Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
This whole process of hiring a manager is really making the bod look like a bunch of school kids trying to pick the prettiest girl in the senior class !!! Is this again going to be who is most popular with board members, much like the way the board is elected on how many friends I have. LA is really looking like a place in complete disorder and with no one really caring about what's going on as long as board members get their electric upgrades, road repairs, or laterals replaced. LA is no longer a place for all owners but one for a select few who are on the board. Wake up 1
anon -- i think they're trying to game the process -- i don't believe they know how to qualify or vet prospective applicants -- they are all jockeying to get a manager they can control so they can inject themselves into the management of la --
this has nothing to do with getting a strong qualified manager who can run la for the community members or to enhance the community member's interests--
when this is over i believe the members should assess the new manager and if they're not satisfied then they should remember this when bod members are up for election -- they need to take responsibility for the actions that they control as a board member-- this is one of them!
#110
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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comment reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
Can anyone tell me if we have a manager yet? I hate calling down to the office, I never get straight answers. Do we know how many people were interviewed. The LA website says interviews where held on the 20th are they only going to interview people for one day? I think they should meet with any possible manager more than one time. What if the guy was a smooth talker and we end up stuck with some idiot all over again.
Not that i'm trying to be a ball buster put Im scared that they are just gonna go for someone that will work cheap so that they can micro-manage. I would rather pay a little more for someone that knows what they are doing.
Who is over seeing all the projects we have going on? I'm really not sure who to trust, BOD, CCLA or whatever. Talk about a test of faith.
anon -- yes this process will be a test of faith -- as i said before we will get a good manager or a bad manager -- just luck -- the bod will have a real test of their abilities to try and figure out this selection process and how to evaluate and choose a suitable manager-- i don't believe they have the collective ability to handle this task -- it is way above their pay grade!!!! the members really need to consider what is happening with this current board -- they have mismanaged one problem after another -- 12' wide issue. the attorney replacement issue, the lateral replacement project, the electrical upgrade project, the continued decline in the quality of life issue with the community, the rupture in community relations with the members resulting in the ccla effort, the demoralization of the la employees, the inability to hire a qualified community manager-- this is a bod in disarray and i believe a dysfunctional bod--
they need a strong manager that can and will operate la for the benefit of the entire community -- they need a find a person with this background and allow them to run la --the bod can not manage la -- it's beyond their abilities
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
CCLA
SO THE BOD HAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CCLA INTENTIONS --- WELL THEY ARE NOTHING LIKE THIS STORY --- CCLA ARE ANGELS
Indian Workers Planned Attack That Killed Boss - Company
Monday September 29th, 2008 / 9h17
NEW DELHI (AFP)--The Italian company whose local boss in India was beaten to death by sacked workers said Monday the killing resulted from a planned attack on their offices.
Former employees at car parts maker Graziano Trasmissioni assaulted chief executive Lalit Kishore Chaudhary, 47, when a meeting held last week to discuss a long-running labor dispute turned violent.
Chaudhary was hit on the head with a stick or an iron rod and was declared dead on arrival at hospital, police said.
More than 60 people have been arrested over charges ranging from murder to rioting, while a total of 136 remain in detention.
The workers were dismissed three months ago after they demanded pay rises and allegedly ransacked the firm's offices in Noida, an industrial district outside Delhi.
Graziano's parent company, Oerlikon, announced in a statement Monday it believed the attack on its premises was plotted in advance.
"Mr. Chaudhary's death resulted from what appears to have been a calculated and planned riot, as part of an effort to destroy the relationship between the company and the employees," it said.
The Italian embassy in New Delhi had earlier expressed concerns that Indian authorities failed to act despite months of threats to the company.
India's labor minister Oscar Fernandes was forced to apologize after he appeared to back the workers whom police say killed Chaudhary, calling the attack "a warning for management."
The Confederation of Indian Industry led widespread outrage over his comments, saying "no dispute can be settled by murdering an adversary."
Many Indian business leaders said the death could deter foreign companies from investing in the country.
The district of Noida is home to multinational firms such as Honda Motor Co. (HMC), LG Electronics Inc. (066570.SE) and Moser-Baer India Ltd. (517140.BY).
Monday September 29th, 2008 / 9h17 Source : Dowjones Business News
THESE GUYS WERE REALLY MAD AT THE BOSS!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Comment reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
Comments about accountability of projects is right in line. NO company or homeowner has work done without an estimate and a schedule of work thru completion. On the lateral project I'd bet if a property owner asked how many laterals are complete no one could give you a number. The previous manager had no control of the contractor doing the work and all he seemed to do was sign checks then, when the contractor left, admitted to po's that we were ripped off!!!!...Are we headed down the same road? With no property manager and relying on the board to run the projects are we headed for more disasters??What excuse is the bod using to still not have a manager, do they think they can do a better job running the place from home and are they available 24/7?? With what's going on on Wall Sreet and with the government not bailing out anybody who will bail out Lake Adventure when our funds are exhausted do to miss-spending and mis-management, or I should say no management.
