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The
VCCDD Supervisors made a fundamental mistake in its February meeting when they
voted at this time to extend Villages amenities to Freedom Pointe residents. Most
of us agree that this type of retirement facility is a welcome and needed
addition to our community. Sooner or
later, we may all need to consider something like this.
So, it is worthwhile to have Freedom Pointe close-by as part of our
community. However,
the VCCDD supervisors made a hasty decision that was a notable snub to the many
Villagers who voiced concerns over the amenity plan in the February meeting. The
supervisors voted to extend all Villages amenities to the eventual residents of
Freedom Pointe. Residents would pay
the standard amenity fee. This would
add about $388,000 annually to VCCDD revenue.
For this, the supervisors said there would be little if any incremental
use of Villages facilities (pools, golf courses, etc). Many
residents expressed concern over this decision and asked that the matter be
studied further to determine what the impact might be.
However, the VCCDD supervisors voted unanimously to proceed with the plan
which would honor what appears to be a promise by the developer when he sold the
land to the Freedom Pointe organization. What
the VCCDD supervisors should have done in the meeting and should be doing now
are as follows: -Table
the matter for more study and further discussions for at least one or two
months, -Survey
Villagers to determine exactly what are the issues and concerns of Villagers
regarding this facility, -Work
with Freedom Pointe people to study other facilities it operates to determine
what percentage of its other residents might want to use facilities like those
of The Villages if available, -Study
these other residents to determine what percentage of their visiting relatives
and friends might want to use facilities like those in The Villages on a visit, -Negotiate
with Freedom Pointe officials to have Freedom Pointe build an outdoor swimming
pool at its location for use by its residents and their visiting relatives and
friends, -Negotiate
with Freedom Pointe officials to have it pay an “impact fee” of some as yet
to be determined amount to the VCCDD for its use of the already developed
facilities in The Villages. This fee
would be comparable to the higher amount Villagers pay for their lot and home as
built, priced, and sold by the developer of The Villages as compensation for
previously-developed facilities, -Negotiate
with Freedom Pointe officials to allow Villagers to use the facilities of
Freedom Point, including their indoor pool, -Confirm
with Freedom Points officials that it will accept limitations on the use of
Villages facilities by visiting relatives and friends of its residents at the
high-use times during the year. I am shocked that I seem to be one of the few residents of the Villages, who believes that the Developer, and his VCCDD can not legally contract away the RESIDENTS’ RIGHTS to the exclusive use of our facilities. I went back to the original contract for purchase of my home, wherein I and my wife agreed to pay a monthly amenity fee in return for the right to use the facilities. These fees would change with changes in the CPI , but there was no reservation of rights by the Developer to contract with any commercial entity outside of the Villages to allow their tenants, residents, or members to use our facilities. The land where FREEDOM POINTE is going to be built is zoned as commercial property, it is not residential. That’s why they can build a seven story adult senior living facility from Freedom Pointe on the property. I believe that the VCCDD never researched any of these questions before they voted in favor of the Developer. They had no answer. They had never even considered the issue. All they knew was that the Morse Family wanted it and #*#*#* the wishes of the residents. Not only will all future buyers at FREEDOM POINTE have the right to use our jammed executive golf courses, but so will all their visitors and guests and families, especially during the busy seasons. The Board then authorized their attorney Mr. Lowery to research the question and have an answer at the next meeting of the VCCDD in April. At the April meeting of the VCCDD I again questioned the Developer’s Board and Mr. Lowrey, the attorney for the Board, as to the legality of the decision to give future residents of Freedom Pointe the right to use the facilities. As an attorney, I never doubted that Mr. Lowrey would find a way to claim that this impairment of the resident’s rights was legal and proper. However, how does he explain away the fact that the residents rights and obligations are part of the “Covenants and Restrictions” that are part of every homeowners’ deed and there are no homeowners’ deeds in Freedom Pointe, as the tenants in Freedom Pointe will never be homeowners? Mr. Lowery also claims that every commercial buyer of property from the Developer, i.e., in the Rolling Acres Shopping Center, and the new Walmart Shopping Area by 466 and 301 also have the right to use the facilities, as well as all the Developer’s commercial property south to Wildwood and Route 466A. I guess we are lucky that Harold Schwartz didn’t buy property in Orlando or Miami as Mr. Lowery would insist that those future buyers could also use our par 3 golf courses and pools. Mr. Lowery also never addressed the fact, that way back on May 9, 1996, in a recorded Agreement between the Developer and the VCCDD as part of an “AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES AND COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT OF AMENITIES FROM FUTURE RESIDENTS” it was agreed as follows: 3. