Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Gated Community Security Fallacy - the Dough is For Show – Coto de Caza



Posted By CotoBlogzz 07-24-2010

Did you know that contrary to local governance’s assertions, gated communities are not safer than non-gated communities? – In fact, the gated community in many instances can be a crime-enabler,  for a number of reasons, including the ease with which a person can predict who comes and goes, for instance.



No wonder most gated communities’ “security budget” is usually published with a disclaimer such as:  "The community is not responsible for security....Security is the responsibility of the city/county law enforcement agencies……”  Take for instance the $1.7 million/year Coto de Caza “security budget”, used mostly for gate access “un-control,” glorified meter maids and personal courier services.  Un-control, because it is harder for a resident to enter through the gates than a visitor or a service provider, or anyone who want to enter the community for that matter.

If you want to confirm the assertions above drive a car with a disabled transponder or no transponder at all.  Use a blank index card and drive through the middle gate holding the blank index card.  It is almost a certainty that the “security guard” will simply open the gates and let you in.  If this is too daring for you, use the gate by the security personnel and the guard on duty know that you are visiting any of the community’s venues, such as the restaurant, the golf course, the stables and or the arena.  Again, you are almost guaranteed access, no questions asked.  However, if you are a resident and you just got a new car , the transponder is non-function and or you are simply renting a car.  You must give the guard in charge your address, your security code and perhaps your first-born.

The rest of the Coto de Caza’s “security budget” goes to the meter-maids:  Making sure no RVs are parked in one place for more than 24 hours, for example.  When not busy on meter-maid duty, the patrols may be used as personal couriers by local governance.

We are considering giving away some five personalized license plates with either the Coto de Caza ® and or the Dove Canyon® marks to the first five individuals who test the assertions above – if you are interested, send us an e-mail to cotoblogzz@gmail.com.  See details below.




Proposed CotoBuzz Gated-Community Contest

MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF CALIFORNIA,  18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER OR AGE AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO CONTEST. VOID IN OTHER STATEES PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

1. Acceptance of Rules. By entering the CotoBuzz Journal Gate Community Contest,  (the "Contest"), you hereby accept and agree to these official rules (the "Official Rules") of this Contest, and the decisions of the CotoBuzz Joural in connection with thisContest, whose decisions are final. 



2. Eligibility. This Contest is offered and open to persons who  (a) Send in their observations trying to enter the community to cotobuzz@yahoo.com no later than July 30. 2010  (b) legal residents of California  (c) at least 18 years of age or older or age of majority and d) do not brake any Santa Margarita or Orange County laws in the process of trying access to the community 



3. Contest Period. The Contest begins on July 24, 2010 at 12:00:00 PM PST and ends at 11:59:59 PM PST on August  15, 2010 (the "Contest Period"). 


4. Entering. To enter this Contest during the Contest Period, try to gain access to the community letting the guard(s) on duty know that you are visiting any of the venues listed:  stables, restaurant, golf club


5. Prize. One metal license plate frame with either Coto de Caza® or Dove Canyon® marks, your choice,  with an approximate retail value of $49.00 Forty Nine Dollars ($49.00).  Prize must be picked up in person at a designated venue in Coto de Caza and or Rancho Santa Margarita.


6. Prize Restrictions. Only first five qualified respondents - No assignment, transfer, conversion to cash or cash redemption or substitution of Prize is permitted, except Administrator reserves the right to substitute the Prize with a prize of comparable or greater value should the Prize becomes unavailable. Prize is solely for personal use. .
7. Prize Taxes. All federal, state, local and other tax liabilities arising from this Contest, will be the sole responsibility of the Prize recipients.


8. Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and Publicity Release. Prize Winner may be required to complete, execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and where lawful, a Publicity Release (collectively, the "Release Forms") within five (5) days of notification of winning. Failure to return Release Forms timely, or if Prize notification or the Prize is not picked up when mutually agreed upon, or if the Prize Winner is found not to be eligible or not in compliance with these Official Rules, may result in disqualification with an alternate Prize Winner selected in accordance with these Official Rules.


