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8/31/2008
 I was reading our
association newsletter today and was reminded of my old nemesis, Bob
Underwood. I was reading the articles that had been written by the
association president and our general manager. What came to mind
was one of the differences between the boards that we shared and the
current one. While at the time I certainly didn't think so, that
membership had a very real advantage over the membership today.
What was that advantage, you say. We had two groups with opposing
opinions about what was best for Lake Forest; both represented on the
Board of Directors. Two groups that were led by two men, Bob and
myself, who knew the history of Lake Forest in detail and both of whom
had a real understanding of business. The advantage that the
membership had was that both sides were able to use the association
newsletter, mailings , etc to explain their positions. Bob wrote
articles for the newsletter and I wrote articles for the newsletter.
Bob and his friends sent out letters to the membership and I and my
friends sent out letters. The membership heard the pro and cons of
both points of view from both sides. The Lake Forest members had
all the information they needed to make their decision on which way to
go. Then, when the vote came down to their credit the losing side
said "the members have spoken" and it was over. Today, only the
members who read this website get to hear the other side and,
unfortunately, they are few. Most of the members are not going to
know that the Country Club is not in that bad of a condition according
to the inspector's report. For example, they are going to believe
that the thirteen year old roof needs to be replaced. They are not
going to remember that the members themselves rejected all of the
ideas presented by the board in their survey. Bob wrote in a
contribution a year or so ago that he never thought he would believe
that he would miss Mitch Davis or Ed Kirby, but the board at that time
made it so. Well, Bob, the feeling is mutual.
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8/29/2008
Most are just awestruck by the price we
pay. It is well below the norm for homeowner's dues with decent
amenities.
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8/28/2008
The paddle boat has
been found. Thank you to the contributor who hunted the thing
down. OK all you candidates who are not in a runoff, you need to
pick your signs up.
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8/28/2008
Dinner & Bingo has been cancelled
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8/28/2008
First I am not in agreement with about
50% of the course of action taken by present management.However, I
really am worn out with hearing some non-participating member complain
about paying $35 a month and getting nothing. Try moving somewhere else
and you will pay more than that to have the front gate of the community
maintained. You get your monies worth in property value alone; if you
don't think the golf course, the yacht club, tennis courts, pools, etc.
have an effect on the value of your home - I give! As far as the
complaints on the golfers getting the benefit and not you, I would like
you to know that I pay $330.00 per month for golf. Now its me and others
like me that enable the golf course continue to exist so that you can
get a tee time at all. The course was wide open today (WED.) before 10
AM and most afternoons are open, we need more play. Its probably the
easiest course on the Eastern Shore to get a tee time. So, get your
facts straight before you throw stones.
Agreed! And,
if you are not in agreement with 50%, you should let it be known.
I also find it odd that there are some in Lake Forest who seem to think
that owning a home in a subdivision with all these amenities offers no
value. That's nonsense. Everyone who comes to visit, is
awestruck by all that we have available for the price we pay.
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8/27/2008
Well, it looks
like that well oiled Lake Forest political action committee sputtered a
little yesterday. After weeks of Emails on behalf of Ernie,
knocking on doors, waving at entrances and so on, our self-proclaimed
community leaders Jim and Henry came up a little short. Actually,
make that a lot short. Good luck to the two remaining candidates
in their run off for mayor of Daphne.