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY THE VILLAGES ... E. Construction of Future Facilities ... 1. Minimum Capital Expenditure for Future Facilities. BECAUSE THE FACILITIES BEING ACQUIRED WILL NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO SERVE ALL CURRENT RESIDENTS AND ALL FUTURE RESIDENTS THROUGH BUILDOUT OF THE COMMUNITY, THE VILLAGES AGREES TO SPEND A MINIMUM OF 40% ... OF AMENITY FEES COLLECTED ... FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FUTURE FACILITIES.” As an attorney, I am convinced that it was implicit in our Amenity Agreement that in return for paying our amenity fees, we the residents would have exclusive rights to the use of the facilities. Nothing that Mr. Lowery says or writes and nothing that the VCCDD says or does will ever change the fact that they have breached the agreement with all of the residents. When will the resident’s in this wonderful community wake up to the fact that the VCCDD only speaks for the Developer and votes on all issues on the basis of what is best for the Developer and hardly even considers what the residents want or what is best for this community. I know that the Developer as the majority landowner in the commercial district of the Villages elects the supervisors and they work for the Developer, but it just ain’t right. That’s my opinion. The
POA will have its May 16 meeting at the The
speaker for the evening will be Mr. Louis Bremer, CEO of Leesburg Regional
Medical Center, the parent organization of the Mr.
Bremer will give an update on the expansion of the We
also plan to provide an update on the activities of the Vinyl Siding
Committee. If you haven’t been to one of our meetings in the past, please join us on May 16. This is a continuation of the verbatim transcript of the discussion in the February 7, 2006, VCCDD meeting. The discussion here is about Freedom Pointe and the VCCDD decision to extend Villages Amenities to the future residents of the retirement facility. This is long and somewhat dry reading, But, it will give you the flavor of the discussion in the meeting and the comments from residents and the developer-appointed supervisors of the VCCDD. The POA believes that the Freedom Pointe retirement facility is a welcome and needed addition to our community. Residents were concerned and wanted to wait and study the issue. However, the VCCDD supervisors wanted to proceed to honor the developer’s apparent offer to extend these benefits. The VCCDD’s developer-appointed supervisors listened to the concerns of residents and then ignored those concerns to vote for extending amenities to Freedom Pointe. There is no chance of appeal. There is a fundamental disconnect between residents and the VCCDD. This is what you get when the results of the Straw Vote are just thrown out by the VCCDD and then condoned by residents. If residents had the decision-making authority in the VCCDD for amenity issues, as was the point of the Straw Vote, we think this decision would have been delayed for further analysis and negotiations with Freedom Pointe. Perhaps then a good decision could have been made. (Note - Dreidame spoke with Lee McKnight, a Freedom Pointe official, after the meeting, and he confirmed that was what he told Dreidame. He said that it was true that they had spoken to Wise and asked him about the amenities. However, Wise simply answered we have already had that discussion and agreement. Lee stated that the basis for the conflicting stories was semantics, that Wise did not use the words “amenities would be available” and that was why he was denying the allegation. The developer and ARC had already agreed that all residents would have to pay the amenity fee - that it would not be optional to any individual condo owners but would be included in part of the ARC monthly amenity fee.) Ron
Zaggy, Resident - First, its size and scope. While I’m sure Brookdale will try to build a beautiful building it is simply too big of a building to directly border The Villages. It is out of character compared to the other residential buildings in The Villages. It is seven stories tall in its center and a parking garage and of all things it will bring up to 500 more healthy people to live in a dense already built-out area. Those of us affected by the visual impact of this building paid huge amounts of money for our lots. We didn’t expect the buffalo to be there forever we were led to believe that there would be beautiful one story medical buildings there. We propose that nothing of this size and height and with a parking garage never be built anywhere in The Villages. It’s just too big. Second point, that they are a private company using our Villages amenities as a selling point for their condo units. In their brochure they state that if people buy one of their condos then it will be included in their monthly fee. It also entitles those people to all of The Villages amenities, including golf and pools. Now, they probably have children, grand children, friends and everything else and now those people will be able to use those facilities also. The recreation pools are overcrowded and I don’t know where all of these people are going to go. How do we handle all of this? What’s to exclude other people from bringing in, let’s say’ Oakland Hills? If you are going to give it to one, you are opening up Pandora's Box. What other people will you allow to come in here to use our amenities if you are going to allow these people to do it?
