Saturday, March 31, 2007

Boycott the CZ Master Association Delegate Electoral System

by Joseph Morabito, former member CZ Master Association BODs

March 31, 2007

Hello All: When I received my Delegate Vote Form with Bob Curran asking for a vote for Delegate, I threw it in the trash compactor. Bob is a nice enough guy; but I am boycotting the whole Delegate Electoral System. Last year Bob refused to reveal who he would vote for in the CZ Board election and then refused to reveal who he did vote for. That is unacceptable. First, no one who can afford to live in Coto needs anyone voting or speaking for them. The laws in the state have been changed and the CZ Board should have done what ever was necessary to implement direct popular elections in Coto. The Delegate Electoral System that we have in Coto, much like the system in Communist China or Cuba is corrupt and not representative of the will of the people. Democracy should not stop at our gates. As such, I encourage all to boycott the Delegate Electoral System. I will never again return one of those forms. The very notion that about 25 people in Coto elect CZ Board Members rather than our 3,550 households is ridiculous. Bob Curran cannot and does not speak for me. Joe Morabito

P.S. The current system allows sitting CZ Board Members to serve as Delegates thereby making Recall virtually impossible. As such, there are no proper checks and balances in this corrupt system. Ultimately, it may take court action to get rid of the current system because those who are corrupt will never change this system unless ordered by a judge to do so. And, by the way, I never served as a Delegate before, during or after serving as a CZ Board Member. I always saw it as an unethical conflict of interest because it corrupted the electoral process and made Recall virtually impossible.

Hi Joe:

Like you, we are boycotting the CZ Master Association’s implementation of the Delegate Electoral System AND Cumulative Voting. The argument supporters of such a system use is analogous to the 10,000 Flies argument: “because 10,000 flies like to eat horse excrement, it must be good” – likewise, just because five-out-of five board members are also delegates, does not a good system make. Quite the contrary, as it allows a board to behave like the guards in the Stanford Prison Experiment!, and pursue personal agendas, over the good of the community.

But you will not read anything about this political corruption from so-called community journalists, as they are simply propaganda tools themselves. - BUZZ

Friday, March 30, 2007

OC Idol Come to Orange County - The Battle of the Song Event

OC Idol Come to Orange County - The Battle of the Song Event- August 19, 2007

March 28, 2007

The gotjesus365 Foundation has announced what it expects to be an annual event: The Battle of the Song Event (BOSE), a competition of amateur Christian artists scheduled for August 19, 2007. Chair-servant (servant is the title used for all gotjesus365 foundation volunteers), Lilia Aguirre said in describing Battle of the Song Event: "Think of BOSE as the American Idol for Christian amateur artists - if you sing as well as as William Hung, you qualify".

About gotjesus365 Foundation: gotjesus365.com is a Christ-centered, viral evangelic non-profit religious foundation dedicated to the notion that the Book of Psalms provides a road-map to reach the youth, to be a spiritual influence within the community and to bridge the spiritual gap as described in a recent Wall Street Journal article.

If you want to compete in the Battle of the Song Event, or if you want to join the Foundation, contact Lilia Aguirre at servant@gotjesus365.org

For additional information, visit http://www.gotjesus365.com or contact info@gotjesus365.com

Dance Collective at Saddleback College - April 26-28, 2007

Dance Collective at Saddleback College - April 26-28, 2007

March 28, 2007

The Dance Department at Saddleback College will present Dance Collective 2007 on Thursday, April 26, Friday, April 27 and Saturday April 28 at 8:00 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre. Directed by Dorothy Anderson Garant, Dance Collective 2007 is choreographed and performed by Saddleback College dance students. This popular annual event includes a varied array of dance styles such as jazz, tap, modern, ballet, hip hop, musical theatre and more.
Tickets are $12 general, $10 students/seniors, children 7 years and under free but require an admission ticket. Call (949) 582-4656 for tickets and additional information.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo , just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit. Parking is available in lot 12. Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Pkwy turn left to the third traffic light, turn right into the campus and take the second left to the Theatre Circle turning right in lot 12.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

HOA Petitions – The Right Way and the Wrong Way

March 28, 2007
We just received our own copy of D. Vanitzian’s California Common Interest Development Homeowner’s Guide and started to devour it.

Given that the 2007 CZ Master Association board of directors elections are scheduled to use cumulative voting and a delegate system the state legislature has outlawed and that we have requested the board to away with such corrupt delegate system, and been ignored, we naturally turned to Vanitizian’s pearls of wisdom: "A petition is a written request to the board for action on some matter presently before it. With regard to homeowner associations, the word “petition” may be meaningless and bear no legal significance for implementing change of any kind”, she writes.

She continues, “Titleholders wanting to do the right thing, sometimes inadvertently end doing the wrong thing and in the process thwart their own efforts. These issues are especially important in a climate where association attorneys increasingly encourage board to enter into lawsuits against homeowners, using the excuse that boards must fulfill their duty to enforce covenants, conditions and restrictions."

Vanitizain’s advice is consistent with our experience fighting against a corrupt delegate system and cumulative voting, and supports our analogy of HOA board of directors and the Stanford Prison Experiment!








