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In the
previous issue of the POA Bulletin, we asked Villagers to send to us stories
about their experiences in the emergency room (ER) of The Villages Regional
Hospital (TVRH). The stories could
be positive, negative, or indifferent about the care and other experiences in
the ER. Our intent was to document
what was happening in the hospital, especially the ER. To date we
have received 103 letters or emails. 89
of these were about the ER. 78
were negative (88%) about the writer’s experience in the ER; 11 were
positive. Some of
the negative experiences are truly disturbing.
The comments range from unusual delays in waiting for initial contact
with the triage nurse or for seeing a doctor, all the way up to frightening
delays, mis-diagnosis, incompetence, and actual injury to patients. We
question whether the situation in the ER is an eminent
danger to the health and well-being of patients.
Some of the experiences related to us could lead even the most
skeptical mind to that conclusion. To be
sure, we have only anecdotal stories that were submitted by generally
dissatisfied patients. In some
cases their stories lacked important details needed for a thorough evaluation.
A final judgment would have to depend on a more comprehensive analysis
of the information we have thus far received. Although
this survey would not qualify as a valid statistical study, we think it is
representative of the experiences of ER patients. We plan to
take our results to the senior officials of TVRH and also the Leesburg
Regional Medical Center (LRMC) for review.
We seek acknowledgment of the problems and a plan for remedying the
problems in a short period of time. We
will not accept anything less. We
seek to work with hospital officials to remedy these problems.
We think these problems should be solved in our community.
We hope so. But, we will
not be denied on these issues or the eventual remedy.
Having a top quality hospital is essential in our community. The
Hospital committee of the POA consists of two directors of the POA and two
retired health care professionals. We
plan to bring on to our team other professionals experienced with hospitals
and the ER. The
Results - 89 stories about the ER were detailed in letters and emails
to us. 88% of these stories were
negative; 12% were positive. Of the 88
stories, 59 identified the total time it took to be seen by a triage nurse, or
see a doctor, or be admitted. Of
the 59, a total of 42 (71%) cited long delays of four hours or more.
In many of these cases, our best judgment was that many of the reported
symptoms were serious enough that immediate care should have been given
without delay. We considered some
of the delays to be unreasonable and less than the standard of care that
should have been expected. A total of
26 stories (out of the 89, or 29%) were judged by us to be serious shortfalls
in the quality of care consisting of a long wait combined with inappropriate
staff attention and care. In 17
cases (19%) the patient received incorrect or inappropriate medical and
nursing care. We judged
that at least 4 patients may have been injured by care, or the lack of care,
given by hospital personnel. A total of 8
patients, after later reviewing their problems with their personal physicians,
discovered that ER physicians had mis-diagnosed their problem. 7 patients
were told by their personal physicians to go immediately to the ER for admission
to the hospital, yet they were subjected to long waits and skeptical or
inattentive staff. Problems in
communicating with the physician, because the physician did not speak
understandable English, were reported in at least 4 cases. 16 patients
(18%) mentioned that they filed a complaint about their care with hospital
management. 11 people
(12%) offered positive comments about their experience in the ER. Additional
Comments - Many Villagers, as well as the professional members of our
committee, could not understand why serious emergencies (symptoms of heart
attack or stroke) were not treated in a more timely manner or taken seriously by
the ER staff. Some people
noted that only one doctor was on duty when they needed help and that one doctor
simply could not administer to patients, including seriously ill patients, in a
reasonable period of time. Most people
seem to be well-pleased with the level of care they got once they were admitted
to the hospital. However, there were
still some troubling stories of rude and inattentive staff on the ward floors. One of the
fundamental underlying problems with the hospital is lack of staff and
facilities to handle this load of patients. Training is also an issue here, as
are the continuing problems with finding staff and finding the funds to pay a
competitive wage. Follow-Up
Actions - We will say it again: we
plan to take this information to the senior level management of TVRH and LRMC to
discuss these problems. We hope to
secure recognition of these problems and agreement on a remedial plan within a
reasonable and short period of time. Summary
- The POA Bulletin printed a story a few years ago that started: “There is
something wrong with the hospital.” Unfortunately,
we could write the same story today about these many problems.
The POA wants to put a stop to the complacency that accepts these
problems as routine. This is not
acceptable. We must insist on
solving these problems and helping the hospital to achieve the excellence that
we Villagers demand. There cannot be
compromise on this issue. We will continue to accept and tabulate your stories about the hospital, especially the ER. Either write or email your stories to us at the addresses given on page 15 of this issue of the Bulletin in the upper left hand corner. Please include your name for verification purposes. We will protect your confidentiality. If you have information that would be useful to us, please send the story to us. If you don’t, the entire effort may be weakened for lack of a sufficient number of stories. Please, do it now.
