Home Owners Associations - Menifee Valley Talk Radio

The topic of home owners associations will be discussed this evening on Menifee Valley Talk Radio. Therese Daniels and Mieke Jacobs will beg...

The topic of home owners associations will be discussed this evening on Menifee Valley Talk Radio.

Therese Daniels and Mieke Jacobs will begin a series of discussions about information that titleholders need to know about their Home Owners Association.

Sun City Core residents might take particular interest in this because Therese will talk about a book called, "Villa Apalling, Destroying the Myth of Affordable Living", written by Los Angeles Times columnists Donie Vanitzian and Stephen Glassman. The book focuses on deed-restricted properties, such as those in Sun City Core, and explores the myth that such living arrangements allow for greater owner "freedoms" and "independence," but instead promote "dependence," destroying individual personal freedoms.

The show runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, tonight. You can call in and talk to Therese all about the Sun City Civic Association and its codes and regulations. Listen to show online here...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MenifeeValleyRadio

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  1. Wow - this one should be good! There are OTHER HOA's nearby who feel the same way: NOT allowed freedom on anything. The HOA Boards feel they are the "GODs" of the community and misuse the funds they collect every month in whatever whim they want with NO accountability. We too were not told before we bought that a HOA was here and would remove all rights we had in our decor, lawns, colors of everything, etc. Its high time the boards stop their harrassing and 'playing God' and allow the ones who are paying mortgages in these hard times to live independently as they should. Of course, I realize this would remove the boards from the many 'pockets' they live in.

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  2. "Not told before we bought that an HOA was here"

    I don't think so! Each and every buyer must sign documents acknowledging the HOA. You cannot close without it.

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  3. I would only live where there is an HOA because of people that do not take pride in their property. Homeowners that won't take care of their yards grass overgrown, weeds in planter, cars on ramps, fences that are falling down. Try being a board member and have to listen to people complain about getting a letter about their grass or cleaning up after their dog. Board members don't think they are GODS they are just trying to enforce the rules of the HOA. We can't even get a quorum to vote in new Bord Members. No one wants the job and it is a job. A job wihout pay. Maybe that other writer doesn't care what color someone paints their house but I for one don't want a house that is lavender next to me. I want to keep my proerty value up. If you don't like an HOA, MOVE!!!!!

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  4. I think our HOA is ripping us off. We have a tiny little kids park and a soccer field. We pay $138.00 per month from less than 300 units. Does that sound fair? Please comment...

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  5. There's gotta be a way for home owners to look at the HOA books, audit them, and find out where the money is going.

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  6. To anonymous dated June 12, 2008 at1034 P.M.

    Your H.O.A. is not "ripping you off." You did not listen to the sales person when you bought your house or read the paper work you recieved when you purchased. You were told the dues would go up to $138.00 when the final phase of the development began to sell. Your neighborhood will have 394 homes at build out and your dues are higher than some other H.O.A.s because your development is in an area of hills with large areas of common area slopes to maintain. Your dues also pay toward the preservation of a 78 acre conservation area the H.O.A. is obligated to keep fenced off in it's natural state.

    Come to the meetings and learn more. Your neighbor and board member.

    Warning to all: read all the paper work you sign and receive when you purchase and if it is too much to absorb, pay a few bucks to an attorney to read it and tell you what you are getting in to.

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  7. When I was shoping around for a new house I looked at some condos in Rancho Cucamonga whos HOA fees were over $400 a month. For a condo! I dont know the exact development you live in however $138 does not sound like an absurd amount. HOA's are like a vaccine shot. They hurt at first but ultimately are there to protect you and your house value.

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  8. You can see which side of the HOA line the posters fall on. HOA boards do get carried away, are open to mis-management, secrecy and a level of petty-ness that's beyond maintaining a nice neighborhood.

    At time of closing is NOT when you want to hear about the HOA.

    NO one would sign HOA docs if you had a lawyer review them, he would advise you against it. Better to JOIN a country club with monthly dues then to restrict the DEED on your home.

    Listen to the broadcasts..get informed.

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  9. For the prior commets about not nowing were the money is going or what secrects are being hidden. SHOW UP TO JUST ONE MEETING AND ASK. BY LAW THEY MUST DISCLOSE ANY AND ALL INFO. THEY MUST POST IN ADVACE WHAT THEY PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT AND ALL FINANCIAL SPENDING(IE. BANK RECORDS AND CHECKS). If
    homeowners would attend they would now!!!

