Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, UTOPIA or CON JOB?
Villager
A R K A N S A S
UTOPIA or CON JOB?
Hot Springs Village (HSV) is nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of
Central Arkansas, just fifteen miles north of Hot Springs National Park
and fifty miles west of Little Rock. At this time, the Village covers
approximately 26,000 acres. There are roughly 32,000 property owners and
somewhere between 10 to 13 thousand residents, depending on whose
figures you use.
Is Hot Springs Village really "UTOPIA," as the Village developer, Cooper
Communities, Inc. (CCI), and the Villages POA, Property Owners
Association, would like you to believe, or is it just another land
developers CON JOB? The answer to that depends on whom you talk to. I'm
sure that most of the resident property owners would call the Village
utopia, or say it's about as close as you can come to it. On the other
hand, I don't think you are going to receive the same response from most
of the nonresident property owners. You are going to hear a different
story. You're going to hear about that SECRET DARK SIDE, the side that
CCI and the POA don't want you to know about. You see, it's not until
after you move into this Village that you finally learn the truth about
what really goes on within this community.
I don't believe you will ever meet anyone that would tell you this
Village wasn't a beautiful place in which to live, not with the infinite
number of amenities offered. The six man made lakes and six golf courses
are the main attraction of this Village. So, what's the story behind
this unique place? What are the pros and cons anyway? Why is there so
much controversy? Why have so many families decided to move out? Why
have so many nonresident property owners changed their minds about
moving in? And, more importantly, why are so many property owners losing
their entire investment by allowing their property to be repossessed by
the POA and CCI? Could it be because they can't sell their so-called
investment - so they just decide to abandon it? Most believe the problem
is not with the Village itself, but mainly because of the way the
Village is governed, or should I say, RULED and CONTROLLED. Technically,
the POA and its Board controls the Village. But, as most residents soon
learn after moving here, the developer (CCI) still pulls most of the
strings. If you've never lived under the control of a developer and
POA - you are in for a rude awakening.
A good example would be the joint venture of CCI and Club Corps of Texas
in the construction of a Private Membership Golf Course named
"Diamante." A majority of the property owners made it very clear to the
POA Board that they did not want this "Private Club" constructed within
their so-called "Private Community," especially since all property
owners would not be allowed to play the course. Only the prima donnas
that bought property or membership, and Club Corps members, would be
allowed to play this private course.
CCI demanded the new private course and ordered construction to start
even before the POA gave its approval. The Board president at that time
even denied having any knowledge of the new private course, "even as
construction was under way." It was only a short time later that all
property owners finally learned the dismal facts. This was when the
Villages "Pork Barreled POA Board" voted to OK the construction of
"Diamante." By that time, the new course had practically been cleared
for the start of construction. That's how things work in this Village.
How does CCI develop and acquire absolute control over their
communities? First, CCI's full time attorneys draw up a Village
"Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions." All property owners are
forever forced to live and be ruled by these restrictive regulating
statues. Next, CCI creates a POA and POA Board and hires and appoints
its own loyalists to the varies positions. The Board then hires a
General Manager to control and protect CCI and POA interests. Only after
these elements are in place will CCI play the roll of developer. That
is, CCI will start building everything needed to get their new community
off the ground and flourishing. But, in one way or another, the property
owners end up paying most of the bills. Even today, POA funds are used
in some way to help pay for CCI's continuing expansion programs, their
so-called MASTER PLAN. In its present form, it's virtually impossible to
change this setup. The Declaration requires a two-thirds (67%) voter
turnout for any revisions to be valid. The Declaration allows such an
election only once every 10 years.
CCI and the POA have been promoting and advertising Hot Springs Village
as a "Totally Private Community" for almost thirty years now. This
statement and this type of promotion can only be classified as
MISLEADING, DECEPTIVE and FRAUDULENT. Why no State or Federal agency has
ever gone after CCI or the POA for making these false claims is beyond
comprehension. Believe me when I say this - "There is nothing private
about Hot Springs Village."