We
recognized that these hospital problems and the service to Villagers are
broad questions that should have full involvement from our entire community. Thus, we
contacted the president of the VHA, Mr. Roger Kass, and invited the VHA to
join with us on this project. We felt
this would be a good opportunity to work together with the VHA on an important
project that didn’t involve issues concerning the developer.
And, we would be able to present a united front that would help our
cause in discussions with the hospital . We were
hoping that this would initiate a new era of cooperation between the POA and
the VHA. Many resident have asked
for better cooperation between our two groups. Unfortunately,
Mr. Kass and the VHA turned us down. Mr.
Kass said that TVRH was doing well. He
cited the recent awards for TVRH and said that TVRH was “one of the best
hospital facilities in the country.” This again
shows that the VHA has its head in the sand and will not support an important
Residents’ Rights issue, even when the very well-being of Villagers is at
stake. We ask
that all fair-minded Villagers think very carefully about this episode.
Look at what the VHA does for you and then look at what the POA does
for you. Which organization is
making more of an effort on your behalf? If you
value what the POA is doing on your behalf, please consider joining our
organization. With more members we
are stronger and more representative and can better advance the interests of
all Villagers. But, we
still can’t do it without you and your continued support.
Please consider joining the POA now.
You can use the membership form on page 15 of this issue of the
Bulletin.
The
next POA membership meeting will be on Wednesday, May 21, in the auditorium at
the Please
note the new location, Paradise Center, and the new day, Wednesday,
for this one meeting in May. We
will be back to our regular schedule on the third Tuesday in Laurel Manor
starting again in June. Max
Pullen, Lady Lake Mayor, will speak on the new developments, shopping centers,
and Sam’s Club in the town of Please join us for this important meeting. Coffee and donuts afterward make for a nice social time. And, the discussion and opportunity to meet fellow Villagers add up to a thought-provoking and interesting evening. Non-members of the POA are welcome.
Unlike
most community hospitals, The Villages Regional Hospital does not run or
coordinate a system of Urgent Care facilities for community residents.
In fact, very little is known about Urgent Care facilities in The
Villages. We had to call each of
them to get basic information. It is
amazing that only a few of these Urgent Care facility phone numbers appear in
our local phone directory so Villagers can easily call for help. None
of these facilities have any formal ties with the So
far, we’ve located at least 3 facilities.
As a service to Villages residents, we are printing a brief description
of each of these. 1.
2.
Exceptional Urgent Care Center – located at 3.
Exceptional Urgent Care Center – located at Please note that Urgent Care Facilities will often, in routine situations, only accept patients with insurance. Hospitals, like TVRH and LRMC, are required to accept all patients, even those without insurance. Thus, individuals without insurance know that they can receive medical attention at a hospital. This can often lead to these uninsured individuals using hospital emergency rooms for primary care as opposed to urgent care facilities or private doctors which may demand evidence of insurance coverage before administering care. We’ve
learned a lot from this investigation into Emergency/Urgent Care facilities
for Villages residents. We find
that The Villages is sadly short of adequate Emergency and Urgent Care
facilities – especially at night and on weekends.
Between 5-7 at night until 8-9 the next morning only one doctor in The
Villages Hospital Emergency Room is available to meet the emergency needs of
70,000 Villages residents. This is
an impossible job for any one physician to do. By
policy, The POA does not endorse any hospital for Villages residents.
But we urge residents to consider all Emergency Room options.
The following hospitals are close by.
All of these hospitals have Emergency Rooms.
Please note in each of the listing below the distance from Spanish
Springs and the local phone number: 1)
2)
3)
The POA
wishes to thank all of The Villages residents who submitted letters and
e-mails of complaint and comment about The Villages Regional Hospital (TVRH).
We are honored that so many Villagers put so much trust in the POA to
read their comments and to work to try to improve this unfortunate situation.