9. Publicity Release Terms. Except where prohibited by law, the Prize Winner's acceptance of the Prize constitutes permission for the Contest Entities to use Prize Winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and address (city and state) worldwide and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation.


10. Improper Conduct. Administrator, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any entrant from participation in or use of any or all portions of this Contest, and refuse to award the Prize, if entrant engages in any conduct Administrator deems to be improper, unfair or otherwise adverse to the operation of the Contest or detrimental to other entrants of the Contest. Such improper conduct includes, without limitation, falsifying personal information required during entrant registration or Prize claim, violating any term or condition stated herein, accumulating entries through methods such as automated computer scripts or any other programming techniques, allowing others to use entrant's personal information for the purpose of accumulating entries, or intentionally trying to defraud, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise tamper with the computer programs in connection with this Contest. Entrants agree that Administrator may void any part of the Prize that entrant may have won and/or require the return of any part of the Prize that entrant may have won as a result of such improper conduct. Entrant further acknowledges that any forfeiture of the Prize and/or return of the Prize shall in no way prevent Administrator from pursuing other avenues of recourse such as criminal or civil proceedings in connection with such conduct. WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SURVEY MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE COTOBUZZ JOURNAL  RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. 


11. Integrity of Contest. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned by reason of infection by computer virus, worms, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which Administrator, in its sole opinion believes could corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, Administrator reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Contest and select the Prize Winner from among all eligible entries received prior to the action taken or in such other manner as Administrator may deem fair and appropriate. 


12. Lost or Corrupted Entries. The CotoBuzz Journal, and its  parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, lost, late, incomplete, corrupted, stolen, misdirected, illegible or postage due entries or mail, if applicable; or for any computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information, or the failure to capture any such information. The CotoBuzz Journal,  parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies, advertising and promotion agencies, are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by registration information submitted by end users or tampering, hacking, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest, and assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the Contest. 


13. Damaged Property. The CotoBuzz Journal and its parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, injury or damage to any entrants or to any other person's computer or property related to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading materials from this Contest.


14. Contest Errors. The CotoBuzz Journal and its parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, errors and/or ambiguity: (a) in the Contest; (b) in any related advertising or promotions of this Contest; and/or (c) in these Official Rules. In the event of any ambiguity(s) or error(s) in these Official Rules, Administrator reserves the right to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes or to correct any such ambiguity or error(s) without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Contest.
16. Prize and Survey Winner. The CotoBuzz Journal and its parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you/entrant hereby forever waive/s any rights to any claim in connection with, the selection and announcement of the Prize Winner, the distribution of the Prize, the acceptance/possession and/or use/misuse of any part of the Prize and/or any injury or damage to any entrant's or third person's property related to or resulting from any part of the Prize or any part of this Contest.


15. Release and Indemnity. Each entrant in this Contest, including, without limitation, the Prize Winner, hereby releases and agrees to hold harmless The CotoBuzz Journal and its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to person, including death, and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Prize, participation in this Contest and participation in any activity related to this Contest.
18. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL The CotoBuzz Journal and its parents,AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES AND RELATED COMPANIES, THEIR ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION AGENCIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE CONTEST OR THE DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE CONTEST. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS. 


16 Disclaimer of Warranties. EXCEPT FOR ANY MANUFACTURER WARRANTY THAT MAY APPLY, THE CONTEST AND PRIZE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. 


17. Identity Disputes. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a winner based on an email address, the winning entry will be declared made by the Authorized Account Holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. 


18. Binding Arbitration. The parties waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with these Official Rules and/or this Contest. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Official Rules and/or this Contest shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of California in the City of Santa Ana nd judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof. 


19. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This promotion is governed by US law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Administrator in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of CaliforniaU.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in Section 21 of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of California, in the City of Santa Ana.


20. Winner List/Official Rules: For the name of the Prize Winner send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt by August 31, 2010 to the CotoBuzz Journal, PO Box 154, Trabuco Canyon CA.  92678 .
For Official Rules mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to the above address marked "The CotoBuzz Gate Entry Survey” Contest for receipt by July 30, 2010. The name of the Prize Winner may be posted and the Official Rules will be posted on the CotoBuzz Journal








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