
Democracy is calling for voter accountability on land use.
It would require VOTER APPROVAL for every change to a city or
county’s “comprehensive plan.”
Stated simply, it says what kind of things will get built, and where. Each
city and county in Florida has one of these development plans, usually called
a “comp plan,” or the “comprehensive plan.” The comp plan is the
backbone of each community’s decision about future land use. The comp plan
determines where industry goes in a town, where the stores go, where homes and
parks and green space should go. The amendment would not require voter
approval of rezoning or building permits.
But, any zoning decision still would have to obey the comprehensive
plan. Hometown
Democracy’s statewide petition is asking for an amendment to the Florida
Constitution. Under this amendment,
comprehensive plan amendments will be presented to the voters for their
decision. If
we want to preserve our land, water, and the quality of life, as we know it, we
need to accept responsibility and stop allowing experts hired by developers and
seduced by developer gold to intimidate and dominate the discussion, review, and
approval process. Those
of us living here in The Villages are fortunate in that our developer has done
an exemplary job in planning. My
concern is that we too play a part in the whole problem: too much building, not
enough green spaces allowed for rainwater to percolate back into our aquifer;
too much draw down of available water supplies. Even
with our retention ponds and reclaimed water systems, I am still concerned
because no matter how you cut it, we are all pumping out of the same aquifer.
The greater the population, the greater will be the demand for water.
There are no walls or damns in the aquifer that can close it off from one
county to another, from one community to another. We
all want to trust. However,
experience has shown us, even here in our own hometown, we need to take an
active roll in being a part of the “checks.”
By doing this we create the “balance.” Those
of us who are part of the POA know this to be true.
We know that unless we are willing to be actively involved, and make sure
our rights are not being usurped, even under the best of circumstances, then the
ugly head of greed emerges, or just plain “stuff happens.” Each
one of us needs to take responsibility for our community.
The Hometown Democracy amendment is a statewide issue that will affect us
all. We can make the
difference. The
website of the Hometown Democracy movement is on the internet at www.floridahometowndemocracy.com.
It has a wealth of information about this issue.
You can find the petition to sign on that website.
Or, cut out and mail the petition reprinted here on the right-hand page. It
is important that we all sign this petition.
We need over a half-a-million signatures by the end of 2007 to insure
that the amendment is on the November, 2008, Florida ballot.
So,
please, if you agree with the objectives of the Hometown Democracy movement, it
would be a big help to all of us if you sign the petition and mail it in
promptly. Thank you.
It
is time to renew your POA Membership for 2007, or to join for the first time,
with the form on page 15, upper right hand corner.
Just clip the form and either mail it to us or bring it to a POA meeting.
If
you live south of highway 466, how about a Straw Vote for you? Sorry,
folks, no vote for you! Well,
not at least until the horse gets out of the barn. What
this means is that you will probably get your own Straw Vote someday, but not
until construction activities and all sales of common property from the
developer to the SLCDD have been completed. This
sale of common property is the key. The
developer needs his own developer-appointed supervisors making decisions for the
SLCDD so that he can sell common property to the SLCDD at inflated prices.
Developer-appointed supervisors say “Yes, Sir” when the developer
snaps his fingers. In
the VCCDD administrative area north of highway 466, these common property sales
have amounted to over $500 million. The
VCCDD issued bonds to pay the developer his prices and then forced the repayment
obligation on to residents without their approval.
Debt service as a percent of monthly amenity fees now amounts to about
53% of the total. The
VCCDD paid so much for the properties that it is being squeezed for needed funds
for routine maintenance and administration expenditures.
Were it not for this heavy debt service requirement, our monthly amenity
fees could be around $75.00 or so. And,
we might have readily available funds for pool monitors, repair of the
recreation trails, lower trail fees, etc. So,
a Straw Vote for residents south of highway 466 could be four years or more down
the road. And, by that time all the
common property will have been sold by the developer to the SLCDD.
Thus,
the horse will be gone. Then you can
close the barn door and have your Straw Vote. But,
consider this wildcard: the
developer is starting to sell off his commercial properties in the Central
Districts that carry the votes in the VCCDD and the SLCDD.
A German company already controls about 15% of the VCCDD voting power.
If the developer decides to accelerate sales of his voting interests, the
new owners, perhaps overseas companies, might not be interested in letting you
have a Straw Vote. At
that point, you might hear again: Sorry, folks, no vote for you! So,
what should you do? Residents
south of highway 466 should attend the meetings of the SLCDD on the second
Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. in the District offices by the water tower in
the Laurel Manor recreation center. You
should demand a Straw Vote now for the residential areas south of highway 466. The
SLCDD will tell you that they won’t allow it until all the construction
decisions and sales of common property are completed.