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8/27/2008
Indeed, get someone with management
skills to run the facilities with the funds on hand. I just got the
assessment letter today; another $50.00 this year. That's $100 to date,
and will there be another before the end of the year? I am sick of this
board and its managers draining the membership. My family does not use
the golf course. We can't get a tee time before 10am because the
"special" groups get those times. I've never rented a room at the
country club, and who can at $250+ and that doesn't include food. The
"special" groups get to use those rooms at no charge. My family hasn't
visited the pools since they started charging fees again. The Yacht Club
is the only place left to visit without a cover charge (I hope that I
didn't give anyone any ideas on that one). Just what does a property
owner in Lake Forest get for the now $550.00 a year? In my case,
NOTHING. At least in other communities with deed restrictions and dues,
the swimming pools and club houses are there for the members to use with
little or no fee at all. (I've actually enjoyed myself at some of these
facilities) And then there are the new directional signs scattered
throughout the neighborhood. Has anyone noticed that there is a sign
pointing out Daphne High School? Shouldn't that sign point out the
direction of the Montclair Pool? Oh, wait a minute the board wants to
close the pools so why point them out for the members to use? I don't
know who is running for the next board but I certainly hope that they
can clean up the mess that this current bunch has made. Tear down the
club, what a shortsighted idea, instead, how about lowering the
ceilings, closing off rooms not in use, make the building more energy
efficient with new heating and air systems. The letter in my bill stated
that the assessment was made for the preservation of the association
facilities and that the planned improvements would benefit the entire
community. Now what part of the facilities are they preserving? They
plan to tear down the swim and racquet building and CONSOLIDATE the 19th
Hole and Golf shop and that's just what they're telling us at this time.
What next? Will we be assessed another $50 to buy dirt to fill in the
Montclair pool? I love my home and enjoy the location that Lake Forest
offers me and my family and I'm sure most of the property owners who
live here feel the same as I, but I can tell you this, these same
members DO NOT appreciate the endless assessments while getting nothing
for their hard earned money. My family is no different than any other,
hi gh gas prices, expensive homeowners insurance, (if you can get it)
tax increases, increases in college tuition and just simply getting by
is tough. It's time that this board and its new manager have a little
compassion for its members and BACK OFF for a while. Most of us can't
afford to "remodel" our own homes, why would we want to remodel a
facility that we do not nor do we have plans to enjoy. I really wish
that the board would re-read the expensive survey that they made us take
time to fill out. The members made it clear in that survey what they
wanted. Why can't these men and women who serve on the board do what is
right for the members and stop pushing their blind agenda's?
The by-laws
only allow for a $50 assessment annually. I believe the board
called for one at the end of last year and this is actually the first for this
year. They cannot take another in 2008.
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8/27/2008
Yes, Mitch, quality people, who can
manage our association are needed. Please ask some to come on board.
Better yet, attend a board meeting or even read a finanacial
statement before making assinine judgments on the resources that are
available. The "resources" you speak of will hardly turn the lights
on and pay the personnel. It was said at our annual meeting that
hard decisions will have to come. Those hard decisions are beginning
to be made. It was easy for you to spend money when you saw the dues
increase nearly 30%. Since then, inflation has taken its toll. That
and two or three years of limited spending on facilities by doing
away with assessments to fund needed capital items. Just this week,
the leaking of the country club's walls and roof was so bad that
paper files had to be relocated. Should we spend $150,000 to fix
this right now? How about the $50,000 to keep the Bayview Bar from
settling another six inches? The time for uninformed comments about
managing are over. It is time to realistically look at what we have,
what we can afford to keep and keep in good repair, and what we
should do to improve the things we have. It is easy to say, "they
should do better at this" when we assume that there is money to
burn. The money is not there. A capital plan for improving the
pools, tennis courts and golf course is beginning. Let's work to
improve our community and do so with realistic expectations of
revenue, realistic expectations of costs, and realistic expectations
of usage. The Country Club is utilized just a few times a month, at
best. The administrative offices are too small and need a new roof.
The Bayview exists for the use of maybe twelve people and is in need
of a $50K repair. The kitchen, hardly used by our association has a
cooler that is falling through the floor, a $20K fix, minimum. The
exterior siding in most areas has rotted from water damage to the
point of leaking and needs replacing, A $150,000 item. If there is
substrate damage, which is a certainty, that cost could inflate to
$200,000. Now it should be clear that repairing and getting the
Country Club, as is, repaired and improved will cost at least
$500,000 if you include the interior painting, flooring, etc. So,
does this club have the means to fix it? How does this club fix it?