    Chris Jones
    Newporthills HOA

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  10. What the law states and what boards of directors and their property management companies do are two different issues. In essence boards simply give the bird to the laws and do as they please. If if any members attempts to challenge them too persistently the board then demonizes him or her. Members stop going to meetings after they attend a few only to discover they are either not allowed to speak, or they are simply ridiculed or ignored. Once boards are formed they don't give a rat's tail for what a member thinks.

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  11. I fell your pain as far as management companies can rule with an iron glove. Boards should work with homeowner for they are homeowners, if not they don't work. Then they are at war. For me, I can barely get 3 to 4 board members let alone any homeowners to show up. I've sent letters and nothing, then when someone get a violation then maybe just maybe we get a call(1-5%) most people just don't care? I got on the board to make a chage and to get a say.

    communication= success ;}

    Chris Jones
    Newporthills HOA

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  12. Hey Chris, what caused Newport Hills to create an HOA? I live in the Springcreek development, which is on the other side of La Ladera St from you, and none of the neighbors I talk to have expressed an interest in forming an HOA. Your neighborhood is just as nice as ours, so I don't understand what lead to your development's action.

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  13. Steve,

    Newporthills Hoa was started by the developer to maintain the drainage basin on Honeyrun(lot #30). With any Hoa there has to be CC R"s and board meetings ect..

    Newporthills 2 has no basin(thanks to Auddie Murphay Ranch) but they have a lot of landscape at the front and rear of the development. They also have to maintain the fire break up the hill side.

    Not a choice of the homeowners, but since it's there someone has to step up and be the board.

    Chris Jones
    newporthillshoa@yahoo.com

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  14. Thanks Chris. Our development has a drainage basin also. But still no HOA. I guess the County maintains it? We actually do have CC&Rs that the developer established, but no HOA to enforce them, so effectively no CC&Rs.

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  15. Well folks I have just gone back and listened to last night's talk show. I give support to Therese for her upfront gutsiness and willing to tell it like it is - go Therese!! Especially interesting was the revealing talk about Attys Peters and Friedman and their reputation which was news to me. Most revealing now is WHY the present board's first actions on taking office was to fire the Attys Adams & Kessler which had been Menifee Lakes Master Assn (HOA) attys for a long time and hired Peters to replace them. Its been rumored since then that the board's three top officers already had previous/past dealings with Peters and had him in their pocket/vice-versa. Conflict here? Especially since these men: One a realtor and property manager; one a landlord of numerous rentals (15 in Sun City alone) and one who says he deals with mortgages. So if its true as stated on the talkshow about Peters, how would YOU like to know that your dues are going to pay them off? The Menifee Lakes resident who says that he feels we have moved from a non-functional board to a good one is either living in a fog and does not realize the innards of a boards workings, or is 'just leave me to my own self'. Menifee Lakes simply moved from the frying pan into the fire. These current board men are using Peters to carry out their personal wishes, vendettas and grudges and we are paying dearly for it. Apparently 'happy with everything' does not know the dirt going on. Most revealing would be to see just how much we have paid this attorney since his hiring to carry out their deeds...probably would blow our socks off!

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  16. I don't think all people who want to be on their associations' boards are people with bad intentions. You are generalizing too much when you say they are all out for something evil. My husband ran for our board for all good intentions. You don't know how much time he's spent researching and talking to people and getting answers for people. He gets email all day about things and addresses the management association.
    Find out who's on your board and go to the meetings.
    Get involved and informed instead of looking like a whiney conspiracy freak!

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  17. Steve,
    The basin you have is just an oulet like newporthills 2 the will someday??? tie into Auddie Murphy Ranch and go to the water shed.

    Our basin(for some reason??) has to take water from our streets clean it, then pump it back to the steet and go down the storm drain just like it would have anyway??

    Whole lot of time, money and effort to do very little if you ask me.