That’s
baloney! A
transfer of decision-making power can be fashioned now that would recognize and
perhaps exempt the developer’s need to make construction decisions.
Thus, responsibility for amenity decisions could be transferred to the
residents now.
Now
that we have voted to elect residents on a new Resident Authority Board (RAB),
it becomes critical that each of the four numbered districts nominate
knowledgeable and unbiased persons for an initial service period. Hopefully
each board will communicate well enough in each district to allow candidates to
be evaluated by residents of each district, and more important, that the
residents take the time to assure that this happens by attending the appropriate
meetings. By just realizing how many wonderful and hard working residents run
our clubs, hospital, and athletic activities (as volunteers), it is obvious that
talent exists here to do a good job. The
problem is to attract that talent for this important work. However, it is likely
that many people have concern that truly objective and talented people will not
seek to serve in this capacity. One obvious requirement ought to be, as a
minimum, that any candidate disclose any business relationship (either as
employee or representative) with the Developer. These relationships have already
hampered more objective discussions of resident concerns in perhaps all
districts and have likely not built confidence in resident board representation.
However,
I can cite the work of Rick Lambrecht in CDD4 (in achieving significant
financial relief for inaccurate statements from the VCCDD for maintenance costs
of retention ponds serving commercial interest) as being one excellent
candidate. In
CDD1, Charles Dunlap lead the effort to reduce interest rates on existing bond
debt and also saved our district maintenance/repair costs for property which was
initially represented as being owned by district #1, but in fact was owned by
the commercial district. (Golf Cart Bridge repair near Hope Lutheran). Charles
is an accountant and has the expertise sorely needed to review the books of the
VCCDD for fairness and accuracy in providing services to our residents. We
will have a new administrator in the VCCDD in Janet Tutt and she should provide
us with a fresh and objective understanding of how best to account for and
manage our amenity fees. Let us give her strong and objective support by
nominating truly objective district representatives who will represent all of
our interests and not any biased personal business interests with the Developer
or the VCCDD. The
Developer has designed wonderful facilities that we all enjoy. Let us all
participate in the process of maintaining these facilities in an efficient, cost
effective, and fair manner to our residents, by assuring that competent, and
objective residents be nominated to the new Resident Authority Board as soon as
possible.
We
were greatly disappointed with the way the VHA commented on the Straw Vote.
Basically, the VHA proclaimed its neutrality with a wink and thus
missed an opportunity to provide more information for residents about its
point of view. The
VHA was for the status quo. The
VHA’s lame explanations did a disservice to the whole process.
Most residents easily saw through the VHA’s smokescreen and looked
elsewhere for worthwhile information. It
is a shame that a homeowners’ organization like the VHA professes to be could
be so devious. The
basic VHA comment was: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Clever sound bites like this aren’t enough and don’t fully inform. If
the VHA had any serious arguments, it should have voiced them for the benefit of
residents to consider. The
problem with the VHA position is that the arguments for the status quo are not
persuasive when compared to the arguments for the change to resident control.
Maybe the VHA recognized the shallowness of its arguments and decided to
be vague.
The
POA had a birthday on November 20 when it was thirty-one years old! Congratulations
to all of us going back to the original pioneers in 1975.
The
booklet entitled “History of the POA, 1975-1995,” described the event as
follows: “A
group of concerned property owners met to consider options available to them
which would provide an improved means for solving individual and/or group
problems with the developer. “The
objective of the original charter and bylaws were to promote good will,
friendship and understanding among residents, and to assist the developer in
establishing a community which would be beneficial to both the developer and
property owners. “They
[the original charter and by-laws] were amended at a later date to broaden these
objectives to include support of legislation at all levels of government which
protect the rights of residents, and to keep residents advised regarding any
legislation which would affect their retirement lifestyle and property
investment.” The
reader should notice in this previous paragraph the first use of the phrase
“rights of residents.” The POA
carries forward a tradition of working for Residents’ Rights that was
established 31 years ago. Today,
the POA is a vibrant and rapidly growing organization with a membership of
almost 4,000. The geographic center
of our membership is now roughly at the location of the Villages Polo Club.
The POA Bulletin is now delivered to all 60,000 or so Villagers in all
three counties once a month via direct home delivery.
The POA is at the forefront of the crusade for Residents’ Rights.
We speak out as a watchdog of the developer and local governments.
We relish our position as an independent voice for the Rights of all
Villagers. So, to all of us, Happy Birthday! Jeers
- To the VCCDD for increasing our monthly water bills just over 3% without so
much as a brief notice about the increase with our bills.
