La Mirage meeting follow through
John
Mary,
The new landscaping company is doing very well, but we still have a number of issues. Several places are not getting any water and remain dead. So far the trees have not died on those properties, but it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, two of those properties are mine. Should I hire a contractor to fix the problem and send the HOA the bill? I have been paying my HOA dues for landscaping and garbage since those are the only things the HOA covers. It seems I am getting less than what I should be receiving for my payments. It has been many months since the watering failed.
I have not seen a copy of the minutes from the previous meeting. My general impression was that it was a good meeting and a number of good ideas were presented and generally accepted. However, in what appears to be typical La Mirage form, there is no follow through. Specifically:
1. Dumpsters are still in the road.
2. The “Community building” roof is still not fixed. Also, the building appears to be used as a storage facility for G-8 appliances and materials. I would like to see a record of the rent receipts for this use. The HOA could use the extra money.
3. A large number of units still need exterior maintenance. One of the units visible from the road across from the skate park has had the roofing blown off for several months. Many of them are desperately in need of paint. The backyard fences continue to blow down and remain destroyed. We had discussed enforcing some maintenance standards since the HOA does no exterior maintenance. Has this been drafted for amendment of the CC&R’s?
4. Dead trees line the west wall visible from the road to the main entrance.
5. We now have several large areas of road damage. One is growing swamp plants and another has had safety cones in it for the past several months.
6. Backyard trash is still a major problem. While it is most evident on units with chain link fencing, it is in a large number of units with board fences as well.
7. Disabled vehicles are present and have been for months.
8. Many of the empty units have visibly “trashed” interiors that can be seen from the front.
9. The block trash bin enclosures have been used to dump large items – mattresses, furniture, etc.
10. No reports on the foreclosure on properties that have not paid their HOA dues.
11. Still receiving monthly mailings of dues forms – one per unit – instead of a simple coupon book once a year.
I realize that G-8 is losing money on this development, but the only way they will turn it around is by first getting it fixed up structurally.
I am planning to go to the city council for assistance in having the burned out units on north Gold Canyon near the school condemned. They are an attractive nuisance and a hazard to children in the area. Most are partly boarded up and covered with graffiti. I am hoping the city will follow through. Their removal may help improve the overall perception of the area. Anyone taking their children to school drive past it and associate it with La Mirage, even though it is not part of our community.
Please send a copy of the minutes from the board meeting and an explanation of the schedule to resolve the above listed problems.
Sincerely,
John Ellis
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mcgra...@ca.rr.com
Thanks so much for your updates! I really do appreciate them as we don't get up there as much as we should!
Kim McGrath
>
> 10. No reports on the foreclosure on properties that have not paid their
> HOA dues.
>
>
>
>
> I realize that G-8 is losing money on this development, but the only way
> they will turn it around is by first getting it fixed up structurally.
>
>
>
> I am planning to go to the city council for assistance in having the burned
> out units on north Gold Canyon near the school condemned. They are an
> attractive nuisance and a hazard to children in the area. Most are partly
> boarded up and covered with graffiti. I am hoping the city will follow
> through. Their removal may help improve the overall perception of the area.
> Anyone taking their children to school drive past it and associate it with
> La Mirage, even though it is not part of our community.
>
>
>
> Please send a copy of the minutes from the board meeting and an explanation
> of the schedule to resolve the above listed problems.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> John Ellis
>
>
>
>
> --
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John
Mary,
In looking over your comments and the last meeting notes I wanted to add a few more ideas.
1. Dumpster enclosures. If the trash company thinks it will cost $3700 per month to move the dumpsters in and out I would suggest it will be cheaper and better to rebuild the enclosures. We should consult with them to see what is needed for maneuvering. My suggestion is to build enclosures that are closer to the road and angled for the truck. Then the maintenance crew could simply open them in the AM and close them after the pickup. Even if it cost $3700 per enclosure – and I do not believe it would cost that – we would have paid for it in about one year and the expense would not go on forever. We could do this one enclosure per month and live with the slow improvement.