    Chris

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  18. To the poster who so self righteously said "you knew you were moving into a HOA community: WRONG! And you know what, most neighbors I asked didn't either. 'had to sign a document' you say? Wrong again; none of us did. To make matters worse, homes recently sold were not told about rental restrictions, having to live in their purchase a year before renting it and can then only rent if the existing rentals are below the 25% mark. I don't mind the sensible CC&Rs which are to keep the community up to snuff; its the itsy-bitsy ones defining down to the inth-degree the shades of color, etc. Don't be silly, of course I don't want to live next door to a orange-yellow-hooters color or have neon lights shining down the street, but let's gain some sensible guidelines and still allow some personal ideas. If you think for one minute that belonging to a HOA can prevent the blight of lawns and homes we are seeing today is going to keep our community like it used to be, think again. Even in today's paper, the 'millionaires' community' is suffering from the same; just bigger square footage. Then another says attending the HOA meetings is going to keep up the community...again...good luck. Attending our HOA master meetings is giving the controlling board an audience to feel like they are at a head table...with no one there kinda takes away that superior feeling. Run for office? No, the board doesn't want that either; they like their reign. Just for clarification and to let someone know they don't know everything, realtors we contacted with sales posted in the community; few knew to tell their buyers about the TWO, yes TWO (!) HOA's they would be paying and accountable to; and NONE knew about the applicable rental clause restrictions, even though its in the CC&Rs. So if you stick to what you know for certain, it will not mislead others.

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  19. We here in the Menifee Ranch development, "Woodside Homes" on Bradley, are in battle with our HOA regarding basketball hoops on the driveways of our homes.

    When we purchased our home in 2003, the CC&R's stated that we were not allowed to have the hoops on the street or sidewalk (county rule is what we were told). So for the last 5 years I have had my hoop (in great condition) on my driveway with no complaints and no letters.

    Now suddenly, the board is stating that in 2004 they changed the rule to state that all basketball hoops needed to be out of view from the common area when not in use. And it is only now, starting in Feb, 2008, that they are choosing to enforce that change. So imagine our surprise when we started to receive notices and then fines.

    We have asked for proof of the rule change, proof that they sent out a letter stating the rule was going to change, and they are unable to provide us with any literature of their attempt to notify the community. Funny how none of us remember ever receiving such a letter.

    We have a lot of angry homeowners here. We feel that they are really pushing their power at this time. There are a few people on the current board that do not like the hoops and are really trying to uphold that new rule. They told us that if we obtain a petition with 50% +1 of homeowners that do not mind the hoops on the driveways, they will then "CONSIDER" revising the rule to allow them back on the driveways. Meanwhile, they are fining the hell out of all of us, with fines starting at $50 and then growing each month until we remove the basketball hoop.

    They want the hoops moved around behind the side gate each night by 7pm. Everyone who has a baskeball hoop in front of their house knows just how impossible and difficult that will be to do.

    Well the moral of this story is... YES we do need HOA's in order to keep a respectable neighborhood looking it's best... HOWEVER, we can no longer just leave everything up to the board. It's so important to go to a few meetings to find out what's going on and SOOO important to open up and read the newsletters they send you that accompany your bill. You never know what they might be up to. They are suppose to be representing the Homeowners, but some represent themselves and their likes and dislikes first.

    We are fighting this, but from the reaction of the board, we really don't think we are going to be able to win. So sadly to say that means you may be seeing a lot of basketball hoops for sale in our neighborhood. How sad for our kids!!!!! They are the ones who will be let down by the boards decision.

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  20. HOA Board members are elected to those positions every few years. If one or more of them are really out-of line with the desires of the membership, it’s easy to vote them out and replace them with others who are in agreement with the majority of homeowners.

    Board members who continue to be re-elected must be doing something right in the eyes of the majority. When they run unopposed, apparently no one is upset enough about their decisions to take on the decision-making responsibility.

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  21. BB hoops are extremely heavy and awkward. Moving them presents a huge safety hazard.

    Our association allows you to keep the hoop in your driveway as long as it is kept in good condition. It must not block the sidewalk or be placed in the street. We did this because we want our children to be welcome to play in our community, just as we did when we were children.

    HOA Boards must give notice to its residents prior to implementation of a new rule. They must allow a minimum of 30 days for residents to comment on a new rule.

    If you want to limit the amount of rules and regulations your community has, run for the board and make a difference.

    Steve,

    In many cases, the County of Riverside directed builders to set up an HOA in case the County does not accept the detention basin when the development was finished. If the county chose to not accept the basin, the homeowners would care for the basin via the HOA. If the county accepted the basin when the development was finished, the HOA would remain dormant unless the community itself chose to activate it. To avoid confusion in the future, the county is working to determine a way to accept all detention basins when upon completion of a housing development. This could take some time to accomplish as it would most likely require a landscape maintenance district similar to Valley Wide.