We are motivated by the sensitivity of the hospital experiences you
explained, and we will work to reduce the chance that these situations will ever
happen again. We will be
accepting letters and e-mails for the indefinite future and will work for
improved care for Villages Residents. During
our research into hospital facilities for Villages residents, we came across
some very confusing data. We
are pleased that the hospitals, The Villages Regional Hospital (TVRH) and
Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC) have installed a state-of-the-art We
don’t understand. Medical
statistics show us that a community of almost 70,000 residents over 55 is much
more likely to need stroke and cardiac care than Leesburg as a multi-age
community of 16,000 residents. We know
that strokes and cardiac emergencies are life-threatening injuries that need
immediate medical intervention. We
are concerned that Villagers will suffer needless delay-of-care complications
involved in being transported the additional eleven miles. What will
happen to Village residents who come to the Villages Emergency room with a
stroke or a heart attack? Will
they have to be checked out by a TVRH physician, then loaded back into an
ambulance, and moved to the second facility? We strongly
urge the Hospital Board of Directors to locate its newest facilities as close as
possible to Villages residents. A
case could be made for transferring the Cardiac Care and/or the Stroke
facilities to the Villages hospital to be closer to the majority of potential
patients. We would
like to point out that many of our elderly Villages residents do not drive.
While transportation within the Villages is relatively accessible – many will
suffer a burden if they have to arrange transportation to another city. It is clear
that health care in The Villages is in disarray and it might take a while to
have this all fixed. Meanwhile, we
all need to be good consumers of health care – for ourselves and for our
neighbors. Please implement
the following suggestions: 1. As soon
as possible, find a family physician for your care.
Seek his advice when you first note signs of an oncoming health problem. 2. If you
have unexpected health care problems – call your physician EARLY IN THE DAY.
Physician’s offices are much more likely to work you into a doctor’s
schedule if they know your need at 9 am – not 3 pm. 3. Obtain a
copy of recent Emergency Room reports, Urgent Care reports and your
physician’s reports and keep them at home.
Bring them with you to your next health care system encounter.
Remember The Villages does not have a system of inter-office health care
communication. 4. Make a
list of a) all of your current illnesses, b) all of your current treatments and
c) all of your current medications and keep them at home.
Bring these with you to Urgent Care, the Emergency Room, or to see any
new physician. No one clearly
recalls this stuff when they are suffering from pain and trauma.
Plan ahead. A
Director of the POA, Carole Martin, has been chosen by the Board to fill the
position of POA Secretary after the resignation of Mary Paulsboe.
Please join us in congratulating Carole on her appointment. Also, Jack Ryan has resigned from the Board for personal reasons. Thanks to Jack for his long service to the POA. We will miss him in our meetings. We now have several Director positions open on the POA Board. This is a great opportunity to serve your POA in this important position. You will find the activities rewarding and the time involved may be less than you might imagine. Please contact Joe Gorman at 259-0999 for more information. Or talk to any Board member to learn more about this opportunity. There
has been a fair amount of interest in the idea of organizing an “auxiliary”
of the POA on the historic side of The Villages.
The thinking here is that it is difficult for many historic-side POA
members to travel to Laurel Manor for monthly meetings, especially in the dark
winter months. The thinking is that
if an auxiliary of the POA was to meet on the historic side in the afternoon,
there would be higher interest, meeting attendance, and focus on East side
issues. Also,
there has been interest expressed in a Historic
Side Beautification committee.
The
Sumter County Board of County Commissions (BOCC) has asked the community to
join with them in developing a vision of I
see this as an opportunity for people concerned with the environment to get in
on the ground floor and stress the importance of incorporating “green”
concepts into new plans. From
the standpoint of The Village Greens, the most environmentally aware and
concerned citizens, it is clearly a chance for us to bring to the BOCC our
concepts and ideas of the best forms of community planning: residential,
transportation, agricultural, industrial, mining, and commercial. I
believe there are people who have previous experiences who could be of help in
planning for our future here. I
would guess that there are also those among us who have the time to
investigate the many new ideas that have emerged lately¼
such as the numerous diverse proposals on renewable energy, auto efficiency,
recycled materials, LED traffic lights, solar powered buildings, gray water
recycling, etc. There
also needs to be a serious discussion on preserving the balance between
residential development, agriculture, mining, and industry. The
Village Greens and POA members are probably more aware than most of the
importance of monitoring the growth of the community in relation to its effect
on the aquifer, the preservation and balance of the indigenous animal
population, and in general recognize the importance of being active and good
stewards of our planet. If
you missed the first meetings here in The Villages and in Bushnell, the BOCC has
a website where you can read more about this project and participate in their
survey. Please, go to
www.sumter2030.com I
would like to commend the Sumter BOCC for showing the community respect by
including us in these important plans for the future of our community.