2. Don’t fix the water system that will continue to take 1/3 of our annual dues. Fix the problem by reducing water use and Xeriscaping. Save the trees. Remove the grass. Most of the front lawns are too small and are basically useless. We could put park quality picnic tables and benches (heavy cement) in the court yards and larger common areas. It could build a sense of community, be very attractive, and greatly reduce water use. Again, this could be phased in and the savings from not repairing a system that costs money could go to creating it.
3. I am looking forward to seeing how the board will word and enforce the maintenance of units. Since our HOA does no exterior maintenance, this is critical if we are to have the community retain a decent appearance. They will need to cover a number of aspects including changes to the exterior look through color choice, additions, and modifications of the fronts. They need to cover fences, fascia, swamp cooler maintenance, window covering and more. Things I have observed only in La Mirage: Using a blanket in the window as a curtain, taking out a window and using a piece of plywood to block it out, taking out the window and fitting an AC unit in with plywood on top, wrapping paper curtains, aluminum foil curtains, bond fires in small grills on the front porch, swamp coolers that drain on the roof and run down the eve, etc.
4. The dead trees just have to go. At the same time there are a number of beautiful large trees in the community that should not be pruned incorrectly.
5. Road damage must get fixed ASAP
6. Backyard trash must be addressed in the HOA rules and enforced. What if after it gets cooler outside, we rented some large dumpsters and gave everyone two weeks of free use to clean up their backyard at no cost. After that, we will hire someone to do it at the owner’s expense. This should include dog feces. Some units can be smelled from two units away. I have seen tenant rake it into a corner, pile it in the middle of the yard, bury it and more.
7. Enforcement of HOA rules must be done quickly and sternly. We seem to have a hit and miss approach with an attitude of “We told them, but they don’t listen.” I taught school for years and that did not work with kids. Many of our problem tenants are just big kids. If the tenant does not respond, the owner will if there is a process for warnings followed by fines that are enforced.
8. The coupon book does not have to be anything super fancy. I don’t imagine G-8 needs any since I don’t see them tearing off a coupon and writing a check per unit. I have auto bill pay do mine each month and others may have the same. We could do what Home Depot does for their commercial account. Each day for a week before the bill is due, they send an email notice reminding me. Email to an owner group could be done in one key stroke. A simple Xerox strip of paper stapled into a pack would do it to. The owner could write the unit number as they should be writing it on their check if they pay that way. Most of the world has gone paperless for bill paying. We should too.
9. Many of the issues are maintenance issues of HOA property. Have we considered hiring a general “handy man” type of person(s) that could tackle things like the roof job, dead trees, dumpster enclosures, etc. ? None of these are rocket science and a couple of good general construction guys could make great progress. I have no idea how much it would cost to put them on the payroll – possibly through the G-8 management folks already there. At the cost of contracting each job, it would be worth exploring. The contractors in this town are notoriously expensive and often not that good. Another possible approach is to get an out of town construction crew to bid. We could give them housing while they were working the project. I am sure we could rent a few units from G-8 on a month to month basis. This would greatly reduce their cost by not requiring a hotel stay and get G-8 some rent. This might induce the local contractors to get more competitive.
10. Why are we paying $1400/month for pest control? I have been spraying my own units inside and out for roaches. What are they doing that is not my own responsibility? If we have rat or mouse issues it is more likely an issue with backyard trash. The new generation anti-coagulants used in the black plastic rat bait containers is very dangerous to pets, kids and urban wildlife. Secondary poisoning is are real issue with that stuff. It will kill your pet if they eat the easily caught dying rodent.
11. One other issue I have encountered. There are a large number of pit bulls that are mostly not well socialized and mainly neglected. Some are outright dangerous if a kid were to get into the yard or the dog got out. What is the HOA liability in this? My insurance company does not allow 5 different breeds (Pit, Rottweiler, Doberman, Shepard, and one uncommon one). What does the HOA insurance say?
