I would like to clarify my thoughts in an attempt to share
some facts with our community.
Almost 10 years ago, the treasurer of the DPOA Board of
Directors started sharing a trend where lot owners were no longer paying their
annual dues. Some simply stopped paying
and the property reverted to the State.
Others took the proper steps by turning the lot in to the POA. The POA than turned the lot back to DRC. This process has been increasing
dramatically.
The reasons for this occurrence are multifaceted.
·
First: the property was purchased ‘sight
unseen’ à
in some cases leading to an unbuildable interior lot….or lots with power lines
running through the middle of the property.
In this case the property owner
continued to pay the annual dues for 20 – 30 years, or until the owner dies à whereby the children
inherited property they had never seen, nor cared to continue making annual
payments.
·
Second:
The property was purchased to obtain a golf membership with no intention
of ever building.
As time went on, the individual
got older and could no longer play golf and decided to sell the lot. In most cases, the lot was no longer sellable
due to market changes. The lot owner
turned the lot back to the POA. The POA
turned it over to DRC.
In both these scenarios, Diamondhead lost a substantial
amount of revenue.
Various attempts have been made to “Sell” Diamondhead to
improve the potential income for our community.
Mostly, to no avail.
DRC = Diamondhead Resort Community = Grantor/Developer is no
longer working for the advancement of Diamondhead, and is attempting to sell
their investment. Also, to no avail.
This continuing process has led to neglect in some areas;
such as our roads and common areas. As
time and lack of funds have continued, we are noticing extended areas of need: Golf course equipment, pool maintenance, road
repairs & equipment, security gates & labor and facility maintenance
-> just to name some of the obvious concerns.
This has led to frustration à
For the community members, staff and those in management.
Now to my point=>
·
Drastic change must be made. Difficult decisions are being
considered. As I see it, we have two
options:
o
Raise the dues substantially to compensate for
the loss in revenue, or
o
Severely cut our amenities to meet our new
Reality.
o
A third option may be doing a moderate level of
both.
Yes, there have been ideas of attempting to revive
Diamondhead by promoting development in one way or another. But, honestly, the only ones who would invest
in an obviously struggling community are those with the financial ability to
follow the process through – no matter the cost.
These are my thoughts, only…and do not reflect the views or
opinions of this Board or management.
It is important that the membership understand the
facts. No one is ‘embezzling’
funds. Yes, the leadership could have
made better decisions along the way.
Most of all, the foundation of Diamondhead should have been laid out for
future growth possibilities. This was
not done.
“should of”s, “would of”s and “could of”s are all behind us
now. We as a community must prepare for
our future.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
Diane Porterfield