ANON -- I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU -- LA BOD HAS A LOT TO DO AND I'M NOT CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE GETTING EVERYTHING DONE -- THE MEMBER'S INTERESTS ARE NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF AT THIS TIME
#112
FREE CLASSIFIED AD
Hello Chipper....just wanted to let you know that my friends that had me list their Cadillac Coupe De Ville ..1982..for sale ...have actually sold it! They asked me to have you take the listing off now. Thanks for the service...
I'll try to make more people aware of this service. If they don't have a laptop up at LA I'll be glad to list things for them! (through you ofcourse)
I'll be in touch,
Kathleen of Forest Glen Drive
NOT GOOD TIMES
FANNIE MAE freddi mac LEHMAN BROS bear sterns WAMU wachovia AIG merril lynch
777
la contingency plans in place???
#112
Sunday, September 28, 2008
comment reply
Anonymous to me
show details 6:27 PM (2 hours ago)
Reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
How much could a collection agency cost? Half a mil is a lot to be lost each year and it seems like it would be worth the investment even if we recovered 1 or $200,000. The LA website states electrical upgrades will start this month on Forrest Glenn and Blue Aspen.
anon -- you're right --- now la gets nothing in most cases and once people get behind in a payment or two they will never catch up-- then they all but abandon their property -- any thing la recovers through a collection agency is more than they get now and when word spreads that the CA is after members it may get others to pay up rather than let their dues slip into default and have a CA after them-- the thing is the bod doesn't have a better method to collect default payments and no one on staff wants to be a bad guy and do it so it's either ignore the problem ( which they're doing now) or get a collection agency -- not hard to figure out
it would be nice to have a count on the number of properties that this crew is doing in a given period of time -- there is no accountability for this work progress or the lateral work progress -- the bod says we're doing these jobs -- well then they should back it up with numbers otherwise 10 years down the road we're still doing these projects and the members are still paying the bills--- members need to have accountability and so far there is none-- how many people would hire a contractor to do a job at their home without some idea of the contractors progress and accounting of the job -- you just hire them and they work and keep sending you a bill as they see fit -- NO ONE WOULD DO THAT -- WHY DOES THE LA BOD THINK THEY CAN OPERATE THIS WAY--
comment reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WaMu":
for you're information, dues collection has actuall improved this past qtr., delinquent rate has dropped
anon-- that is great and let's hope it continues into the winter and spring BUT since this information is not available to the members no one really knows, except you evidently -- there should be a running account on this aspect of the finances on the la web site-- it should be updated quarterly -- the collection rate of any community is a sign of the communities financial status and health -- then again the bod would probably likes to keep this type of information quiet and secret -- no need to let the membership know about minor issues like this or maybe they're concerned that if the defaults increase they may have to do something-- that would require them to make decisions and god only knows that is difficult for this bod--- i believe that la is experiencing 16% defaults -- that over $ 500,000.00 ( a half mullion dollars) per year that la could be applying to upgrades on the electrics or the lateral project ( opps --SORRY both of these may be ghost projects that aren't being done anyway so why worry about them or the half million?????) so my point is they make no effort to collect the fee defaults now and leave a half million on the table -- i don't really have a lot of faith in them that they will make any effort to change their ways if the members defaults get worse --
#113
Saturday, September 27, 2008
RAIN RAIN RAIN
WELL IT HAS BEEN RAINING FOR 3 DAYS NOW -- LONG OVERDUE BUT HAVEN'T BEEN TO LA FOR 2 WEEKS NOW - MAYBE NEXT WEEK --- I DOUBT MANY PEOPLE ARE UP AT LA -- THE LEAVES HAVEN'T STARTED CHANGING YET --THAT'S A MONTH AWAY-- DOWN HERE IN BETHLEHEM IS THE WEEKEND FOR THE CELTIC FESTIVAL -- LAST NIGHT THEY HAD PEOPLE EVEN WITH THE RAIN-- THIS IS ALSO THE WEEKEND AT SHAWNEE FOR THE RODEO -- THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD EVENT
WILD 2 WEEKS WITH THE FINANCIAL SITUATION -- HOPE IT STRAIGHTENS OUT OR WE'LL ALL BE BROKE SOON-- YIKS!
#114
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
WaMu
WaMu -- free checking -- no fees !!