Moving the adminstrative offices to the re-roofed pro-shoop and 19th
Hole area and building offices in there would cost us about $30,000.
The exterior of the pro-shop, with a new look all around would be
about $100,000. If these offices are moved to this area and the
larger expanse of the clubhouse is closed, we save about $125,000
per year in costs. A wise decision in business would be to take this
action. It allows us savings, improvement, and future capital
through the savings to help improve the other facilities. For a
cash-strapped association, it is the best alternative we have
available under our existing rules and by-laws and dues structure.
Finally, to prevent the country club closure, new revenue must be
available. That leads to either a borrowing capacity change, or a
dues increase. Which of those will you support? Why? My preference
is to bump the dues to $50.00 per month while setting aside the full
amount of the increase, $12.50, into a capital account. This money
would only be used for capital investment into the association
common properties. With that long-term cash flow earmarked for
capital, a plan may be instituted that can maintain and improve all
existing facilities. Otherwise, the board's course of action is the
only responsible one they can make. Thanks for your time and I look
forward to you once again ignoring the basic facts and retorting
with claims of "mismanagement" and "ignorance". So, have fun with
it.
Thanks. I’ll
try. There’s just so much there, it’s hard to take it all in. First,
there was a dues increase in 2003, which was the first such increase in
twenty years. Maintenance fees were raised from $27.50 to $35.00,
which as you stated was almost 30%. At the same time, the assessments
did stop and so did the loans. We did not expect assessments to stop
permanently, however. Our vision was that they would be used for those
major capital expenses similar to the ones you describe. Putting that
roof on the 19th Hole last year was a legitimate use of the assessment
in my opinion. However, the maintenance on facilities did not stop in
2003 and there were several hurricanes to boot. Fortunately,
hurricanes are something you haven't had to deal with. We were able to operate in the black
and reduce association debt until I left the board in 2005. The years
of 2006, 2007, and 2008 must really have been some incredibly tough
financial ones. At least, that is what you have been telling us
almost from the first day you joined the board in late 2005. In
fact, those hard times seem to have come almost overnight. I really do sympathize with your predicament over
dues increases. We dealt with the same problem for years. I
have my doubts that you will see membership support for another dues
increase.
As for the awful cost of repairs that you
think are needed on the Country Club, I am a little surprised that the
building inspector you hired as a consultant did not mention them in his
report. (You notice that I did not call it the clubhouse.) The
Country Club roof was put on in 1995 and it was a 30 year Timberline roof, so it
should last at least a few more years. Let’s see 2008 – 1995 is 13,
right? At the risk of being asinine again, perhaps a less costly repair
can be made rather than spending that $150,000 right now. I can
certainly see that a complete remodel like the one you are describing
could cost as much as you are suggesting. However, interior painting,
flooring and the like are all things that can be done over time in a
planned manner, assuming that anyone is interested in such a thing. I
have heard different stories about usage at the Country Club. During
our time, there was an event, meeting, or party going on in there most
days according the general manager. No, they weren’t all money makers.
Perhaps usage has fallen off. In any event, I have to wonder if, just
maybe, solutions could be found that would be cheaper than the numbers
you quote. They really do sound quite high, you know. At least it might be possible to spread the expense over a
number of years.
What is probably the biggest problem of
all is the manner in which boards have conducted business in secret over
the last couple of years and the way they have tended to spin the
studies that have been commissioned and the decisions that have been
made. For example, the Lake Forest bill I received today said that
the assessment would be used for "eliminating the
old Swim & Racquet Club building and consolidating the clubhouse
into the 19th Hole and golf shop". I suppose the Country
Club is just going to fall down. "Eliminating", that's an interesting
word to use. Couldn't make yourself write the word "demolishing'?