They should have had the courtesy to at least give us an explanation.
Guess they just thought they could sneak it by us with nobody noticing. Cheers
- To the various gate attendants who take the time to wave “hello” to
residents as we drive through the gates. That
is a very nice gesture to come home to. Thanks. Jeers
- To residents who fertilize their grass and leave extra fertilizer granules in
the street to be washed into the storm water ponds where they cause excessive
algae growth. Please, folks –
either sweep or blow those granules back onto your own lawn. Cheers
- To Mother Nature for the great hurricane season this year.
We needed the rest after last year.
Jeers
- To residents who put out yard debris many days before the scheduled pickup.
Whenever your pickup day is, please wait until the night before for
putting out your pickup material. Cheers
- To everyone who voted in the recent Straw Vote.
Thanks for taking the time to study the issues and express your opinion
about your hometown. Our first
opportunity at home rule worked pretty well. Jeers
- To the VCCDD for excluding voters not registered in The Villages from voting
in the recent Straw Vote. Foreign
nationals and snowbirds, to mention a few, were not allowed to vote even though
they pay their amenity fees and property taxes.
This was a very insensitive, and perhaps illegal, action. If
you live in a newer area of The Villages and have natural gas service to your
home, a nationwide settlement for potentially defective gas line pipes may
apply to you. This is an important
issue for your review. A
nationwide class action has been filed on behalf of any and all persons and/or
entities who own structures in the United States in which Corrugated Stainless
Steel Tubing (“CSST”), manufactured by Titeflex, Ward, OmegaFlex or Parker
Hannifin, was installed as of September 5, 2006.
Plaintiffs
allege that CSST poses an unreasonable risk of fire due to lightning strikes.
The Defendants deny these allegations and assert that their CSST is
safe if properly installed in accordance with local codes and the
manufacturers’ instructions. The
Proposed Settlement is a compromise of disputed claims and does not mean the
Defendants are liable. If
you wish to claim the benefits of the Settlement, you must submit a fully
executed Claim Form by September 5, 2007.
You may complete and submit a Claim Form online or request that a Claim
Form be mailed to you. For
more information regarding the Settlement, or submitting a Claim Form, please
visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on the website (http://www.pddocs.com/csst/default.aspx). The
Court will decide after a hearing on February 1, 2007 (the “Fairness
Hearing”) whether to finally approve the Settlement. CSST
is used to transmit gas in residential, commercial and industrial structures.
CSST consists of a continuous, flexible, stainless steel pipe typically
covered with an exterior plastic coating.
CSST usually is routed beneath, through and alongside floor joists,
inside interior wall cavities, and on top of ceiling joists in attic space
from a gas source to an appliance. CSST
does not include gas-appliance connectors (e.g., a connector that runs from a
gas outlet to an appliance). Titeflex's
CSST product is known as “GASTITE,” Ward's CSST product is known as “WARDFLEX,”
OmegaFlex’s CSST is known as “TRACPIPE” or “COUNTERSTRIKE,” and
Parker Hannifin’s CSST product is known as “PARFLEX.” The
lawsuit claims that CSST poses an unreasonable risk of fire due to lightning
strikes. Plaintiffs allege that
the CSST tubing is not thick enough to prevent damage to the CSST in the event
of a lightning strike and that Defendants failed to warn consumers about these
alleged dangers. The Defendants
deny these allegations and assert that their CSST is safe if properly
installed in accordance with local codes and the manufacturers’
instructions. Typically,
these products may be visible along floor joists, above basements, in attic
spaces, or connected to exposed appliances such as water heaters.
The piping should be stamped with a manufacturer’s mark. The
Settlement Class consists of any and all persons and/or entities who own
structures in the United States in which CSST manufactured by Settling
Defendants was installed as of September 5, 2006 (“Settlement Class
Members”). The
Proposed Settlement provides Payment Vouchers for Settlement Class Members who
qualify for relief. These Vouchers
defray the costs of buying and installing a lightning protection system or
completing the bonding and grounding of certain systems in a structure.
Settlement
Class Members who have CSST manufactured by Defendants will be entitled to a
Payment Voucher that can be used either toward the installation of a Lightning
Protection System or for the completion of Bonding and Grounding.
