Take pride in Menifee; Tell Merit Property Management to do their job!

I am not one to complain, but it's time to rock the boat a little…. When my family and I were searching for a home in Menifee late last ...

I am not one to complain, but it's time to rock the boat a little….

When my family and I were searching for a home in Menifee late last summer we were looking for a "move up" community. We, like most homeowners, take pride in our home and want to live in a neighborhood were others feel the same. We were looking for a place were we could feel comfortable letting our children play out front, were people actually mowed their lawns, and put their garbage cans away after trash day.
After several afternoon drives thru the local neighborhoods searching for the right home my wife and I agreed on one inexplicable fact: Purple is a great color for grape soda, NOT a house! We also agreed that the only way to guarantee we wouldn’t be living next to someone who thought their front lawn would be a great place to park their car was to move into a community maintained by a Home Owners Association.

Aaahhh! So there it was…. Tierra Shores. Build by America's Builder D.R. Horton (who by the way has done a fabulous job). It's a small oasis with a beautiful lake in the middle and a wall around it with gates to ensure the privacy and safety we were looking for. The $150+ monthly investment for the HOA seemed a small price to pay to keep my kids safe, and to live in a place were people would work to maintain the beauty of their community.

So far the investment has not paid off! My family was the first to move into this community, and since day one our association, poorly managed by Merit Property Management, as been unsuccessful in enforcing the rules clearly spelled out in the CC&R's.

It is clear that most homeowners in the community have not read their CC&R's! As you drive in thru the gates of our community you will see that nearly every other homeowner stores their garbage cans either on the curb or somewhere in front of their home. Front lawns are dead. Some have even ripped out their front yards or are putting in their back yards without association approval.

I have made several phone calls and sent countless e-mails to Suzanne Bolton, the Community Manager, asking her to start enforcing the rules. Her over all response to me was "I can't FORCE these people follow the rules." I pointed out to her that her company could FORCE me to pay my bill (i.e. put lean on my house if I didn’t). Perhaps they could do more to remind people that they live in a community with aesthetic standards and to enforce the rules that I am paying them to enforce. In other words do their job!

Sure, garbage cans out in front of someone's house or someone taking apart their car on the driveway may seem like small issues, but it's all part of a bigger picture. You don't have to live in Tierra Shores to be bothered by the lack-luster attitude portrayed by Merit Property Management. We are the early settlers here at the "New Menifee." We need to hold these companies accountable! A standard and a president must be set by us to maintain the vision for a better community we all share!

Please help me maintain Menifee's beauty and emerging character by forwarding your concerns to:

Suzanne Bolton
Merit Property Management
951-296-2272 ext. 107
sbolton@meritpm.com

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  1. Brian,
    I'm on your side! I am a soon to be resident of Tierra Shores.But after reading your complaint, my wife and I are very concerned. We are coming from a community in Orange County with an HOA, along with our three children.The only reason we picked Tierra Shores was because of the HOA and the gated community.If what you say is true,and if... I stay. I will be along your side to make sure the HOA does their job!

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  2. Who is taking care of our lake here in Tierra Shores?

    Why does it look green all the time?

    I am jsut curious?

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  3. Can you advise how Menifee is doing today and is the same management co with you and how is that going?
    Wishing you well

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  4. My preveious inquire states Menifee I am really questioning the Tierra Shores complex status.

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  5. Tierra Shores is actually doing much better than it was. Homeowners finally realized that they have to be involved with the HOA board and Merit to make a difference. Merit in my opinion really needs to be replaced and of course some of the board members. We have 24 hour security and some of the scum is moving out. All in all my experience has been good. I know that the homeowners want to replace Merit and DR Horton still hasn't fixed the lake. According to all the rumors there is a leak in the lake. I've heard it from DR Horton, Merit Property and others dealing with the lake. Of course like any new community here in the Inland Empire, you have to work a little harder at your community. But in the end it will all be worth it.