Wait a sec! The note doesn't actually say it is going to be done!
It says it's going to be "looked into"! Well? Are you going
to eliminate it or not? If it
weren't for the Grapevine, no one would know about the board's plans to knock
down the Country Club aka clubhouse . Your board did vote to demolish it next year didn't
it? I would be tickled pink to hear that was an error in
reporting! Regarding the secrecy, the current board has improved
the situation a great deal by not having those monthly executive
sessions. Unfortunately, damage has been done and member trust has
taken a hit. What has been recommended by several is to take your plan
to the members first. Make your case and let the members decide before
you start destroying anything as expensive as a Country Club. As for
those asinine charges of mismanagement that you mentioned, if you don’t
know that those charges were true during the term of the last manager, then we
have to take your evaluation of the current situation with one
huge grain of salt. The verdict is still out on the current
management. We are waiting to see if you have to borrow money again
this year to cover operations. I, for one, have high hopes that Steve
is up to the task.
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8/26/2008
It looks to me like shortly we will be
asked to make our payments to the Yacht Club and 19th Hole. And since
the Yacht Club is damaged by every hurricane that comes down the pike we
won't have that for very long either. It would take a lot less to
maintain the Country Club which the clubs use for their meetings and
functions, than to rebuild the Yacht Club every 2 or 3 years. Not only
do the clubs use the Country Club, it is rented out for weddings, a
church group uses it on Sunday, it is rented out for parties and
painters show and sell their paintings on it s walls. I know they sell
them because I have bought some. The Country Club is also beautifully
planted with flowers by the Garden Club and beautifully decorated at
Christmas by members of all the clubs in Lake Forest - we had a great
time doing it last year and the Club was a showplace for Lake Forest and
a beautiful arena for a Christmas event. Try to do that in the "dress
down" casual atmosphere of the Yacht Club with smokers every where. I
enjoy the Yacht Club for a casual evening out and the sunsets, not a
function that groups want held in a special place with a large dance
floor and crystal chandeliers.
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8/26/2008
For those who do not want any buildings
changed or taken out of service. Get this massage. Increase dues to a
level that the board can actually keep the buildings in good repair.
Otherwise, accept what can be done on the funds available.
Or, perhaps put
someone in there who can do a better job of managing the resources that
we have.
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8/26/2008
My family and I have lived in this area
for the past three years. We are in the process of moving to Alaska,
since that is where my husband (military)is getting stationed. Our house
has been on the market for a couple to three weeks now and so far, well,
its been slow...except for tonight, when a car decided to turn off of
Montclair, take a right, gunning his engine, unable to control his
vehicle and plowed right into our For Sale sign, knocking it down, our
flyers all over our drive way and had the audacity to not only do this
all in front of me, but to disregard his/her actions and continue to
peel out and continue up Ridgewood like this is an everyday occurrence.
I am sick and tired of trying to abide by stringent laws of upkeep,
mailbox (new) now has a ripped off flag and door, paintballs flying at
our parked vehicles and now this!!! Oh, and another...a cement truck
trying to make it up our relatively steep hill, only to dump some of its
contents right to the side of our road, in front of our mailbox...now I
don't weigh concrete for a living, but i would guestimate it to be about
25 to 30lbs. of concrete mix. So as I drive home from picking up my
daughter this past Thursday from school straight from my job, I get
greeted by this eyesore. I wish those with good sense would teach a
class to those without and I pray that those in power have the good
sense to know that we really need not only an improvement committee when
it comes to what we want our neighborhood to look like, but for that to
extend inside each and every home and their families as well.