COMMENT: For the past several months now, both CCI and the POA have
changed their advertising maneuvering for some reason. Maybe they know
something that everyone else doesn't. They no longer call the Village a
"Private Community." They now refer to the Village as a "Gated
Community." That doesn't do much to help the people that have already
been suckered in by the false sales claims and advertising of CCI and
the POA in the past. Even the Village Police Chief is now openly stating
that the Village is not a "Private Community," but what he calls a
"Secured Community." By this he means, the Village has a low crime rate.
As for that 24-hour security, that's still nothing more then a
"Developers Wet Dream." The funny thing about this is - the Chief blames
the POA and the property owners for his lack of service to the
community. He claims the property owners don't want the Village secured.
It's not his fault his deputies aren't doing their job. I wonder if the
Chief realizes what the main selling point of this Village has been for
the past twenty-nine plus years - if not "Security." The Chief should
wake up to the fact that "Security" has always been the main selling
point of this Village, as proven time and again by POA random polls.
There's something like 14 to 18 thousand vehicles passing through the
Village gates on a daily basis. The majority of this traffic belongs to
outsiders. According to CCI and POA hype, no one can gain entry into
this Village without proper identification. All vehicles are required to
display a bumper sticker, work pass, or visitors pass. But, as resident
property owners know - outsiders have no problem gaining access into
this Village. They can easily obtain magnetic gate cards and bumper
stickers, thanks to the irresponsible and negligent manner in which the
POA issues them and by the way POA Deputies enforce Village security.
Even Village Gate Security Personal are ordered to allow anyone in that
states they have business within the Village. So, if you want into this
Village, all you have to know is what to say - "and you're in."
COMMENT: The Village is basically a "Retirement Community," and the
majority of resident property owners are retirees. For the most part,
the promise of security, safety, and privacy, was the most important
justification for purchasing property in this Village. Their dream was
to live inside an enclosed and secured community and feel safe. As you
can tell, CCI knew which buttons to push by selling the Village as a
"Private Community." Yes, security has always been the main issue here.
The members of the POA Board should wake up to this fact and give the
property owners what they have already bought and paid for - but never
received. Some Board members had pushed for better security but without
much luck. Even Mr. Cooper Jr. had jumped on this bandwagon, but as it
turned out, for different reasons. He only wanted gates open that forced
Village traffic through CCI's Commercial Property.
How safe is Hot Springs Village? At one time, the crime rate was
practically nonexistent. Fender benders made the front page of the local
newspapers. The Weekly Police Report log was only a few lines. Now, it's
two or more columns. Of course we no longer receive a weekly report on
how many traffic tickets and warnings are issued per week. The Chief put
an end to that. I guess there were to many letters to the editor
complaining of the low number of tickets being issued, especially since
reckless speeding is so prevalent in the Village. Many weeks no tickets
were issued. No one knows for sure, because like the POA, the Village
Police Department is very good at covering up negative information.
The Village endured four drug arrests within a one-year period. Drug
dealers must see the Village as some sort of sanctuary. Even with the
last drug bust, the Village Police Chief declared, "there was NO
evidence of drugs being sold or being used within the Village." (You
have to wonder what this
guy is smoking.)
Drugs are not the only crime escalating in the Village. DWI's, speeding,
accidents, tailgating, robberies, spousal abuse, teenage fights, family
fights and drunken brawls are occurring more frequently. One thing you
can bank on - "very little of this affliction can be traced back to the
Village resident retirees." It's mainly the local outsiders that pour
into this Village by the thousands every day and are now moving into the
Village to live. These are some of the same outsiders that hate the
Village and its resident property owners, especially if the owners are
from the north. Yes folks, the locals are still fighting the Civil War
here.
If you're planning on visiting the Village, it might be wise if you take
a defensive driving course first. Tailgating and reckless speeding are
the norm here. While you're driving around the Village, it's easy to
pick out the nuts. Even school buses full of children routinely speed
around this Village. The sad fact about all this is, when visitors come
to the Village and see all the speeding that goes on here, they start
doing the same thing, adding to the problem. They just think speeding is
a normal way of life here, and I guess it is.
