ATTEND THE MEETING: If you want the choices conversion offers,
the Board of Supervisors needs to hear about YOUR voice.
Come to the meeting on February 4th at 1:00 pm and speak up
or at least let them know that you want the option
and do not believe a new survey would solve any problems (which it won't).
YOUR VOICE COUNTS: Right now, the irrational voices are shouting loudly
and the Supervisors think they represent everyone in the park. They don't.
RIDES AVAILABLE: If you want a ride or more information, please call
Joanne Mancarella to join us for lunch at 11:00 am Tuesday.
EMAIL IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND: If you can't go to the meeting, you can still
send an email stating your position but it must be received by Monday, Feb 1.
Email me at jwycoff@me.com and I'll send you the format
preferred by the Supervisors.
******* Just as a refresher *******
The Survey: 166 people responded to the original survey and 99 said they supported the process. And, regardless of what the HOA Board now says, they approved the survey. A lot of us were in the meeting room when Susy asked if there was a Board quorum present and if the Board approved the format of the survey. The Board said yes and asked for an extra week so people could respond. No objections were registered.
This is NOT a "forced conversion." The HOA Board loves to use the words "forced conversion" as if there were a gun at someone's head forcing them to buy their lots. Purchasing your lot is completely optional! It gives those who want to buy the option and leaves everyone else in basically the same position they are now … with some lower income folks and over-80 residents actually in a better rent condition.
What happens if a new survey is NOT needed? This doesn't mean that the conversion is approved … it means the process moves to the next step and we have the opportunity to negotiate better terms. (There are two more things I want to ask for that would make this conversion truly attractive to all. It is far less likely that we will get these additional benefits if the owners are forced to go to court or do a new survey.)
What happens if new survey IS required? We don't know what the owners might decide … they could take the issue to court and spend a ton of money in legal fees … they could delay the conversion for a number of years (at which time real estate prices would undoubtedly be even higher than they are now) … they could decide to sell to a hedge fund that would run the park in a way that would maximize their profits … they might even decide to do the new survey (however, with the flood of misinformation that has been poured into the park by the HOA Board, this is not likely.)
******* STOP THE BULLIES *******
In any important change, there are differences of opinions. Discussing those differences leads to better outcomes for everyone.
That is not what has happened here in the park. The HOA Board has been hijacked by some very loud and self-interested individuals who have proceeded to bully anyone who disagreed with them. Their record is almost incredible …
- They have refused to meet in any sort of open forum when invited by Supervisor Caren Ray.
- They have sabotaged one public meeting through hostile calls to invited experts.
- They have lied about their ability to get a "fair" price for the lots and claimed they could get a ridiculous price that has no relationship to the actual market or what any expert or professional would say is fair.
- They have lied about my role in this process, calling me a "plant" of the lawyers and saying that I was being paid or getting my lot for free. (Not true.)
- They have lied about what Richard Laxton at Murphy Bank said.
- They have lied about the space rent benefit for seniors over-80 being "age discrimination."
- They have lied about the impact of conversion on the value of our homes. (Look at Knollwood or any other area park that has converted.) They actually put this lie in print saying that "everyone would lose an average of $100,000 or more on their homes."
- They have lied on television about people "fleeing the park." (Sales numbers and prices have changed little over the past 3 years and one unit just sold in 3 days for full price.)
- They have lied about what would happen to rents, waving scary "market rate" rent numbers in the air like a red flag when few … if any … residents would be effected by "market rate," which over half the park is already at.
- They have attacked and lied about Susy Forbath, Richard Close, the owners, John Wallace, me, the office staff, the park maintenance people, the bankers, the area real estate professionals and probably others I don't know about.
How many "they lieds" does it take before we realize these people
are bullies and not worthy of our trust???
There's only one way to stop bullies … stand up to them, join forces in rejecting lies, find out the truth … and speak up to the Board of Supervisors who are being led to believe these same lies … and thinking they represent everyone in the park.