Tags: cz2007elections, czirregularities, keystonepacific, varo, mezger, zipperman, yocham | Edit Tags

Wednesday March 28, 2007 - 01:18pm (PDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments

NYTimes “Paraphrases” Military Rape Story - CZ "Paraphrased" Story on CHP Firing

NYTimes “Paraphrases” Military Rape Story - CZ "Paraphrased" Story on CHP Firing

March 28, 2007


On March 18th, the New York Times published a piece titled “The Women’s War”, centered around the plight of several female Veterans of the war in Iraq.

It detailed the mistreatment they suffered by the US Military, sexual harassment they received at the hands of army officers, and their PTSDs (post traumatic distress disorders) However, the Times “paraphrased’ the facts surrounding one of the subjects featured in the article – she wasn’t even in Iraq and her story was a complete lie!

Although the Times published the story knowing full well that one of their subjects had lied to them, it took one week after their initial story was published on the 18th, on March 25th, before the Times published a mea culpa, correcting the story.

Similar to the “paraphrase” of the firing of the CHP after the Welcome Home Center was completed perhaps?










RELATED STORIES

A Case for More CHP Hours to Patrol Coto de Caza
Hello All: Last week one night, we got a call from our son Brian because some young kid driving on Coto de Caza Drive attempted to run his girlfriend off the road. Brian reported it to our Security which of course was worthless. I advised him to report...

The Varo anti-CHP Sentiment continues: CHP GO HOME, KEEP OUT OF OUR DUIs!
The Coto de Caza gates, including the automated ones are as reliable as the public utilities in the outskirts of Baghdad, yet the association continues paying for services barely-rendered, no questions asked.

It is Official: Coto de Caza Mounties are here! - A CZ Master Association BOD decision making framework
According to the March 9, 2007 issue of the Orange County Register?s The CanyonLife, the Mounties have mounted a ? coordinated patrol effort on Saturday, March 3, on the county?s trails in the hills around Coto de Caza and Holy Jim Canyon. The high...

CZ Lawsuits Lessons Learned
Given the two consecutive yearly dues increases and the $2,000,000.00 "security" CZ Master Association budget, we decided to review the recent lawsuit against ( Tilley v. CZ Master Assn. (2005)132 Cal.App.4th 194a , -- Cal.Rptr.3d) the association for...

CSI Coto de Caza
As much as homeowners association board of directors would like to think otherwise, the boards are merely ?pretend? government entities chartered with only three things: RMR - Repair, Maintain and Replace. These pretend governments are usually training...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Coto de Caza Lawsuits Lessons Learned

CZ Lawsuits Lessons Learned

March 25, 2007

Given the two consecutive yearly dues increases and the $2,000,000.00 "security" CZ Master Association budget, we decided to review the recent lawsuit against ( Tilley v. CZ Master Assn. (2005)132 Cal.App.4th 194a , -- Cal.Rptr.3d) the association for lessons learned:

Donald Tilley, a security guard employed by BonaFide Security Services, Inc., sued CZ Master Association, because of injuries he suffered from an assault while responding to a complaint about a youth party on CZ's premises.

The trial court granted summary judgment in CZ's favor, concluding that: (1) CZ had no liability for the injuries suffered by the employee of an independent contractor, (2) CZ owed Tilley no duty to restrict access to the community's premises; and (3) Tilley had assumed the risk of the injuries he suffered. We conclude the judgment must be affirmed.

The circumstances surrounding Tilley's assault are undisputed. Ashley S., a 17-year-old resident of Coto, had a party. Substantially more guests attended her party than had been directly invited. The party got out of hand, and both Coto's security officers and the Orange County Sheriff's deputies were called. The party was broken up, and most of the guests dispersed. Unfortunately, they did not all stay dispersed.

One of the guests who returned was Robbie Carreno. He had earlier been assaulted by some other party-goers, and he returned to the S. residence with his brother, Nathan, intending to locate his assailants and perhaps retaliate. fn. 2 Robbie and Nathan located one of the perpetrator' s of Robbie's assault, and attacked him.

Tilley also alleges that by the time of his injury in August of 1998, Coto already had a long-standing problem with frequent and uncontrolled youth parties, many of which erupted into violence. He specifically alleges that the S. family, which hosted the party at which he was injured, had previously held summer parties in 1996 and 1997, both of which had spiraled out of control, including numerous uninvited guests, excessive drinking, and violence. There is evidence that Ashley's father, Richard S., was arrested at the 1996 party for allowing minors to consume alcohol at his residence.

CZ claimed the following as undisputed facts:
(1) "Plaintiff Donald Tilley was designated as BonaFide Security's Special Officer for Coto and assigned a Captain's rank.
(2) "CZ relied on BonaFide and its officers to use their judgment and discretion in carrying out security-related procedures.
(3) "BonaFide Security set the patrol routes and times, created security procedures, approved Security post orders and directives, trained and assigned officers, instructed its officers how to respond to parties and otherwise controlled the day-to-day operations of security for CZ within Coto. Individual officers used their discretion in determining whether to contact law enforcement or residents and visitors in responding to disturbances. "
(4) "CZ did not have rules or regulations addressing parties or gatherings at the homeowners' homes. The CC&R's for CZ did not address parties at

What might the argument be, now that the CZ master association is not only writing and approving Post Orders, but also providing training and otherwise directing how to discharge private security duties?

