I created this blog site after the hurricane. There needed to be a central place to exchange information. Residents that left could not get in contact with management to determine the status of the property. I was very disappointed in the way management handled the situation and the way they continue to manage the property.
Management left a notice on the computer/rec room door three days after the hurricane stating no damage was done. A week later they stated that a catastrophic event had occurred and the units were unlivable, find temporary housing. The next day the power was on and the units were livable.
We have not been given any information on the extent of damage. Nor the cost of the repairs. Two days ago an inspector went condo to condo doing inspections. The only way I know this is I was at home. I do not want anyone in my home without permission. I do not want a surprise increase in the current HOA fees or a bulk sum due to pay for these repairs. Without having any input or information on what and who is doing the repairs.
The Board is now trying to tell us where to park. They do not have enough garage gate openers so they are encouraging people to drive in behind someone. There has already been problems with break ins and theft on level two of the garage. So allowing anyone to drive in and the seclusion of the lower level makes it a perfect spot for break in and assaults. Speaking of assaults, did you know there was one in the computer/rec room?
The Board had to come up with a "parking resolution" after I questioned their last attempt to dictate parking. The first few paragraphs state that the Board can do whatever they want to. They have ALL THE POWER. The board deemed it necessary to establish these parking rules and regulation.
At 70 % of ownership the Board was to be made up of owners of condo... we have to be there by now.
A list in the elevators tells us of our responsibilities..What about their responsibility to the current owners. We pay each month for them to look out for OUR best interest.
Who is this Board??
80 comments:
Hi THere!
Thanks for setting this site up! Although the tags left in the elevator don't provide a direct link...but I found it after awhile.
We have been extremely frustrated here as well. During the storm we had several battles with management...once I found them. They told me I was the only one complaining and that they had received nothing but compliments. For doing what? I called the main owner but he didn't even bother to respond. The place was completely unsafe figuring it had no fire alarms or sprinkler systems. And forget the 2 man security 24/7. The side doors were left all the time. This management team is quite pittiful.
We have been trying to figure out when we get to participate on the "board". I go in all the time asking about what percentage of sales we are at and get a different number each time. If they are holding meetings like they one with the parking, we should at least be invited.
Also a lot of people saying that they are renting some of these places out for a even one night. A lot of the staff brough their families into the condos during the storm. Now we also rent them out through the office on a nightly basis? Do they know how many people are even sub leasing? I was hoping to live in a nicely managed condo complex...not a hotel. Soon enough its going to even feel like a motel.
We are EXTREMELY frustrated!
Sorry about the typo. As expected the flyers were promptly removed.
Got a call yesterday from management asking could they come and make repairs to my condo due to damage done by the storm. I told them I was not aware of any damage. They said they needed to remove two feet of sheetrock and put equipment to dry it out. They could not tell me when the sheetrock would be replaced. I ask what the overall damage to the condo. She said 1.3 million....with homeowners part to be 400-450 thousand, each unit around 2000. I ask when they they were going to tell the homeowners she said when they got definite figures.
really can not see anything wrong with my wall...I have to decide ASAP about the repairs...they said they really need in ASAP
Great idea to have a blog. They came in and cut 2 feet of my sheetrock too and I was told i had no choice. I don't even know how much this is going to cost..i am assuming we are going to get a big bill at the end to cover the 2% deductible that amounts to $400K+. Maybe we can setup a meeting during the week on some evening.
houston MBA did they give you a time frame to when the sheetrock would be replaced? did you get a postcard??I sent out about 130.
the estimate is each of us to pay 2000.00. I would like to see what all was damaged.
Belinda told me that the building shifted and now some of the windows will not open??this does not sound good.
I would love to get together. I am interested to see how many will look at this blog.
I haven't received any news of any damage ...anywhere. We just got a note that they were going to check all windows in the complex and they would be coming through. We certainly would be in for a suprise getting a bill! The whole Ike situation was my tipping point. They didn't help any residents during this time. I finally notified the fire marshall about the life safety codes that were be broken. Also took lots of pictures that I plan to write to the city about as this can't be a repeat if there is another storm. I don't expect power when all of the city is out but I'd at least expect communication about the fact we won't have water with no power, that they only have back up generators that last 4 hours, and that we are essentially staying here at our own risk with no alarms or sprinkler systems.
I'd also really like to meet with others who have had issues. The board has always been suspicious to us. The process and units sold changes everytime we go in there. It would be nice to have the latest rules figuring the ones we originally got were a clear copy and paste from another complex as they referred to tennis courts and other such amenities that don't exist here. haha. I'd be happy to host at our place if needed.
Not sure about others (although I'm not use to blogging) but the www.thevalenciaresidents..etc doens't work. I finally just google blogspot and stole someone else address and edited and found I only get through with http://thevalenciaresidents... may be an issue others are having too. But I did get a card in the mail.
Fabulous job! Let me know about the plans for a meeting!
Great idea to set this up. I got the URL postcard in my mailbox. I had no idea my home had been toured by inspectors until I got a phone call yesterday notifying me that sheetrock needed to be removed and repairs needed to be made.
If you go by the management office, you can ask for specific details about when to expect repairmen to come by. I find this whole situation very shady, and the conduct of entering homes without early notice absolutely objectionable.
I did not know that the cost of repairs was going to fall on our heads (I guess I'm a bit naive). Apparently I have problems with the sheetrock in both rooms, but in one room more than the other. I also have water damage to the wood floor in parts of my kitchen (the freezer must have thawed out during the storm).
Regarding the parking issue: My gate card has not worked for almost a year now. I was told this was an uncommon problem. I firmly believe we should switch from our ridiculous "move the card around on your windshield and hope the gate opens" system to a simple clicker. (Who's with me on this?)
Regarding the Internet issue: Ditto. I was told that I was the only one with Wi-Fi problems. Thankfully the Wi-Fi has been pretty good lately.
I am all for attending a meeting of the residents if you are able to organize one.
Thank GOD. I thought I was the only who thought management was utterly incompetent, esp. under the prior head manager. The Internet was always down and they would always say they had no idea what was going on, and when I told the previous head manager, she would always say no one had complained about it to her. My gate card didnt work for several months and it took forever to finally get a working one when I first moved in, and alas, its stopped working, shockingly, there are no replacements. And what is this business about us having to front cost for the repairs? Not surprising, but when they tell you people will have to come in and repair things and not even mention possible cost, its extremely frustrating and shady. I am absolutely down for a meeting, if only to vent with like minds.