OPPS!! NO MORE WAMU
like a dripping faucet drip drip drip drip --soon it may turn into a flood
la bod better have some contingency plans ready for a lot of member fee defaults -- it could be just around the corner -- like january
#116
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
GEORGE WILL -- MAYBE???
McCain Loses His Head
Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high. It is not Barack Obama.
Channeling his inner Queen of Hearts, John McCain furiously, and apparently without even looking around at facts, said Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should be decapitated. This childish reflex provoked the Wall Street Journal to editorialize that "McCain untethered" -- disconnected from knowledge and principle -- had made a "false and deeply unfair" attack on Cox that was "unpresidential" and demonstrated that McCain "doesn't understand what's happening on Wall Street any better than Barack Obama does."
To read the Journal's details about the depths of McCain's shallowness on the subject of Cox's chairmanship, see "McCain's Scapegoat" (Sept. 19). Then consider McCain's characteristic accusation that Cox "has betrayed the public's trust."
Perhaps an old antagonism is involved in McCain's fact-free slander. His most conspicuous economic adviser is Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who previously headed the Congressional Budget Office. There he was an impediment to conservatives, including then-Rep. Cox, who, as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, persistently tried and generally failed to enlist CBO support for "dynamic scoring" that would estimate the economic growth effects of proposed tax cuts.
In any case, McCain's smear -- that Cox "betrayed the public's trust" -- is a harbinger of a McCain presidency. For McCain, politics is always operatic, pitting people who agree with him against those who are "corrupt" or "betray the public's trust," two categories that seem to be exhaustive -- there are no other people. McCain's Manichaean worldview drove him to his signature legislative achievement, the McCain-Feingold law's restrictions on campaigning. Today, his campaign is creatively finding interstices in laws intended to restrict campaign giving and spending. (For details, see The Post of Sept. 17; and the New York Times of Sept. 19.)
By a Gresham's Law of political discourse, McCain's Queen of Hearts intervention in the opaque financial crisis overshadowed a solid conservative complaint from the Republican Study Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the RSC decried the improvised torrent of bailouts as a "dangerous and unmistakable precedent for the federal government both to be looked to and indeed relied upon to save private sector companies from the consequences of their poor economic decisions." This letter, listing just $650 billion of the perhaps more than $1 trillion in new federal exposures to risk, was sent while McCain's campaign, characteristically substituting vehemence for coherence, was airing an ad warning that Obama favors "massive government, billions in spending increases."
The political left always aims to expand the permeation of economic life by politics. Today, the efficient means to that end is government control of capital. So, is not McCain's party now conducting the most leftist administration in American history? The New Deal never acted so precipitously on such a scale. Treasury Secretary Paulson, asked about conservative complaints that his rescue program amounts to socialism, said, essentially: This is not socialism, this is necessary. That non sequitur might be politically necessary, but remember that government control of capital is government control of capitalism. Does
McCain have qualms about this, or only quarrels?
On "60 Minutes" Sunday evening, McCain, saying "this may sound a little unusual," said that he would like to replace Cox with Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic attorney general of New York who is the son of former governor Mario Cuomo. McCain explained that Cuomo has "respect" and "prestige" and could "lend some bipartisanship." Conservatives have been warned.
Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.
It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?
georgewill@washpost.com
#117
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
OH NO ! MR. BILL !!!!! # 2
CASH FOR TRASH
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: September 21, 2008
Some skeptics are calling Henry Paulson’s $700 billion rescue plan for the U.S. financial system “cash for trash.” Others are calling the proposed legislation the Authorization for Use of Financial Force, after the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the infamous bill that gave the Bush administration the green light to invade Iraq.
There’s justice in the gibes. Everyone agrees that something major must be done. But Mr. Paulson is demanding extraordinary power for himself — and for his successor — to deploy taxpayers’ money on behalf of a plan that, as far as I can see, doesn’t make sense.
Some are saying that we should simply trust Mr. Paulson, because he’s a smart guy who knows what he’s doing. But that’s only half true: he is a smart guy, but what, exactly, in the experience of the past year and a half — a period during which Mr. Paulson repeatedly declared the financial crisis “contained,” and then offered a series of unsuccessful fixes — justifies the belief that he knows what he’s doing? He’s making it up as he goes along, just like the rest of us.
So let’s try to think this through for ourselves. I have a four-step view of the financial crisis:
1. The bursting of the housing bubble has led to a surge in defaults and foreclosures, which in turn has led to a plunge in the prices of mortgage-backed securities — assets whose value ultimately comes from mortgage payments.
2. These financial losses have left many financial institutions with too little capital — too few assets compared with their debt. This problem is especially severe because everyone took on so much debt during the bubble years.