Let us not forget, we are not just Villagers, we are an important part of
Sumter County, and the direction the county takes in the future will affect not
only the value of our property, but also the quality of our lives and the
quality of the lives of the generations that follow us. If
you are interested in joining me in forming a coalition for a The
next meeting of The Village Greens will be on the 4th Wednesday of the month at
Laurel Manor, 6:30 p.m., that is May 28th. Our
guest speaker is Eddie Brown who will talk about “How The Environment Will
Effect Our Lives As Retirees”. Sue
Michalson Chair,
Village Greens 352-259-1426 Apr
8: People who walk daily seem to
know the rules of walking. You
always walk facing the traffic. I
see people all the time walking with their backs to the traffic They can't see
behind them, and so many seniors are hard of hearing so they don't hear you
coming. Take caution and please walk
facing the traffic before you get hit. Also,
two people walk side by side and they seem to dare you to hit them.
They will not form a single line until you pass. A
POA member, Ray Micucci, was over to my house and identified many areas of my
vinyl siding that needed correction. Ronald
Hess, Project Manager, The Villages, came to my house and made repairs.
However,
Mr. Micucci inspected my home a second time to review the work that had been
done and discovered that only some of the items were repaired.
Unfortunately, many items still remained in need of repair.
Mr.
Hess came a second time on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. The corrections made were
done by Aluminum Concepts, phone # 352-636-0742, the same company that came out
to do the repairs the first time. They
had ten employees on site, four of which had certifications (we saw only one
certification; the owner of the company named Ryan).
We
took pictures during the repair process, which we would gladly give to you if
desired. My
sincere thanks to the POA and Mr. Micucci for all that has been done for me.
Without you, I would have been left with a home that had poorly installed vinyl
siding. Most
important of all, during the process of correction, it was discovered that the
poorly installed siding allowed water to penetrate one wall of my front bedroom,
which resulted in mold and mildew forming in the insulation. In
the April POA Bulletin I read your letter about people who “b---h and
complain.” Assuming you were referring to the Siding Committee, because we
discuss unpleasant matters, you suggested that we move back where we came
from. Why is that, Mr. Bailey, are
you afraid of finding out the truth? Because that is what we are pursuing. Some
people care about their homes and community and maybe we belong here more than
you. This is what makes a community—helping one another.
Perhaps you don’t understand the extent of the siding issue; perhaps
you don’t care about it. But at
least let your neighbors in the community have access to information that can
help them resolve these defects in their homes’ construction.
Don’t try to stifle distribution of important information to people
who need it. One
resident recently remarked that the installer who re-sided her home told her
that it had cost the developer over $5,000.00 to do the repairs.
It took that resident over a year to finally achieve the repair.
And those repairs would never have been accomplished at all without the
support of the Siding Committee volunteers, the POA and the numerous articles
in The Bulletin. Mr.
Bailey, do you think that because this kind of sloppy workmanship went on for
years and years in the past that it should be allowed to continue into the
future? Just because this issue
hasn’t been resolved within a few months, do you really think we should drop
it? The developer would probably
like that a lot—it would mean they get to continue their old ways, nothing
gets fixed and nobody says anything. Who
is really being negative? We think
you are, Mr. Bailey. Your remarks serve no purpose but to vent your thoughts,
whereas the Siding Committee is seeking to improve the quality of homes
throughout The Villages by informing homeowners about serious problems. The
siding problems would not exist if The Villages contractors had done a proper
job installing siding correctly on our homes.
And if the framers had checked that the lumber was straight and had
built straight walls. And if
Villages contractors, subcontractors, engineers, designers, supervisors and
inspectors had been conscientious. And
if the developer had insisted that quality is the first priority.
And if The Villages had immediately acted in a responsible manner to
correct the problems that were brought to their attention in 2006, instead of
denying, evading and trying to contain the issue. We
think, Mr. Bailey, that you need to redirect your anger to the cause of the
problems: sloppy workmanship by Villages contractors and inspectors, etc. The
POA Bulletin is the only source publishing the other side of the story in The
Villages, and now space has been devoted to your letter and for our rebuttal.
You see, The Bulletin even printed your letter. We’re sending a message, Mr. Bailey. To you, to the developer, to the Home Warranty personnel, to the contractors and to the subcontractors: SHODDY WORKMANSHIP IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! Your attitude is not acceptable either, Mr. Bailey. It simply proves your own lack of understanding, your apathy, and your selfishness. Raymond
Micucci
We ask The Villages and their contractors yet again: when you go to repair someone’s home, whether it’s for the vinyl siding or anything else, please repair the problems correctly and completely. Show that you have some skill and some integrity. We find that in most cases we have seen, both of these two important qualities are grossly lacking.