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  6. I live in Tierra Shores-The Cove, and have for 2 years. It is a great place to live. Like all communities it has its ups and downs but with more and more homeowner involvement it is turning out to be a fantastic place to live. I have lived in many communities some had HOA, some did not, I have also lived in other counties so far Tierra Shores is shaping up to be the best. As far as comments about the dairy and smells it is not really a problem. DR Horton has installed whole house air filtration systems and now Centex Homes-The Lakes is building communities that way out number Tierra Shores and are as close some will be closer to the dairy than we are. Regarding the lake DR Horton is still maintaining the lake and taking care of it and will continue to until all is perfect and can be signed off to us, Tierra Shores. I have a lakefront home and can verify it now is being kept clean, no bugs etc...I would like to see people that post use their name and not post anonymously, it is easy to slander a community when you are hiding behind anonymity.
    Ann
    Tierra Shores
    The Cove

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  7. I had no idea this website was even here! This is great! I think things in Tierra Shores are getting better but there is still much improving to be done to make it the way that I thought it would be when we first moved in (which was over 2 years ago). I am not so concerned with trash cans being left out and things of that nature. The things that concern me (now that some of the bad eggs have moved out-FINALLY!- HOORAY!!!) are the people that have a blatant disregard for the speed limit within the commuinty and seem to enjoy speeding down the street while there are people walking and biking and kids playing. Also the whole gated community thing seems to be a joke. There are so many kids hoping the fences ( and pedestiran gates being propped open) and cars racing through the vehicle exit gates to come in...by the way I do call security when I see these things...they are on my speed dial...I am hoping this too will be addressed with our increased security. By the way our security guards are doing a good job (slowly but surely they are helping to get this place cleaned up). Personally I think we should tackle the more significant problems first... then we can worry about garbage cans being left out a few days late. The issues listed above are my top concerns. I hope that some of the people that are barreling through our streets might read this and know that people do notice what they are doing and it is not appreciated... if they wouldn't drive so damn fast then maybe I would be able to get a license plate number (but then again if they wouldn't drive so fast I wouldn't need it) Anyway... I guess my main point in posting this was just to remind everyone to be neighborly and watch out for one another, be proactive in the community and eventually this place will be really nice!

    P.S.
    I love all my Warm Sands Friends! You guys are AWESOME! You are what living here is all about! You make this a COMMUNITY! You know who you are!

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  8. My family and I are looking to move into the Tierra Shores community. I pulled up their site but not much there. They listed trails and 4 playgrounds but when we looked at the property and drove around the neighborhood a bit I didn't see any trails nor the 4 parks. I like the gated community but more and more as I read the going ons of the neighborhood, I'm wondering if it is really that much safer.

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  9. Merit is awful and borderline harrassing. managers like Cindy barajas go around taking pictures of your home. How invasive. unprofessional. Next HOA meeting just vote for a new managment company.

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  10. Blah, Blah on the HOA scam. Thats right a scam. You think that you type AAAA personalities can compare to the ones that work 24/7 and sometimes are too tired or not even home to take in there trash cans. My HOA is on me about removing weeds that accumulated in front of the house we just bought. I may be fined for weed abatement!! Ain't that something!!!
    They consider it "Architectural Modification" I just think that they are trying to make up for the money lost on all the foreclosed homes, so they have to think of a way to fine all the new homeowners.
    P.S. Quit being so anal and let people live, after all, this is the good old US of A and we have the right to leave our trash cans out for a few extra hours. If your so worried about it, JOIN THE CROWD and be the one to place the notices on everyones door since your the one who "sees it all".
    Respectfully