It took 24 years and the death of a Village resident due to an accident
on May 27, 1994, to get a law passed giving the POA's Deputies the
authorization to give speeding tickets. Deputies could only issue
warning tickets up until that time. State Representative, Ted Mullenix,
introduced House Bill 1026, Subtitle: "To authorize the enforcement of
state and local traffic laws and regulations on private roadways in
planned communities." Then Governor Jim Guy Tucker signed the bill into
law on August 25, 1994, while Ted Mullenix, Wayne Copeland, Laroy
Cornett and JP Roger Smith stood arrogantly smiling behind him. I never
did understand why these men were smiling since it took the death of a
Village resident to finally move Mr. Mullenix off his dead butt and get
him to push this bill through, something he should have done years
earlier. Even with this new law in place, Village speed limits are
rarely enforced. Sad to say, it will take the death of many more Village
residents before speed limits are strictly enforced. Our death toll now
allegedly stands somewhere between eight and twelve. I say allegedly
because no one knows for sure. It's practically impossible to get this
type of information out of the POA because it's considered "negative
news" and as all Village residents know, the POA does not want any type
of negative news escaping from the Village.
According to Village Police Chief Laroy Cornett, there is no speeding
going on in this Village. When the POA's own Construction and
Maintenance Committee complained openly about heavy trucks speeding in
the Village causing road damage, the Police Chief showed up at their
July 11, 1996, meeting to give them a piece of his mind. (Which piece
was not divulged) How dare this committee accuse his people of not doing
their job? It seemed as if the Chief was implying the committee members
did not have the sense, nor the ability, to tell whether or not a truck
was speeding. I believe the Chief has the same low opinion of all
Village residents. The Chief stated his officers enforce speed limits
the same way they enforce the laws against other drivers. So, in other
words, there is not much enforcement of speed regulations going on
within his department.
COMMENT: When the Village opened in 1970, the POA created a Sheriff's
Department under the authorization of the Garland County Sheriff's
Department. All this amounted to was deputizing some POA security
guards. This is basically the same system used today except these guards
are certified. The Village Sheriff's Department is now classified as a
Police Department, and the Village Deputies are now called "Police
Officers." Where this authorization comes from is unclear. The
assumption was that only municipalities with some type of acting
government could have police departments and not so-called private
communities controlled by Property Owners Associations.
Two Police cars have been involved in alleged accidents because of
reckless drivers. The first unit was side swiped by an unknown speeder
that was passing the unit. The second unit crashed into a ditch, almost
killing the officer, when an unknown driver was reportedly speeding
toward him on the wrong side of the road. During a two-week period,
teenagers over turned three vehicles while recklessly speeding. It was
pure luck that no one was killed. You would have thought that these
incidents would have been a wake up call for the Police Department.
Sorry to say, no it was not. This clearly demonstrates the Village
Police Department lacks leadership. One day, the luck part will run out.
There was a time when Villagers said they were afraid to drive outside
the Village. Now, many say they are afraid to drive inside the Village
as well.
COMMENT: At the same time the POA was trying to con the property owners
into voting for a $3.00 per month assessment increase a few years back,
they hired Traffic Engineering Consultants, Inc. of Oklahoma City to do
a speed study of Village roads. This study cost the property owners
roughly $30,000, if you include signs, labor, and what else. With all
the nuts speeding around this Village, this company recommended Village
speed limits be raised. Need I say more? I believe this proves that the
POA has no conscience when it comes to squandering POA funds. There also
seems to be an "absence of common sense." This clearly demonstrates the
"arrogance" and "conceitedness" of these little Gods of the POA,
something that has been demonstrated many times in the past. Because of
some recent accidents, the POA is now rethinking speed limits on some
roadways and are actually lowering speed limits, at an added cost to the
property owners.