3. Because financial institutions have too little capital relative to their debt, they haven’t been able or willing to provide the credit the economy needs.
4. Financial institutions have been trying to pay down their debt by selling assets, including those mortgage-backed securities, but this drives asset prices down and makes their financial position even worse. This vicious circle is what some call the “paradox of deleveraging.”
The Paulson plan calls for the federal government to buy up $700 billion worth of troubled assets, mainly mortgage-backed securities. How does this resolve the crisis?
Well, it might — might — break the vicious circle of deleveraging, step 4 in my capsule description. Even that isn’t clear: the prices of many assets, not just those the Treasury proposes to buy, are under pressure. And even if the vicious circle is limited, the financial system will still be crippled by inadequate capital.
Or rather, it will be crippled by inadequate capital unless the federal government hugely overpays for the assets it buys, giving financial firms — and their stockholders and executives — a giant windfall at taxpayer expense. Did I mention that I’m not happy with this plan?
The logic of the crisis seems to call for an intervention, not at step 4, but at step 2: the financial system needs more capital. And if the government is going to provide capital to financial firms, it should get what people who provide capital are entitled to — a share in ownership, so that all the gains if the rescue plan works don’t go to the people who made the mess in the first place.
That’s what happened in the savings and loan crisis: the feds took over ownership of the bad banks, not just their bad assets. It’s also what happened with Fannie and Freddie. (And by the way, that rescue has done what it was supposed to. Mortgage interest rates have come down sharply since the federal takeover.)
But Mr. Paulson insists that he wants a “clean” plan. “Clean,” in this context, means a taxpayer-financed bailout with no strings attached — no quid pro quo on the part of those being bailed out. Why is that a good thing? Add to this the fact that Mr. Paulson is also demanding dictatorial authority, plus immunity from review “by any court of law or any administrative agency,” and this adds up to an unacceptable proposal.
I’m aware that Congress is under enormous pressure to agree to the Paulson plan in the next few days, with at most a few modifications that make it slightly less bad. Basically, after having spent a year and a half telling everyone that things were under control, the Bush administration says that the sky is falling, and that to save the world we have to do exactly what it says now now now.
But I’d urge Congress to pause for a minute, take a deep breath, and try to seriously rework the structure of the plan, making it a plan that addresses the real problem. Don’t let yourself be railroaded — if this plan goes through in anything like its current form, we’ll all be very sorry in the not-too-distant future.
More Articles in Opinion » A version of this article appeared in print on September 22, 2008, on page A23 of the New York edition.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
comment replys
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "BOD MEETING NOTES --7/08":
how did you get these minutes if they weren't posted yet?
anon -- on the la web site last night
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
Thank you chipper for your insightful reply. I agree the picture was in poor taste. Unfortunately some people are going to slant there comments to accommodate there own agenda with total disregard for the truth.
anon -- yes a moment of poor reaction on my part
#119
BOD MEETING NOTES --7/08
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR -- 8.08 MEETING NOTES NOT YET POSTED -ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT YOU THE MEMBERS SEE HERE --- LET'S HEAR FROM YOU -- chipper
Lake Adventure Community Association, Inc.
Open Board of Directors Minutes
July 19th Meeting
Page | 1
11:30am Berkey asked that all present stand and Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.
The panel was introduced as follows: Artie Berkey, President, Lenny Masucci, Vice-President, Ed Rohs, Treasurer, Alfredo Siaba, Secretary, Tom Annunziata, Member, Marietta Richard, Member, and Debbie Boyle, Accountant.
Berkey apologized to the audience for the delay, but explained that the Community Manager has been terminated and it took a little longer than expected.
Berkey turned the meeting over to Debbie Boyle of Weseloh Carney & Company who has completed the annual audit ending April 30, 2008.
Between our operational and reserve accounts we have a net income of $54,000, which is higher than
expected with the high cost of the commercial loan payments. Expenses have increased somewhat. The accounting department has no major deficiencies. When asked how LACA rates with other communities overall, Boyle stated we are doing well. Our delinquency rate is approximately 16%, but a lot of this is old debt.
Question & Answer Period
Lot #1770 – Rich Hausler – informed the audience that when the Pledge of Allegiance is being recited that ALL hats should be OFF!
Lot # 1773 – Sal Ventola – requested to know all employees pay…Berkey stated he would discuss this with the Board and will see him later.
Lot # 76 – Les Force – has had problems with the electric for the past several days. Berkey stated that a main breaker was bad and it was taken care of at 10:30pm last night. Mr. Force also requested that the July Open meeting is always missed by the swim team parents, etc., and can we make this one meeting for the afternoon. Berkey stated it would take place at 1pm.