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  11. I do not live in the Shores but have watched it being built and as a member of Menifee City, it seems really nice. The things that the residents are concerned with and/or complaining about happen all the time around the original lake area which has HOAs too. "harrassment" is how they get you to do what you should have done in the first place! I'd like to comment also thatthere are no prurple homes in my area and for the most part, this side and most of the opposite side of the freeway are well done. There are losey neighbors everywhere-I do see some places where Christmas lights are still up! Ugh! But not in my neighborhood. The cows, by the way, will not move till at least the current owner retires. He has noted in the past in news articles that it would run him 2-3 million to move and he was there before the homes. While I hate flies too-and cow smell (which is why I don't live there) he is right and deserves to live and work where he has for probably more than 40 years. That farm was there when I was a kid and nothing but fields surrounded it. To my knowledge, his son is rumored not to be continuing the business-but we should see his side of the story too. All of us are newbies in comparison!

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  12. Well put Jana. The big thing for residents to realize is that the rules for this and other managed communities are written and in place prior to buying/renting in these areas. Lack of research or ignorance to the facts are not good excuses.

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  13. I am thinking about purchasing a home at Tierra Shores. I have read a lot of reviews and I'm actually a little concerned. I understand that there is a dairy closeby so can someone please tell me how bad the smell and the fly problem is? I have read a lot of problems with the HOA at Tierra Shores. Are they better now? This is my first home so please adivice. Thx!

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  14. The smell really depends. When it is blowing our way it can be very strong. If you don't like manure smell it will drive you nuts, it you don't mind manure then it won't bother you. It really doesn't blow our way very often. The flies are bad on hot days. The cooler it is the less flies we have. The hoa is fine, just over worked due to all the foreclosed homes in the neighborhood.

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  15. WOW! What a bunch of Drama KINGS and QUEENS.

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  16. It stinks ppl. Anyway you look at it - it stinks. A dairy is across the street. If the smell isnt bad - the flies are. Know that BEFORE you buy. I dont live in Tierra Shores - but rahter a mile or so away and I can smell it sometimes (Im up wind though) and my friends that do live in there - when I do go there - it stinks and her house is FUL of flies.

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  17. I have lived in Tierra Shores since June 2005. We love it here. There are Flies on the hot days, but that is the way in Menifee period. Keep your door access limited and quick. I have been to homes in Menifee, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore and it is all the same. The aroma from the dairy farm is minimal and definitely improved in the last 3 years. The aroma also comes from Wilderness lakes and the chicken farm. Not so much from the dairy farm. I moved here because of HOA and gated community. I live on the Landing side and it is beautiful. I get frustrated with people leaving out their trash cans and people not parking their vehicles in thier garage, thus parking in the street ALL the time. We have homes that have 5 cars and not one is parked in the garage. When you have an HOA there are rules and you should expect them. If you were concerned about regulations you should be aware of them. Not knowing is ignorance on your part. I don't like a few of them but I still comply because that is what I signed up for and knew that everthing is not perfect. If you don't live here don't comment. You don't know what you are talking about. If you live here then you chose to live under the CCR's so quit complaining.
    P.S. Foreclosures hit every community hard. On my street we had 9 foreclosures and they all have been bought with good neighbors.

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  18. To: October 22, 2008 3:15 PM. I live in TS and don't have flies all the time in my house. I also know many neighbors that don't have flies. I know some people who do. They are trashy, their house looks trashy inside and attracts flies. Tell your "friend" to clean the house and make the rest of us happy. This is a great community with good neighbors who are finally coming together to get everyone else into shape. If you can't cut the mustard than maybe you should move. This will continue to be one of the best looking, safest, and highly regarded communities in Menifee, period.

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  19. I think it is hilarious that you pay so much for a gated association next to a cow dung field. The person who posted it depends on the way the wind blows...what an idiot. 1/2 a million dollars for crap and lousy neighbors..oh yeah D.L. Horton built those homes on the back of illegal labor..but you Orange County transplants are use to that..they can build them and cut your grass but they can't live there...Raise your HOA's up to $200 maybe that will help...spoiled wantabees. Oh yeah put a bubble on your area it is stiking up the rest of the City.