When one Village resident requested more speed signs be posted in his
area, he was informed by the POA that "speed signs are unsightly." But,
it's OK for Realtors and builders to plant Open House and For Sale signs
all over the Village. Apparently the POA does not consider these signs
as unsightly. The big joke here is - the POA was planning on posting For
Sale signs on all POA repossessed lots. We're talking about hundreds of
lots here. Hey, signs are signs, right? Even NO THRU TRUCKS signs are
nothing more then decoration. Like speed signs, they're not enforced
either.
As for Village property, CCI's agents are quick to inform prospects of
how valuable property is and how it's worth thousands of dollars more
than what they can actually purchase it for. Agents tell prospects that
they can actually make money if they decide to sell their property at a
later date. That really depends on the type of property you buy. Lake
lots - yes, but anything else - Good Luck. If a prospect purchases an
interior lot in HSV, in the majority of cases, the prospect will lose
the entire investment as soon as the contracts are signed. CCI once
admitted at a Board meeting that they were aware of Village property
being worth much less than what they sold it for. It's to bad CCI didn't
inform prospective buyers of this fact before they signed the contracts.
If the buyer makes use of the property in some way, like building a home
on it, the investment might be saved. Otherwise, the property is
practically worthless.
At this time, there are thousands of Village interior lots for sale, and
this makes it virtually impossible for an individual to sell their
property. Property owners not only have to compete against CCI but with
each other and outside Realtors as well. Lots that sold from between
$5,000 to $20,000 are now only worth a few hundred dollars. This is the
main reason why so many property owners have decided to default, by
either not making monthly payments to CCI or not paying their monthly
assessments to the POA. In either case, the property is repossessed and
the owner loses the entire investment and in most cases - much more.
If a property owner stops making payments to CCI, CCI will threaten to
repossess their property and sue them for the balance. But, CCI is very
accommodating when it comes to helping a property owner back out of a
contract. You merely return your property to CCI, allow CCI to keep all
equity, and then pay CCI a penalty that will usually amount to something
in the four-figure range.
Should the property owner owe the POA back assessments, the POA will
repossess the property. At times, the POA has had as many as 500 lots in
their inventory. This forced the POA into the lot selling business. They
started selling lots for practically nothing in an attempt to dispose of
them. Entrepreneurs started buying them up and reselling them at
ridiculously low prices, calling them "Membership Lots." They eventually
glutted the market and drove down the value of all HSV property. Before
the POA realized it, it went full circle. Low property values made it
impossible to sell property, making owners mad and encouraging them to
abandon their property, forcing the POA to repossess more property,
giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to purchase even more property to
glut the market with. Around and around it went and still does to this
day.
COMMENT: The POA presently holds 450 repossessed lots in their
inventory. As of January 1, 2000, there were approximately 2300 property
owners two months in arrears and 1500 six months in arrears. The POA
presently takes back, by foreclosure, about 350 lots per year. The
outside Realtors have roughly 1,500 lots for sale, lots that will most
likely end up on the POA's books. The Hot Springs Sentinel-Record
reported in its "Notice of Lands Delinquent for Nonpayment of Taxes"
that there were over 2000 tax delinquent properties in the Garland
County part of Hot Springs Village. So, what's the POA's financial
structure looking like now? I believe the writing is on the wall and has
been for some time.
For a time, the POA actually contemplated giving lots away. Then they
tried auctioning them off. This would be similar to the "Commissioner's
Sales" in front of City Hall. Anything to get these dead lots back into
circulation so the POA can collect the monthly assessment. At one of
these auctions, the POA sold close to 30 lots, ranging in price from
$400 to $1,200. The POA called the auction a great success. It didn't
matter to the POA that the past owners of that property paid from $5,000
to $20,000 per lot.
COMMENT: If you buy a local Hot Springs newspaper, check COMMISSIONER'S
SALE under "Legal Notices." Don't be surprised to find Village property
being offered for sale at public vendue to the highest bidder at the
entrance of the County Courthouse. You'll find that this goes on in both
counties of the Village. I don't believe you will see another community
in the state auctioning off property in such high volume. What does this
say about the value and stability of Village property?