Payment Voucher values range from $200 to $2,000 for the installation
of a Lightning Protection System to $75 to $160 for the completion of Bonding
and Grounding. Florida is in the
highest Lightning Density Zone (Zone 1) and qualifies for the maximum payment
(see the website). Sufficient
proof may include: (a) a receipt or invoice that identifies the property and
CSST manufacturer; and (b) a photograph of the manufacturer’s identifying
mark on the CSST, together with a signed statement that the photograph was
taken from the Objector’s Structure. Settlement
Class Members who wish to make a claim must submit a Claim Form by September
5, 2007. The Claim Form is
available to be completed online. For
Zone 1, an area with more than 8.0 flashes per square kilometer per year, the
Settlement would provide a voucher of $1,000 towards the purchase and
installation of a Lightning Protection System on property of less than 3,000
sq. ft. For property more than
3,000 sq. ft., the voucher would be $2,000. For those who choose the Bonding
and Grounding Option, the voucher would be $160 towards the completion of the
Bonding and Grounding. The
Claim Form provides that you submit a photograph or otherwise sufficient proof
that CSST installed by one of the Defendants is installed on the property. The
Lightning Protection System will provide a measure of protection against
lightning for your entire structure and many of its systems, including
electrical, telephone, plumbing and gas-delivery systems.
The Defendants do not believe that a Lightning Protection System is
necessary to render their CSST safe. They
do agree, however, that such a system reduces the risks to the entire
structure and many of its systems, including CSST. To
have the property inspected, each Settlement Class Member must complete the
Claim Form. Once the Settlement Class Member submits the claim, the
Administrator will verify the Claim Form and then arrange for the Third-Party
Vendor to inspect the home or building to confirm:
That the home or structure contains the Settling Defendants’ CSST;
That the CSST is Bonded and Grounded; and
The approximate square-footage of the heated/air-conditioned structure.
There is no charge to you for the inspection. How
do I obtain Further Information? Additional
information on the Settlement, including a copy of the Settlement Agreement may
be found on the website. You may
also contact the CSST Settlement Administrator through the following methods: Call:
1-800-420-2916 Write:
CSST Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4349
Portland,
OR 97208-4349 Vouchers
must be used within 24 months of the Effective Date. The company will update the
toll-free number and the website to include this information once it knows the
date the Settlement approval becomes final. Preliminary
Approval of Class September 5, 2006; Notice
Period Begins October 23, 2006; Claims
Period Ends September 5, 2007;
The
POA needs some volunteer help from members. Call Joe at 259-0999 for details. We
have openings on the POA Board of Directors for members who want to get more
active in the POA. You might find
that the time requirement is not great and the personal rewards are truly
gratifying. We
could use the help of a volunteer attorney
on a variety of projects. A
background in local government law, real estate, litigation, or contracts would
be helpful.
These
are some of the many comments that we received in the annual POA survey
earlier this year. These are
specific to the Disclosure Issue. We
reprint these here to document some of the problems encountered by Villagers
in buying their homes. They
lied about the secure gated communities. They
lied about the lakes (retention ponds).
I
don’t think we were told “one” thing which was true when we bought and
closed on our house. I hate anyone
lying to me to get monies from me. I
paid to live in a gated community. Now four years later, higher fees, NO
guards at gates. Open to all. As
would be expected, when we purchased our home, only the positive effects were
revealed. The
Morse family – Do they get up 3-4 times a night because of the train noise?
Did they tell us that when we bought here - NO! The
Villages is much more expensive than explained in brochures.
We have no representation. We
bought this house that we would have Neighborhood Watch at NO additional
charge and garbage pick-up with no additional charge. What happened?? I say no
to those who want to move here! Developer
has ads telling potential buyers that this is a gated community. Our security
stinks!!! Don’t put the widening/repair on Sumter County residents. Assess
each home in the entire Villages $25.00 only! Repairs and widening would be
taken care of. The
information when I bought was not adequate at all.
There were too many hidden charges. I
was told that fees on the championship courses would not exceed $1.00 per
hole. Ha! What a joke! We
feel that the golf should be free, like it was promised, and that $3.50 per
golf cart is not FREE on executive courses. And The Villages is not safe, with
the break-ins and robberies. The
Original Construction Bond on your Property: Clearly explained before
purchase. Bonds,
assessments and amenities should be voted on by residents instead of
surprising us with more taxes Many
residents do not know the involvement of the developer when buying in the
Villages. Need more disclosure
prior to purchasing a home. We
have discovered in 5 years quite a bit of undisclosed items that were not
upfront. We love the idea put
forth by Harold Schwartz but we are very disillusioned since buying here and
frankly have had to sell our home and downgrade due to the goings on. Hook,
line and sinker, I believed it all: now
– no security gates – no parking – no security at town squares.
Hotels!!! Residents can’t
go to Squares due to overcrowding with tourists.
This is not what I wanted when I moved.
They make their money & they (VCCDD) doesn’t care!
Sign me: misled. I
bought this property as a gated community per the developer’s ads.