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  22. Re: our bball hoops

    Unfortunately no one goes to the board meetings with the exception of a few families and not many vote. I am just as guilty as everyone else in my neighborhood, but I have realized now just how important it is to be involved on some level. That is really the meaning behind me making this comment. Not to complain, but to make others aware of what can happen when you're not involved.

    Our voting of new board members didn't meet quorum with only 50 or some ballots turned in out of I think 255 homes. That's a pretty sad turnout. So since we didn't meet quorum, none of the ballots were opened and the board remained the same.

    In regards to notice prior to making any changes to rules and regulations... the association stated that a letter did go out in 2004 and there was no dispute by anyone. They are unable to find that notice today to show proof of it. There isn't even one community member that can remember receiving it. So does sound a little fishy to me.

    And yes, I do see it as a hazard having to move those bball hoops around. We had one neighbor's windshield get crashed into by a backboard when their son was trying to move it. They are top heavy.

    What makes me mosts angry is that I want my children to be able to play and exercise right in front of my home. They are doing something productive rather than just hanging around and causing problems. The association will be taking that away and it's just very wrong.

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  23. While I do agree that there are shady happenings in some HOA's - I dont believe you werent told there was going to be an HOA. Granted, they probably didnt tell you what all the CC&R's were - thats your job to read it - but even initially there is paperwork you sign regarding HOA's. They usually give you the packet to read. I asked for the entire packet in one development we were interested in - and read it. I knew we had an HOA here - I signed many a papers for it. You cant just initial and sign papers and not read what your signing, even if it is a million papers. Im so sick of ppl complaining that they didnt know about something because they were too lazy to pay attention. My personal favorite - are the ones who bought brand new home across from a motocross track off Ramon Expressway (which bte is open 363 days a year from 9am-10pm) and then complain its too loud or noisy! Check out your home before you buy it. See if a street is behind you, an airport, park, school or whatever else might interfere with your lifestyle.

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  24. you did sign up for it when you closed... go back and look at your paperwork. if there is an hoa, it is disclosed at the time you sign at closing.

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  25. you don't like the hoa? move. drive around the richmond homes for a preview of what it's like to have no hoa. good luck.

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  26. Response to BB hoops. I would recommend that you have your neighbors sign a petition and present it to the board. It is your community and you do have a say so. Make it a point to include information about it being a safety hazard to move the hoops. Good luck.

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  27. This link might help with your pursuit of not having to move BB hoops back and forth, specifically look at the area where it says the rule must be reasonable.

    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1357.100-1357.150

    Good luck

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  28. For some reason the link was cut off. If you still cannot access the link, leave your email address and I will forward you the link. It is in the CIVIL CODE SECTION 1357.100-1357.150 if you want to look it up that way

    http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1357.100-1357.150

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  29. Members don't show up at meetings, not enough people vote to make a quorum, only certain ones get to run for a director, meetings are not conducted according to specified law, notices are not propertly sent out, and mis communication is the rule. This is the same story in the thousands and thousands of other HOA's accross the nation. These issues never get resolved and members and their boards live in a constant state of war over trivia and people's rights to personal freedom. The rights to peace of ming and quiet enjoyment of one's own home are stolen by this eternal bickering. Attending the meetings doesn't work. The truly honest, good people who are willing to serve on those boards with their highest intentions are eventually defeated by the overwhelming ignorance of the other ill intentioned board members. Take a look at the 29 comments above and see how pitiful it is for responsible good people to have to be reduced to fighting for their rights to have a basketball hoop in from of their homes on their own property, or be fined for failing to bring their trash cans in time. The problem with rules are rules and the CC&R's is they are not clear and their meaning changes with every new board.

    All this proves is that HOA;s don't work. They only create conflict between members, their boards, and their neighbors. Family neighorhoods without HOA's have been around for years in America. For the most time, neighbors have lived peacefully with each other. Some of the neighborhoods have been kept up wonderfully and some of grew old and deteriorated. Both have appreciated in large amounts. The reason for the success of those neighborhoods is every one respected their neighbor's rights while taking care of their own back yard. People who live HOA's are obsessed with controlling their neighbors. "I don't want to live next door to house painted lavender."