Further
to the issue of persistent vinyl siding problems, we have heard from a few
homeowners in Duval that some siding contractors have flat out refused to use
the manufacturer’s finish trim/undersill or the double finish trim when
doing repair work on their homes. While
we have now seen use of the manufacturer recommended parts on many of the new
homes just being built south of Makeshift
techniques that have been shown to be unreliable are supposed to be good
enough for some of us. We
have observed unquestionably incorrect fixes to keep some top panels from
falling, such as face nailing and sneaking nails into the weep holes to secure
the panels that should have been properly inserted into finish trim. We
guess they assume we just don’t know, or won’t notice.
We suppose it’s even possible that they don’t know any better or
don’t have the proper training. We
homeowners must insist on the proper fix, not a jerrybuilt alternative which
obviously doesn’t work, as proven by the numerous falling and drooping top
panels that are easily seen once you know what to look for.
Remember
that the Dutch Lap style siding has a beveled contour, and depending where it
is cut horizontally to size, the integrity of the contour cannot be maintained
if the panel’s edge is being forced out against the J-channel by placing
scrap material behind it. Vinyl
siding should never be forced or have its natural expansion and contraction
restricted. No
one wants to have to deal with siding and construction issues.
We retired here to relax, play golf and enjoy life.
But to protect ourselves and our investment, homeowners should examine
their homes carefully, insist upon repairs and watch when repairs are being
done. Sometimes the repairs are as
bad as the original work, or even create other problems. Homeowners
need to speak up that shoddy workmanship is not acceptable for siding, or any
other construction issue, and not be discouraged by workers or supervisors who
want to do as little as possible. And
yes, all these seemingly insignificant things do affect the way siding hangs,
how it functions and how it looks on our homes. Look
at removed panels to see if nails were in the center of the slots, or if they
were positioned at the end of the slot, or if they went through the material
itself. If they were not in the
slot properly there is a likelihood there may be other areas that also need
attention. Make
sure the new panels are being installed correctly.
Loose nails or staples, or fasteners placed too far apart, are often
the cause of rattling siding. Nails
that are too tight restrict expansion and contraction and can cause ripples
and waves. Staples that are too
tight or placed through the vinyl itself can likewise cause ripples and waves,
and can also tear through the vinyl when it expands, resulting in no
fastening, or spacing that is too far between the remaining staples. Remember,
there should be 1/32”, the thickness of a dime, behind the panel when it is
fastened in place, regardless of the type of fastener. We
have seen the repairs on numerous homes and haven’t yet found one panel that
didn’t have incorrectly placed nails (not in center of slot) or fasteners
outside the slot, or placed right through the vinyl itself.
Correct
nail or staple placement is important for the aluminum starter strip at the
bottom of each wall, too, as well as corners, J-channel and finish trim: nails
need to be in the center of the slot, not through the material. Also
regarding starter, the excess concrete from the foundation pour should be
cleaned off prior to siding installation.
We have seen instances where the starter has been nailed over bumps and
waves of the concrete, subsequently making the bottom siding panel wavy. Another
thing to check is the vinyl J-channel. This
is the 1” piece that you can see all along the edge of the top panel, along
the angled sides of gables, along the bottom of gables over a roofed area,
around windows and doors, etc. This
piece forms a “J” shape in cross-section, but only the outer face is
visible once installed. This is
what cut ends and edges of panels seat into.
