Showing posts with label GRF. Show all posts

Sunday, September 09, 2012

The Copley Files: You Gotta Approve the Package to Find What’s In It.

LETTERS

Linda Wilson is now on the GRF board and sits on the Security committee. She was then and is now completely clueless and does more damage than good.

Maxine McIntosh who said that Cris Trapp (now Robinson) was not a lawyer is also completely clueless. Mike Curtis says Robinson IS a lawyer. Robinson’s bar number is: 153438. You can see her CalBar listing here http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/153438 . Robinson is the LEAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR for PCM and is frequently seen taking Storage’s place on the dias when he is absent…probably having a big lunch at On the Boarder…..one of his favorite lunch on-the-members places. Robinson also enjoys sporting events for which the members pay and also fill her gas tank for the trip there and back. I refer to the emergency only credit card usage and reimbursement for expenses to employees; or STAFF as everybody so fondly calls them.

How many in United realize they also voted on a name change for the mutual? How many noticed the changes said “United Laguna WOODS Mutual” instead of United Laguna Hills Mutual? They snuck that little deal in on most people and when one member questioned the change the board reply went by so fast I think most simply missed it. The answer was “it’s part of the package”. Well, at no time did they explain the HUGE cost involved in name changes. Just recording the changes legally isn’t that much but it is all the other things that go along with the name change. Just more $$$$$ for everybody but the MEMBERS.

Vote the incumbents in United who have the gall to run again for their seats OUT. Put in responsible and RESPONSIVE people who will represent the MEMBERSHIP and not their own or the management and lawyer interests. It’s YOUR MONEY FOLKS. It is your RIGHT to decide how it is spent.

For the Copley Files, click here for pdf file, including a video

K. MacDaniel

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If you would like to make a comment about a specific news article, editorial or commentary and have it considered for publication in the CotoBuzz Journal as a Letter to the Editor, please send it to buzz@cotobuzz.com --. Do not send attachments- or mail to Letters to the Editor, c/o CotoBuzz, P,O. Box 154, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678

Letters should be brief, and may be edited for clarity and length.. They become the property of CotoBuzz Journal and may be republished in any format. Please include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number (your number will not be published).

Friday, September 07, 2012

Laguna Woods Village HOA: Can You Hear Me Now?

LETTERS

Open response to Marty Rubin:

Laguna Woods Village, CA–Today (09-05-2012) the revised bylaws and occupancy agreement was defeated by a 67% margin. ARE YOU LISTENING YET??

What you have described as "unnecessary turmoil and dissension" was in fact "unnecessary," because, when our newly-formed group first asked to have a meeting, or even a conversation with some of the Board members regarding the rental restrictions, we were shut out, ignored, and marginalized. Every time the Board refused to hear us PPV grew in supporters. Yet, our petitions with 3,000 signatures was met with laughter and ridicule by a hostile board. It is indeed sad that all this contention could have been avoided with dialogue and respect.

Your accusation of "Intimidation and fear" is ironically the exact tactic the Board used when they illegally threatening to cut off services if the members did not vote yes. And, Marty, before making accusations of support coming from real estate agents and commercial speculators, get your facts right. We have received NO support from the real estate sector other than being supplied with housing information that is readily available in the paper. ALL support for PPV comes from our 3,000 members making small contributions. The candidates are self-supporting. Don't believe us?... check our records. On the other hand, the United Board has spent our association funds illegally, Civil Code 1363.4, when promoting their agenda in their ads.

The candidates that we support, Phil Doran, Pat English, Erna Ferris, and Jerren Auble are focused on the all-important issue of open communication, which has been sadly lacking on this Board. Their shared vision is of a Board that's accessible and responsive to the members they represent. Because of the many mistakes and failures of this Board, there are now many issues we must focus on, not just one. With capable people who believe in actually listening to their fellow members, Phil, Pat, Erna and Jerren will bring unity to this commUNITY.