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  20. Thi is for the poster who has to pick his weeds. If you want to live with weeds and your trash cans out - go buy a house OUT of an HOA and in the woods somewhere. People dont want to look at your unkept house. Its not a matter of being anal. Its about being clean, respectful and maintaining what you have. YOU signed the agreement to abide by the rules. You cant cry about it afterwards. My husband works his *ss off in one of the most physically demanding trades there is next to military, and he commutes almost 4-5 hours a day in traffic. Yet, he still pulls our trah cans in at night and mows the lawn! Get over it and get off yoru lazy butt and keep your crap clean! For the record, I do not live in TS - but I live in a nearby community with an HOA.

    BTW - anyone in TS who says it doest stink or that you dont have flies is in denial! My friends who live in there and around there have a ton of flies!

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  21. I don't know many people in Menifee that don't have flies. It's not just around TS, it's everywhere.

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  22. TS smells like BS

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  23. We're looking to buy in TS, tomorrow is our first visit out there, has the HOA has improved? Aside from flies, I'm wondering what other "critters" can we expect to find at TS? What is the tax rate there?

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  24. Also, I'm very concerned about "sludge" issues in Menifee, has there been any resolution?

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  25. Am I really reading all of this? Seriously, if you bought a home within an HOA neighborhood and you are complaining, you obviously did not read the CC and R's in the first place. If you are crabbing about things that have changed you obviously didn't speak up prior to the 30 day approval periods required or as is evident everywhere... It takes time find what works and what improvements can be made to help everyone! There are some who just like to be negative and complain. The SAME people year in year out! It's just who they are.
    When you can stand up and volunteer to be a true part of the improvements and solutions then you deserve the right to state your case. We make choices about every moment of our lives. Be a good decent person who respects and values the people around you, your homes, the laws and the world as a whole OR live for yourselves and neglect the truth! Legitimate questions are great. Cruelty and stupidity are a waste of time. I am personally very happy with our community. We only wish people would be more neighborly. As for flies and such through the years...are you kidding? Windy...not windy...You CHOSE to live by a dairy! As for the other smells, these are dramatically better thanks to surrounding community members who shared a voice. Great job!

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  26. We've lived in Tierra Shores for almost 2 years now, and we own one of the homes closest to the dairy. Depending on the wind direction, we do get some smells from the dairy, which is expected. The large number of flies was less expected, but you deal with it. The dairy farm has started growing some hay on their land (and I actually like the smell of the fresh hay) and that has helped with the fine dirt that would blow off the fields.

    The property management in place (Cannon Management) is always quick with answers to questions and taking care of any complaints I've had. There are some parking issues, but I empathize with the management. What can they do? Tow every car parked on the street? We park in our garage and in our driveway and never on the street, because we understand the problems and don't want to contribute to them. Some people are selfish and you see them routinely breaking community rules, but there will always be a few bad apples wherever you live.

    I see fewer and fewer homes for sale and that's a good sign. I love our community and am very happy living here. It's easier to complain on this anonymous thread than to fet involved or showed up to the HOA meetings, or even vote in the HOA election (less than 25% of homeowners did). Thankfully, almost all of the issues listed here have been resolved for some time now.

    If you do live here and you are reading this, my only request is that you stop washing your cars within the community (a violation of the CC&R's). The HOA has failed in explaining this properly and I think it's the biggest issue we have. The drains on the street all feed into the lake, and washing your cars is poisining our lake with oils and chemicals. Apart from the obvious not wanting a polluted lake, the city may fine the community if the lake gets too polluted. A simple request, but a problem I think most people don't understand.

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  27. The drains on the street do not feed into the lake. They go directly to the coast and empty into the ocean without being treated at a facility. Water for the lake comes from a well behind the West wall.

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Readers are invited to leave a comment to contribute to public dialogue. Comments will be reviewed by a moderator and will not be approved if they include profanity, defamatory or libelous comments, or may otherwise be considered objectionable by Menifee 24/7 editors.

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