One of the main complaints the property owners have against the POA
Board is its refusal to abide by the "Arkansas Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA)." The private community sanction of the Village allows the
Board the freedom to conduct "secret closed door meetings" at any time
they wish, especially when CCI is involved. This sanction also protects
the POA from being forced to release internal operating information when
requested. This problem also exists when requesting information from the
Village Police Department. The question most property owner's want
answered is - "what are they trying to hide?"
The most misunderstood aspect of Hot Springs Village, and its best kept
secret from outsiders, is the "POA's VOLATILE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE." All
property owners presently pay a $28.00 monthly assessment fee to the
POA. At this time, it requires the assessments of all 32
thousand-property owners to adequately support the Village. Anything
less creates problems. While roughly 30% of the property owners live
within the Village, the largest majority live outside of it. What this
means is - "THE VILLAGE IS DEPENDENT ON THIS OUTSIDE SOURCE OF REVENUE
FOR ITS VERY EXISTENCE." If, for some reason, a large number of outside
property owners decide to stop paying their monthly assessments, the POA
will find themselves thrown into a "FINANCIAL DISASTER." What other
community do you know of that depends on an outside source for the bulk
of its operating revenue? This threat becomes greater every time the POA
wins another assessment increase. How much longer does the POA expect
this outside source of revenue to keep paying for the retirement
enjoyment of others?
Furthermore, the POA operates under a complicated 60/40 taxation
mandate. At least 60% of Village income must come from assessments and
annualized fees and not more than 40% can come from fees and income paid
less than annually. If the POA violates this tax mandate, it would be
required to pay approximately one million dollars per year in federal
taxes, money the POA does not have.
The POA Board recently sought and won a $2.00 monthly assessment
increase, or as they called it, an "assessment adjustment." Just as in
the past, the POA started with their scare and threat tactics campaign.
It usually starts in the POA's quarterly news publication, "The
Advocate." All property owners receive a copy of this quarterly
propaganda rag. It consistently gives out positive Village news, but for
some strange reason, never seems to give out any negative information.
The POA will inform the property owners of what is needed to make the
Village great, and as always, states how this will raise the value of
all Village property, as if anything could. Nothing has in 29 years.
They'll start threatening not to construct something, take away
something, or raise the cost of Village amenities, something they do
anyway. They will have Board members or some other hand picked puppets
write articles and give speeches explaining why all property owners
should vote for the increase. Out of the nearly 30,000 ballots mailed
out, about 1/3 of the property owners didn't even bother to vote. The
large majority of the YES votes came from the Village, as was expected.
The outcome was - the YES votes won by eleven (11). When talk of a
recount came up, the POA informed everyone that it would cost $100 an
hour for the POA's personnel to recount all the ballots. That would add
up to something like $800 to $1,000. This was an outright and blatant
attempt to discourage anyone from pushing for a recount. This latest
vote does leave some unanswered questions. First off, why were POA
employees pulled away from their regular duties and made to count votes?
Why wasn't a private outside organization hired to watch over, count,
and directly supervise the entire voting process? But, the big question
has to be - who would pay for a recount if the POA lost by 11 votes?
By now, some of you might be wondering why no state or federal agencies,
or for that matter, public officials have ever stepped in to safe guard
the property owners of this Village. The Governor's Office is aware of
what goes on in this Village, but does nothing. Even President Clinton,
while governor, knew about this Village. The Arkansas Attorney General's
Office also knows of the problem and refuses to do anything about it.
They won't even acknowledge your complaint, if you bother to send one
in. State and local officials are also aware of the problems. So, why
hasn't anything been done about it? This question is very easy to
answer. It's called "GREED!!!" This Village pumps some $150 to $200
million into the local economy. The Village property owners pay some of
the highest taxes in Arkansas, supporting the state and the two
counties, including two school districts. The crazy thing about this is
that the State and two Counties don't have to pump much of anything back
into the Village. Why? Because CCI had the Village classified as a
"PRIVATE COMMUNITY." So, the property owners are forced to pay for
everything needed to sustain the Village. Also, the property owners have
the privilege of having their money used to help pay for the developers
continuing Village expansion program.