Your neighbor,

Nancy Doran

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If you would like to make a comment about a specific news article, editorial or commentary and have it considered for publication in the CotoBuzz Journal as a Letter to the Editor, please send it to buzz@cotobuzz.com --. Do not send attachments- or mail to Letters to the Editor, c/o CotoBuzz, P,O. Box 154, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678

Letters should be brief, and may be edited for clarity and length.. They become the property of CotoBuzz Journal and may be republished in any format. Please include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number (your number will not be published).

Friday, August 31, 2012

Fertilizer Piling Up in Laguna Woods Village

LETTER

I received this information from a resident, and I believe it is important enough and valid enough to circulate to anyone on your mailing lists. What is so sacred about the landscape budget that this board is bound and determined to keep...and add a whole lot more money in a period of economic chaos? They could save a bunch of money by cutting the amount of fertilizer used on the grass in the spring....the stuff grows quickly enough without it...pour it on, and the lawns need mowing more frequently. $24 per month increase...not great economics for anyone....at that rate in four years that’s nearly another $1200 per year per manor...again...remember the Third board in the early 2000’s...one year they upped the monthlies by $65...this crowd is certainly not concerned with my situation...nor those of my fixed income neighbors. These are still mostly 1K SF 40 year old manors that people simply will not buy into with those kinds of carrying charges...are these people delusional, or is it something else? At any rate...I don’t trust the board majority to look after my interests...austerity in a period of bad economics for everyone....except for retired CEO’s....what can I say?

That is exactly what will happen with assessments. The landscape budget is out of control and no work is being done of any real value. The dry rot and plumbing are the biggest problems in the entire mutual (and community at large but our money goes to Third and GRF).

The elections are very corrupt and the screaming of innocence at the last board meeting was amusing in that …to paraphrase….me thinks they protesteth too much. One member has been sending all the information to the IRS and they will investigate.

The present board has reduced contributions to the reserves at our peril! During discussions about what to do with the money El Toro Water District is returning to us via GRF, Tso wanted to put the money in the general fund and reduce assessments this year by $7.50 pm/pm but was finally voted down and the money went into the Disaster Reserves keeping in mind “the huge expense we are facing soon.”

In order to pretend to keep assessments down for 2013 this board already reduced contributions to the reserves but continued to allow LANDSCAPING to run amok. Plus, they keep adding employees.

The three POV candidates will do as they are told by PCM and by the lawyers who are pro management and don’t really care about the membership. The membership is what provides them with employment and they will fall without us and should be paying attention to the needs of the membership rather than the wants of STAFF. If you have read the Kelly Richardson written changes to the Board Meeting Rules you will see exactly how the lawyer and management want things run around here. Richardson says the STAFF and the PRESIDENT alone should prepare the agenda and everybody and anybody else wanting an item on the agenda must come with hat in hand and on their knees to beg to have it included.

Once again the cart is before the horse. The order of peck is supposed to be MEMBERSHIP/Boards over PCM. GRF is a lateral board NOT a superior board and they think they are superior. If we don’t get some people out of their complacency and voicing their needs, concerns and wants this place will be a complete disaster.

Mike Straziuso stood in front of the Board before he was elected (the second time) to the board and whined that the drought was over and the expense for water was bogus and he wasn’t going to preserve water himself. Now water expenses are greater than Landscaping and they are completely out of line.

Judith Troutman has only been here 2 years by her own admission. Juhan has a conflict of interest in that his wife is part of the City structure. Bayer is universally disliked according to the golfers….where he has held sway as pro PCM for years. Pathetic. And we pay for it as members.

Paul Hutchins

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Friday, August 10, 2012

Don’t Pretend if you don’t attend – the United Board’s Town Hall Meeting Today

LETTERS

Don’t Pretend if you don’t attend – the United Board’s Town Hall Meeting Today: Don't pretend to be outraged when your property is seized without any apparent reason, for example

Greetings Patriots and United (Co-op) Residents!

Laguna Woods Village, CA - This is a message reminder: To attend the United Board's Town Hall Meeting on Friday, August 10th, at 1:00 P.M. in Clubhouse Five. We need your attendance, voice and support. I am asking you to leave your comfort zone and attend this meeting, please!