I am a tenant at Valencia and a few things that I'm reading on this blog are "pittiful". First of all, water was NEVER included in the HOA fees, only common area water. Why is the mgmt office being blamed for wifi issues? Call the cable company yourself like I have done. Why would the HOA pay for any sales events or marketing such as picnics or the lights and A/C being left on in the models; don't you think funds would be set aside for this or even paid by the developer? On hurricane issues, where do i start? Family comes first, why would you expect the mgmt company to be here instead of with their own children/family? There was nothing that mgmt could have done to help the light & water situation. I saw two notices from mgmt during the "black out", what else did you want from them? I stayed in the dark just like everyone else & when I saw the lights didn't come back after a few days, guess what... I EMPTIED MY FRIDGE & ICE MAKER AND I LEFT! If you felt unsafe that there were no sprinklers or fire alarms, you should have left too. Again, why is mgmt being blamed for your kitchen floor damage? You didn't think to empty your ice maker... how absurd is that? I too didn't get notice about someone coming to rip my sheetrock out but it had to be done so i didn't complain. I had no visible sign of water damage either, but I don't want to chance mold growth either; why do you need to think about whether you want them to tear the sheetrock out? They did such a good job cleaning my condo afterwards & I had some fans blowing in my unit for a few days... i lived through it. So I have to live without 2 feet of sheetrock for a few weeks... big whoop. Stop complaining about the mgmt team, I'd like to see anyone else try to keep up with 210 units, checking for damage, replacing sheetrock, fixing the roof & exterior of the property & keeping every single person happy. They are doing the best they can; I think we are lucky they are still here; I doubt anybody else would want to take their place. On another note, why would anyone expect exact dates as to when everything will be repaired? Again they are juggling 200+ units! I'm happy to hear that I will probably only have to pay $2000 towards the repair; you mean to tell me you can't afford that? Other hurricane victims lost everything & all I have to pay is $2000 more or less to help fix my building... I'm sorry, I can't complain. Some people are thinking "my unit has NO damage, why do I have to pay?" Well, the person above you is your roof, what if the person above you is the 4th floor and their roof is damaged; that won't be a good chain of events. I read that employees had family here; one of our maintenance men was the only one that I know of that had his family stay here & I was comforted by that because he helped out around the property to prepare for the hurricane, and after the hurricane. I too was concerned about the sick people who live in our building without lights, and that's why I called the light company to express my concerns, why would I be mad at the mgmt people? Did they have a magic switch? People around me complained that it smelled of spoiled food & they were mad at mgmt; why wouldn't you be upset with the dumb people who didn't throw food & trash away before they left out of town? I prepared as much as I could with water & food & when I ran low on supplies, I left. Let repairs be done in your homes, the faster the better; don't prolong this frustrating situation. You have to remember that the Medical Center is expanding all around us; this means good value for our condo community. I too have people leasing around me & that's because some homeowner's have been transferred to other cities; and instead of trying to sell with this tough economy they've choosen to "make a buck" and rent out their place. As long as the tenants aren't loud & roudy then I'm fine with it. Wouldn't you lease your condo if you had to leave abruptly because of your job? Yes you would, this building is a great investment property! I've spoken with the mgmt office many times & they are trying really hard to "fix" everything; give them a break. As for the HOA board, the developer was here recently & I'm told that he is eagerly trying to get the board started. Yes, it is time that we have an HOA Board. Just calm down; everything could be much worse.
Fellow residents
I do not even know where to begin. I have read many of your blogs and I must say that there are many recurring themes and I have experienced many of them. So I will refrain from repeating. First, I will not even say "management", because it is flat out Belinda that is the problem. Now Friday (Oct 31st)we got the call as well. Your condo is damaged we need to get in this Monday (Nov 3rd)and remove sheetrock, the humidity levels, yada, yada. First off, we flat out said no, you cant come into our unit and got into an argument with Belinda. Then that letter ended up on our door on Friday evening. Then on Monday I went into the office and spoke with Belinda and I could not believe the BS I was being fed. To keep it short, roof repaired (cost about $23,000-25,000). They have a company to breakdown and remove sheetrock. However, they do not yet have a company to make the repairs, so they'll break your walls down but they don't know when or who will put them back up. Estimate for damage and repairs?? "Impossible" to have that I was told. Work to be done and then a price given after. Now what's wrong with that picture?! PLEASE REFER TO SECTION 11 OF THE DECLARATIONS IN OUR MANUAL (so you can become more angry) I'm even going to touch on how our units were accessed without prior notice to do the inspection, which Belinda said a letter was sent out. We never got one did you guys? PLEASE REFER TO SECTION 8(a)(i)(5)
So we are going to allow them inspect the windows and I made an appt for tomorrow at 9am. Who knocks at our door yesterday at about 5pm. The inspector and the porter with crapload of keys. Emailed Belinda and she assured me those keys did not include those for our condo. Hard to believe. We have written up a letter to formally complain to Donna Manley(Belinda's boss) and Ronald Lozoff (one of the builders). Both of whom are on the BOD, by the way. If you want to know the 5 on the BOD, look in the manual, its in there. We even called Donna to complain about Belinda and how things are being handled. She said that they will hold a meeting for us to discuss everything. Thats the letter you all have prob received on your doors today.
The person who commented on having board members of our choice is 100% correct and that is something we also have to address. They are feeding on our disunity. We are all busy and have things to do but I think we need to start uniting and owning up b/c they're taking us to the cleaners and will continue to do so. I made alot of waves this week and will continue to do so but our strength will be in numbers. So let's show them that we care about our property and we will not stand for this nonsense
lily
I think you should open your eyes, alot of our basic rights have been violated, as well as, alot of printed ones(in our manual). If you are willing to believe everything you hear and accept the impingement on your rights as a homeowner (if you are one)then that is your prerogative. This is a condo, most of us own (and maybe you as well), they are treating this like a college dorm and us like dorm residents. Come in whenever you want, tell us we have to do something and just expect us to blindly say yes and fall in line. No...I dont think so. Taking care of 200+ units and being our advocate is Belinda's job. If she can't handle it then she should manage elsewhere.