Lot # 1231 – Gary Culp – suggested that LACA design a brochure to draw in more people looking for a place like this.
Lot # 777 – Trish Callahan – Lost all her food due to maintenance negligence in turning off her electric to work on adjacent lot and never turned her back on. Berkey stated to submit a bill for her losses.
Lot # 1770 – Sue Hausler – Requested that property owners shut off their lights at night…In the middle of the night the whole place is lit up and wasting so much electricity.
Berkey also requested that only toilet paper be flushed. No paper towels, sanitary napkins, wipes, etc. On July 4th weekend one of the major pumps went because it was clogged with rags.
Lot # 693 – Bruce Caulder – has worked with electric his whole life and are any of our maintenance men certified in electric and plumbing, because it is a life threating job. Safety is the issue. How long will it take before the whole park is upgraded?
Lot # 967 – Terri Isabella – wants the speed bump replaced that was by the sharp turn on Locust Lake Drive and Village Drive East. Berkey stated if one was available it would be replaced today. Also, the hayride goes too fast. In the winter snow was piled 4 feet high in her driveway and could have been pushed away in the cul-de-sac.
Lot # 897 – Mr. Gometro – posted a for sale sign by office and it was taken down by JOCO. Berkey stated he could put his sign there and he would speak to JOCO.
Lot # 1054 – Tom Annunziata – why are we spending money on the CCLA when the Attorney General stated that we are compliant in every area that they said we were not. Berkey stated he doesn’t know why the CCLA never went to the office and requested documents because they would not have been denied.
Lot # 927 – Mr. Cortijo – Why do we allow JOCO to have exclusive rights to Lake Adventure Lots? We can sell them ourselves and keep the money from going in his pocket. Berkey stated we are working on it.
Lot # 1924 – Jean Banick – Our current auditor should be audited..asked Boyle if she audits what LACA supplies her. Boyle stated there is a list of items that must be supplied and anything asked for is also supplied. Also questioned if our employees are bonded and how much insurance do we have to cover losses.
Lot # 170 – Tom Benson – At the rate we’re going it will take 50 years to fully upgrade the park. Also, there is an abandoned motor home on Lot 171 that looks horrible. Siaba stated it would be resolved.
Lot # 468 – Maryann Malanaphy – another electrical problem on Big Bass with a great loss to her appliances…When is this area going to be upgraded? Richard stated that if we start at the beginning where the oldest lots are, and work our way back, then this will lessen the load down the line.
Lot # 1430 – Roy Zold – He understood that Richard was a member of the CCLA and how could she be a board member? Richard stated she was a member but had excluded herself from the group since becoming a member of the board.
Lot #1423 – Ruth Burok – since we cannot post for sale signs at our lot, and the community flea market was cancelled, can she herself conduct a yard sale on her lot if she obtained the proper permit? Berkey stated of course.
Lot #1497 – Mr. Bebe – He thanks the board because it is a thankless job and feels bad that the CCLA sent letters requesting money and that was not the way to go seeking an attorney. One other thing is that could we please publish the income side of the budget in more detail.
Lot # 202 – Bill Salus – Could we please publish something on the web or in the flyer as soon as we hear any news on the 12 wides. Berkey stated we would.
Lot # 1728 – Mr. Diaz – stated that when his breaker went bad, maintenance came with a box of breakers, some of them not working. It is policy to keep bad breakers?
Lot # 24 – Carol – why are there red marks in her driveway. Richard stated that this was to mark the old line when the work begins for the new lines.
Jean Banick & Juan Vigo – they are both members of the CCLA and they are a legitimate group. They were following directions from their legal advisors. Berkey stated he wished this CCLA would go away and he would supply them with whatever they want within reason.
Lot #1700 – Mrs. Connors – The laundry room is a disgrace. The machines are broken half the time…we need a new contractor..Berkey stated that new ideas were in the works.
Lot # 1054 – Tom Annunziata – wanted to inform the audience that in Eagle Lake where they do have 12 wides, that the taxes are much higher than we pay at LACA.
Mrs. Schatzle asked Berkey what means they were going to use to find another Community Manager. Berkey stated they would accept resumes and applications and the Board would make the decision.