Very few homes that we have re-checked following repairs were fixed correctly the first time. Only two of the crews whose work we have checked have been doing proper repairs: New Look Exteriors and Brix & Stix. Both of these companies are small but their workers seem to care whether they are doing the repairs right. If they can do it, why can’t the others?
How will a homeowner know if their repair is correct or complete? Only by having the installation re-checked by an independent inspector who is familiar with proper siding installation. We’ve been told that The Villages is addressing the vinyl siding issue—that they are going back to any homeowner calling for a repair. But whether it gets fixed right doesn’t seem to be a big concern of the Home Warranty Department. Homeowners have no confidence that anything is done right—and with good reason—it seldom is done right! We’re
sorry this sounds so cynical, but Home Warranty has done nothing to earn our
respect or our trust. What will it
take for The Villages to do the right thing?
The Vinyl Siding Committee The
POA Siding Committee has been checking homes for a long time.
Unfortunately we just can’t keep up with all the calls.
Therefore, the POA has found a home inspector from Tavares who has
agreed to accept a reduced fee of $75.00 for a siding only inspection and
$50.00 to re-check following repairs. Mike
Mitchell is an experienced home inspector who will provide you with a written
report including pictures of his findings. Our
committee members have also spent time on the job with Mike to make sure he is
catching all the problems. If you
want to arrange for a siding only (or a whole house) inspection, you can call
Mike at Precision Home Inspections (352) 742-3222 (see ad on page 4 in this
Bulletin). The
POA recommends taking the steps necessary to ensure that your siding
installation as well as other construction issues are addressed in order to
protect your most valuable asset. Home
Warranty is supposed to take care of any problems found within the first year,
but if you don’t see the problems, their attitude is that the problems don’t
exist. Therefore, a thorough inspection by a conscientious, independent home
inspector, is well worth the money spent. Many
times our POA Siding Committee members have visited homes previously checked by
Home Warranty or contractors’ personnel who found nothing wrong.
Our committee members quickly found numerous problems. Siding
inspections are worthwhile even after the first year.
Now, after more than a year of hearing from dissatisfied homeowners all
over The Villages, Home Warranty appears to be sending crews to re-do poor
quality vinyl siding installations wherever the homeowners point out the
problems. When
repairs are done, have them checked out before signing any releases.
So while it may take some effort (perhaps several go-rounds with Home
Warranty), hopefully you will end up with a better built home.
As
Villages residents, and Siding Committee members, we find it depressing to drive
through Villages neighborhoods where so many homes have siding flaws that can
easily be seen from the street. We
still don’t understand why this shoddy workmanship was not questioned before.
Or if it ever was questioned, why it was not addressed and corrected by
the developer’s architects, engineers, contractors, supervisors,
etc.—trained people who should all be able to see these defects as readily as
we can, and who should know better than to allow it to go on. Why
is it so hard for Villages contractors to keep trash and debris in covered
dumpsters? Every
time it is windy there is trash on the roads and in the ponds.
Why isn’t there a policy for workers to pick up at the work sites at
the end of each day and then cover the dumpsters and to haul away the loads when
they are full instead of letting debris blow all over residents’ property and
into the ponds? Why should residents have to clean up after the contractors and
their workers? Isn’t it the
project managers’ job to see that the worksheets are maintained daily?
Pick up your mess—we don’t want construction debris or lunch
containers & paper cups in our yards, in the ponds or in public areas! Just
drive along How
many dumpsters are uncovered and overflowing?
How many piles of debris are still left on the ground at worksites and
end up blowing all around? How many workers still leave paper cups, plastic
bottles and Styrofoam containers on the ground?
Not to mention the wine, whiskey and beer bottles we have seen discarded
in the fields. The
Vinyl Siding Committee The
POA, Ray Micucci, and the Vinyl Siding Committee members have steadfastly
refused the generous offers of compensation made by many appreciative residents
in recognition of their vinyl siding work, including the inspections.
We all feel it would not be appropriate to accept these offers. Following
is an open letter from Mary Roberts to Mr. Bailey who wrote a letter to the
editor in last month’s Bulletin about complaining in The Villages. ******************************** Dear
Mr. Bailey, Are
you not paying attention to the plight of your fellow neighbors? Your
condescending and foul-mouthed diatribe, which criticized the concerns of good
people, would lead any sane property owner to believe this is so!
Most of us have invested our life savings into a property that was
misrepresented to us as being of high quality and meeting or exceeding
building code standards. Instead,
due to the overwhelming burden brought on by the developer’s rush to build,
build, build, we are left with homes that were inspected by the very
contractors who built the homes we now own.