The bottom line is we need to address the problems, but be creative and cost conscious. Adding fixed monthly costs that do not directly address the long term solution is not a good approach as those costs will only increase over time. Calling for a special assessment will only show that we are not able to manage wisely. The one other association in Ridgecrest that I am aware of is Heritage and they are privately owned homes in the $200K+ range. They have a park, pool, front maintenance and road maintenance. Their dues are about $75 per month and they have fewer units spread over a larger area. How is it that we cannot manage on dues that are $45/month higher and we have a higher density of units?
This relates directly to not having any local board representation. Management from afar and a board that is even farther away just cannot see what those of us that live and work in the area see every day. We need all the owners looking for good long term solutions and then having their ideas discussed and considered seriously. The only involvement with La Mirage that our current board has is through the collection of dues and the payment of bills. They are decoupled from seeing the problems and thinking about solutions for this community that do not fall into that pattern. A prime example is the group this note is addressed to. Not one person on this La Mirage group mailing list is a board member. I have cc’d board members many times on notes and never received a direct response. Most HOA boards are made up of a cross section of all owners and many are often residents with a personal interest in the community.
Thanks,
John
From: Mary Keshishian [mailto:mkesh...@themichaelsorg.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 2:18 AM
To: John
Cc: <veccl...@mdatkinson.com>; la-mir...@googlegroups.com; Alice McGrath; Aron Alarcon; <bo...@lamiragehoa.org>; D Nielsen; Jamie Koski; Kimberlee Schreiber; La Mirage 2; Linda Ponte; Mike Pilla; Nelson Perez; Pat Gray
Subject: Re: La Mirage meeting follow through
Hi John: Thank you very much for your email. Responses below in RED.
The new landscaping company is doing very well, but we still have a number of issues. Several places are not getting any water and remain dead. So far the trees have not died on those properties, but it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, two of those properties are mine. Should I hire a contractor to fix the problem and send the HOA the bill? I have been paying my HOA dues for landscaping and garbage since those are the only things the HOA covers. It seems I am getting less than what I should be receiving for my payments. It has been many months since the watering failed....Landscape services provided have shown marked improvement through the community and we appreciate your acknowledgement, however there are areas that require attention. As discussed during the call, this will be a process through the remainder of 2014 operations. Bids collected to date total $15,000+ to address all areas of concern. Due to operating deficiencies, special assessments will be needed to cover such an expense. In the meantime, maintenance is addressing that which can be reasonably repaired in house (again, this will be a process through the remainder of the year). HOA dues not only cover landscaping and trash removal, but they also cover security patrol, pest control, a portion of staff payroll, water, common area lighting, etc. All expenses detailed in the monthly financial statements.
I have not seen a copy of the minutes from the previous meeting. My general impression was that it was a good meeting and a number of good ideas were presented and generally accepted. However, in what appears to be typical La Mirage form, there is no follow through. Specifically:....See attached minutes and agenda from July 17th meeting.
1. Dumpsters are still in the road....As discussed on our call, bid was obtained from trash company to implement additional services to push containers back into enclosures. Increased expense involved (see minutes for details)
2. The “Community building” roof is still not fixed. Also, the building appears to be used as a storage facility for G-8 appliances and materials. I would like to see a record of the rent receipts for this use. The HOA could use the extra money....Site maintenance stored appliances in the rec hall in error. Items have since been removed, staff advised accordingly. Bid obtained to fix roof totals approx $10,000.
3. A large number of units still need exterior maintenance. One of the units visible from the road across from the skate park has had the roofing blown off for several months. Many of them are desperately in need of paint. The backyard fences continue to blow down and remain destroyed. We had discussed enforcing some maintenance standards since the HOA does no exterior maintenance. Has this been drafted for amendment of the CC&R’s?...Draft in process for further implementation, to be discussed with board members on Sept 2nd for finals.