I agree that there are some petty things on here but when people get upset and frustrated sometimes the petty things come up and are just icing on the cake. If repairs have to be done and there is real damage then fine but the manner in which information is being handed down to the unit owners is unacceptable.
Good luck writing to the owner. I finally found his information and left him a message and asked for him to call me back regarding some concerns I had and I never heard back. I also had the unpleasant experience of dealing with Donna. She actually lives here and tried telling me that as a resident as well that I was the only one with complaints and that I was "being unreasonable" and "Talk too much". Good management huh? Whether they are tennants or not they are obviously disconnected to the residents who pay full price to own their homes.
I think communication between management and the residents is what is missing. During the storm they could have kept us in the loop. It's easy to say to just pack up and go else where but there are a lot of folks in this place, like myself, that move from out of state and don't have other friends are family yet around here to bunk in with. And if anyone tried getting a hotel room around here it was next to impossible.
Now as for the damage, if we have to pay 2k-4k each...thats fully out of pocket. I'm hoping next week's meeting will explain the companies insurance policy as well as where did the HOA money go that shoudl be able to pay for any deductible. My insurance, like everyone else I'm sure, just covers my individual unit and therefore if I have no damage in my unit they won't be covering any of it. I understand lots of people were worse off, but we are in a complex which pays A LOT of money towards HOAs and management and shouldn't be wrong in expecting management will help handle this and keep us in the loop as to what is happening in our homes.
I would love to know how much of management team actually has degrees and experience in management.
I have a copy of the insurance policy that I think is worth looking at prior to the meeting. I got my copy from the sales office. The policy expird 11-1-2008
wind/hail ded 25000.00 **2% per occurrence.
I would like to see a break down of the repairs done to each condo specifically the condos owned by the builder. I would like to know who is doing the repairs. Surely no one associated with the builder. Someone is being handed over a blank check with all our names on it...Never heard of getting repairs done without knowing the cost and a time frame.
It would be a nightmare to get a lein placed on The Valencia.
It is important we get organized for this meeting.
We have a legitimate legal beef. Let's get together. Meeting is Nov 13th at 6pm. We're available early in the week during the evening but are willing to be flexible. Have plans this weekend so unfortunately not an option for us.
Seems like there are some people who are much more knowledgeable and prepared than I am to address the major concerns that have been raised.
I don't know whether to be panicked by the situation(s) or relieved that I'm not alone.
Meeting early next week in the evening sounds great.
Are there any attorneys reading this who have more experience and insight on these matters?
How does Monday, Nov 10th at 7pm sound to people?
Do we want to meet at the clubhouse or "off-campus"?
Monday Nov 10th at 7pm sounds great
Not sure regarding location I think the clubhouse should be ok around that time. But I'm up for something off sight
to valencia owners: get an updated copy of the insurance policy... my expiration reads
"11/1/09".
Despite of what the 9 or so bloggers think, there are a lot of people that are happy with the mgmt team; and just because I'm happy with them doesn't mean I work for them... grow up.
lily
we are very grown, that's why they are not going to roll over us. you are entitled to your opinion and although there are not many bloggers, there are MANY unhappy people and I know that for a fact. you,lily, are the minority.
If you don'tlike what we have to say then remove yourself from the blog and stop checking it. If your only purpose is to check this blog and defend management then the questioning of you being management or linked to management in some form is not childish but quite valid.
Monday at 7pm is good for us too! The club room is prob most convenient for everyone...if people are in there i'm more than happy to host in our place.
We are not lawyers ourselves but have family that is lawyers and another family member who a manager of condo complex....if we have some questions we can certainly send them along and try to get some answers. I know insurance companies are usually dreadful to work with but have had pleasant experience with companies providing their lawyer teams to provide some guidance.
Great so we'll confirm for Monday at 7pm in the clubhouse
I am pleased to see that I am not alone in my frustration with the whole Ike event. I had an inspector and a member of management come through our condo a month ago. I was home at the time, didnt know anyone was coming, no note announcing this plan, no knock on the door, just the door opening with management, with a huge ring of keys, and a contractor who needed to check the water levels in my walls. As they left, the contractor, after seeing the info on his equipment, assured me that there was no damage and I was one of the lucky ones.
This past week, I too called for an appointment to have my windows checked. The office said "we've been MEANING to contact you, your condo needs to have the sheet rock removed and it needs to been done ASAP". Would I have been blindsided like a fellow owner that I know, who came home one day to see the holes in his wall with no notification of the work? I was told it needs to be done immediately, even tho there are no confirmed bids to have the walls replaced. If you ask a question of the two of them down there, they each give a completely different answer. And I absolutely agree that we are being treated like a poorly run apt. complex. This place is filled with professionals, not children, like we are being treated. I plan on being at the meeting as well.
I will be there monday.
We are all frustrated by the effects of the storm and the recovery process. Hopefully, this meeting will be a way to focus our energy so that when we speak to management we can do so in a constructive manner.
I'll be taking notes for myself tonight but can email them out if anyone wants a copy. I will have to leave the meeting on the 13th a little early so if someone could email me anything I miss that'd be appreciated.
Tentative goals for tonight's meeting would be:
1)organizing list of questions for 11/13 meeting w/Belinda
2)summarize and prioritize issues 3)pool contacts and resources
Feel free to add anything else to the agenda, see y'all at 7 in the clubhouse!
Hello fellow Valencians,
I was one of the very first buyers a few years ago and feel all of your pain. I had no idea that we had a physical assault on the property and am very unhappy that management did not inform us. I have complained numerous times to the "different" managers here and nothing has every been done regarding the breaking in of cars, units and so forth. It's very good to see that we have a fairly large number of residents coming forth to let them know we are fed up with the way things are being run here.
I am very interested in meeting with everyone tonight, but I work nights and will be unable to attend. I will be attending the meeting on November 13 to see what is in store for the future here at the complex.
If somebody would be so kind, could you please post highlights of what was discussed at the meeting this evening.
Thanks and have a great day!!!
Thanks, The Valencia Owners, for opening up communication and organizing us as well as providing the printed information you had. Without meetings like last night's we would be powerless and subject to the whims, well-informed or otherwise, of our management.
Thanks, Fellow Owner, for documenting and distributing the topics we discussed.
I hope to see more productive discussions in the near future!
Does anybody mind posting what was discussed at the meeting last night? I had to work and was unable to attend. My emai is
jsm0417@hotmail.com .