Responsibility is an ever present weight on everyone's shoulders,
accountability should be the morals and values that the parents, the
community helps instill to those dwelling within. I hope that God grants
those in power to change some things for the positive and enhance what
is already positive, yet family values begin in the homes. I am
perturbed, perplexed and aggravated with the progress that we have made
only for it to be disrupted by someone that holds no core values. I
stood on my front stoop watched the tearing down of my For Sale sign,
proceeded out in the drizzling rain toward the car for many reasons, yet
the person(s) in the vehicle gave no inclination of staying around and
doing what was right and peeled out before I could do anything, and that
is what makes me mad. Years ago, if I had done something so stupendous,
my father, mother would have made me take the responsibility and be
accountable for my actions. I would have had to redo the sod in the
yard, apologize profusely, and make right what wrong I have done. For
some reason deep down in my gut, I know that will not be the case here,
as tomorrow comes, I will be out there cleaning up a mess that I did not
create, stewing in my own juices while "the fast and the furious driver"
wannabe will be sleeping peacefully without a care in the world. Where
are the morals? Tomorrow I will take my daughter out and teach her life
lessons of how to clean up a mess even though you didn't do it and
hopefully those morals and values that I grew up with are being
instilled in my daughter as we teach them to her and hope that she will
have better judgment throughout her life. Parents, teach your children,
they make mistakes, they learn from them when they are faced with
consequences, hopefully. Our home on Ridgewood when we first moved in
was a complete eyesore, and we have worked so hard to create a home
here. We do not wish for all of our hard work to disappear overnight
just because someone fails to do what is the right thing by just
stopping and apologizing and asking if they can make it right by
helping. Patrolling this neighborhood is hard with the size of it, but
more patrolling would help curb the tendencies of moronic speedsters and
careless drivers.
I am so sorry
for your misfortune. Thank your for writing. I do take one
piece of conciliation from your letter, though. I believe I am
reading the thoughts of one parent who will raise her children to be
more thoughtful and responsible than the one that did the damage to your
yard.
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8/26/2008
Mitch . . . would you please post a
homeowners' insurance crisis meeting scheduled for this Thursday, August
28, at 7 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 8271 Whispering
Pines Road just east of the YMCA. It is hosted by the Coastal Baldwin
Churches' Community Organization. The meeting is an attempt to address
the isurance crisis and explore solutions. For more information call the
church at 621-2968 or Al Carlson at 251-980-1813. Thanks!
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8/23/2008
It's hard for me to believe that the
developer of Lake Forest will ever stand for this Board of Directors
tearing down the membership's Country Club. Surely he knows that the
regular membership are busy raising our families and have not even had
an opportunity to vote on tearing it down. I can't see by any stretch
of my imagination how tearing the Country Club down could help his
vested interest in any part.
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8/23/2008
Mitch, I think this board owes the
membership an apology as the letter they mailed out with the assessment
was written to deceive the membership into believing tearing down the
clubhouse was an old Swim & Racquet building. I have lived here since
1992 and it hasn't been called that since then.
That Swim &
Racquet Club building was a clubhouse in the 1960's. You are
correct, though, that it has not been called such to my knowledge since
the new Country Club (the one being torn down soon) was built.
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8/23/2008
For the life of me I can't understand
how tearing down the clubhouse is a capital improvement that rates an
assessment. What's going on with this board ?
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8/23/2008
What's with the "2" dates? Are you
really 6 months behind?
Oops.
Twern't paying attention.
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8/22/2008
Please make your assessment payments to
Lake Forest Yacht and Clubhouse
Let's all read
that one again. That is a toot! But, we should not always be
so negative and try to look at the bright side. At least now, when
you golfers are picking up a bag of balls for the driving range, you'll
also be able to change the paper in the printer for the ladies in
accounting.
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8/21/2008
Late today U.S. District Judge DuBose
issued an order abstaining from ruling on the constitutionality of
Daphne's billboard ordinance in the Lamar case. The case is stayed
until the state court rules in Baldwin Co. vs. Lamar re: removal of the
electronic billboard at Hwy. 181 and CR64. This order has many
implications, but overall it is a very good turn of events as the
federal trial has been cancelled. I'll keep you posted.