1:10pm – They’re being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted
Alfredo Siaba
Secretary
AS/cad
Friday, September 19, 2008
comment reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
I thought this was place people could express their opinion. Both of you have expressed valid concerns however the Post Script comment and photograph were probably unnecessary. I also understand why a property owner isn't allowed to be property manager or office employee to an extent however it is common practice for select employees with a need to know to have access to that type of information in the business world. Divulging or misusing this information is grounds for dismissal and possible criminal charges. That being the case it wouldn't matter whether the employee lived inside or outside the community. In this scenario I can see why the rule is there and bias is a concern as is 12 month residency. I don't think there is any discrimination law being broken. Discrimination laws cover gender, age, race, religion, family status, national orgin, military status, sexual orientation, disability, body size/shape assuming you meet the job requirements. LAs rule falls into the job requirement category similar to companies not allowing their employees to take part in marketing contests, or requiring them to have a valid driver's license, or not have any DUI's, or must not have a criminal record, must submit to a drug test, etc. Having a property manager live on site may lead to salary problems, on site-on call 24/7 $$$. Is the PM a real exempt manager who can hire and fire or does the BOD need to approve? If a non-exempt manager (supervises but does not hire and fire) then all the labor laws come into effect. Who wants to take on the Labor Board? Then there is the living standard, the trailers and community by law are not approved for 12 month residency so the manager or office employee would have to have a larger 4 season manufactured home to live in and get a dispensation from the township to live on site for 12 months. 12' wides for recreation are not yet allowed so getting this to pass seems bleak. Who would pay for it? I'm sure there are several other things that come into play so this is just not a simple case of the BOD playing hard ball by not allowing a property owner or office employee to live on site.
anon -- i believe your wrong on more than one issue -- it remains to be seen---chipper
comment reply
anonymous said...
for your information 3 seats are up for re-election!!!!!!!!duh!
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
We all bought our property knowing it is available for our use 12 months a year. Stop complaining because you only come up week ends, that's your choice, or sell and go to Eagle Lake since it's so great there.
anons --- 3 seats are better than two -- hopefully the community members will be able to remove 3 sitting members and begin to really change the board == i'm told that used board members from years ago are interested in being recycled back for another term-- the problems at la are not just the problems from this current neglectful board but from past boards that didn't oversee and manage la any better than the board members now -- they were just as neglectful --- la needs new people who will work for the members interests -- these new people need to begin to come forward
i am trying to put together a email list of people who would like to be updated on what is happening at la and be made aware of those that are interested in running for board seats --- send me your email at lachipper@gmail.com
anon -- yes la is open all year round -- and anyone is welcome to use and visit la -- but 99% of all the members visit la between memorial day and labor day -- about 12 weeks -- the other 40 weeks just about no one is here but la employees a full time staff all winter -- waste of funds -- everyone else in the poconos operates on a seasonal basis and there is no reason la doesn't adopt this sensible practice and stop wasting money -- an essential staff will stay at la year round and be available for operations -- but there are some staff and operations that can go seasonal and help la save money
management of staffing and operations are the responsibility of the bod -- they're dropping the ball
#121
comment reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
I for one am against a property owner being the manager. It leaves too much room for bias, which is probably why the rule is in place, also don't need a P/O privy to confidential information. Mr. Friend sounds like a child who can't get his way. Too many people throwing out mis-information here just for the sake of it. Try doing your homework before shooting off your mouth. By the way, we did have a mgmt. co. just prior to the last mgr. and it cost us a fortune, but if you are up on things at LA you would have known that. BOD aren't miracle workers and have state & local regulations they have to follow, not to say there isn't always room for improvement. Just tired of all the bashing going on from people who don't bother to check the facts.
anon -- members now are exposed to intimidation, harassment, retaliation coming from the sitting security and architectural committees with the indiscriminate enforcement of rules in response to complaints from misguided and in some cases outright racist members simply base upon their racial bias, ethnic bias, generational bias, gender bias --- this is going on now -- these people involved in this activity are the ones that are afraid of a strong manager who might put an end to their assault on other community members
a manager is responsible to maintain the confidentiality of assoc. records -- that is the rule any professional manager understands -- second if any records are being hidden by the bod or contain data that is harmful to the bod then the bod is in more trouble than we think and quite frankly a lot more stupid than i thought
that is an indefensible excuse and a well as the no members can have an office management position rule
this board is responsible for la and it is now and in the past have allowed numerous violations of rules and laws, both at the state and federal level---- community members must realize that this puts la at financial risk in case of an accident. fine or a lawsuit -- this will happen sooner or later
a community that has a bod that is irresponsible, incompetent, reckless, willfully violates and is in violation of state and federal statures and to top it off arrogant is a recipe for disaster!!