    It is a myth to believe that rows of neat as a pin houses perfectly landscaped controled by an HOA keeps up property values. If that were so then why have these houses dropped in value when the real estate market went south and the homes in Korea town and Silver Lake which are loaded with houses built in the 1920's through the 1940's with no land scapes, falling fences, painted odd colors and gang infested have gone up in value in spite of every thing people hate about old neighborhoods. Even though there are lots of home owners, the average owner knows nothing about what makes value in real estate. If he did, he would understand why the properties in Silver Lake and Korea Town sell for well over $600,000 in this terrible market while the nice new shiny homes in Riverside County HOA's are selling for way below $400,000. Is it just possible that the value HOA members think they are getting is not worth the price they are paying?

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  30. SPA-SHOUT.org and AHRC.com are two websites that deserve our attention.

    If information is power, then these two sites will make you POWERFUL.

    Peters and Freedman are shown up for what they are.

    One of these sites is local here in Sun City; the other is located on Orange County but is familiar with many of the same issues as we are.

    I have been personally threatened by David Peters. He strikes me as a man possessed by evil. I believe him to be corrupt. He IS wiley, however and has managed to keep the California State Bar just far enough away to keep is license to practice.

    But sooner or later he will make a mistake that will cost him dearly.

    Check out those web sites.

    Then, armed with information, fight the good fight. Tell your neighbors. Circulate flyers. Go to Board meetings. Get involved.
    Fight the tyrants!

    Your freedom is being encroached on.

    If we cannot defeat such an army of ants, how will be fare when the real enemy comes knocking at our gates?

    Will you fight or just sit on your butt and watch tv for the rest of your life?

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  31. TO Chris Newport Hills HOA.... the HOA is a JOKE!!!! We've tried to go to meetings before and after the proxy cards came out...and were welcomed by a 'meeting cancelled' sign on the door. You don't announce or post your meeting times in any responsible way. A meeting date may be announced with flyers for a quorum, but no cancel notices. Ask around..do a survey. There is plenty of interest..mostly to disband. We were told of the HOA during FINAL walkthru, as you said, because of the water issues. Had NO IDEA it would be a new police force in town.

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  32. To the above poster, I sorry if you are not aware of the meetings or when they are canceled. This was the very reason I got on the board and since there have been no canceled meetings(2 year in june). I have tried to get the word out to no prevel. We list the board meetings on the bill the month prior,we post at the basin and the mall box. If you have any other suggestions I'm all ears, either post here or e-mail me-------- newporthillshoa@yahoo.com and spread the work "I CARE".

    Chris Jones
    President
    Newporhills HOA

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  33. After reading all the posts, I am so glad we chose an area with no HOA...and 95% of our neighbors keep their homes neat and well maintained.
    We have very few homes in our tract that are in foreclosure also.

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  34. I agree with Dani above. It was my specific desire to live in a neighborhood with no HOA. It appears to me that the people who want to get on HOA boards are the exact same people who wanted to me hall monitors in school; I didn't want my life controlled by them.

    I grew up in a neighborhood that didn't have an HOA. People actually talked to their neighbors. I know that's often unheard of now, but you'd be surprised how effective that can be. When I wanted to put a new garden shed next to my property fence I actually took the time to ask my next door neighbor if it would bother him having it there. He told me that he appreciated me asking him before I did anything. As such there's no quarrel between my neighbor and me.

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  35. Much of my 2003 neighborhood is a mess. Bad rental situations, unkempt homes and yards, trashcans about, leaky trashy cars parked everywhere.

    If I could pay $30 a month or so and have our CC&R's enforced I would be thrilled!

    I'd look at the dues as a kind of insurance policy that helps protect my neighborhood from turning into a slum.

    I find there's 2 species of HOA "haters". Species #1 simply complains about being "told what to do." They don't necessarily disagree with the HOA goals; they simply don't want to be told what they can or can't do. This is the most vocal of the HOA hater profiles. They are easily seen and tend to flock together in small groups. Their primary means of communication is verbal whining and complaining.

    Then there's the lazy slobs (species #2) that have no respect for their neighborhood and neighbors. They don't even have respect for their own property. They ignore laws, common courtesies, and neighbors that care about their community. They rarely speak as they speed up and down neighborhood streets. This species communicates with hand gestures and typically only comes out at night.

    The truth is that most of your HOA folks are not on a "power trip" or out to take over your freedoms. They simply want to help keep the neighborhood nice, clean, safe, and desirable to future buyers. Give 'em a break.