Some of these contractors choose to use unskilled, untrained, and
unsupervised labor. My vinyl
siding was extensively repaired FOUR times. The
first three sets of laborers neither spoke, understood, or read English.
The fourth subcontractor, an accomplished framer with years of
experience building homes, found that the basic particle board sheathing of
our home was warped. He tore out
the defective structure, fixed the siding and declared: “this is the last
job I do for Morse, it is just not worth the money or the trouble.” Love
it or leave it? Wake up!
The developer is presently selling homes, just like ours, at a deep
discount, with furniture allowances, and including the bond in the sale price.
He also just lost a multimillion dollar class action suit over the use
of our amenity funds. What
values do you embrace? How do you
want to live your life? I
sincerely apologize if your lack of empathy is a deficiency due perhaps to a
... self preserving flight from reality. I
value my ability to live a life of service and integrity and to behave in a
manner that reflects well on my family and community.
I value people who have the strength of their convictions, the
generosity of spirit and the passion to perform acts of service to their
community. Their selflessness is
demonstrated by the sacrifice of their time spent working with people who
appreciate their service. We all need intelligent, informed, and dedicated neighbors who possess the skill to represent the needs of the POA. This group can talk pragmatically to the developer and get the best results through candid talk and honest debate. Despite
your ingratitude you will benefit from the hard work of these good citizens. JUST
SAY THANK YOU.
Apr
6: The article in the April 2008
POA Bulletin "Is the POA Too Negative" points to exactly what it is
trying not to be, negative. From ten to twelve of the article's eighteen
paragraphs express some kind of negativity. As the old expression goes "it
is difficult to make lemonade when given only lemons."
We need some sugar. The POA
is doing great things for our community. But for those who only know about the
POA from The POA Bulletin it is sometimes easy to see why they think it is an
organization of negativity. Thus one
could form an opinion that the POA is not a worthy cause.
Reporting of activities in a manner that portrays positive movement and
activity is not easy. I know after working within Apr
3: I agree, the POA and it's Bulletin serve a useful purpose, and some
people grumble because they feel the Bulletin is too negative.
I don't see the POA Bulletin as a newspaper.
I see it as a bulletin reporting the activity of the POA and as such can
only impart a limited amount of information.
The POA can only take on a limited number of projects.
Once they take on a project they stay with it until it is resolved.
That is why they are still reporting on the siding issues.
What we need here is a newspaper that will report all of the news
affecting us even if it reflects negatively on the Developer, the VCDD, and even
the Villages "life style." This
would not replace the need for the POA Bulletin.
Nor would it replace the Sun as the source of info relative to activities
etc. Unfortunately, there are
some who will not read the POA Bulletin. They take a "How dare they"
position. Like how dare they print
anything but feel good stuff. The
Villages is a wonderful place to live but it is not Camelot or
Thanks
[to the POA] for the efforts and achievements on behalf of the Villagers.
Keep up the good work!
Without you people we wouldn’t know what’s going on and no one else
to help us.
Great job!!
Keep it up! I am pleased with the great work you do.
Although I think the vinyl siding issue is overdone, the POA is a
valued publication.