ps -mr. friend says get your head out of your ass and look around -
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "contract management":
Time passes by and the BOD still has no answer to a new property Manager. Most of the "Summer Dwellers" have left so again no one to watch the store. What is so hard about evaluating resumes or applications.If we go into the winter season with no one to make decisions in case of an emergency situation such as sewage discharge, power failure, storm.... Will Board members make themselves available 24/7 to run the place??? Not hardly when they want to sail thru meetings so they can go to social events. LA is in a serious situation and it's about time ALL PROPERTY owners are aware of it and voice their opinions before their investment in LA goes down the sewers, if they are repaired.perfect example of wasted money on ghost lateral repair.Wake up people or when we return next summer we may find a chain across the entrance
anon-- my god i didn't think anyone out there had a reasonable appreciation as to what's happening to la -- thanks --i couldn't have said it better -- you're right the bod wants to operate in a vacuum where no one can see them and make fundamental changes to la without any members seeing them or knowing about them until the next year -- then they get through the election process before the members are aware of the changes or before the open bod meetings -- elections should be moved to august when the members see how la is running during the summer -- a few more bod members may not be on the board -- also i missed the last open bod meeting -- i get it was short circuited because they claimed they had other commitments - well let me tell you there isn't any issue more important then the open bod meetings for community members -- the members need to really raise hell with the bod about this --if someone has another commitment that they need to attend -- get up and leave --- the others can't run the meeting?? this is just another example of the bod arrogance, incompetence, disregard for the members-- when are the community members going to wise up and realize that many bod members don't do a damn thing for the community and shouldn't be on the board -- next election in the spring 2 more sitting members are up for election and they should be removed --- this board runs as a united group -- NO ONE MEMBER OF THIS BOD IS INDEPENDENT OR DISPLAYS ANY BACKBONE OR INITIATIVE ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE LA COMMUNITY MEMBERS-- if they are they should be sure the community members know about their efforts--otherwise they get grouped together and they're all at fault for the problems at la-- new community members need to step up and run for the bod -- i'm trying to set up a data base of email addresses for the purposes of letting members know about who is running for the bod and what they stand for and what their plans are for la - so anyone that wants to can send me their address to EMAIL: lachipper@gmail.com
member's dues
the financial situation is deteriorating and the extend and degree that it effects on our members is unknown -- but i think that the bod must be prepared for a problem with members maintaining their dues -- chances are it could be serious problem by this spring -- several months ago an article in the papers indicated that home owners associations in florida and california were having 40 to 50% delinquency rate on dues -- it was having serious impact on their operations -- the la bod needs to have contingency plans if this develops
#122
Thursday, September 18, 2008
comment
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "management contractor":
I work for one of the top 10 ranking American corporations measured by gross revenue on the Fortune 500 list, as mentioned Fortune 10. My view of the BOD is to manage the assets of the Community, evaluate and select proper management, whether it be an individual with a home grown staff or a mgt company, and insure the financial well being of the Community and owners. Traditionally a BOD provides oversight but is not involved in the day to day operations. If the proper staff is in place they don't need to be. Let's give them and a new Property Manager a chance. Sometimes we may expect too much from BOD given they are not paid positions and they all have primary jobs outside LA. It appears they operate the same as most other BOD's in the RV resort community. Being on call 24/7 is responsibility delegated to the manager and their staff. No, I'm not on the BOD, I don't know anyone on the BOD, I don't work for Eagle Lake, I don't work for the real estate agent, I don't work for LA and I don't work for Appletree Management. I'm a property owner who is willing to give the new BOD some time to get things goin
anon --- all due respects but many members of this bod are incompetent and arrogant -- no matter what -- they are for the most part all absent bod members-- but if you know anything about facility management you'd know that la is not in good shape now or for that matter not for over the last decade or so from some of the most glaring discrepancies here at la -- the infrastructures have been allowed to deteriorate, the services continue to decline and the quality of the lots and housing stock continue to get worse-- i've been here 3 seasons now and there are properties that haven't been cleaned of litter, debris, weeds and leaves for three seasons, the community has construction equipment with a trailer for years and a race car and trailer here for at least 2 seasons--- the activities are down to a pool that operates most of the time, a couple of toddler activities like kids candy bingo and ceramics, adult bingo and a few dances with barely passable music, a couple of movies out nights which no one goes to ( 20 people @ $2/person === $ 40.00 to run a bus 50 mi round trip to go to movies in an era when everyone has a vcr, dvd and cable tv === can't pay for the bus diesel much less the driver), trips that no one goes on and are canceled due to lack of interest except to the casinos in pa and ac --attendants for activities that no one participates in --mini golf which no one uses but has an attendant all season, an activities desk with attendant all season booking trips ( what trips-- the ones no one goes on????)-- the 12' wide issue is all but dead and yes that's not even the issues that expose la to accidents, fines, and lawsuits --- they do have la day the 1 big event -- wow!!! --- a lot of these bod members only visit la on memorial day, 4th, la day,and labor day -- maybe octoberfest -- not much time to understaand what happening at la --