The reason CZ prevailed in this case is that prior CZ Board’s were smart enough never to pierce the agency veil necessary to shield CZ from employment practice lawsuits. Varo & Mezger in “selecting, hiring and managing” the Executive Director and having that person report to them have pierced that veil. Who knows, given their track record there may be other situations where they have stuck their big noses where they don’t belong. CotoCAN is another prime example. If CotoCAN gets sued, you can bet your two recent dues increases that CZ will be sued because Varo & Mezger have not maintained an arms distant relationship. What a bunch of dopes. Joe Morabito - former member, CZ Master Association board of directors.

















Advertisement












Select Blogzz & click icon

BlogSpot FeedBurner CotoBlogzz BraveNet Y!360


Archived Issues

General Information

HOA Resources

Emergency numbers

Public Safety Resources

Crime Watch

Sex Offenders in the Area

Real Time Traffic Report

LA Times Orange County

Subscribe

- What is RSS?

Area Links

ORANGE COUNTY BLOGS:

CZ Master Association Africa Fact of the Day Analogy


CZ Master Association Africa Fact of the Day Analogy

March 25, 2007

Advertising Age calculates that around $100 million has been spent blanketing billboards and magazines with images of Bono and other "celebrities", while the total sum raised for Africa is $18 million.
To be clear... Total spent on making Bono more famous = $100 million

Total spent on drugs for Africa = $18 million

CZ Master Association's Africa Fact of the Day Analogy:

Total CZ Master Association's 2006-2007 budget allocated for security: $2,000,000.00/year

Total spent pursuing personal agendas and total spent on actual effective security measures____ _________ _________ _ (patrolling horse trails or helping kids cross the street not included)?

Total CZ Master Association's 2006-2007 allocated for landscaping common areas $5,000,000.00/year

Total spent on free trees, consultants, native river rock and propaganda machinery ____________ _________ ?

Monday, March 26, 2007

The CZ Master Homeowners Association and the Stanford Prison Experiment


The CZ Master Homeowners Association and the Stanford Prison Experiment

March 26, 2007

After studying the Varo/Mezger CZ Master Associaiation board of directors for over five years, our conclusion is that the CZ, as well as most HOAs are a classic demonstration of situational power to influence individual attitudes, values and behavior.

In 1971, a team of psychologists designed and executed an unusual experiment that used a mock prison setting, with college students role-playing prisoners and guards to test the power of the social situation to determine behavior. In the research, known as the Stanford Prison Experiment, extreme, swift and unexpected were the transformations of character in many of the participants that this study -- planned to last two-weeks -- had to be terminated by the sixth day.

The major results of the study found that many of the normal, healthy mock prisoners suffered such intense emotional stress reactions that they had to be released in a matter of days; most of the other prisoners acted like zombies totally obeying the demeaning orders of the guards; the distress of the prisoners was caused by their sense of powerlessness induced by the guards who began acting in cruel, dehumanizing and even sadistic ways. The study was terminated prematurely because it was getting out of control in the extent of degrading actions being perpetrated by the guards against the prisoners - all of whom had been normal, healthy, ordinary young college students less than a week before.

Obviously, the analogy in this case is that the guards are the members of the CZ master association board of directors.

How else do you explain allegedly smart businessmen firing the CHP to protect buddies from DUI Citations?

How do you explain the firing of the largest private security company in the world, and replace it with one that needs hand holding?

How do you explain the firing of the public safety chairperson, simply for refusing to sit down and shut up – then use the “spouses cannot be members” excuse?

How do you explain the road certification expiration fiasco and then with a straight face blame it on a missing tickler file?

How else do you explain the actions of a board going beyond their RMR (repair, maintain and replace) responsibilities and attempt to get control of someone else’s property arguing unfair trade practices, and starts to license intellectual property it does not own?

How else do you explain the deployment of mounted security officers to patrol horse trails and private security guards to help kids cross the street when the community has one of the highest crime and vandalism rates?

Get the point?












Hello All: I thought I would provide all a good laugh. While we were building our home in Reno , we bought a patio home in a little gated community with the intention of later turning it into a rental. We have since moved into our new home. In the mean time for the three years we lived in our patio home there was a pigeon problem in our little cull de sac as a result of a nest at my neighbors home next door. This pigeon problem grew to about 60 or more pigeons going from home to home and all over the common areas and little front yards which are all maintained by the Association. I tried to get the HOA to deal with this since the problem was not confined to any one home and we never did have a nest on our home; but they refused even though the mess caused by these pigeons in the common areas and streets was substantial. I have the pictures ready for the judge. Finally, since pigeon feces can cause diseases that are air borne, I could wait no more so I hired an exterminator to get rid of these pigeons at a cost of $400. The exterminator mentioned to me that his father raises falcons and feeds the dead pigeons to the falcons, which was fine with me as long as these flying rats were gone. I also spent another $250 pigeon proofing our patio home.