I
want to thank the residents for e-mails concerning their problems with
construction departments, required inspections, and the lack of quality
control follow-up due to sloppy workmanship by Villages contractors. Some
of the complaints were from residents who have lived here longer than two to
three years but felt that due to the negative and confrontational response
of the builders and warranty department it was a fruitless and frustrating
endeavor to get these repairs completed within their contract year. Many
were told that they did not require an outside inspector and problems were
not noted during the contact year. Five
e-mails embody the majority of problems and concerns listed by the
residents. These are summarized
below: We have cracks in our floor tile in the kitchen and dining room. We called the Warranty Department which offered NO help. Poorly constructed shower in master bath, no pan, door not hung to code. This led to water leaking into the garage and into the master bath area. Result, water damage and mold build-up in walls and a $5,100.00 repair job that should never have happened. We
hired AmeriPro Home Inspection Services to check the house before our year
was up. The rep was here for more than 4 hours and did a thorough job. He
found many siding problems and several instances of shoddy workmanship, with
regard to the installation of a window, window moldings that did not join
properly, and the absence of caulking around several windows and doors. The
builder, Hess Construction, sent men to fix the problems mentioned above,
although I really don't know the quality of the repairs. While
the inspector was here, he noticed that when he opened and closed the
interior kitchen door which connects the kitchen and the garage, all the
dishes and glassware in the kitchen cabinets on that wall rattled loudly. He
felt that something was wrong with the construction or the bracing of that
wall and put the comment in his report. When the builder, Hess himself, came
to my house, he sent a man into the attic in the garage to look at that
wall. The man came down, spoke to Mr. Hess and Hess said to my wife that
there was nothing wrong and "that's the best we can do." Of course
the noise continues and we are concerned that one day the cabinets and or
the wall might come down. Birdcage
screws rusted throughout. Warranty manager and My siding was slipping/falling off. I had an inspection done by "Precision" and they found defects. I contacted the warranty department, and they had my builder (Hess) do a "complete re-nail." I'm going to have Precision come out afterward for a re-inspection As
you can see from these sample e-mails and past articles, there are numerous
problems that some residents have to deal with just to get satisfaction for
homes that they bought in good faith, an investment not only in money but also
in a life style promised by the developer. However, when you have to spend
your time dealing with these problems, instead of taking part in our great
life style, the magic of The Village slowly dims. I
want to enjoy the remainder of my years in a home that is up to what I was
promised, rather than be treated like a second class citizen when I dare to
come up against the developer, the warranty department, and the builders to
fix the problems. Please,
all residents, if you are having any of these problems, please e-mail me at mcarole94@yahoo.com
, so together we can address these problems and get on with our lives in The
Villages. Your recent front page
article concerning the so called woes at TVRH is a insult and disgrace to the
dedicated, concerning, and hard working staff
at the hospital. I have personally
experienced the need to be taken to the emergency room twice during the past 4
months. I was immediately attended
to and received the most professional care and my family members were permitted
to see me during those hectic and anxious circumstances. My tests, x-rays, and
medication were administered without any delay Observations by my
family later told me yes, there were a number of people waiting in the emergency
area and most complained of colds, sniffles, some with bruises, and others with
stomach aches or cramps. It is
certainly my opinion that the majority of the people did not exhibit a high
order of priority for an emergency room situation. I congratulate the
TVRH and staff and also the Jean Rykaczewski Editor’s Note: You had a good experience at TVRH. Some of the "negative" stories, however, are truly frightening. We should not accept that. We would like all experiences to be good ones. That is what we are working toward in our efforts to gather many stories volunteered by people with experience in the hospital. To date we have received over 100 letters or emails. The
Home Depot and the new Sam’s Club should be accessible by golf car as well
as the Longhorn Steakhouse and the Bed Bath and Beyond in the new shopping
center. What can be done to make
this happen?
Editor’s
Note: The developer and the town
of The
Seniors vs. Crime project is staffed by volunteers, usually seniors.
The project aim is to assist seniors and others who have problems with
service providers and contractors. In
The Villages, seniors (especially new arrivals) have become victims of
unscrupulous vendors in the following categories: Lawn
Mowing Services: Payment
for service should only be made after the lawn has been mowed.
Never pay up front for a month’s service or enter into a yearly
contract where payment is required up front. Landscaping
Services: Payment of up to
50% is often asked for when signing a landscape contract.
Down payments should never exceed 10%, and, in case of large contracts,
no more than 5%. The contract may
call for progress payments as the job progresses. Water
Purification: There is
nothing wrong with the water in The Villages.
The water in the Villages is tested every month for bacteria and other
water quality tests are performed every three months.
You may also go to TheVillageWaterWisdom.com for further information.
If you are unhappy with the taste of the water, you can buy an
inexpensive water system for your faucet or refrigerator.
If you wish to purchase a purification system, read the contract before
signing. Cancellation must be by
mail within three days after signing the contract and sent by registered mail.
Do not sign a contract without reading the terms and conditions. Driveway
Pavers: The installing
company should have the pavers on hand and a large down payment (i.e., 50%) is
not needed Travel
Companies: In exchange for
a large down payment, you are promised inexpensive travel.
You may also be told that by joining, you will become a travel agent,
which will allow you to be eligible to purchase inexpensive travel.
However you must take education courses before a Summary:
Get at least four references, and check them to ascertain the quality
of the work before hiring a contractor. Ask
to see State and County licenses, and proof that the company is bonded and
insured. Examine all documents,
and verify licensing at www.myflorida.com.