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8/20/2008
WOW! To think we could fix the
things necessary at the Country Club Building for one assessment is
not realistic, not even close. The fact is that there are real
problems that need addressing. Considering these total in excess of
$300,000, it is difficult to conceive that one assessment or even
two, would cover this. Would it be prudent to invest that kind of
money into a facility that creates a net loss of revenue? To what
end? Read this coming newsletter for more information.
Well, by that logic you should tear
down all of the amenities. Golf, tennis, swimming, Yacht Club,
every one of them creates a net loss of revenue. But then, that’s
why we pay dues, isn’t it. We are paying for services that cost
money. So, why would we pick out one area over the others to
demolish? Could it be that it is just not our favorite area? Maybe
we don’t care to have our civic and club meetings there or, perhaps
we have no intention of using that beautiful Country Club for one of
our kids’ wedding. Could it be that someone on our team wants a new
Country Club more suited for his or her vision rather than that of
the membership? And, what do the majority of our members want?
Here is a little sample of the results
of the board’s own survey.
CLUBHOUSE AND YACHT CLUB FACILITIES
The clubhouse/golf proshop/19th hole
building only had 13% of the residents that like it “as is.” The
yacht clubhouse was even worse with only 10% of the residents liking
it “as is.” Both buildings need improvement, and the survey results
show what needs to be done.
The most important potential Property Owners
Association improvements are:
1. Repair main clubhouse and yacht
clubhouse.
2. Provide casual grill and outdoor dining
at main clubhouse.
3. Add a health/fitness facility.
4. Provide a summer camp program.
5. Build a lakeside park facility.
6. Improve marina boat slips.
7. Eliminate two Yacht Club tennis courts to
provide storage and parking.
I added the underline just so you
wouldn’t miss it. Interestingly, nowhere in there do we see “tear
down the Country Club”. To see the actual summary of the survey
results,
check this link. The $300,000 figure is interesting.
It would cost a third of that to tear the place down! I sat
through the report from the building inspector, that the Board of
Directors paid for, and I don't remember any numbers like that.
If you mean that $300K would be needed to rejuvenate our Country
Club to topnotch condition, then count me in! You can assess
us for the next three years and have $450,000 for the job! You
certainly couldn't build a new one for the same money. Even
though I'm not a significant user of the facility, I would not mind
contributing my $50 a year to improve the community. After
all, it's costing me much more than that to sue the board for their
incredible move to gain control of the by-laws. But, then,
it's more than just the condition and operating costs of the
building, isn't it? Someone has another vision, right? Why not
present that vision to the members before you destroy their Country
Club? This is just an idea.
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8/19/2008
Wouldn't this sign look better if it
said "Country Club" instead of "Clubhouse"? Why didn't we get a vote
before they made a decision to tear our Country Club down? If you think
the Country Club needs to be torn down, just take the time and go see it
for yourself. It may need some upgrades here and there, but not
worth the membership having an assessment of a hundred thousand dollars
to do so. So, I don't think for a minute that once the Country Club is
torn down, that we won't be assessed again next year for upgrades for
the "Clubhouse". This my friends is a bad decision, and I personally am
in total disagreement with it. Is there not someone else besides myself
that believes this.
Oh yes, most of
Lake Forest.
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8/18/2008
Lost Paddle Boat- blue and seats four,
emblem on the side says "Rainbow" and has a canopy top. Last seen during
big rain storm, drifted off dock.
Anyone with knowledge of this may contact
this website and we will pass that info on to the contributor.
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8/18/2008
Someone from Grande Pointe Apts is
feeding a large gator & it has become common sight on the east end of
the lake. There was a nest of 7 ducklings in my yard & one by one they
have disappeared, so east enders beware.
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8/15/2008
Dr. Carroll didn't need to go all the
way to China to do that!
