Delinquent Dues posted / not a good idea.

This message was received from DPOA Member, Kevin Roth

Hi Diane,

I would like to remind everyone on the Board of the following in regards to "overdue dues", and the fact that the amount noted as "overdue" includes amounts that are "current" in 2015.  They are reporting as delinquent a homeowner's entire balance, not just the overdue amount.  In addition, the Board should be aware that homeowners are not receiving overdue statements or other notices as required by the FCRA (oh, that's the Fair Credit Reporting Act for your Board members):

Shame Sheets

SHAME SHEET (providing to other members the names of homeowners who are delinquent)

This information should not be publicized by the association. The association’s info may not even be accurate. Mistakes can happen and a homeowner may be the victim of a treasurer posting a payment to the wrong account or a simple oversight. There have been numerous cases where the assn said a member was delinquent when in fact they were not (such as when a sent late notice  had been lost in the mail so the member wasn’t delinquent after all.)

A board might feel that they could legally disclose that information. However, it may not be advisable to do so due to possible liability issues that could arise.

Several attorneys have strongly recommended that homeowners associations not publish the names of the delinquent owners due to potential liability. This means not publishing their names in a newsletter, on the internet (even if you have a “member-only” area with secure log-in), or even in the minutes. They don’t even want you to even use the address if you can avoid it.

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Town & Board Meetings - 4-23-15

Town Meeting – April 23, 2015

Board Members Present:

President Mary Pracht                   Larry Hibbs

Vice President Ken Benck            Joe Claflin

Secretary Diane Jones                   Gordon Moore

Treasurer John Porter                    Sharon Carr

                                                       Suzie Combs

Announcements: 

New Gate Hours:  6:am à 8:pm

Sundays: 8:am à 8:pm

Keep gate card/keys & clickers in car and available due to possible gate closure when officer is called away.

 

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Junk in the Trunk

Party on the Patio

Golf Fees - as proposed by Sean Mandeville

Property owners should care enough about their community to accept and pay their dues and assessments. I agree with that statement, I also feel the board of directors should make every effort to raise/earn every penny of revenue they can with in and out of our community. To be a legitimate request for dues or assessment increase, these two factors must be joined at the hip. You must be able to tell the community we have done everything we can to raise every penny of revenue and we are still short. I do not believe the board can make that statement at this time but I hope they take the action necessary that would allow them to make that statement. TRUE, Property owners should care enough about their community to pay their dues and assessments. Just as true, The golf community should care enough about their community and golf course to pay reasonable and fair golf fee's. I do not believe that is the case. It has been said that if the golf fee's get raised people will stop playing so we will lose golf memberships, so people lean to not raise fee's. If you raise dues or assessment on property owners who say it is unfair and won't pay, that is a negative on the property owner and should be forced to pay. So what is really said?, we must use the dues/funds from our property owners to subsidize golf course memberships in order to keep them members of the golf course? If we raise the golf fees we may lose some members. we may also gain others. It may just happen that after a golfer quits this course he or she may realize Diamondhead is still the cheapest and most convenient for them to play and rejoin their friends at our course. There are also other ways to make a membership more beneficial to entice and annual membership. I don't think the correct answer is to have the rest of the community subsidize golf memberships. This is why I have concern over and why I say the golf memberships are out of line. First I will say the basic membership price we can not compare to Hot sprigs Village (HSV)due to the number of courses they have verses our one course. All other factors surrounding golf is a legitimate comparison . 1. RENTAL CARTS = we only charge $300 annually for unlimited use of rental carts. That fee is for a single or family membership. HSV charges $799 for a single and $1438 for a family. 2. PRIVATE OWNED CARTS = we DO NOT CHARGE for members to use their privately owned carts. HSV charges $663 annually or $9.70 per round to allow the use of private owned carts. 3. FAMILY MEMBERSHIP = HSV gives about a 25% discount on the 2nd membership to make a family membership. We give about a 69% discount on the 2nd membership. To bring our fees more in line with these figures but still cheaper then HSV fees, the following increases are suggested. 1. Annual rental cart fee = Current Individual membership of $300 to $700 ($99 cheaper then HSV) Current Family annual cart fee of the same $300 to $1260 ($178 cheaper then HSV) 2. Private owned carts = Current fee is $0 to $564 ($99 cheaper then HSV) 3. Family Membership = Current family membership fee of $1480 to $1977.50 providing the 25% discount on the 2nd membership rather then a 69% discount. In my opinion these fees are fair and cheaper then HSV. People may not want to pay them but they are a fair price. It is time for the property owners to step up to the plate and save this community and your property values by paying your dues and assessments. It is also time for the golf community to step up to the plate and pay the fair market value of their sport to help save this community. One does not work without the other. It must be fair across the board for everyone.

Sean Mandeville

DPOA Property Owner

Special Board Meeting – April 2, 2015

Board Members Present:

President Mary Pracht               Suzie Combs

Vice President Ken Benck         Gordon Moore

Secretary Diane Jones              Sharon Carr

Treasurer John Porter               Joe Claflin

                                                   Larry Hibbs

GM James Turner

Directors Diane Jones & Sharon Carr called this Special Board Meeting to discuss the 2015-16 Budget openly in an effort to share budgeting concerns with the POA membership.

The 2 hour meeting revealed concerns and discrepancies in this current year’s budget as well as past years’ over budget expenditures.  Each year the new budget is based on the previous year’s budget. Several board members expressed their belief that “a budget is a guide for spending, not numbers cast in stone.” “The budget is a liquid document. It should be adjusted as we go along.”

Some comments made:

• GM James Turner:  Some of our employees are living under the poverty level.
• 24 employees as of today - this number flucuates according to need
• 16 make $10 per hour
• 10 make just over 10 per hour (16+10=26 ?)
• Director Gordon Moore:  If you have ever owned a business, you understand that costs go up.
• Director Mary Pracht:  The Board should be paying attention to monthly budget – not just the yearly Budget.
• Director Sharon Carr:  The Board should be included / responsible for an increase in golf dues.
• Director Ken Benck:  3 greens on the golf course need to be replaced at a cost of $16,000.  Plans are in place to use Miniverdi Bermuda Grass: Click here to watch video 
• Director Diane Jones: Asked for clarification on the Budgeted expense for Roads.  GM James Turner stated $138,000 (?)
• Directors Sharon Carr & Diane Jones:  suggested golf course advertisement brochures should be placed in hotels, ‘time shares’, airports, etc.
• Director John Porter:  Read from the Bill of Assurance – Section 8 –MAINTAINCE FEES – LIMITATION ON SALES – “Fees and assessments will be used for administration, improvements, and upkeep of facilities and amenities as well as the roads and various areas reserved for the use of the property owners, irrespective of whether the privileges of using such areas are exercised or not.  The fees for such maintenance will be determined annually by the Direcotrs of the Porperty owners Association.”
• A difference of interpretation of this section was expressed by POA members.  What percentage of the amenities must be paid by DPOA members through their annual dues?

Motion to approve restoration of a culvert on Scenic Drive for $3,600 by Bill Milligan passed unanimously.

Meeting was adjourned to Executive Session to discuss Legal issues.

Editor’s Note:  Thank you to each Board member for their contribution to the interesting discussion.  Special Board Meetings always contain much more information than can be adequately shared in written form.  I’m certain those who were in attendance were very glad they took the time to be there.  The audio tape is available upon request.

Diane Porterfield

adianerdh@att.net

620-3167