(Sometimes other finish pieces, such as corners, have a built-in
J-channel.) The J-channel should
be installed on a straight line, without curves or bows and the overlaps
should be neat and lapped the correct way so that water runs off, not into,
the joint. It should not rest
directly on roof shingles, but should be positioned at least 1/2” away.
More than that, and the visible gap becomes very noticeable and
unattractive. In fact, the Georgia
Pacific siding installation manual states, “Vinyl J-channel should not be in
direct contact with roofing shingles since the shingles may transfer enough
heat to the vinyl J-channel and the siding fitted inside to cause
distortion.” Georgia
Pacific is a major siding manufacturer. The
Villages may argue that Alcoa makes the product used here, but doesn’t
common sense tell you that it is best to avoid the possibility of distortion
by avoiding direct contact? Alcoa’s
manual says J-channel should be at least 1/2” off the shingles along a chalk
line, without explaining why they recommend this.
(A chalk line is a tool used to mark a straight line between two
points.) In
Duval, just looking at the front gables of many houses you can see a range of
spacing from direct placement of the J-channel on the shingles to gaps of 2
inches and more with the flashing, and sometimes the house wrap exposed.
There is no standard, there is no consideration for the consequences of
a particular method. The attitude
is, just throw it up as fast as you can. We
see little evidence that the siders use a chalk line, a square or a level, all
simple, basic tools commonly relied upon to make vinyl installations straight,
square, and level. In
We
can’t let this happen to us in Duval. Most
of us still have time before the year is up.
We need to check more closely and have these things repaired under the
warranty. One
of the Villages contractors responded to our question about why there is so
much shoddy workmanship in the Villages by saying that the workers are only
human and make mistakes. We all
make mistakes. That’s very true
and we can respect that. But why
so many mistakes? And why the same
mistakes again and again? Isn’t
it the contractors’ job to find and correct mistakes, or better yet, find
ways to prevent them? Why not slow
down and take the time to drive the nails or staples straight, to the right
depth and in the right position, and to check for straight lines, square
corners, level panels, neat joints, etc. Why
is each phase of construction continuing without pause to meet the next
deadline regardless of mistakes that are just being covered over, instead of
being corrected prior to the next phase? And
why are these homes being released and sold with so many flaws?
Why
are many flaws being disguised instead of properly corrected both prior to the
sale and subsequently when repairs are requested?
Each
contractor should have a knowledgeable and conscientious foreman or straw boss
oversee the subcontractors and workers and make sure all phases are correct
before work progresses, checking every home, every day.
Having the contractor stop by each work site 2 or 3 times during the
entire construction of each home is obviously not sufficient, particularly if
a complete examination is not done, and especially if the person inspecting
doesn’t recognize existing or potential problems either. The
siders here have been allowed to do whatever they want, without much
oversight. Many assumptions have
been made about the quality of their work, with little, if any, on-site
examination or review during or after installation.
The
point is that although mistakes are sometimes made, the majority should be
caught and corrected before the product reaches the end user, in this case,
the homeowner. That is what
quality control is all about. That’s
what consumers must insist upon. We
must educate ourselves and know what is and what is not acceptable. It
is certainly unfortunate that we have to give so much attention to vinyl
siding. We are sure no one wants
to be concerned with the details of siding installation at this point in our
lives. But
in order to protect ourselves we must become knowledgeable, otherwise these
problems will just be overlooked or ignored and we homeowners will be the
losers in the end, because these issues ultimately affect the value of our
homes. In
the past few months we have been asked to look over many neighbor’s homes in
Duval, to point out and give an opinion, based on experience, as to the
problems observed. This has earned
us the name, “Troublemaker,” from Home Warranty, because problems have
been detected that need repair. However,
one contractor, Dean Carter, has been convinced that the observations we
have made about the siding installation are true.