After many letters and e-mails, I went to an HOA Board Meeting to reinforce that I expected reimbursement for ridding the community of this menace. I have already filed a complaint with the state of Nevada under their Ombudsman’s program which must occur before Small Claims Court can be pursued. What was really troubling is that this HOA Board budgeted $100 for pest control in 2007 for a community with 335 units, private streets and lots of common area. In any case, they basically told me to pound sand. But, the best part is that one of the dopes on the HOA Board actually accused me of selling the dead pigeons for profit to feed them to falcons. This guy accused me of making money out of this deal, like I have nothing else to do but broker dead pigeons. This character was such an idiot that after laughing hysterically, I just stormed out declaring that I would see them all in court to get my money.



Of course, this case really isn’t about the money; but rather the Association’s fiduciary responsibility to enforce the CC & R’s and maintains the health and safety of the community as stipulated in our governing documents. This is a young HOA Board focused on keeping dues low which I appreciate; but they just don’t understand that they have to deal with basic issues. These homes are really detached condos requiring common action to deal with pest control in the common areas. In any case, I am starting to think that some otherwise smart people once elected to an HOA Board experience diminished IQ the longer they stay on the Board. We have certainly seen that in Coto with Varo & Mezger who are definitely number one and two on the HOA Board Dope List. Joe Morabito

RELATED STORIES

The Varo anti-CHP Sentiment continues: CHP GO HOME, KEEP OUT OF OUR DUIs!
The Coto de Caza gates, including the automated ones are as reliable as the public utilities in the outskirts of Baghdad, yet the association continues paying for services barely-rendered, no questions asked.

The Orange County Register's Adporting & Coto's Baloney Factor
Hello All: In this morning’s Register, Zipperman is reported as saying that the reason for the 2007 CZ dues increase is past CZ Board actions and the minimum wage increase. The so called fuel increase reasoning has gone by the wayside since the...

US Senate calling a play from CZ BOD playbook - Protect Your Right to Freedom of Speech!
The US Senate, taking a page out of the CZ BOD playbook is set to consider a bill that in essence says:
“Thanks, but we do not want to hear from you, we know what is best, and we will spend your money anyway we see fit”

The CotoBuzz Journal January 2007
The Year in Review: According to the OC Register
The December 29 2006 issue of CanyonLife contains an article titled ?A Year in Review 2006?, breaking it down into five categories: Citations, Sorrow, Reality, Renewal and Change.

The CZ Master Association Piggies are Still Fat and Happy and the Chinese V-Factor
Hello All: The good news is that CZ is finally charging non-CZ Members an annual transponder fee. While it is a start, the bad news is that the fee is apparently only $35 a year per car. Let me do the math for all. If the average household in the...

CZ Master Association Electoral Procedures
Hello All: I just came back from Communist China land of the not so free where news and all communications are censored. Communist China has the very same electoral process that we have in Coto. In a country with over a billion people, a small number...

Breaking News: CZ Master Association BOD Candidates Announced
Keystone Pacific, the CZ master association property manager has officially announced a meeting scheduled for May 24, 2007 to elect three directors to the association?s board of directors.The five candidates include incumbents: Robert Varo, Jerry Mezger...

Breaking News: 2007 CZ Elections Results now Available from the CotoBuzz Journal!
We can now predict with a reasonable degree of accuracy the results of the 2007 CZ Master Association Board of directors. The theme for the 2007 elections? Big Change!

CSI Coto de Caza
As much as homeowners association board of directors would like to think otherwise, the boards are merely ?pretend? government entities chartered with only three things: RMR - Repair, Maintain and Replace. These pretend governments are usually training...

The City of Coto de Caza ? Ten Years From Today
Dave Walter, in his book Today Then, describes how in the early 1890s, a news agency commissioned 74 prominent Americans to write brief essays on what life would be like in 1993, as part of the fanfare for the future-oriented World's Columbian Exposition,...

The Temple of Blame and Legalized Fraud Passing as "Election"
The CotoBuzz Journal readers know that we have been figthing a Quixotic battle to bring back Lanw and Order to the Community and combat political corruption, at the local level and at the state level

It is Official: Coto de Caza Mounties are here! - A CZ Master Association BOD decision making framework
According to the March 9, 2007 issue of the Orange County Register?s The CanyonLife, the Mounties have mounted a ? coordinated patrol effort on Saturday, March 3, on the county?s trails in the hills around Coto de Caza and Holy Jim Canyon. The high...





Homeowners Associations: ANATOMY OF CORRUPTION IN THE CALIFORNIA ...
Manipulation and Lobby Power. January 31, 2006 By Ed Bentley ... A PROPOSAL FOR CREATING THE OFFICE OF OMBUDSMAN FOR CALIFORNIA COMMON INTEREST DEVELOPMENTS ...

Friday, March 16, 2007

The CZ Master Association Landscaping Propaganda at Work - spending $5,000,000.00/year on the trivial many!


The CZ Master Association Landscaping Propaganda at Work - spending $5,000,000.00/year on the trivial many!

March 16, 2007

Taking a page form the CZ master association’s public safety committee with a focus on “visibility”, rather than substance, the landscaping committee likewise has announced a focus on the trivial many at the expense of the vital few:

The February 2006 issue of CotoVoice quotes the CZ master association board of directors as saying "CZ Master is very fortunate to have a dedicated group of owners who serve on the landscaping committee". The article does not say that with the board’s approval, the committee passed, at associations cost, changes to the association rules, which in essence institutionalize the use of discriminatory practices in the dispensing of the $5,000,000/year or so landscaping budget. The board never responded to our comments prior to spending precious association resources on useless rule changes. We suggested instead that the board focuses on implementing changes to the electoral process consistent with the spirit of SB-61 – do away with a corrupt delegate system and cumulative voting. Again, the board failed to respond.