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8/15/2008
Mitch . . . don't know if you want to
print this, but the Restoration Fellowship Ministries who purchased that
land inside LF last year just paid off their $45,500 loan as of 8-12-08.
I still see the J. Barrons For Sale sign (although it's pointing in the
wrong direction on Rays Lane), however, the "estate" lot is not on J.
Barrons' current website . . . so I don't know if the land is still for
sale . . . I also heard that The Shoulder is looking for land within LF
. . . is this true? Someone mentioned that The Shoulder was
looking at the Church property . . . I know they couldn't build on the
Church property, but I've also heard that the apartments which were such
an item are (or are about to be) put up for sale . . . and since that's
not LF property, could The Shoulder go in there and use that for their
building?????? Probably just speculation, but who knows . . . . .
the only "factual" thing I know is that the Church did pay off the loan
on the property on Aug. 12 . . . but as for the other - I was just
wondering if anyone had heard anything about The Shoulder coming into LF
. . . that's all.
I don't think The
Shoulder would have anymore success at trying to build in Lake Forest
than the Church/Social Service group did. Lake Forest is not zoned
for that and while The Shoulder provides a valuable service, it does not
qualify under the zoning regulations and would also probably create as
much uproar in the community as the other group did.
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8/15/2008
This one is just
too much fun to wait.
Compare your salary to Saban's.
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8/15/2008
Lake Forest is
represented at the Olympics in Beijing. Dr. William Carroll from
Lake Forest has the task of monitoring for illegal drug use among the
athletes.
See the story here.
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8/11/2008
Those in favor of new paved streets say
'I'. Believe me, it will make a huge difference, and we surely have paid
for it. Enough of the patches, we need new paved roads. All of
them...period.
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8/3/2008
A few thoughts
regarding the news that the LFPOA Board of Directors has voted to tear
down the Country Club. The report is that they are talking about
demolishing it after the first of the year. Do you think that the
Country Club still has a market value? After all, they aren't
tearing it down because the a/c doesn't work or the roof needs repair.
In fact, they have the report of a professional building inspector that
the property is in pretty good shape. No, they are tearing it down
because they don't want to pay the utilities. It is a huge
building. Certainly it is worth something. They have said
that they have no plans to replace it, so why tear it down? Why
not sell it? Think about it. A developer might be able to
come in there and move some walls and do some remodeling and convert
that huge place into several condominiums. There's plenty of area
out front to add on to the building. Wouldn't that be a great
place to have a luxury condo? The association would also save the
expense of demolition and actually make some money to boot. And,
the condos would be in Lake Forest, so we would be getting some new dues
paying members. Members who would probably also be golfers, even
more revenue. If that building has a market value of say a two or
three hundred thousand dollars, then it stands to reason that the
association will be worth that much less once it's torn down. I
really have no idea what that building is worth, but I know of a church
that is trying to sell a building that doesn't look much bigger for
three million. Of course, this is assuming that they really have
no plans to build a new one. If they don't win the lawsuit caused
by their grab for control of the by-laws, they won't be able to rebuild
anyway because the membership probably won't authorize the money.
Why not do this? Don't wait until January to move the offices.
Do it now. Pack the administrative staff, inventory, and all the
rest into the 19th Hole right now, cut off the power and put a For Sale
sign up out the front. The golfers will get to see how much they
like the new arrangement and if it doesn't work out, they could always
move back.
I find this whole discussion depressing.
Until the current group took over, the association was paying its bills,
improving facilities and paying off its debt. It had returned
privileges to users, while eliminating assessments. According to
certain directors, the people who were overseeing things then have no
understanding of conditions now, less than three years later. It
is more likely, though, that those who came in to lead us to progress
are really not up to the job.
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8/2/2008
Mitch . . . would you mind posting that
the next Lake Forest Neighborhood Watch Program meeting is scheduled for
Saturday, August 9, at 10:00 a.m. in the Lake Room at the Country Club.
Thanks!
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8/2/2008
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