One final comment for you folks from the north that are planning on
moving down south to live. Make sure you do your homework. Check out
everything - and I do mean everything. When you finally do find an area
that you especially like, spend as much time as possible visiting and
talking to the residents. If at all possible, rent a home or apartment
for at least six months and give your self a chance to get a feel for
the area and its residents. If it's a new community, and especially if
it involves a developer, be "extremely" cautious. Developers will
promise you anything but seldom deliver.
OPINIONS, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Your Chance To Talk Back
QUESTION: My wife and I own property in Hot Springs Village. We bought
an interior lot from CCI as an investment. We've been trying to sell
this property for years. We know that if we stop paying the monthly
assessments, the POA will repossess the property. We will end up losing
our entire investment. Is there any way out for us?
ANSWER: The million-dollar word was "investment." You actually believed
CCI's Sales Agent when he/she told you the property was valuable -
right? That you could turn around and sell it in a few years and make a
fast buck. CCI called this, "pushing the greed button." Well, you
finally woke up to the fact that your property is worthless. But, the
good news is, "there is a way out for you." First off, don't tell me
that you can't find a buyer. Your problem is - "you're asking to much."
Somewhere, some place, there is a buyer for your property. Look within
your family. Put ads in the newspapers. At this point - it does not
matter what you sell your property for. Once your lot is sold, "you will
be allowed to write off any loss as an income tax deduction under
capital gains." I believe the write off is $3,000 per year. You will
also be allowed to write off all other lot expenditures, like travel,
lodging and POA assessments. So find yourself a good tax accountant and
explain your situation to him. If he says you can't, you have the wrong
accountant.
QUESTION: I bought property from Cooper Communities, Inc. I've been
visiting the Village for some time now, and I feel that CCI
misrepresented the value of the property they sold me and the Village in
general. Is there anything that I can do to rectify this situation?
ANSWER: Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. There have been thousand of
families that have been taken advantage of by CCI. If you truly believe
that you have been victimized, you should let someone know. I know that
the Arkansas Real Estate Commission would love to hear from you,
especially if you believe a CCI Sales Agent deliberately made false
statements meant to deceive you or give you the wrong impression
concerning Village property values. State agencies and state officials
are well aware of the situation in this Village. I believe that only
after a federal agency becomes involved will the state of Arkansas take
any kind of action against the developer. That's why it's so important
for property owners to write and complain to their own state and federal
representatives. I've listed a number of Arkansas officials and offices
that you can write, but don't depend on them for any help. After all,
the state of Arkansas is a winner here.
Arkansas Real Estate Comm.
Complaints & Investigation
612 S. Summit Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
1-501-683-8010
Arkansas Attorney General
200 Tower Building
323 Center Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
1-800-482-8982
Marketing Practices
Federal Trade Commission
6th & Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20580
1-202-382-4357
Governor Mike Huckabee
State Capitol Building, Suite 250
Little Rock, AR 72201
1-501-682-2345
U.S. Rep. Marion Berry
1113 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515
1-202-225-4076
National Fraud Center
P.O. Box 65868
Washington, D.C. 20035
1-800-876-7060
Senator Tim Hutchinson
245 Dirksen Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
1-202-224-2353
U.S. Rep. Jay Dickey
2453 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
1-202-225-3772
U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchison
1535 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515
1-202-225-4301
Senator Blanche Lincoln
359 Dirksen Building
Washington, DC 20510
1-202-224-4843
U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder
1319 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
1-202-225-2506
Attorney General Janet Reno
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
QUESTION: Why haven't any of the Village property owners joined
together to initiate a "CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT?"
ANSWER: That's a very good question. I'm sorry to say I do not have an
answer for you on this one. You would think that this is something that
would have happened years ago. Maybe after some of the outside property
owners read this article they will decide to take some type of action.
If anyone is interested, just let me know. I'll look into it for you and
post an answer on this page. I have heard (through the grape vine) that
a number of Village residents are talking about a Class Action Law Suit
against the POA and Village Police Department for not enforcing speed
regulations. They believe the Village PD is endangering the lives of all
Village residents. It's a start folks.