    Many folks that would be great HOA board members are afraid to get involved because of the "Haters". The constant complaining and whining of Species #1 makes most good people say "Who needs it". These "haters" spend way more time and energy complaining about an HOA than it would ever take to put their trashcans behind the fence.

    So my message is this, put the basketball hoop away at night. It takes 2 minutes. Then be thankful you live in a neighborhood with people that care about keeping it nice. And for God's sake.... stop complaining!

    Here come the #1's! I know, I know... you keep your house nice and you don't like being told that you did something "wrong". You're right, it's so silly! Please, try not to take it personally. The problem is that some folks don't take care of things the way you do, and unfortunately we all have to donate time and money to HOA's, seemngly ticky-tack rules, and other nonsense because of them.

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  36. Dear 2003 Neigborhood,

    When most people buy a home, it's the biggest investment of their life time. They want to enjoy appreciation and keep up their residences the same as any one else. If a neighborhood becomes run down before its time, it isn't because the residents are lazy, sloppy, or slum lords or chose bad tenants, it is because they have fallen upon economic hardships due to a failing American and world economy. All the HOA's with their king's horseman and men will not be able to enforce up keep to your standards once an area has been economically depressed. The same has is so in Sun City Core with its obsolete 1960's landscaping. Most of Sun City looks awful in spite of the fact it is an HOA and brags about its code enforcement.

    AS the real estate market continues to depreciate and foreclosures in HOA's continue to increase, the associations monthly income from the dues the members pay is decreasing. With decrease of income comes decrease of services, and soon the common grounds as well as the units of the HOA's will start to look like your 2003 neighborhood. Please, be realistic. Even the people you think are lazy like to have their homes looking good.

    Also, it is rare to find monthly HOA dues for only $30.00 a month. Sun City Villa's HOA dues $246.00 a month to keep up a pool, landscaping, and exteriors.

    Every one has a different idea of what their neighbor's property should look like. The reality is private property owners have the right to do what they want with their properties as long as they comply with city or county codes which already exist with the added burden of an HOA. Remember, other people do not have to live by your standards. Another hard fact is that CC&R's and their enforcement have nothing to do with keeping up property values. If so, then why did all the properties in HOA's prices drop by as much as 40% in the last two years when the real estate market went south?

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  37. Also in response to 2003 Neighborhood...

    The reason why HOA board members get on powertrips is because the homeowners themselves don't take the time to attend HOA meetings, and voice their complaints to the board members. If homeowners took the time to familiarize themselves with what's going on around them, they'd vote the board members out.

    Otherwise, apathy among voters is what causes HOAs board members to become corrupt.

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  38. As a long time resident/member of Menifee Lakes, I can say I have seen many Boards; some good, some not too good. However the current Board of Directors (the ones that attend) has to be one of the best ever. How many other associations are currently considering LOWERING dues? How many other associations are under budget for the year? With the Housing Market the way it is, being under budget and considering a reduction in dues is the result of incredible leadership, shown by the Board, including the three officers attacked by "June 13, 2008 5:18" Last year was incredibly hostile with much turmoil, yet this year's Board works as a TEAM; each and every one of them (the ones who attend)! It is amazing what truely qualified volunteers can accomplish. It is a shame that "Anonymous at June 13, 2008 5:18pm" deals in rumors. Yes, I agree that the Menifee Lakes members should take a look at where the legal dollars are being spent. They are being spent dealing with ONE member! The same member who initiated the turmoil that lasted thru last year. Yes, the money spent on legal for this one member would certainly "blow your socks off"!! All things considered, the Menifee Lakes BOD, made up of VOLUNTEERS has done an outstanding job!

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  39. It sure sounds like one of the board members wrote that last post.I hear there are over 100 foreclosures in process in Menifee Lakes. How many are initiated by their Board? That has got to run legal fees up by more than one person. Everyone knows Peters & Freedman love foreclosures so they can sell the properties for practically nothing to their own group. Give Menifee Lakes one year and see how happy every one is with the management.

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  40. Well, I live in Menifee Lakes and since our last election in October, 2007, things have been great! The current Board appears to be doing an outstanding job as we have just a few foreclosure eyesores, CC&R's are being enforced (as they should) and our dues are staying low ($45/month). At a meeting not too long ago, the Board talked about possibly lowering dues!!

    I think the key is having a productive and fair Board of Directors and we appear to have that.

    It is sooo important that people get involved at least enough to find out about the candidates for the Board and then VOTE. When you vote good people onto the Board, things seem to go well. Our last election, people seemed to be paying attention and voted.