Thanks!
to juangig, I sent it to your e-mail...
ran into another person in the elevator, no walls or floor for two months, he will be at meeting on thursday...
I am thoroughly disgusted with the management at this place. I am here for only 4 years of optometry school and am now regretting purchasing this condo, as I'm afraid I won't be able to sell it for more than a fraction of what I bought it for.
There are so many things that irk me about this place I don't even know where to begin. How can they come into our rooms without prior notice or setting up appointments? And then they leave complete strangers alone in our places? I don't feel safe in the least bit having a bunch of complete strangers come into my apartment, have no supervision and tear up my walls/floors/carpet, and move my furniture (why would they care if they scratched something?) And I'm supposed to simply trust that they won't steal anything? For God's sake, the management tells us "they've had background checks, but just in case, hide your belongings..." What in the world??????
Honestly, since they are not filling their end of the bargain, I am all for stopping paying monthly dues until everything gets straightened out and we get some say-so. I have had it with people coming into my condo, leaving doors open, leaving a smell behind, and then not leaving any notice behind. The first time it happened, I noticed a door was open that I KNOW I left closed. I thought I had a burglary!!!
I don't know how much more I can take.
Ok, I'm sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. I suppose it sounded "petty," to use the phrase being tossed around here.
At any rate, I wasn't given any notice of $2000 that we are supposedly having to pay... This is an absolute shock to me, and no (Lilly) I can't afford $2000. I assumed that the Valencia's insurance would pay for things like this, since I've been told by both management and sales, insurance of the building covers building repairs that are not my own fault and that it is rolled into my HOA fees which I diligently pay every month and have yet to be delinquent on.
I've also been told, however, that I don't need my own insurance because the building's insurance covers damage to my unit... However I pressed the question and found out that if the entire building was to burn up and they decided to rebuild, I would be responsible for paying for the walls, floors, everything except the frame of the building. So I am now paying HOA fees and for personal insurance as well.
I'm not trying to list out points I'm pissed about, but really giving more examples of what everyone else here seems to be so upset about. The gross negligence of the management team and constant miscommunication.
I understand that managing 210 condos is a difficult job, but so is heart surgery. So is trying to diagnose a cranial tumor simply by looking into someone's eye. So is having to wake up at 3AM to get to the hospital to START your day. The vast majority of us owners do these things on a daily basis. If you can't do it, then don't try. Yoda says it best: DO or do NOT. There is no try...
How do you all feel? Still not satisfied, you would think when you have done ALOT people wrong in many ways and everyone else knows that you did them wrong, a decent person would just own up to it. Now, I think one our priorities should be to find other candidates because those 2 I'm not voting for. Too friendly with management, if you know what I mean, and the fact that Ron introduces them makes me even more suspicious. What does everyone think?
Maybe one of the people posting here should run? I'm too busy, but how about the owner of this blog? She seems perfect.
well, we are all busy, but someone has to step up. maybe we should inquire to see exactly what duties and responsibilities are expected of the board members before we say we are too busy. I, for one, will ask and see if I am able to make that commitment, I urge us all to do that. It's easy to recognize a problem and complain about it, now we have the opportunity to fix it. Basically we have to put up or shut up.
Yes we have to get in there and fight...can you believe this election should have occurred several months ago..what 5 months ago...when this was pointed out in the meeting he just blew over it..and said he had two people for the position..
one thing the meeting did show is that the majority (not just 9 lilly) of the people are unhappy...
also the meeting showed the type of situation we are in...
I am still shaking my head from the meeting...so many things are not right... used car saleman comes to mind...
bottom line..we have a strong core of bloggers..and we are already making a difference...just have a long way to go..
it is mandatory.... we have to become part of the board..we will still be a minority but at least we will know what is going on and voice our concerns...
anyone of us can do it..including myself..but we all have to stay involved.
Key point for the board memeber is to find out the issues and bring them back to everyone via blog..e-mail..meeting.. so everyone can review them on their time table and provide input...
Thanks for the blog info on Thursday. I hope that fool Ron keeps reading these. He needs to take heart to what owners and renters have to say. If he is attempting to use prior damage to condos that was never fixed by the inept maintenence people and bundle it all neat with the hurricane claim, well that my friends IS INSURANCE FRAUD! Just like that lady said last night at the meeting. Ron seems to think that this is an ok thing to do. And said so in front of all of us! What a moron! Between that and then the disclosure comment when he said it was ok NOT to mention damage if/when you want to sell. Used car salesman, snake oil guy, whatever you want, thats who we have going to bat for us! The owners must band together and find some representation to cover themselves, forget Ron and his talking out of both sides of his mouth. Never gave solid dates on repairs, was short with many people who had legit questions and those 2 he introduced as board members are just "yes" men. They can care less. The next meeting that is decided, I want to be part of to get a game plan. This place has become a lawsuit waiting to happen. Thanks Ron!
Take note, my friends. The email Belinda sent out this afternoon states that a quorum of 1/3 of eligible voters must be present for an election of board members to go forward.
Does anyone remember how many units are occupied by owners?
I hope that we can get as good an attendance as last night, but it will be important that proxies are designated in the appropriate manner.
Also, I believe the two men mentioned in Belinda's email (Mr. Kaufmann and Mr. Brimm) are also very well known to Ron. I am sure these men are competent, experienced, and qualified -- but do they represent the voice of the residents? I hope that someone runs who does not have a previous relationship with the developer or current board members.
We need productive change.
I think Colleen (I think that's her name, maybe it's Connie) should run. She had very good questions and has been very well prepared at the meetings. I also think Brandi would be an excellent liaison even though she's ineligible. Finally, the real estate woman who challenged Ron on the issue of reporting damages to prospective buyers seems like she knows a thing or two about these situations.
Just my two cents.
It's Connie. Thanks for the endorsement..I think..
I did not get the e-mail..please forward it..got the note on the door..is it the same??
he said he owned 52-53 units..of course no clear answer..on www.hcad.org 66 are owned by Valencia condo
8 units owned by banks or realestate agency..
so Ron has these votes..therefore the two he wants has these votes...
70 votes will be 1/3 of 210, if there are a total of 210 "eligible voters".. if the total eligible voters is less then 210 of course less is needed.
so 1/3 voters will be present by actual presence or by proxy, they may have 1/3 just by proxy...