We have a lot of respect for someone who sees a problem and tries to
correct it as Carter is doing, instead of continuing denial or evasion. Even
though Carter is not getting sufficient cooperation from the subcontractors,
he is doing his part. Recently he
sent two of his representatives out with us for some pointers on what to look
for on some of the new home construction work sites. On
the first home we showed them how to pull gently at the bottom of each panel
to check for loose siding. On the
very first panel we checked we could feel that there were missing nails.
We looked underneath and found that the nails in that area were spaced
49” apart, not 16” as per the installation manual.
Other nails on that side were spaced at 21, 28, 30, and 32 inches
apart. Clearly unacceptable Is
this just a mistake? If so, why
are these mistakes happening so consistently?
We
also saw some nails out 1/2” - 5/8” and at least one nail positioned at
the end of the slot, not in the center. And
this was from just a few panels. What
more can we say? This
is brand new construction. The
reps could now see some of the problems we are dealing with.
We were glad to have the opportunity to prove what we have been saying. On
a brighter note, we were pleased to see that the manufacturer’s double finish
trim had been installed on several homes. We
looked at it with the reps, instead of using the unreliable, makeshift
alternative method. The needed
change is slowly being made. Months
ago some of the developer’s personnel claimed that they don’t get complaints
about siding. Perhaps its time to
wake up: you’re getting them now. People
need to know what to look for and have enough concern about this to do something
about it. As a community we need to work together to solve these problems.
Surely,
now that it has been brought to his attention, Mr. Morse will do the right thing
and enforce some quality control for the senior citizens of The Villages, but we
must press for a prompt resolution and proper repairs on all of our homes or an
extension of the warranty to allow enough time to address each homeowner’s
siding issues. It
was suggested to us that home inspectors be hired to check the siding
installation. It’s a good idea,
but why should we homeowners have to go to the expense of hiring an inspector
for a brand new home? Don’t we
have a right to expect good-quality workmanship?
Perhaps there should be a way to back charge the sider for our expenses
to check his work, since he was not concerned enough to check it himself.
The
siding problems were not created by a “troublemaker,” they were created by
poor workmanship practices. What
if we hire outside contractors to make the repairs?
Should we send Home Warranty the bill?
And if Home Warranty wants to charge homeowners for service calls if they
don’t find any problems, as they have told several homeowners here in Duval,
shouldn’t we charge them for wasting our time dealing with things that should
have been done right in the first place? They should stop dragging their feet, ‘fess up to the facts, do it right, and let us get on with our lives here in our beautiful Villages community.
At the POA Meeting on April 18th, we formed a
committee to address these Vinyl Siding Problems.
The committee plans to meet soon to determine how best to approach the
developer about fixing these problem homes.
As we learn more, we plan to update the membership at our monthly meeting
and through the POA Bulletin. Interested
residents should consider coming to our next POA meeting on May 16th at the
After
reading the article in The POA Bulletin regarding problems with vinyl siding, we
wonder where the building inspectors were. I
would think with all the impact fees and inspections required, some inspector
from the county should be involved with making sure the siding application is
correct.
The May Meeting of the Village Greens will be held on Wednesday May 23, 6:30 p.m., in the Laurel Manor Recreational Center. The speaker for the evening will be: Wendel Martinkovic speaking on Xeriscape (Florida-Friendly Landscaping). Xeriscape is a complicated sounding word for a very wise and simple concept. In a nut nutshell, xeriscaping is water-efficient landscaping that's appropriate to the natural environment. The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Xeriscapes can save a tremendous amount of water. An established, properly-maintained xeriscape needs about one-third the water of a traditional turf-based landscape. Some plants require almost no supplemental watering once they are established. Contrary to popular misconception, xeriscape does not mean rock and a cactus. And, the properly planned xeriscape can offer brilliant color all year long. Mr. Martinkovic is well qualified to speak on the topic. He is past director of the Master Gardener program in Sumter County.
In
the last issue of the POA Bulletin, you printed an article “We’re Not A
Resort.” I and my friends cannot
thank you enough for that. As full
time residents, we think that something must be done to protect our rights
first. We are here all year around
to support the local businesses and the golfing. I
also think that before one can rent or buy they should be given driving
lessons for the turn-abouts. We
could avoid many of the accidents if there were signs posted that require
everyone to stay to the right and not make right turns from the left lane.