so anon the bod doesn't need a multi-year learning curve -- they don't know what's goin on because they're absent board members or they just don't care -- i think it's mostly the latter- and as far as them not getting paid that comes with the territory and they all fight for and scheme to remain part of the board --- but as a reminder so does the legal resposnibility for la also comes with the directorship- this board is on thin ice and sooner rather than later they will work themselves into a legal mess because of their incompetence- the member's interests are not being taken care of by this board--- we'll see how this all shakes out
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
management contractor
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "management companies":
The other side of the coin is companies don't stay in business by ripping off their customers. Appletree isn't a multibillion dollar corporation, it's a local Pocono business whose customers are local Pocono resort communities. I'd be surprised if over 20 communities would continue to use them if they were not getting their money's worth. My experience with outsourcing (Fortune 10 company) has been proven personnel are assigned to start up projects to insure success and the success is then used in marketing campaigns. The outsourcer has a pool of experienced people to pull from and by servicing multiple area communities they would be familiar with managing our type of facility and the problems that go along with it. I think Eagle Lake (via our attorney) could be convinced to share their contract negotiation experiences and Appletree may even refer us to some of their other clients for help in drawing up a contract. If not then they are not reputible and we should stay away. It wouldn't cost anything but time for the BOD to do some research and ask a few questions
anon-- do you work for this contractor???? sounds like it!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
comment reply
Anonymous to me show details 4:16 PM (12 minutes ago) Reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment":
I believe I heard Appletree Mgt signs a contract with Eagle Lake to manage the community and employees and certain projects. The projects are to be be completed by a certain date, if project completion dates aren't met then monies are deducted. They are given an annual budget to manage and complete projects and if they go over budget depending on the reason they may or may not recoup the money from Eagle Lake. This includes managing property sales. This approach limits the BOD interactions with employees but they still need to be involved in decision making and expenditures. The board might do well to contact a few of the properties Appletree manages other than Eagle Lake to get an idea how effecient they are. Here is their services site that explains what they do. http://www.appletreemanagement.com/appletree/sub_category_list.asp?category=10&title=Services
anon-- yes management companies can provide professional services for customers -- if the customer writes a good contract and has a defined set of goals to accomplish with the mgmt. company these arrangements can be beneficial to the community -- in most cases they will be expensive and can result in ever increasing creeping costs if the bod doesn't know how to manage the contract (this will be a real challenge for this bod)-- but given the past track record here at la with picking incompetent managers and having weak and ineffective board of directors it may be an option and cost that is acceptable to the operation of the community and the members--- this is actually is a good option considering this bod and their inability to oversee and manage la in an effective manner
#125
comment
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "comment reply":
Appletree Mgt successfully manages about 25 communities in the Poconos and heard they offered, for a price, to work with our former attorney in getting 12' wides approved. Now that we have a new attorney she should explore working with them and get the ordinance approved so we can be finally be done with paying an attorney retainer fee. I agree, the board should look into how Eagle Lake is run and consider what Appletree Management has to offer. I only use my property on weekends and maybe a week or two during the summer and would appreciate separate electric meters so I don't have to pay for those retirees who use utilities for 6+ months of the year. Wasn't a CCLA elected to the board? I realize she had to leave the group but it seems to me her loyalty will be to the Community and she'll not agree with unethical BOD decisions. Although she's only one person I'm optomistic things may start to change.
show details 1:59 PM (1 hour ago) |
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hurricane ike
the pictures coming in on cnn on the damage from the hurricane are simply devastating -- the coastal areas of the gulf really got wiped out-- the death toll may really be unknown for some time -- so many homes were completely washed away -- with the population scattered all over that part of the country it will be difficult to know who is missing -- sad situation
Monday, September 15, 2008
comment reply
Anonymous to me show details 9:21 PM (1 hour ago) Reply
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "golf carts":
if all you are saying is true why not give your name. why are the officers in ccla so afraid to use there name. if you want us to believe in you let us know who you are.
anon--- everyone associated with the bod and the management {?) team know who i am -- who are you anon?????
one reason is that a few people out there are vindictive, retaliatory, and lash out when they are protecting what they feel is their right, entitlement as a member or when they are taking the la community for a ride and don't want anyone messing up their gig -- there are a few kooks in the community and i know -- but i can assure anyone with any idea about coming after me that they will get much more than they may be looking for -- i guarantee it!!!! --others need to take the same attitude and not let anyone intimidate them -- keeping quiet doesn't help la -- if there's a problem in la it needs to be brought to light so concerned members can address it --if that was the situation in the past maybe la would be in better shape than it is now