Question: 7 (d) of our HOA manual states. In no event shall period of Declarant control described in this paragraph extend beyond three (3) years after the first conveyance of a unit to a person other than Declarant. Does anyone know when the first unit was sold???
Hi all. I think we need to meet as residents to debrief from Thursday's meeting and to discuss our candidate(s) for the Board. How can we make an informed decision on our Board members if we don't know each other?
Anyone else in favor of another meeting, ASAP?
Oh, I almost forgot. One of the owners said her unit sustained so much damage that she is now renting another unit. So she's paying rent AND a mortgage! Someone else I know lives in a condo whose unit sustained similar damage- his condo PROVIDED him with housing in accordance with housing laws. That means the Valenica is illegally charging this poor woman rent. Is anyone familiar with this law?
the woman at the meeting who said Ron was commenting insurance fraud is a UT insurance integrity specialist. Anyone in the medical field knows that currently Texas and other states are being audited for fraud, the payments are having to be returned.....
I'm all for a meeting....
I am so surprise at the number of people that still do not know what is going on...
tomorrow is the breakfast which will be a good oportunity to educate people...
Good point, I forgot. Tomorrow's breakfast is a good opportunity for us to convene and discuss to some degree.
I'd like to point out that while I do NOT agree with all his tactics, Ron owns enough of this building that he must have some personal interest in seeing the Valencia recover from Ike with minimal cost etc. He wants to sell his units too. Again, I'm not taking his side, but he has some experience with the industry and we probably don't have to discount EVERYTHING he says immediately just because it's coming from him.
The problem is the deception has started long ago and persisted until now when people are starting to become educated. So you fall into a state where now you question everything they say even when it fact it may be true. Thus, the problem becomes weeding out truth from fiction. they created this atmosphere. I think tomorrow during or after brunch, which is 10am-12pm, is a good time to meet or whatever is convenient for most. We should set a time though b/c its a 2hr window.
breakfast:
I am going to shoot for 10..
Hi fellow bloggers,
Connie and I had a rousing conversation with Ron this morning at the breakfast. He told me that I was the only person with our concerns. I asked him if he had seen the blogspot, to which he said that everything on here wasn’t true and that we’re all just complaining to complain. Nice, huh? Anyway, I think Connie is planning on running for the board next Monday, and I am here to fully support her. Since Ron owns 50+ units, what we need to do is make sure that everyone who can’t come to Monday’s meeting gives us their proxy so we can vote for Connie. We should have a meeting early this week in order to break up the building into sections so we can each target a different floor. I’m very flexible, so whenever you guys decide to meet, just let me know and I’ll be there. Feel free to use my condo. If 8 of us show up, that’s only about 25 units each. If nothing else, our presence will let the other owners know that there are other people who feel their pain, and we are trying to do something about it.
Brandi,
They're playing this game of telling one person one thing and another person another thing. Its really an insult to our intelligence. For example, management did a similar thing with regards to someone who complained. Management said "oh really, you're the only one complaining about XY and Z others have said positive things". Another example, at breakfast he acknowledged our complaints, contrary to how he treated you.. So , in summary, he thinks he's a politician (which pretty much equates to being a liar) and is just playing the part. I am sure he is not a dumb guy so I can't see how he thinks that we're buying his crap. Pretty much diverting legitimate questions, being short and becoming silent when people bring up valid points such as the board issues and insurance fraud. I think more people could move on and past this if they were more honest and up front with us, ie. "yes we did that", "it was our fault", "it wont happen again", "apologies", and truly be sincere about it. They really must be delusioned to the type of people we are. The wool is no longer over our eyes and if they want to underestimate us, so be it. That will be their downfall. Ron, I hope you're reading, you want to know how to right the ship, make things better and have people move past this. well the answer is as easy as reading this blog. As for my fellow residents/bloggers, post the date you want to meet and we shall be there.
Be well.
It would have been helpful for Belinda to define exactly what number constitutes a quorum for the meeting on 11/24. We shouldn't have to calculate this number ourselves or wait to be told what this number is at the meeting itself.
It would also be in the condominium's (and Ron's) best interest if Ron recused himself from voting. For him to vote would go against the spirit of the HOA and transparent accountability, no matter who is running or who he supports. He would also cultivate more goodwill if he were to recuse himself and we could get on the with the process of evaluating bids, rebuilding our units, and putting Ike and acrimony behind us.
A debrief/strategy meeting is a good idea. How's Tuesday evening, say 7pm? I don't know how many people read this blog, but it seems like there was a pretty good attendance at the Sunday breakfast. Perhaps leaving notes on doors is a good idea after all. If someone makes stationery or fliers notifying homeowners of a strategy meeting, I can help stick them in people's doors.
meeting
so if we are on for tomorrow at 7 club room I can make the flyer for all floors and can put them out for the 3rd floor.
flyer:
strategy meeting for residents
Tuesday Nov. 17, 7 PM club room
sound OK???
Hey Surgeon, I'm making fliers about the meeting Tuesday (11/18), 7pm in the clubroom. Where should I meet you tonight to give them to you?
Sounds good except it's Nov 18 not Nov 17. Surgeon and I can handle the fliers for the other floors. Mine say the same thing. See you tomorrow.
Jafo,
you raise very relevant issues, without a doubt. But to retort:
1. The 2 members we elect are not necessarily irrelevant. Yes they would be technically outnumbered by votes. However, I would argue that at least there are people on the board who are truly speaking, defending and bringing up issues on behalf of the homeowners. At the very least there are dual perspectives on the board and not people who have conflicted interest or are "yes-men" or "women". We may not have total control but we need a voice. And to my understanding, the elected members by the owners have a 2 year tenure unless voted out. The fact that there are yes-people on the board pretty much defeats the PURPOSE of having a board. What we have now is a dictatorship
2. The board members are responsible for hiring/firing of management, again to my understanding. Therefore, we have a say when we are not happy with management or condo personnel and the board has the responsibility of rectifying that on behalf of the owners
I agree and don't think we will have completely competent people on the board but knowing the type/profession of people that live here, we are all intelligent, resourceful individuals otherwise we wouldn't be where we are in life. Thus, we would need to pool information, resources, knowledge from others , etc.