4. Dead trees line the west wall visible from the road to the main entrance....Will address on my Sept 4th visit.
5. We now have several large areas of road damage. One is growing swamp plants and another has had safety cones in it for the past several months....Invitation to bid will be sent 1st week of Sept 2014. Special assessments may be required to cover expense, will advise as we proceed. Will address other concerns on Sept 4th site visit.
6. Backyard trash is still a major problem. While it is most evident on units with chain link fencing, it is in a large number of units with board fences as well.
7. Disabled vehicles are present and have been for months....I'll drive the entire community in the coming week and address accordingly.
8. Many of the empty units have visibly “trashed” interiors that can be seen from the front....I'll drive the entire community in the coming week and address accordingly.
9. The block trash bin enclosures have been used to dump large items – mattresses, furniture, etc....Will review and address in coming weeks visit.
10. No reports on the foreclosure on properties that have not paid their HOA dues...Confirmed, I will follow up next week.
11. Still receiving monthly mailings of dues forms – one per unit – instead of a simple coupon book once a year....Coupon books scheduled for implementation starting 2015. Will discuss with board on Sept 2nd call. Additional cost involved to purchase and customize booklets, that which will require approval.
Mary Keshishian, CPM/Broker
The Michaels Organization
Interstate Realty Management Company
2020 Kettleman Lane
Lodi, CA 95242
818-679-8154 (direct)
323-463-2388 (fax)
--
Mary Keshishian, CPM/Broker
The Michaels Organization
Interstate Realty Management Company
2020 Kettleman Lane
Lodi, CA 95242
818-679-8154 (direct)
323-463-2388 (fax)
John
Mary,
Is it legal to have an HOA board that members cannot contact directly? I would think not. As an owner, I am formally requesting you to send me the direct contact information for each of our board members. I expect this information in less than 30 days.
I never heard anything back on these comments or suggestions.
Nothing much has changed since 2 September.
1. Dumpsters – the same
2. Water system – still not working a lot of places. Including in front of my unit at 232 Oasis and 304 Palm. I would like a refund for not watering the past 6 months. I have had to operate it manually when I am nearby and I should get paid for my labor as well. Meanwhile, the water system still leaks into the road in front of 428 Palm.
3. No announcement of maintenance enforcement and the backyards are just as terrible as ever. So are the fronts on many units. Broken windows, fascia, etc.
4. Dead trees still there.
5. I have not been down the road to the damage, but I would bet it is still there.
6. Etc……..
When will we see an HOA management plan that improves our property values?
When will G-8 give up and do what is right for the complex so we can all make money?
It is time for new thinking - or maybe just some thinking - and perhaps a new HOA management company.
John Ellis
6. Backyard trash is still a major problem. While it is most evident on units with chain link fencing, it is in a large number of units with board fences as well.
7. Disabled vehicles are present and have been for months....I'll drive the entire community in the coming week and address accordingly.
8. Many of the empty units have visibly “trashed” interiors that can be seen from the front....I'll drive the entire community in the coming week and address accordingly.
9. The block trash bin enclosures have been used to dump large items – mattresses, furniture, etc....Will review and address in coming weeks visit.
10. No reports on the foreclosure on properties that have not paid their HOA dues...Confirmed, I will follow up next week.
11. Still receiving monthly mailings of dues forms – one per unit – instead of a simple coupon book once a year....Coupon books scheduled for implementation starting 2015. Will discuss with board on Sept 2nd call. Additional cost involved to purchase and customize booklets, that which will require approval.
Mary Keshishian, CPM/Broker
The Michaels Organization
Interstate Realty Management Company
2020 Kettleman Lane
Lodi, CA 95242
818-679-8154 (direct)
323-463-2388 (fax)
On Tue, Aug 26, 2014 at 9:10 PM, John <jfe...@mchsi.com> wrote:
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Mary Keshishian, CPM/Broker
The Michaels Organization
Interstate Realty Management Company
2020 Kettleman Lane
Lodi, CA 95242
818-679-8154 (direct)
323-463-2388 (fax)