The signs must be like pictures as the yield signs must be in a foreign
language because cars seem to dart out just as we come around into the circle
and miss us by inches. Of course
they don’t seem to think that they have done anything wrong so I must think
they cannot comprehend the sign as it is. I
have maintained that people pack a suitcase for vacation and leave their
manners and good sense at home. I
would bet that not one of them would behave like they do where they have to
see their peers on a more regular basis. It
is such a shame that the year rounders absolutely dread the winter and that is
why we moved here in the first place.
I
read the article on Snowbirds in the April issue and feel that while a positive
article, it completely missed the most important benefits full time Village
residents receive from the Snowbirds. 1)
Snowbirds own, pay their Amenities Fees for twelve months, and only use those
amenities for three to four months each year.
This results in a windfall for full-time residents who use the amenities
the entire year. 2)
If all the Snowbirds would suddenly decide to move full-time to The Villages,
then the lines in the restaurants, the difficulty in getting Tee times and the
crowded roads would be a fact of life twelve months a year instead of only three
to four months. 3)
The portion of the property taxes that is used to maintain the public services
and the infrastructure is being paid equally by the Snowbirds while they are
only using those services during the winter months.
They don't even get the benefit of the full time resident property tax
exemption. How much higher would
property taxes be if not for subsidies contributed by the Snowbirds? Whenever
a full-time Villager sees an empty house he should be aware that the Snowbird
owner of that house is subsidizing them. Then
they should just smile at their good fortune.
I
was among people leaving the Saddlebrook Softball Complex recently after a
playoff game. As
we were coming across the parking lot a group of 6-8 golf carts came barreling
down the lot from behind the fields. They
were riding nose to tail at full tilt without any concern for the cars that
might be backing out, or, heaven forbid, people that were crossing or anything.
They came to a screeching halt at the intersection of the golf path and
the parking lot entrance by the pickleball courts, almost running into each
other. It was like they were on a
fast parade to get somewhere with no regard for others.
It was very fortunate no one was injured for they were not slowing down
for anything except whatever made them abruptly stop.
Please,
people, be careful. Think if you
were the ones walking or biking across the lots.
Following
is a exchange on the POA Website Forum of several residents on the subject of
dogs and their clean-up. This
appears to be a serious problem here. For
all the dog owners and dog walkers in The Villages, please read these comments
and recognize that it is your responsibility to clean up, and your neighbors may
not want you to walk your dog on their property. The
POA is not aware of any formal effort to restrict dog walking at this time.
It is doubtful that dogs would ever be banned.
However, if complaints continue, especially about hostile responses from
dog walkers, we may see an effort to restrict, for example, dog walking to just
the owner’s property. We would not
like to see restrictions like that – but, that might have to be one of the
considerations for solving the problems. Here
is the POA Website Forum exchange on this topic: Mar
25: There are conspicuously few dog
walkers who follow the rules to "curb" their pets.
They are mostly allowed to walk up into lawns and do...whatever.
Late night walkers too often are the worst; too often not cleaning up
after themselves. Such small lawns
that are mostly so well taken care of, this carelessness is such a shame. Mar
25: I too have noticed the same
disregard for common property. Too
many times have seen owners allow their pets to urinate on mail facility plants.
Most plants near the mail boxes are dead from the highly acidic urine.
How about walking them in your own backyards and not killing off the
public areas. Mar
28: This is a big problem on my
block. I recently sent an Email to
all my neighbors on the loop politely asking them to stop.
It's amazing how arrogant & hostile a couple of the replies were. Apr
3: Pets and dogs, etc., are a hot
topic these days. There are
rumors all over that pets may be prohibited from The Villages in the near future
for the reasons stated above. It
is not the pets so much as the owners of the pets. Apr 7: I doubt if there will ever be a rule against dog ownership in The Villages. There are too many dog owners. I must admit dog owners get endless enjoyment from their dogs. However, they fail to realize we are not all dog lovers and we do not appreciate them using our property for their dogs to mess on. In my experience once a person acquires a dog they also acquire an attitude. I have seen rational, thoughtful people go completely dog crazy. They become oblivious to the problems their dogs create. They become indignant when we ask them to not let their dog defecate and/or urinate on our lawns. They think it is cute when their dogs barks at us when we walk by their house. They feed their dogs at outside tables at restaurants. Having said that I must add that there is nothing we can do to change their attitude. Why
aren't the rules about putting out the garbage on collection day enforced?