As for what make makes a good board member, I think various people will have different replies to that, but at the very least, people who are HONEST, TRUTHFUL, will advocate for us, keep us informed and work on the behalf of the community. Much of what the current board lacks now
3. Now noone is expecting perfection, per se. To use your medical analogy, there is no doubt mistakes are made and it is unrealistic to expect perfection. However, if a mistake is made on a patient or their is a complication and additional intervention is required. Do you wisk the patient away without explaining to the patient, family members or parents what the mistake, error or complication was? Do you not consent them on the additional intervention required or at the very least inform them of the risks, benefits and complications from the additional intervention, so that they may make an informed decision? OR if a patient, family or parents are knowledgeable and correctly point out an error, do you deny that? Do you brush off or ignore their point or inquiry and change the subject?
Most of us are not in the business here but after all of this nonsense, we read, we inquired and we talked to other people. Therefore, we started to become informed and asked questions and now you see Ron and his lackeys starting to clean up their deception. We are all busy and work or study full time, but if you own, there is not much difference than if you were to own a house. You still have to take the time to make sure that your property is upkept, intact and your finances are in check. A difference in the condo community is that other people are making a bit easier for you by doing some of these thing but remember its your finances/HOA dues and investment that are being manipulated by others, others who you probably don't know or have never met. AKA strangers. I hear you Jafo and their valid arguments but at some point we have an obligation/responsibility as homeowners and members of a larger community.
Jafo,
The purpose of the homeowner's board is to keep the management company in check. Management will say 'these things need to happen' b/c their job is to keep the condo functioning. And the board's job is to vote on these issues and raise other problems to management's attention. They do not usurp the management company. Rather, they work with them to get things done. Eventually, the board should be comprised 100% of owners b/c we own the building, not the management company. In our situation, Ron owns the building, he owns the management company (correct me if I'm wrong), and there are no homeowners on the homeowner's board. This is why Monday's election is SO important. We need to get someone on the board to push back at management, tell them what they are doing isn't okay, and keep open all lines of communication. Ideally, the board members we elect should have some vote in which contractor the building hires to replace the damaged units. Just having another opinion, other than Ron's opinion, on the board is valuable. That’s exactly why Surgeon’s point about Ron excusing himself from the vote is a good idea. Ron’s interests are already represented by three members of his board. The other two members need to come from the homeowners, not the developer.
In California, the board membership is proportional to the number of owners ie if 70% of the condos are owned individually, then 70% of the board should be homeowners. I’m not sure of the law in Texas – perhaps this is something we can talk about tonight. And maybe we should have more than 2 members on the board already if we own more than 2/5ths of the building.
General Question: Our condo doesn't have a owner and we have leased our unit for over a year. Can we participate in these Board meetings? Like many of you, our walls are torn apart, we can never get our phone calls replied to by mgt, and have VERY loud neighbors above us. What sort of voice do we have as leasors?
What was decided at the meeting last night? I wanted to come, but needed to study.
I am the person that connie spoke to in the elevator last Monday. I definitely am interested in all of this. While I don't own, my parents do and they are pissed at how managemnt has handled this. If we had known how ling this process was going to take I would not have had them come and remove my walls and floors in the beginning of October.
As to ron... Sleeziest man I have ever heard in my life. Insurance fraud doesn't sound like a good idea only opinion. Is 2k steep? Yes, but if you have standard condo insurance (I hope you all do) then this expense is covered by that insurance... Whether you sustained damage to your individual unit or not. And 2k is much cheaper than insurance fraud and all the hell that would ensue from that backlash.
I personally am glad to hear that the owners will be taking control in February. Let's hold ron to that... It sounds like he's already toyed with a few months and percentages already.
I hope to hear what happened at the meeting and look forward to seeing many of you on Monday. I'll be proxy voting for my parents.
Hi THere,
I didn't get to go this week's meeting and I won't be here on MOnday. It was rather smart of them to plan a meeting during a week in which most people will begin to travel for the holidays. As a homeowner, I'd like to fill out the proxy to give someone else the rights to vote and be in our presence. Is anyone a renter that can go and will place vote for us?
Hi Lizybeth,
We passed out fliers last night telling everyone to stop by #407 or #322 if they didn't have a proxy, but would still like to vote on Monday. I'll be happy to be your proxy...just swing by when you get a chance.
I have been doing a lot of questioning myself... of the meetings, of this blog, of management, etc... I wanted to find out from the ground-up how things were working (who was doing the dirty work).
Additional thoughts:
1. I have spoken with Belinda several times and has been very upfront with me regarding the entire situation. When approaching her as a level-headed home owner, she responded appropriately (i.e. level-headed and honest). She has no reason to lie to me. If I had come at her in confrontation, I would expect her to come right back at me (I try not to do that). I had minimal dealings with the prior property manager, so I will not include the issues specific to that management tenure in my post. They are now clearly a non-issue with a new manager.
I also believe that Belinda is very much restricted by what the Board (i.e. Ron... I realize that this is an assumption about the inner workings at this point) allows her to do/say (e.g. communications). I would bet that if you were to ask her, you would find her, as I have, to be very on top of what is going on (and furthermore that she is thinking quite reasonably about the matters at hand).
2. It is my understanding that Ron only learned of the two volunteers either the day of or a few days before the big meeting. I do NOT think it is a safe assumption to say that they were too friendly with the management. Mr. Kaufmann kindly responded on the September blog post stating he was no longer interested. I thought he had his head screwed on rather well, actually, based on what he said at the meeting! Thank you Mr. Kaufmann for volunteering initially. I hope that negative comments have not turned you away. I believe the other gentleman was introduced as having some of the worst damage in our building... who better to represent us! I also believe that as of today, another has graciously volunteered for this responsibility--not me :).
3. Recognizing that people were in my home and that I didn't know the exact time was somewhat disturbing. However, as per section 8.(a)(i)(5), I am supposed to provide them with the copy of a key for inspections, repairs, etc. I also recognize that some people did not receive the "not less than one day" notice. I think the only reason I got notice is that they didn't have my key. However, once I gave them my key, I certainly got the second notice regarding several possible dates of inspection. I initially forgot about that notice, got mad after realizing someone was in my unit, went down to mgmt to ask a question about it, they corrected me, and then i remembered getting the notice... feeling like a total goofball. That section also indicates that access should "not unreasonably interfere with the use of the Unit." This is somewhat different from convenient for the owner of the unit, right? Notwithstanding the above, mistakes were made, and I don't think we have to worry about that sort of thing happening again.