Just in time for the 2007 elections, the CZ master association board has announced that the Saturday landscaping walkthroughs documented in the expensive Rules Changes are now obsolete. Instead, district delegates must request a walkthrough! Just what we had recommended before, but it took one year to sink in!

The CZ master association propaganda does not stop here. The March 16, 2007 issue of the s Orange County Register quotes Scott Brown, Orange County Fire Authority’s Battalion Chief for the area: “Brown commended the work done by Coto’s landscape committee, consultants and gardeners in maintaining a good weed abatement program around Coto de Caza” – the question not asked are:

For the $5,000.000.00/year used by the association for landscaping maintenance, what percentage goes to “good weed abatement programs” around Coto de de Caza?

How much for “free” $45,000.00 trees?

How much for consultants who bring in the Arizona look to Coto de Came Drive?

How much for consultants who bring in the River Rock look to Coto de Camel Drive, using rocks “native to the area”?


RELATED STORIES

Coto de Caza Cumulative Voting - Just the Facts Ma'am
From time to time, a Coto Discussion Forum reader opines that he prefers to hear facts and not personal opinion – so here are some of them with regards to cumulative voting:
Our audit of cumulative voting records kept by Keystone show a...

AB-770 Bad News for Coto de Caza, and other Home Owner Association Residents
Breaking News: Bad News for Coto de Caza, and other Home Owner Association ResidentsIt is no secret that we have campaigned tirelessly to make sure that the US Constitution does not stop at the Home Owner’s Association’s Gates, at the CZ...

CotoBuzz February 2006 Newsletter
2006-2007 CZ MASTER ELECTIONS

The CZ May 2006 elections may very well be the last gasp to approve Orange County Supervisor’s Tom Wilson’s Trojan Horse initiative being pushed by the current board over any other association matter, including...

CZ Master Association for 2007!
Following up on earlier reports that members of the freshmen class of the CZ Master Association Board of directors are making arrangements to announce Big Changes for 2007, we wanted to get in line with our own proposals:

Breaking News: 2007 CZ Elections Results now Available from the CotoBuzz Journal!
We can now predict with a reasonable degree of accuracy the results of the 2007 CZ Master Association Board of directors. The theme for the 2007 elections? Big Change!

It is Official: Coto de Caza Mounties are here! - A CZ Master Association BOD decision making framework
According to the March 9, 2007 issue of the Orange County Register?s The CanyonLife, the Mounties have mounted a ? coordinated patrol effort on Saturday, March 3, on the county?s trails in the hills around Coto de Caza and Holy Jim Canyon. The high...

Varo & Mezger to Seek CZ Master Association BOD Seat
It has been reported that Messrs. Rober Varo and Jerry Mezger, current members of the CZ Master Association board of directors, plan to run for another term in the upcoming elections.

The Varo anti-CHP Sentiment continues: CHP GO HOME, KEEP OUT OF OUR DUIs!
The Coto de Caza gates, including the automated ones are as reliable as the public utilities in the outskirts of Baghdad, yet the association continues paying for services barely-rendered, no questions asked.

The Orange County Register's Adporting & Coto's Baloney Factor
Hello All: In this morning’s Register, Zipperman is reported as saying that the reason for the 2007 CZ dues increase is past CZ Board actions and the minimum wage increase. The so called fuel increase reasoning has gone by the wayside since the...

Justice, Coto de Caza style
We are coming up against the Nine Month anniversary of the tragic death of Mr. Morteza Manian and all is well in the dispensation of justice a-la-Coto de Caza.

The Overlawyering of the CZ Master Association - a cottage industry?


The Overlawyering of the CZ Master Association - a cottage industry?

March 16, 2007

Without any clarifying statements, today, we received from Keystone Pacific, the CZ master association property manager, an un-dated Notice of Delegate District Meeting, including a Disclosure Statement dated March 2007. The disclosure focuses on "an investigation into the nature, extent cause and cost to correct alleged soils construction defects in certain portions of the commons", mostly associated with the Oaknoll/OakView tracts - you know, where the gates are supposed to be closed, but apparently because the board does not know if and agreement was ever signed, the gates are now open, exposing members to increased liability.

What with all the "lawyer activity" going on in the association, no wonder there is only time to focus on the trivial few and forget about the vital many when it comes to public safety, landscaping and fiscal accountability. Reminiscent of the piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal, 2-28-07

"The power of the plaintiffs bar is on the wane," argued the American Lawyer; a cover story in Business Week promised to reveal "How Business Trounced the Trial Lawyers." With apologies to Mark Twain, the reports of the trial lawyers' demise are greatly exaggerated.