FYI: I have received the following information. Residents attending the Town Hall meeting will not be allowed to speak, ask questions, or make comments to the Board concerning the Amended and "Restated" By- Laws and the Revised Occupancy Agreement! All questions must be submitted in writing and the Board will decide which questions will be read and answered. This action by the Board is deliberate censorship and extremely counterproductive! The Board should "Man Up," change their mind and LET US SPEAK!!!

United President Beldner, stated at United's July monthly meeting that residents would have thirty day's to read, digest and vote on these two documents. He deliberately gave us false information! August has thirty one day's, the packet was mailed out to the Shareholders on August 1st, I finally received my packet on Tuesday, August 7th and I have had numerous phone calls advising me that some residents still have not received their packets and they wanted to know what they could do to get one. Today is August 9th, and the ballots must be returned by August 31st. Mr. Beldner's addition is questionable at best! Beldner also stated the law required a timeframe of only thirty day's, another lie! United's legal counsel finally admitted the truth, thirty day's is the minimum timeframe and ninety day's the maximum. Why all the lies, distortions, deception and manipulation?

On page sixty nine (69) Article 4, Member's Option To Renew; Please read this article carefully, this is a very scary proposal. Precisely stated that we will be relived of any liability, BUT, it is also removes all power in any decision process and grants it exclusively to the Board and any monies included in the transaction would go directly to the Board!

Yesterday, in an unprecedented action, a letter from the United Board of Directors was read on channel 6. United owners are being told that if we do not vote "Yes" on the restated By-Laws and Occupancy Agreement, that United will no longer be obliged to make repairs, at United's cost and expense, to the interior components, including cabinetry, counter tops, plumbing fixtures and flooring of members units. Nor will United bear any responsibility for the replacement and maintenance/repair of any appliances in members units, except for major repairs of appliances installed by the corporation, including rebuilding or replacement of principal components(e.g. fan motors and refrigeration units.) What a terrible "scare tactic," this will have terrible ramification's on our senior population. Fear and intimidation imposed upon us by United's Attorney and the Board! Shame On You!!

Shame on all of you, for the unethical tactics you have used in your bullish attempt to scare us into submission and the total lack of honesty, transparency and communication you have continued to display!

The existing By-Laws are still active and in place to guide and protect us, they continue to be our governing documents until we vote otherwise, please remember that. The board has to abide by those documents whether they like it or not. Do not allow the United Board and their Attorney to bully and intimidate us any longer! We, the resident owners are the ones that decide if we will allow the board to dictate and completely control us and our future! We are the ones that will decide if we want the new ambiguous changes the board is attempting to ram down our throats! I ask all of you to make your objections and voices heard loud and clear, VOTE NO! This board needs to understand they work for us, not the other way around!

There will be a fifteen minute "Closed Residents Meeting," following the Town Hall Meeting, so please stick around. This meeting is closed to any and all directors and their legal counsel.

Thanks,

Pam Grundke

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If you would like to make a comment about a specific news article, editorial or commentary and have it considered for publication in the CotoBuzz Journal as a Letter to the Editor, please send it to buzz@cotobuzz.com --. Do not send attachments- or mail to Letters to the Editor, c/o CotoBuzz, P,O. Box 154, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Letters should be brief, and may be edited for clarity and length.. They become the property of CotoBuzz Journal and may be republished in any format. Please include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number (your number will not be published).

RELATED STORIES

Le Cirque Du Directors & Lawyers at Laguna Woods Village

This went to the Globe today June 21, 2012, to be published in the next issue. I doubt it will appear. If this single thing doesn’t upset you then you have either decided to join the ranks of those who just have so much money to live on for the rest of your lives that you just can’t spend it all or you have not been paying attention. This is just one single thing that has been a part of the overall and overwhelming abuse heaped upon us for all the years any of us has lived here. I apologize for the run on sentences. I am just very upset. We moved here before we were to retire so we could set down roots and live here for the rest of our lives. That isn’t going to happen.