Request proof that the materials purchased for the job have been paid
for by the contractor, since an unpaid supplier may put a lien on your
property. You may also call the
appropriate Senior Sleuth Office in Office
Locations: The Sumter
County Office is at The Sheriff’s Office on County Road 466, telephone
number is 352-753-2799, and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Marion County Office is at The Sheriff’s Office on Hugo
Friedlaender, Office Manager The
Volunteers Performing Arts Alliance, and its predecessor organization, have been
trying to secure an arts center for the Villages, and the surrounding
communities, for some five years now. Initial
efforts, during the first three years, were that of asking the Developer,
through his representatives, to provide such a facility for the 1200 plus
performers and theatrical technical people spread among the two dozen theater
groups. The Developer wished us well
but was not interested in financing a performing arts center. In
order to make our project feasible, we expanded our scope beyond The Villages to
that of a tri-county one: Lake, We
anticipate the Developer will be taking a supportive role in the future.
And, we will NOT compete with Leesburg's proposed We
are interested in partnering with another entity.
PALS was one of those we pursued. However,
based on the results of our Fall 2007 study and survey, performers and the
patrons would not be willing to travel down 441 to the LSCC campus for
rehearsals and for shows. We also
felt that partnering with LSCC would not meet the criteria of patrons over 55
years of age. We concluded our talks
with the agreement that we both had different goals and that we were not in
"competition" with each other. As
far as "cluttering up Villages roads" goes it looks like that will not
be a problem as we have been seeking land OUTSIDE The Villages, but yet very
near The Villages. Our prospects for
that land, at this time, look very promising. We
have always made it clear that we
want to provide a state of the art facility adjacent to or nearby The Villages
with ticket prices commensurate with today's prices. We
encourage everyone to consult our
web site at www.VPAA.org which is updated periodically and has information on
how you may subscribe to our monthly newsletter. The
VPAA is comprised of many talented and dedicated people who are intent on
providing a much needed cultural facility for this area. We
encourage new volunteers to join us as there is plenty of work yet to be done
and many talents needed. Let's
make The Villages an even better place to live. Richard
St. Amant We
asked for comments from residents in the recently completed POA Resident
Survey. We found most of these to
be worthwhile for reporting to our readership.
We will continue with a selection of comments in future issues as space
in the Bulletin permits. ******************************** I
love it in the Villages. Those who don’t should relocate elsewhere. No one
is forcing you to stay. No one forced you to come. Those who thought it would
remain small had ear plugs and blinders on. The
POA Newsletter creates problems, but does not solve problems. We
will miss Pete Wahl. Square
music needs more diversity - not just rock and roll and country. Daily
Sun is not fair and equal to all persuasions. The
Developer is too autocratic. If
we are to have a new Performing Arts Center it should be diversified and
representative of all areas of the country - not just the Christian Right,
Country and Rock and Roll. I really would like to see some N. E. plays, humor
and timely political humor. Better
enforcement of finding non-residents using Village facilities. The
Villages is a wonderful place to live - two problems that stand out: The
residents have no voice or representation and the residents have no voice or
representation!!!! We
enjoy the Village life style. Great need for large arena type seating capacity
for professional performers. Indoor
racquet ball court would be appreciated by we racquet ball players. The
Bulletin referring to any Village residents as ‘second class citizens’ is
pompous, egotistical, brash and entirely contrary to what the Villages means.
To even suggest the idea, only because of the dates the south portion became
available, is self-serving to the 600 of those that were here 6 - 8 years
earlier and were ‘second class citizens’ during that whole time. Life
in general in The Villages is excellent. However, when Mr. Morse started
turning everything into a profit center and maximizing every penny out of what
previously was advertised as ‘free’ or part of the Villages ‘good
life’ one wonders about the long-term staying power of residents, etc. I
like it here but so much smoke and mirrors. The developer tried to get us to
vote against representative government. When that failed, we were given the
RAC which is no more than another CIC. The reason I like it here is due to the
very nice people who were also screwed! Developer,
don’t forget where you came from and the people who trusted you - your word.
Maybe it’s time to clean house with the people that make you look bad? I
was under the wrong impression when I moved here that when we moved in and our
area built out the guard gate would be manned and gate keys would only be
given to residents, not every vendor. Wrong! I
have called several times about the dead palm at the back of Calumet Pool
area. Two years gone and it’s still there. The
hospital has poor emergency room service. Government
is a dictatorship - but it’s good. Had resident control of government in Use
of pool by Charter school is unfair. Ambassadors
don’t pay attention to who is holding up players, especially on Deed
Compliance is inconsistent and slow - what a joke! Lifelong
Learning center instructors are poor, fail to show up and are inconsistent. Neighborhood
Watch is a total waste of money. Those guys are blind and no help! Traffic
in the circles needs to be one lane - sooo dangerous and confusing. We
live in a benevolent dictatorship. |