Consider one class-action lawsuit, in which a plaintiffs firm sued Deutsche Bank on behalf of an African tribe which suffered atrocities committed by imperial Germany in the 19th century. Or another, consolidating 10 complaints filed around the country on behalf of all South Africans injured by the former apartheid regime from 1948 to the present. One of the South African complaints was on behalf of a class including 32,000 plaintiffs; the class in another was estimated to encompass "millions of individuals." The defendants, almost 100 multinational corporations that did business in South Africa after 1948, were alleged to be liable for injuries on the theory that they had aided and abetted the apartheid regime. Purported damages in just one of the consolidated actions total $400 billion

The conclusion of the piece is that plaintiffs firms are flush with cash, experts in the business of creating cases, and undeterred by setbacks.....contingency-fee lawyers take each rejection as a lesson in which tactics work and which do not. They know that if they can weather dismissal motions in a single case, they can proliferate a succession of copycat class actions. Not significantly different from the way the CZ master association has been operating over the last five years or so!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Breaking News: 2007 CZ Elections Results now Available from the CotoBuzz Journal!


Breaking News: 2007 CZ Elections Results now Available from the CotoBuzz Journal!

March 15, 2007


We can now predict with a reasonable degree of accuracy the results of the 2007 CZ Master Association Board of directors. The theme for the 2007 elections? Big Change!

For example, more visibility for security – hence the Mounties to patrol horse trails just in case there is a tragic traffic accident. It is said that iron sharpens iron. In this case, a mustang (horse), will try to catch up to a mustang ( a car)!

The delegate walk through announced with much fanfare is no more. Instead, this time delegates will need to ask for one – a good argument to maintain a corrupt delegate system

So, if you are even curious as to what the 2007-2008 CZ Master Association Board of directors is going to look like, send us a line. Or else, see the series on CSI Coto de Caza!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

The City of Coto de Caza – Ten Years From Today


The City of Coto de Caza – Ten Years From Today

March 10, 2007

Dave Walter, in his book Today Then, describes how in the early 1890s, a news agency commissioned 74 prominent Americans to write brief essays on what life would be like in 1993, as part of the fanfare for the future-oriented World's Columbian Exposition, which opened in Chicago in May 1893.

Interestingly enough, there were many correct predictions, such as the institution of an income tax; the women’s right to vote and that cities would become groups of suburbs.

Some of the erroneous forecasts include the notion that hypnotism would replace anesthetics in surgery and that unemployment would disappear.

Some argue that attempting to forecast the future is extremely important, not necessarily to extrapolate a trend, but to examine the social consequences if the claim becomes true.

So what if Coto de Caza becomes a city? Although everything seems to be quiet on this front, you may be surprised to know that as a CZ Master Association director may say “we are working on many things, but these are not visible to the community”. These things include scheming on how best to turn Coto into a city!

No big deal, some might say – it is bound to happen, defeatist might add. Others have said that if we do not learn from history, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes over and over – Exhibit A for this last assertion is the management of the CZ Master Association over the last five years! – CotoBuzz is bound and determined not to let this happen again, so we have been studying many similar instances, and will publish conclusions as we have them.

For now let us examine the case of Laguna Woods Village – they are now dealing with their own version of Coto de Camel Drive: The community “has been under assault for almost 10 years. Too few residents are aware of our riparian wetlands, vegetation. Wildlife, open space and even archeological sites that have been callously dismissed”, writes the Laguna version of the Cotobuzz. Then goes on to ask a rhetorical question: “elements in our community have totally ignored the quality of life, do you want to replace this view with a parking lot? The latest proposal does not pass the smell test”!

LagunaBuzz, offers a Dilbert cartoon strip to illustrate his view of that administration – the text reads like this: “And that is how I made a billion dollars in shady real estate deals…..the moral of the story is that crime does not pay…….directly, it goes through escrow!

We believe that turning Coto de Caza is not the right thing to do, and that residents, if they so choose, can remain independent. But then again, if independence means the status quo and maintaining the corrupt electoral process, heck we take City hood any day. As the experts suggest, whether Coto turns into a city or not, it is a good idea to examine the social consequences if the claim becomes true. Then the question is: What will you do?

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

CZ Master Association’s New Website


CZ Master Association’s New Website

March 6, 2007

If you have not visited the new CZ Master Association’s website lately, you should stop by: www.czmaster.org - you may be shocked. We were only surprised:

Featured in the new website is the notion that CZ Master Association IS Coto de Caza.

The new website also lends credence to the notion that the Gendarmerie Du Coto de Caza is indeed a reality – just see the featured horse trails – perhaps the horse trails IS the featured item.

There is also a section for the Committees – the actual list is shown below, including CotoCan and the Trails. Missing finally is Paul Young-s D&O group, and so is the Safety Committee – perhaps it is because it is no longer a safety committee?

CZ Master Association Committees as shown on the

www.czmaster.org webstie March 6, 2007



Aerobatic/Aviation Committee – Board Liaison: Bob Varo, Committee Members: Jeff Dawson, Steve Plochocki czmac@cox.net

Architectural Committee – Jeane O’Connor, Michelle Barnes, Janan Pisano, Maria Foulke. Management Support: Toni Lopez at mailto:tmora@keystonepacific.com

Community Events / Coto C.A.N. – Kim Melsheimer, Marie Seymour, Aida Hobbs, Donna Jeffrey 949.459.0619 or dvochelli@cox.net

Landscape & Trails - Chair: Dave Hubert; Members: John Bernards, Ron Eger, Greg Metcalfe, Tom Forbes, Bill Goodman, Ted Collins, Patrick Shipstead; Management Support: Tracy Williams at twilliams@keystonepacific.com

Sports Complex – Chair: Larry Mount, Committee Members: Bob Grich, Bruce Warren
e-mail: larry@mount4.com

$150K Saving/Year for Automated Gates


$150K Saving/Year for Automated Gates

March 6, 2007

The argument used to convert the North Gate access to an automated gate was that the community would save $150,000/year.