We
put our garbage out the night before pick-up -- generally about 11 pm or so.
If
you drive around our Village the day before pick-up it looks like the ghetto
-- with bags of garbage in front of home sometimes as early as 9 am the day
before pick-up -- and it destroys the beauty of the neighborhood. It
is hard for me to understand why an owner would want bags of garbage in front of
their home to begin with. We
have one of our pick-ups on Monday and Sunday should be a beautiful and peaceful
day and not filled with garbage on the streets. Suggestion:
Each pool has a telephone. Post the phone number to be called when there
is a problem with unauthorized persons using the pool or authorized persons
misusing the pool. Many
of us are reluctant to be confrontational but do not want to condone unsafe
usage (pushing, shoving, unattended children, etc.). I
was reading the current issue of the POA Bulletin and was surprised by the Vinyl
Siding article. I am pleased that
some one had the knowledge to bring light to this problem. I
have another similar concern and don’t know how wide spread the problem is but
would like to hear about others with similar concerns. My
concern is the rocker-type switches now being used.
Several had to be replaced within six months because they “flicker.”
I was told by the contractor that they received a “bad batch” of
these switches. When one year passed
they are no longer warranted. Now
I find they “leak” voltage per the contractor who says this is a common
problem and is to be expected, but not corrected.
I
feel if the contractor knew of “bad batches” he should replace them no
matter how long it takes. I
have light switches in my last home for over 40 years with no problems.
One-and-a-half years is a defect and should be replaced at no cost to the
homeowner. Can
the POA be of any assistance in this matter?
Charles
B. Schroeder P.S.
I was also told by the warranty department that a fee would be charged
for coming out to inspect the switches. One-and-a-half
years is not an acceptable life for electrical switches and if the contractor
won’t repair (them) the manufacturer should replace them. When
I closed on my new home, my wife and I were both given a Village ID with our
picture and a bar code. No
information with these IDs prohibited "duplicating."
When
we go to our local Lynnhaven pool, neither of us takes a wallet.
So, I made a copy of the Village ID and put it in a clear plastic picture
sleeve. This duplicate ID is only
used for our visits to our pool and has been checked many times by Village
recreation personnel. Last
week the Village person was checking IDs at our pool and used the bar code gun,
which gave an "okay." My picture also identified me as authorized
person. However,
this ID checker took my duplicate ID and stated they are not to be duplicated,
which is first I was aware of this. I
talked to Pat Henry, who confirmed that Village IDs are not to be duplicated.
But no where on any of my closing paperwork is this statement made.
It is my understanding that this is just an "ID," not a credit
card, etc. Long
story, short bad communications and embarrassment. Your
views on behalf of the property owners is commendable.
However, perhaps you can't see the forest for the trees. I'm
talking I
own one of the smallest of the designer homes, 1407 square feet, to be
exact. Its assessed value is $161,262. Compare
that with rental residential property, zoned as a business, I own in Yet
my What
really frosts me is the amount allocated toward education.
Do the math! I'm told
there are 21,000 homes in the Villages portion of My
personal gift in 5 years of residency has been over $5,000.
And I've never even received a "thank you." How
many children in those 21,000 Villages homes go to school?
Am I missing something here? And
The Villages isn't the only retirement community in Maybe
what the POA is missing is directing its attention to correcting this
inequity. Thomas N. Shaw Oh
My Gosh -- The Villages just recently completed its Annual Survey and it forgot
these questions. And, they want to
be thorough. Thus, if you would like
to answer these questions and forward your responses to Monica Andersen at the
SLCDD offices, we are sure she would be happy to hear your comments. Here
are the forgotten Survey questions for your consideration:
April
Fools!!
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