An Incentive Plan ACORN Would be Proud Of

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Busy Busy and still covering up

Posted by Katie McDaniel 10-07-2009 2:30 PM

Laguna Woods Village, CA- Bob Hatch has decided along with the help of that Corporate Oracle, Kathryn Freshley, that a new incentive plan should be put in place for PCM. The fox is ripping apart the hen house. Even Linda Wilson of the United Board admitted the board members are hardly experts according to the newspaper report.

LETTERS

LWV Open Board Meetings Memo

We received a follow up letter, posted below, to a GRF resolution outlining rules of engagement for open board meetings (click here for copy) scheduled for approved today. We asked  Ms. Donie Vantizian, co-author of the long-standing Los Angeles Times column "Associations" to comment on the merits of such letter, and have included her response under Comments below
GRF Rules of Engagement Good For Folsom? First, does this new "SHUT UP!" Rule (click here for copy of GRF resolution dealing with rules of engagement) ) apply only to the Folsom Prison inmates at Leisure World or does it apply also to the residents?

GRF Rules of Engagement Innovation, or Self-preservation?If you would pay attention ((click here for copy of GRF resolution dealing with rules of engagement) ) to what the residents are telling you, you wouldn't have to be so scared and try to impose illegal sanctions against the people who are paying the bills. The residents would not be angry.

GRF Rules of Engagement Restrict Resident Participation The GRF resolution (click here for copy) about to be finally approved at the next GRF Board meeting - Tuesday after next (August 5th), is an effort to greatly restrict resident participation in their meetings.  Click here for additional information

Different Homeowners Association, Same Issues
I assume that you are a member of the Walnut Creek Leisure World Association, or is this another HOA in the area? We have had many comments of similar problems by HOA's who happen to run into our website and I'm glad that you contacted me.

The Right LWV Leadership for Such a Time as This?
Is this general manager (Milt Johns) over his head in his management skills? Can someone come out with only experience from the garden to manage a 90 million dollar business without a conflict of interest? When is the last time Mr. Johns lowered our costs...

Working to Serve, Or Serving To Work - Letter to OC Register Columnist
Another good column. I was wondering if there was ever any serious consideration to any non-union government employee for the position of publicly elected Sheriff by either the Register or Supervisors? That is all I see in your Top Five selection and...

To Destroy a Community, or to Destroy the Status Quo?XThat is the Question in this Letter to the Menifee SCCA Board of Directors
First of all I have no intentions or no desire to destroy "our community". However, I must ask you to please define what you think the community is, what it is you think I am threatening to destroy?Secondly, Sun City has been declared a "blighted...

RELATED STORIES

RELATED VIDEO CLIPS

June 2, 2009 GRF Meeting - The Shut Up Rule in Effect
All residents want form Mr. Stuller is a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T - Click here for the rest of the story

Desperate HOA Directors - Your Are Out of Order!

June 2, 2009 Golden Rain Foundation annotated board Meeting - as Board President denigrates fellow director and cancer patient Michael Curtis, while defending property management company's actions Click here for the rest of the story..

Desperate Directors of Laguna Woods - The Facts Behind the Fiction Part Two - Click here for video

If you thought farming subsidies were bad, you should see the Laguna Woods Village nursery subsidies! Click here for video clip

Keep out! - Nursery is a Dangerous Place...... for Inquiring Min

What we do with your money is none of your business: Click here for video clip

Do not Ask, PCM Won't Tell: The LWV Accounting System - O

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Sunday, September 09, 2012

The Copley Files: You Gotta Approve the Package to Find What’s In It.

Friday, September 07, 2012

Laguna Woods Village HOA: Can You Hear Me Now?

Open response to Marty Rubin:

Friday, August 31, 2012

Fertilizer Piling Up in Laguna Woods Village

Friday, August 10, 2012

Don’t Pretend if you don’t attend – the United Board’s Town Hall Meeting Today

LETTERS

Greetings Patriots and United (Co-op) Residents!

Le Cirque Du Directors & Lawyers at Laguna Woods Village

Wikipedia

Reading List