That is not true in the Belvedere, Churchill area.
Teenagers leaving school are racing down Belvedere to beat the traffic
on 466. And
why the gate cards? They are
useless. Why not just take the
gates down. When
we bought they lied to us on several points.
The attitude the developer and the entire so-called recreation staff
smells to high heaven. No respect
for the year-round residents and more so, when the snowbirds get back. The
developer(s) use their money and influence to push through their own agenda.
For example, they mislead the people who bought lots along Rainey
Trail, informing the majority that this was a small country road serving
mainly the maintenance shed of A.P. golf course.
Actually they were already plans drawn up to use it as a connector
road. We
need representation to stop false statements then charging for building golf
courses. People
are happy in The Villages but there is dishonesty or lack of full disclosure
of costs/taxes/bonds/monthly amenity fees/CCD/VCCDD/ad valorem taxes, etc.
Sales
agent promised exercise equipment access, but found it available only with a
high fee – salesman had promised that it was free. What
ever happened to bus service we had that was one thing offered when we bought.
The
closing costs were the highest I’ve ever seen.
The bond is just another charge to the homeowner. Support
beams in block homes only half filled with cement is not good.
They did not disclose the homes would not be inspected properly.
They indicated 3 inspections of homes.
That was a joke. Hope that
is not the case now. I
have for a very long time thought that the actions of the developer border on
or are totally illegal. Using his
lieutenants as scam artists and con men to lure people here then
systematically and deliberately bleed us for all he can. Total
lack of disclosure regarding surroundings and noise – EG – train whistle.
I would have never bought in area of train noise – I was not told –
should have been disclosed. I
was misinformed regarding the bond issue.
I was told $5,000 could pay it off without interest with my tax bill.
(surprise – surprise!!!) Never
told about paying for sink holes when we bought here and how the increases in
amenity would go up. Never
told that CDD4 would be financially responsible for all of the roads in that
district. The
Neighborhood Watch is a big disappointment.
They let us down in an emergency – just told us who to call. The
Villages touts programs here but is too cheap to have monitors for pools –
especially needed at sports pools. We
have non-Villagers coming in. We
notice the reduction of free events and activities.
Increase in movie prices since we moved here.
Did not have the priority membership explained to us. More
emphasis should be given to the deed restrictions at the time of sale. We
need security at all of our gates – that’s why we came here.
Neighborhood
watch benefits The Villages, not the residents. Disclosure
information given before closing – No mention made of yearly maintenance fee
– Extra fee for fireman – and interest on the bond.
All we knew was we paid $10,000 for closing and there was a bond of
$10,000 to be paid. The figures we
paid for were extra gains. Sinkhole
payments by poor people who were sucked into buying is criminal.
We are not consulted or asked to vote on anything that affects us.
The
Villages is a great place to live, but it could be so much better through full
disclosure and better self government. Let’s
become a township or city, governing ourselves! I
never owed a person or was in debt until I moved to the villages.
The bond we had to pay and was not told about when signing papers.
To us this was truly a rip off. Bond
terms and conditions were not fully or adequately disclosed and we believe it
was intentionally presented in this vague manner.
Additional closing cost were not disclosed at all. Villages
a great place to live – sales agent didn’t disclose necessary info as to
free golf, amenity fees and special assessments.
I can see why some have bad feelings toward the villages – but who
cares – there are more people coming every day. It
truly is a great place to live and gives a wonderful lifestyle for most.
Costs and taxes are getting to be a bigger and bigger problem.
The assessment to the people on the Nancy Lopez golf course repairs
leaves a very bad mark on the family who designed this place.
Come on get it right, do the right thing. We
were told the roads in our area of Neighborhood
watch is useless because it’s written in the state newspapers that they
can’t keep you out, The Villages is open to all. Never
see neighborhood watch service in my area anymore. Free
neighborhood watch was a selling point; now
they charge 5 dollars a week. Bad.
Shouldn’t charge for trash pickup when we are gone.
Should be able to put on vacation. Last
years Christmas/holiday lights and entertainment on both the landing and Spanish
Springs town Squares were shameful. Management
has removed a lot of small town atmosphere that we moved here for.
Every year they take more things away from the residents – shame on
them. December
20, 2006 THE
NEXT POA GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING Annual
Christmas Party with Ollie’s Custard and
Traditional Christmas Cookies Also:
Hall of Fame and Officer’s Swearing-In Third
Wednesday of the Month – 7:00 p.m. The
Paradise Recreation Center COFFEE
AND DONUTS FOR
ALL AFTER THE MEETING ALL
RESIDENTS WELCOME – COME AND JOIN US |