So, yes (responding to PO'ed point #3), we do admit the mistake, obtain informed consent, correct the problem, but we then move on! If it's an emergency to save a life, the informed consent is implied and we just act and answer questions later (granted, there are plenty of holes with this analogy). However, my point is that we don't dwell on the mistake... Dwelling on problems becomes a problem in and of itself. Find solutions... clearly, as PO'ed and Brandi have stated in their reply to my earlier post, electing two board members will help all of us toward this goal of gaining better communication and insight into the inner workings of the whole thing!
4. Some of the procedural delays in reconstruction are understandable (albeit VERY inconvenient, annoying, disheartening, etc...). It makes sense that we won't know the total cost estimate until we know the total damage. The insurance people didn't send enough people to assess all of that damage (we heard that at the meeting) in a timely matter. Much of the damage was unseen and thus initially underestimated (that's why the insurance guy was alone... this seems like an honest mistake, not one of malice). Other properties that were fixed more quickly may have had more visible damage evident immediately following the storm, unlike our property. I think it's rather difficult to find a fair comparison to our situation.
Thus, even if we were not able to get a complete estimate on demolition/repair/restoration, doesn't it make sense that we need to STOP the possibility of mold growing throughout our building (i.e. tearing out the moist sheetrock)? What if we had to wait for all of the insurance people, contractors, engineers, and inspectors to completely finish with their bids and potentially wait on subsequent negotiations before we started the job of tearing out sheetrock? Would you want to live in a home that potentially had mold growth? I, for one, am glad that problem has been solved (to the extent that I can tell, inspectors visiting every unit, tearing out sheetrock, etc...). I believe I would have treated the situation as an emergency had I been in charge (glad I'm not)... meaning I would have torn out the wet stuff ASAP.
Discussions with the insurance people about the causation of the damage was certainly time-consuming (figuring out if it was covered or not). And the subsequent issue with blown-in windows/doors raised important questions regarding if insurance and engineers are seeing things the same way...
If the windows have to be replaced/fixed b/c of the damage created by Ike, there is no logical reason to replace the sheetrock until the windows have been fixed/replaced. The insurance company will only pay for one sheetrock repair (not two b/c we forgot to repair/fix the windows). I think some people on the 4th floor continued to have leaks as of this past rain we had. Please correct me if I am wrong. This seems like a fair and logical explanation to this problem and the delays. Am I wrong?
I certainly cannot make judgements on the causation of the damage because that's not what I do for a living. I'll leave that to the engineers, inspectors, and insurance people.
It really feels like the perfect storm... initially minimal apparent damage, much more once the sole insurance guy starts, the type of problem (mold), the coordination of the proper restoration steps (first windows, then sheetrock, etc..).
In my heart I feel like Belinda is really trying to help us get out from all of this mess. I think she is a bigger ally than some of us realize and give her credit for. Did anyone know that she was here with others when the power was out pulling out wet carpet and padding? I still don't have a good sense about Ron (maybe sleaziest guy as someone else said)... maybe he's mostly on our side and just going about it the wrong way (i.e. communication). I don't know. Nevertheless, Ron will soon be out of the equation once several more units are sold + 120 days.
As we come up on Thanksgiving, I had several thoughts... I am thankful for:
1. a short commute
2. running water
3. electricity
4. short distance to the rail
5. owning property so close to a booming medical center
6. other concerned home owners
7. Roger, Alicia, and all the others that work here every day
8. the sales office that keeps getting us closer to our own goal!
9. Belinda for plugging away at this mess day after day after day
10. my family (I know... shameless plug)
Jafo,
1. Waiting two months to start work on the condos is not acceptable. I had mold growing on the outside (and all over the inside) of my walls.
2. Not hiring a contractor before tearing out the walls is not acceptable. It will probably be March before this stuff is fixed because guess what, contractors don't like to work during the holidays.
3. ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY does management have the authority to enter your condo. Tearing out a wall without your permission is not an emergency. Not acceptable.
4. 2.5 months later management still doesn't have specs on the condos with problems. They don't know which units have floors that are damaged and which walls have already been torn out. Not acceptable. This should have been one of Belinda's jobs, but she never got around to it. However, Wendy seems to be on top of this situation - finally someone to help us 2.5 months later! (and only b/c we organized to complain)
5. Over improving pre-existing structural damage in some units and then charging the homeowners via the insurance deductable - not acceptable. Also, illegal. Just wait until your homeowner's dues increase...
6. I'm glad you're so happy with management. I wish I was too. It's not acceptable that only one person thinks they're doing a great job.
Jafo,
Your view is duly noted. To take a step back and look at the landscape is never a bad thing.
But realize that your response and inquiries are a bit late. You're catching this whole thing on the back end, when what you're encountering is a heightened awareness by Belinda et al. after the fact. After the fact, that many residents/owners already have went to her, challenged her, etc. She was not the pleasant person you see before you now. In fact, Ron specifically said to us that he told Belinda her primary job from here on in is to make "us" like her. So this is what you're seeing. And I see this change as well. For instance when she initially called us informing us of damage and need for repair on a Friday evening and expected us to let them do repairs on the next Monday, without any explanation, when the assumption by many due to notices sent out by management was that there was no damage. When we did question her she immediately became defensive.
So I hear ya and agree with your attempt to be insightful, but you're a bit late. Your recent experiences is a testament for those of us who chose to not fall in line and challenge people who should be working for us and not the opposite. Kudos to everyone who despite their busy schedules stood up for themselves and others who were unable to. Well done
is anyone else concerned about the email/letter we received last friday?
i now have more questions then i got answers from that letter. it is great to hear that apparent progress has been made, but just putting in dry wall does not sound like a good idea.
i spoke with belinda (who is completely removed from reconstruction now) and she knows they have not finished taking bids for a contractor yet. they also haven't settled with the insurance company.
why are they putting sheet rock back if windows need to be replaced? what contractor is doing this repair? is the hoa responsible for this construction since it might have to be ripped back out to repair the windows?
i sent an email to wendi thursday nightw ith all of these questions. i received no answer on friday. i also went into the office on friday and was informed she had left early for the day. it sounds like wendi is not being a very good liason during this either. why can we still not get any answers?
committed said...
I've spoken to Belinda Cooper, the Manager and she is really trying to deal with everyone. Originally it seemed there was not alot of damage but when they started checking on the moisture content of the outside walls the damage became apparent. I think they're doing a good job so far. I know they are working to settle with the insurance company to get the money to fix everything.
