Hot Springs Village Arkansas?

[Villager5]

Hot Springs Village Arkansas?

 

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. The Village covers approximately 26,000 acres. At this time, there's 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 Property Owners Association (POA), 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 does not 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 isn't a beautiful place in which to live, not with the infinite number of amenities offered. The six man made lakes, eight golf courses and a load of great people 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 decided 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 into this community, the developer (CCI) still pulls most of the strings. If you've never lived under the control of a "POA form of government" - you're in for a rude awakening. The POA is now promoting the Village as "The Right Choice" for thousands of property owners. They are even promoting a video tape with this name. What they don't tell you is that it was also the "Wrong Choice" for thousands of property owners. They definitely don't tell you about the negative aspects of this Village. One of the POA's little Gods stated that all communities have problems. That may be true, but at least other
communities try to solve their problems. They don't keep ignoring problems or "covering them up."

 

COMMENT:  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 been practically 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." I will say this, for the past several months now, both CCI and the POA have changed their advertising maneuvering for some reason. There just may have been some agency rattling their cage. 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 thousands of families 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 that the main selling point of this Village has always been "Security."

 

There are thousands of 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. It's common knowledge that these outsiders freely pass these cards around among family and friends. Village workers are issued gate cards, but are never forced to give them up after they quit their job or are fired. Even Village Gate Security Personal are ordered to allow anyone in that states they have business
within the Village.

 

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 no tickets or the low number of tickets being issued.

 

The Village has endured some large scale drug busts. Drug dealers must see the Village as some sort of sanctuary. Even with these drug busts, 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.) I guess that's why we still hear about individuals being picked up within the Village with drug paraphernalia in their vehicles. Maybe the Chief should start reading his own  Police Reports, especially the part - "Suspect was charged with possession of a controlled substance." Now watch the Chief put an end to this type of information being released to the local newspapers.

 

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. Hey, we even had a bank robbery here. One thing you can bank on - "very little of this affliction can be traced back to the Village resident retirees." It's mainly the outsiders that pour into this Village by the thousands every day and are now starting to move 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 around here.

 

If you're planning on visiting the Village, it might be wise for 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 noncompliant nuts. Even school buses full of children routinely speed throughout the Village. The sad fact about all this is, when visitors come to the Village and see the speeding that goes on here, they start doing the same thing, thus adding to the problem. They just figure speeding is a normal way of life here, and I guess they're right.

 

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 Deputized Security Guards the authorization to issue speeding tickets. Deputies could only issue warning tickets up until that time, even though they gave everyone the impression they could for all those years. 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, Police Chief 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 within the Village. Our death toll due to accidents now allegedly stands somewhere between eight and twelve. I say allegedly because the POA is slow when it comes to giving out negative news. Village residents know the POA does not want any type of negative news escaping from the Village. All these deaths have taken place since Police Chief Laroy Cornett took office. The Chief also holds the prestigious title of "Director of Public Safety." This
has to be a joke - right? By not enforcing speed regulations, he's endangering the lives of all Village residents. This Village has no sidewalks, so many residents are forced to walk Village roads. This putts many at risk of being hit by a speeding vehicles when walking, either for exercise, enjoyment or to cluster box's for mail.

 

According Chief 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, thus causing road damage, the 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
Village.

 

COMMENT: When the Village opened in 1970, the POA created a Sheriff's Department under the authorization of the Garland and Saline County Sheriff's Departments. All this amounted to was deputizing some POA Security Guards. This is basically the same system used today, except these guards are now certified as "Police Officers" and the Village Sheriff's Department is now classified as a "Police Department." Where this authorization comes from is unclear. The assumption was that only municipalities with an acting government could form police departments, not private communities controlled by Property Owners Associations.

 

The Village has had two Police cars involved in "alleged" accidents because of reckless drivers, plus there was a number of near misses. The first unit was side swiped by an unknown driver that sped past 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 driving. It was pure luck that no one was killed. You would have thought that these incidents would have been a wake up call for this Villages so-called Police Department. Sorry to say, no it was not. This clearly demonstrates the lack of leadership within the Villages Police
Department. 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. Thank God this Village has a great Fire Department and Paramedics Units.

 

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. out 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 and 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. This is where the misleading, deceptive and fraudulent statements come in. It 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 some 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. The same thing must be going on the Saline County part of the Village as well. So, what's the POA's financial structure looking like now folks?

 

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 these properties paid anywhere 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. You can easily pick up a Village lot for a few hundred dollars. When you come right down to it, you would have to be crazy to buy Village property from some real estate sales agent or Cooper. 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, state how this will raise the value of all Village property, as if anything could. Nothing has in 30 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 have had to pay for a recount if the POA lost by 11 votes?

 

COMMENT:  One funny note here. On December 8, 1999, the Crime Victims Advisory Board held a public hearing here in the Village. Many of Arkansas top dignitaries were present. Arkansas Attorney General Mark Pryor, State Rep. Roger Smith, Saline County prosecutor Barbara Webb, Garland County prosecutor Paul Bosson, Public Safety Laroy Cornett, Gregory Hall of the FBI, Rebecca Bush  and Shellie Wallace of the Attorney General's Office. Pryor told the audience that this meeting would focus on elderly issues, including abuse and neglect, financial crimes, and violent crimes. Wallace also mentioned sweepstakes scams, charitable donation scams, free vacation scams, and free cash scams. The funny part is - not once during this meeting was Cooper Communities, Inc. name ever mentioned or brought up. I believe this company would fall into the free vacations and money scams category. They enticed families to the Village with free vacation deals and gave them free gas money. Once here, unknowing prospect are lured into buying property with misleading and deceptive claims.

 

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 problems 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 here. 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. So, why would the state want to kill their golden goose?

 

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. In most areas of the south, the local "Rednecks" don't like "Yankees." Take my word for that. 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 yourself 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. The Federal Trade Commission is my top pick.
 
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
1-501-682-1382

 

State Senator Bud Canada
118 Second Street
Hot Springs, AR 71913
1-501-624-5511

 

National Fraud Center
P.O. Box 65868
Washington, D.C. 20035
1-800-876-7060

 

U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson
245 Dirksen S.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20510
1-202-224-2353

 

U.S. Rep. Jay Dickey
2453 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20512
1-202-225-3772

 

Better Business Bureau
1415 S. University
Little Rock, AR 72204
1-501-664-7274

 

U.S. Senator Blanch Lincoln
359 Dirksen S.O.B.
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 by not putting a stop to the dangerous reckless speeding that goes within the Village. Just wait until this story hits all the newspapers. I think a lot of heads will roll. 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 already. 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 here. 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." But, it doesn't surprise me none. If this doesn't prove what the locals think of Village residents - nothing does.