As forecasted, today at around 2:00 pm, the North Gate was being worked on. Which means that if the North Gate was any kind of appliance, utensil or tool, a sensible owner would probably have disposed of already, as it can be argued that the entrance via the North Gate cannot be reliably counted on to be operational at time of day.





So the community perhaps is saving $150,000 year using the automated gate. How much money is being spent on trying to keep the gates limping along?

Monday, March 05, 2007

Breaking News: CZ Master Association if a For Profit Corporation

Recently the CZ Master Association, alleging to represent the best interests of the association, and with association funds retained what can be described as the best and most expensive intellectual property law firm in Southern California, to try to gain control of certain intellectual property, alleging among others things that such intellectual property interests were "unfair competition under both state and federal laws". The board further alleged to be involved in the conception, creation and distribution of creative works; hence the association had sole rights to certain intellectual property.

Conclusion? Given the unfair competition argument, is it that the board is now a for-profit corporation?

It would not be that be board, under false pretenses was trying to acquire such intellectual property simply to protect member’s interests and those of FOB (friends of Board). After all, there is an attorney sitting on the current CZ board - would it?

Unfortunately it seems the board forgot the tickler file again - you know, like the one trademark attorneys use.

Following is an excerpt of the board's demands/threats and subsequent response.

The causes of action “carry heavy penalties including, but not limited to, monetary damages, punitive damages, treble damages, award of attorney’s fees and injunctive relief”. Therefore the

CZ Master Association demands are:

Cease to use your properly acquired intellectual property
Assign your intellectual property to the CZ Master Association
Abandon future intellectual property acquisition effort
Do not claim to own your properly acquired intellectual property
Pay damages to the CZ Master association for past infringing activities in the amount to be determined and,
Reimburse the association for attorney’s fees.
Partial response to CZ Master Association’s sent to the association’s legal counsel and BOD, in their collective attempt to acquire intellectual property under false pretenses


Given the board’s vicious and ethically challenged attempt at getting control of my properly acquired intellectual property, you and the board are hereby placed on notice the CZ Master Association does not have permission to use any of my intellectual property, including any copyrighted material and uncancelled, unrevoked federally registered trademarks. Had the association’s motives been noble in this latest attack, a good faith approach would have been to establish a dialogue – after all, an attorney sitting on the board of directors is shouting distance from me!



Therefore, I expect that by March 15, 2007 the CZ Master Association will take the necessary steps to assure that the community is not infringing upon my intellectual property rights.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

How many Lawyer Hours Does it Take to Write a Useless “Lawyer Letter”?

How many Lawyer Hours Does it Take to Write a Useless “Lawyer Letter”?

March 4, 2007

This is a prototypical example of how many lawyer-hours it takes to write what we consider brain-dead lawyer letters (from having seen several of them, and judging by the results), such as the ones critics of the CZ board have received in the recent past – and very consistent with a story we run on a Wall Street Journal Article titled: Lawyer's charge opens window on bill padding



The table below shows an actual example of such a letter, comparing the time of a big time lawyer, versus the time we took to do equivalent tasks The actual results also do not compare! - Guess which appraoch is more cost-efficient?



Now bear in mind that big time lawyers are paired with a partners, and the partner has to get a cut as well.



Rough average cost for the times listed below:



Partner $500.00

Associate $375.00



Do the math!






Lawyer/Partner Activity
Time
Buzz Time


Develop approach hours

Email correspondence with client



Begin preparing letter



Prepare letter



Revise and finalize letter



Review letter from opposing counsel



Review letter inquiry from adverse party



Telephone conference

Review email conference

Email correspondence
0.35



0.25



0.25



0.90



0.35



0.20



0.70



0.45



0.25



0.15
0.0



0.0



0.0



.15



0



.0005



0



0



0



.05

Coto de Caza’s Nobility (aka: Keystone’s List of Prominent Coto Residents)

Coto de Caza’s Nobility (aka: Keystone’s List of Prominent Coto Residents)

March 4, 2007

In the essay titled, Equus trailus patrolus publicus (horse trail patrols paid by the commonwealth) recently posted to this forum, we presented an argument for the reason the CZ board of directors recently decided to bring in the Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza to patrol the horse trails, despite overwhelming evidence that public safety demands resources be used elsewhere. In a letter to the editor in the March 2, 2007 issue of the CanyonLife 20-year Coto residents Agid supports our conclusion.

Agid writes “long before most of you moved here, Coto was an isolated enclave devoted to cattle, horses, shooting ranges and Chilli cook-offs)” – we assume that Agid is part of the Coto nobility (aka Keystone List of Prominent Coto Residents) and that “most of you” refers to the peasants now living in the CZ Master Association. Agid then explains the intellectual challenge nobility is exposed when riding a horse, as compared to peasants using other modes of transportation, “Equestrians deal with two minds - horse and rider. Joggers and cyclists have only themselves to contend with” . Finally Agid writes “Many thanks to all of you who’ve stopped and let me cross a busy street on my nervous equine and to all of you who know how to share our trails”.