The hurricane happened to all of us and managment is dealing with the repair instead of us having to deal with it. I'm thankful for me not having to deal with it. '
I think some of you just need to go into the office and talk to Belinda and take a look a the work load involved with this.
Thankful for their help.
A satisfied (so far) owner.
November 11, 2008 6:57 PM
The only people that can vote for the initial Board Members are home owners, other than the Declarant (that's Ron's company). He also said that to us at the informational meeting.
I think they are doing all they can, these Insurance Companies are the sleazy ones, they want the premiums and always try to get out of paying or try to pay less than what they should. I think Ron has it right and there was nothing he said that sounded like any "insurance fraud". He is trying to HELP US and himself since his company still owns 50 or 60 homes.
Getting all we are entitled to from the Insurance Company and then trying to create efficiencies in getting the work done is the right thing to do.
I've checked out his backround, he is a very accomplished guy. We are lucky he is doing this.
Any idiot can just take what the insurance companies (crooks) want to give you. Look up on Google insurance company scandals and fraud. They're constantly screwing people.
He's got it right.
This new person Wendi is terrfic, they just should have brought her in sooner.
ferrin
All condos have owners. Go to hcad.org. If it the Valencia then Ron is the owner. If not, get the name and contact them, they may not know what is gong on. Everyone is welcome, only the owners will vote.
jafo
as a health care provider there should never be a comparison made between taking care of a human being and a condo.
In medicine:
communication is key...
second chances are a luxury...
mistakes are life altering...
We have made progress.
We are electing members.
We have a dedicated person to handle hurricane issues.
We have management's attention.
I am so ready to move forward. There is still a long road, we have to continue on with all our efforts. It IS important to learn from the mistakes and move on. But as the old saying goes.. fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. as home owners we are ultimately responsible.
Election is tonight..I hope the new members will be for the home owners and we can make The Valencia the great place I know it can be....
those VERY FEW of us on here who are satisfied, thats fine we acknowledge that. but the truth is you are the overwhelming minority. thankfully you're satisfied and therefore this blog is not for you. however, if you are on this blog attempting to change others opinion and feelings. AGAIN, i say, this blog is not for you. is it me? or does committed smell of a certain builder/developer we all know.
Committed,
what are you committed to? management? Ron?
keep reading Ron, I believe most us now think, thankfully, that progress is being made and communication is improving but only because our voices are being heard. Maybe you have been working and advocating for us, maybe not, same of management, but if you don't communicate this and expect people to have their condos torn apart, etc. and just say yes to everything without explanation, think again. We're not your "yes men". We're homeowners, and maybe now only are you and management either realizing this or at least treating us that way. But like The Valencia Owners said, we still have a ways to go. But keep doing what you're doing, wounds are beginning to heal.
Management wants to meet next week to review the new budget. Is there anything I need to bring up???
nothing off the top of my head. what would be nice is to know what the budget is. (eg. X% of dollars for maintenance, X% for salary, etc.)
"Committed" please take note of what is considered insurance fraud!!!
Maybe this is the reason The Valencia has been unable to "reach a settlement with the insurance carrier" as described in the letter posted to our doors last week.
http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/fraud/
NOVEMBER 2008
The Insurance Information Institute estimates that fraud accounts for 10 percent of the property/casualty insurance industry’s incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses, or about $30 billion a year. Fraud may be committed at different points in the insurance transaction by different parties: applicants for insurance, policyholders, third-party claimants and professionals who provide services to claimants. Common frauds include "padding," or inflating actual claims; misrepresenting facts on an insurance application; submitting claims for injuries or damage that never occurred; and "staging" accidents. Prompted by the incidence of insurance fraud, 41 states and the District of Columbia have set up fraud bureaus (some bureaus have limited powers, and some states have more than one bureau to address fraud in different lines of insurance). These agencies have reported increases in referrals (tips about suspected fraud), cases opened, convictions and court-ordered restitution
To "The Valencia Owners" ...
As a newly elected member of the board, please provide us with insight that you now have regarding:
1. the budget,
2. what happened after the hurricane,
3. the insurance settlements,
4. Belinda's role in the above,
5. Ron's role in the above,
6. what the actual % ownership is,
7. how long before we can elect 3 more HOA board members, and
8. the extent of the repairs to be completed on structural elements of the building such as windows.
Furthermore, your comment shaming my use of a medical scenario to explain a contrasting opinion suggests that I have no compassion and do not take my job as a health care provider seriously. I still can't figure out how to respond appropriately without being malicious other than to ask if you have spoken with a patient with whom I have had contact or if you have seen me at work at some point. I, like many others, use daily experiences and terminology that we are familiar with to express ourselves (even if, as I stated in an earlier post, there are many holes in the analogy).
Because we can't make comparisons with medicine and have to write absolutely and based on your comment about medicine, are we to assume that in taking care of a condo, communication is not key, we had second chances in tearing out dry wall, and that mistakes were not life-altering for condo owners this winter?
I realize that none of the above is true. In taking care of a condo, communication is key, and peoples lives were altered. In my posts, I have remained respectful of others' opinions while offering my own. I respect (though disagree with) the opinions of "The Valencia Owners" and will not use a medical analogy to her again. I meant no disrespect. I do, however, ask for that same respect in return. "Pissed_Off" has replied to (and contrasted/not agreed with) my posts and analogies with respect each time. Thank you!
And now, as a newly elected board member, I respectfully ask for you to address the 8 items above so that we (as concerned home owners) may remain enlightened and not hidden behind the shroud of management. Thank you for your time and efforts on our behalf.
This is a test.
Hey all -
Management told me today I'm the only one with an Internet problem. Sound familiar? Here we go again!
Our board was suppose to completely turn over to the homeowners on Monday, March 30. If we don't do something about it, elections won't happen. Gosh, board meetings don't happen without us pushing for them. And who even knows what happens at those meetings because we're never given meeting minutes. Homeowners should be able to attend the meetings and see the board in action...
I know someone who will run for the board. Let's make this happen so we can make some changes to the management.
Oh...and just in case you all would like an update on my condo repairs...I STILL have a wet rot/mold problem in my unit and my window still does not completely close nearly 7 months since the hurricane.
Time to rally...anyone with me?
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