    The other thing is, for people that are griping all the time about their HOA, they need to ask themselves what their contribution has been? Have they attended meetings, volunteered for committees, made a run for the Board? Have they even voted??!! If you are not going to get involved, then don't gripe.

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  41. There are over 100 foreclosures in Menifee Lakes? Thats 100 monthly assessments that are not being paid. That makes the BOD of that Community all the more remarkable! Under budget and exploring the possibility of reduced assessments under these conditions is awesome!As the guy who posted at 2:47 said, "outstanding"! "Mr. 3:28pm sounds like the guy last year who predicted the new lake manager would cost the association an extra 100K. Turns out the new lake manager SAVED 50k over the previous year! I would suggest to Mr 3:28pm, GO TO THE BOD MEETING and ask these questions to the Board! Asking questions based on "what you heard" in this forum is not only fruitless, it is typical of those who complain about things they have no knowledge about and are based on rumor.

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  42. Agree it appears that at least two of these posts slapping each other on the backs are current Menifee Lakes board members. How upright and honest is hiring someone you have had extensive past dealings with in your rental business and to help you defeat Sun City's recall a bit ago, to be your hitman on the board you now preside over? Yes, folks, their first official act was to hire Peters as our HOA attorney. And then continuing to use funds to pursue their personal vendettas and grudges against a fellow board member who was elected OVERWHELMINGLY by the homeowners! Then to do everything they can (by using the homeowner-paid attorney to come up with things and ways)to prevent him from attending the meetings to represent the very voters who elected him! Yes, this waste of funds should have been stopped months and even now years ago, but you as board leaders refuse to stop the waste and leave this person alone. How just is it for men to use homeowners' funds for fighting their personal hatreds against someone? How does that do ANYTHING positive for keeping the community up to par?? I have yet to figure out what drives grudges to this extreme. BUT one thing for certain, the Menifee Lakes Leaders are not what they'd like the public to perceive...just don't, if you want to live peacefully, step on their toes!! The ONLY peaceful and serene thing about Menifee Lakes is the lake!

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  43. To "tina"

    Don't know where you get your information.... must be fromt the new board. But actual records show that the former lake manager right up to his last day in October had only spent just over $321 thousand. (with only two months to go). Your board of directors decided to pay TWO lake managers from sometime in August all the way through december. That would be about $36,000 "extra" right there. The previous lake manager left with $106,000 left in the budget to last only two months!

    Total expenses for 2006 (under his watch) I am told that included his "severance package of 90 days payment in lieu of service". $321,000.00

    Everything after that can be attributed to the "new" lake management.

    Previous lake manager spent $104,000 LESS than the association spent operating the lake in 2007, at least according to published information.

    Of course it is possible that the "new" lake manager spend $104,000 in two months or that the CFO did.

    Sorry to spoil your bash.

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  44. Board president...
    I looked up the civil code you recommended and will definitely bring it up at our next board meeting. Question though...Are the Ca civil codes followed by HOA's?? Not familiar with them.
    Thanks for your advice.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Come on folks, lets be honest here. The Menifee Lakes Master Board ought to get awards as "the great pretenders" in what a board should be. The filthy, vile name calling and descriptives that come from the mouths of these men would shock most of us. Yet their words match their lack of integrity and morals, their continued threatened abuses, their name calling and warnings to anyone honest enough to challenge them on ANYTHING, big or little (all the while billing themselves as little-league volunteers). Yes, they won spots on the MLMA board ONLY because of their willingness to spend the big bucks with their overkill campaign such as one of them (the MLMA President) did on the current city council campaign. Remember all the "VOTE FOR JERRY, JIM and RICK" signs plastered over the Menifee Lakes community? So, sure, Menifee Lakes voters with a lackadaisical attitude simply checked off the names familiar by being flaunted everywhere around the area; NOT because they knew them as good leaders or men with integrity and honor ! The MLMA meetings used to carry good attendance at the monthly meetings, often with standing room only, and now has attendance of only a select FEW....Those few with lives lacking any other place to dress up for a social outing. Yes, folks, MLMA is run by this very few of 1853 homeowners. The three at the head of this board, Pres, VP, CFO are on ego trips and two of them were unheard of in the community until they came out of their caves to team up with the other to threaten and take over the community like rogues. Everyone who was already active in working in the community were asking "where in the world did these men come from?" They had absolutely NO community interest in ML until this. Their malicious and hurtful conduct during last year's election has frightened off any homeowner from running for this year's election, all saying "we saw what harmful things they did to their opponents last time and I'm not putting my family in danger of that". So here we are, being run and held captive by a board "majority" with no scruples in their MISleading the community. Menifee Lakes has an upcoming board election. Unfortunately, these three have another year before being on the ballot. NOW, everyone is anxiously waiting to see who has the courage, if anyone, to step up and run for a seat on the board alongside these self-serving pirates. Its nothing to be proud of to live in Menifee Lakes after the damage to the community these men did during last year's election. And since much of their tactics is to grab their cameras and start taking pictures of everyone who presents an opposing side to them, many of you may be in their albums and not know it. That is, if you've been brave enough to approach them on anything. Did you ever realize how intimidating a camera could be? Where did they come up with this tactic - snapping pictures? I agree, these men are pros at any form of intimidating.