QUESTION: I own property in the Village and am thinking of selling it.
According to you, it's almost impossible to sell Village interior lots.
That's not what the outside Realtors are telling me. One Realtor even
told me that he does not charge interest, but just an up front fee.
Maybe you would like to explain the difference of opinions here.
ANSWER: No, I'm not going to waste my time. You do what you want. But,
just for the hell of it, try this first. Send two people into the same
Realtor. Have one pretend to be a SELLER and the other a BUYER. Let me
know how their stories compare. Would you allow me to take a "wild
guess" on the outcome of that test?
The seller is going to hear a sob story about how hard it is to sell
property here. You might even be told that you'll have to come up with
some bonus money just to induce the sales people to show your lot,
because there are just to many lots for sale in the Village. I'm sure
they'll come up with more excuses. They might even say that they don't
even want to bother with your property, because they have way to many
lots in their inventory as it is. This will be closer to the truth.
The buyer is going to hear a different story. Do I even need to tell you
that? The sales person is going to be just too happy to help you. They
will tell you that they have a small number of really great lots for
sale, and that they ONLY start at $5,000. They just can't keep enough
good lots in their inventory. What a deal!!! I'm sure they won't tell
you that you could go down to the courthouse and pick up a Village lot
for a few hundred dollars. I wonder why that is?
QUESTION: Do you receive much email about the Village or this write-up?
If yes, is it positive or negative?
ANSWER: No, I don't receive very much email, but I'm happy to say the
email I do receive is of a positive nature, mainly people thanking me
for the information. The occasional negative ones are to be expected,
like the one I've enclosed here. Out of all the information contained
within these pages, this "arrogant twit" could only chastise me because
he felt I was bum rapping his redneck ancestry. None of the important
facts were mentioned. It's quite common for anyone making negative
comments or remarks about the Village, POA or CCI to be told to get the
hell out of the Village if they don't like it. I just consider that part
of living in the south. You only have freedom of speech if you agree
with the little Gods of the Village or that arrogant outside element.
Also, I didn't realize the local rednecks had formed a group called the
"Opponent of HSV Residents for Life." If this doesn't prove what locals
think of Village residents - nothing does. Anyway, this is one of the
negative letters, in his own words. Enjoy!
Dear anonymous web-site writer,
It's no surprise to me why you didn't sign your name to this long-winded
letter.
You're obviously just another typical Yankee that moved to the south and
does
nothing but whine, moan and bitch the whole time you are here. Well
guess
what? The roads in the south go both ways just like they do in the
north. It's this
easy - "If you don't like it here, get the fuck out. Leave. Go back to
where you
came from. We don't like you either.
As for your dumbass statement - "Drugs are not the only crime escalating
in the
Village. DWI's, speeding, accidents, tailgating, robberies, spousal
abuse, teenage
fights, family fights and drunken brawls are occurring more frequently.
One thing
you can bank on - "very little of this affliction can be traced back to
the Village
resident retirees." It's mainly the local outsiders that pour into this
Village by the
thousands every day and are now moving into the Village to live. These
are some
of the same outsiders that hate the Village and its resident property
owners,
especially if the owners are from the north. "Yes folks, the locals are
still fighting
the Civil War here."
If you would do your homework and add some common sense to your
thinking; you
would know that more than half of the traffic accidents are caused by
"blue-hairs"
and "silver-backs" with HSV stickers on their front bumpers.
You also "bitch" about how many "outsiders" venture into the village on
a daily basis
......guess what dumbass - these are the people that are building the
village.
(ie. contractors, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, etc.,
etc., etc.)
All that I have read here is a bunch of personal opinions that have been
over-stated
and non-collaberated. Stick to the facts Mr. Anonymous.
Regards,
Todd Smith
Opponent of HSV Residents for Life
If you have a question or comment, please feel free to e-mail them to
the address below. I'll do my best to answer them by return e-mail. If
your question or comment is especially good, I will ask your permission
to post it on this site for all to read.