Similar argument used by the Estates, the Villages and the Colinas: The Coto Life Style is ours to enjoy – for the peasants to pay. Then we put up fences so the peasants cannot come over the border illegally to the Estates, the Villages and the Colinas

The same argument Randolph Brusca uses in his marketing effort as he tries to wrestle control of the Coto Vally Coutry Club from the Silve Bronze Corporation: The country club amenties are ours to enjoy – you CZ Master Association peasants pay for it.

The same argument the treasurer of the CZ Master Association board of directors used to justify a second dues increase – the horse trails ours to enjoy. We will even bring in the Gendarmerie Royale Du Coto de Caza to patrol the horse trails so that the intellectually challenged equestrians – those needing to deal with two minds, but you peasants have to pay.



The same argument use to manage the close to $10 million CZ Master Association budget – the peasants money is ours – we can do anything we want.



The same argument the CZ Master Association uses to manage intellectual property – if we are using your intellectual property with, or without your permission, it is now ours!

Free Legal Advice: Included in New CZ Master Association Standard of Service Package – Brought to you by your monthly dues!


Free Legal Advice: Included in New CZ Master Association Standard of Service Package – Brought to you by your monthly dues!

March 4, 2007

Do you need legal advice but do not want to spend the money?
Does your friend need legal advice, but do not want to spend the money?
What about your spouse’s business ?
What about your local community newspaper – can it use free legal advice?
No problem: Thanks to the CZ Master Association board of directors, in addition to the newly announced mounted patrols to protect LOPR, (List of Prominent Coto Residents), or as long time resident puts it “the original Equestrian community…because the horses are nobler than humans”, the “new levels of standards the CZ board treasurer argued were the reason for the second increase in monthly dues, now come with a free legal services option –free legal services! Now Yocham’s comment makes sense "The CZ board of directors is working on many things ..”these are just not visible to the community”!
So, if you have a baseless and/or unwarranted beef against another business, or simply because your are ticked off – no problem. Simply call the paragons of the legal professional available at no cost to you. We will provide their contact information as well.


We are planning to publish a series of articles with all the details, including the CZ paragons of the legal profession’s argument as to why CZ should be known as Coto de Caza®,
itemized invoices for legal fees, the names of businesses and spouses benefiting from such largesse, etc., starting wit the March issue of the CotoBuzz, scheduled to hit cyberspace March 8, 2007

Friday, March 02, 2007

To Coto de Caza (CVCC) or not CVCC, that is the question - Another Increase in CZ Monthly Dues



To Coto de Caza (CVCC) or not CVCC, that is the question - Another Increase in CZ Monthly Dues
March 1, 2007

Recently Coto de Caza residents received a marketing survey, from 30-year community resident, Randolph R. Brusca, asking members of the CZ Master Association whether they would be interested in joining a new and improved Coto de Caza club, assuming that Brusca et al are successful in wrestling out control from the operator, the Silver Bronze Corporation's(SBC) board of directors.

As designed, the club originally catered to the Estates, the Villages and the Colinas. The survey argues  that the current administration of the club is in violation of statues and CC&Rs, and the club is grossly mismanaged.
The fact of the matter is that most homeowner associations, including the ones in the greater Coto de Caza area, suffer from the same affliction: selectively enforcing CC&R, gross mis-management of funds, lack of accountability and in some instances, depraved indifference – so we really do not see how Brusca’s plan can deliver on the promises.

Further, to make this “community”, a reality, a majority of CZ residents would have to sign up to join the club, or the CZ Master Association board of directors would have to increase monthly dues yet again. Such an idea has been entertained by the board in the recent past, figuring that $15.00 a month adder per resident would cover the cost. Given the focus of the current CZ Master Association board of directors on “bringing services up to standard”, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that such board would re-consider the adder and go to the well one more time!

Ironic indeed, when on one side, certain members of the community at large try to get CZ residents to finance the infrastructure so that everyone can enjoy the same lifestyle, and on the other, you have the Estates and The Villages adamant to keep CZ residents on the other side of the border through a yet to be built border fence.
So CZ Master Association residents, are you ready for one more monthly dues increase so that the board can bring in services up to standard? You know, like the Germanderie Royal Du Coto de Caza to patrol the horse trails?  

Thursday, March 01, 2007

How long does it take to correct a typographical error? It depends if you use a PC, a MAC, or work for the CZ Association.

How long does it take to correct a typographical error?
March 1, 2007

How long does it take to correct a typographical error? It depends if you use a PC, a MAC, or work for the CZ Association.

For the last two years, we have alerted Keystone about irregularities with the district delegate information the property manager has distributed to CZ Master Association residents. For the most part, we have been ignored.

This year, and for the first time, Keystone acknowledged a “typographical” error, but failed to describe what is being done to prevent these types of errors to stick around for years. Click here to see the letter dated February 6, 2006 –identical “typographical error” contained in the February 1, 2007 packet! – the only difference being the dates.

So how long does it take Keystone to correct a typographical error? Or is this a PC Vs. MAC issue?