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  46. To anonymous on July 8, 2008 at 5:21 p.m.

    The civil code I listed must be followed by all homeowners associations. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Board President:

    DO you happen to know when you were on your HOA what your definition of common area was? With advice from a friend who runs a prop. mgmt. company she said it is any properyy that is association maintained. I have none of that in front of my house. So I was wondering what you thought common area was?
    Thanks ..........T

    ReplyDelete
  48. Board President:

    DO you happen to know when you were on your HOA what your definition of common area was? With advice from a friend who runs a prop. mgmt. company she said it is any properyy that is association maintained. I have none of that in front of my house. So I was wondering what you thought common area was?
    Thanks ..........T

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi Tracey,

    The association manager is correct. Common Area is an area that is maintained by the association. Your governing documents should define what the common areas are in your development. For some, the common area is a recreation room, swimming pool, tennis court, etc. For others, it is simply a detention or catch basin or perhaps a patch of grass. The more that is maintained by the association, the higher the fees.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Then I guess all the $$ are poured into ONLY 'common areas'....what about being concerned about the REST of the community who are paying dues and don't get squat UNLESS,of course, they live on the lake as in menifee lakes. We pay dues every month to help the ones living ON the lake to have a beautiful view, maintained upkeep with 24-hour security around their places while the rest of the 1853 homeowners' tracks go to pot like they have????? Tell it like it is, our dues go strictly to support the lake and the homes specific to it. We're out here too....check it out; we want to see our dues spread out over ALL the area ! BTW, is that MLMA you're 'president' of??

    ReplyDelete
  51. Board President:
    Wow I have no idea what that last person was talking about ! anyway, sorry to bug you again. But do you know if a public sidewalk is considered a common area?

    ReplyDelete
  52. I have a funny question about all of this - we are currently buying a house on White Aspen, and in our CCRs it says we are part of the Menifee Hills association, but cannot find any info about it, there was no notice the house belonged to an HOA, and there were no HOA docs at our signing this week. We don't want this to hold up our closing - can ANYONE tell me if there is an HOA for White Aspen Cr, and if so, how to contact them?

    ReplyDelete
  53. the muse...

    I live in Menifee Hills, and while there are some HOAs here, there are other small pockets that don't have them. I'm on Butterwood Drive, and don't have one. However, we still have CC&Rs, but there's nothing here to enforce them.

    ReplyDelete
  54. A public sidewalk is not a common area unless the sidewalk is included in your governing documents. Streets and sidewalks are typically the responsibility of the incorporated city you live in or the county if your area is unincorporated.

    And absolutely not. I am not affiliated with Menifee Lakes, however, I am familiar with all of the turmoil within that area.

    Regarding the dormant hoa. Some homes are located in an area where the county required the builder to file governing documents for an hoa in order to get approval for the project with flood control basins located within that development. This was done in case the county could not feasibly accept the flood control basin upon completion of the project.

    If the county accepted responsibility for the flood control basin within that community upon completion of the development, the governing documents for an hoa would stay dormant until and if the homeowners themselves decided to activate them. The builder could elect to activate the hoa for other reasons or leave it dormant. If the hoa is activated, each homeowner would be assessed a monthly fee to cover the costs of managing the hoa community.

    If the county did not accept responsibility for the flood control basin upon completion of the development, the hoa must activate and each homeowner would be assessed dues to care for the flood control basin and hoa community.

    Hopefully, this helps.

    ReplyDelete

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