Quote by James Flood...
The above quote was made by, at the time, President James Flood, as a Board candidate for re-election in June 2016. This is a position that he has stated many times while on the Board.
There is truth that the water operations is the largest expenditure and the main focus of some on the Board, but we really are a homeowners association that owns and manages it's own water system. We are first a homeowners association. Those who agree with Floods thinking are the ones who neglect our community as a homeowners association.
The anger, frustration and lawsuits are not over the water operations, but rather, over the issues associated with a home owners association. Many of the members are unhappy with the covenants and methods of enforcement. They are also not happy with how the Board and committee's function and operate.
Attempts have been made by various members to review and revise policy and the covenants. Electronic communication and voting is in committee at present and should have the full support of the Board as well as the members.
All members want their beach experience in Surfside to be enjoyable. Where there are differing views and situations, compromise can be reached. When there is conflict between the members, Board and committee's, that should be a priority and given the needed attention. This has been neglected by past and current Boards. We are presently seeing those who want to address issues and make corrections, labeled as nothing more than "trouble makers".
I see the "trouble makers" (which I probably am) as those who want to improve our community association to make it better and more fair for everyone. First step is....we are a homeowners association FIRST.
25 comments:
You make a very good point. If it were true that the HOA is primarily a water company, it seems unlikely the HOA would be obsessed with RV shed eaves and the accompanying unbridled legal efforts to punish owner dissent. It would also seem unlikely the president would be secretly making decisions outside of Board Meetings, and independently choosing to pursue expensive appeal efforts to financially crush the members involved.
This is all so trivial, efforts would be focused on the operations of the Water Dept., building the structure to house the new Carbon Treatment apparatus, and the continued work on waterlines.
But there's no doubt that Mr. Flood is fully supportive of the continued harassment of RV owners in Court, and has the same overblown sense of his importance as Mr. Williams.
An organization, association or country is only as good as its rules. Rules should be fairly and consistently enforced for the good of the whole.
Of course that is ridiculous. It is entirely dependent on trustworthy people in the roles of governance, as such individuals are honest in their words and actions and do not mistake trivial b.s. to be worthy of $100,000 Court appeals.
Obsessions with tree heights and width of eaves on RV sheds are a waste of time and create needless conflict, meanwhile the president of the Association ignores proper business procedures required by the State and the covenants, and is happy pissing away vast sums of member money on his pitiful crusade to crush RV owners in Court. Is this really just Gary William's sandbox ? He thinks so.
10:40. I agree that to be effective, Covenants need to be enforced fairly and consistently. I also think enforcement of Covenants should not differ between properties located on the east side or west side, yet it does. The enforcement of Covenants should not differ between residential lots, vacant lots or RV lots, yet it does. The Covenants are supposed to be reviewed periodically and revised consistent with the desires of the majority of the community, yet they are not.
I’m sure any Member who has driven around Surfside can probably cite at least 10 properties which are in violation of one or more Covenants - yet these violators are not being cited. There are trees which are overheight; there are properties with more than one shed on the same lot; there are garages that don’t conform to the same building materials as the house; there have fireworks discharged; the quiet hours have been ignored; there are houses and structures (decks) that fail to comply with the minimum setback requirements; there are members whose trash is strewn on their yards and spreads to neighboring yards; there are lots with noxious weeds and grass that isn’t being mown; there are Members with homes or structures that are not in a “neat and attractive manner” or are not “in a good state of repair and appearance” (just look at how many houses are in need of a paint job); there are unlicensed RVs in the storage area (some of which appear to be inoperable); there are RVs on the east side that don’t have current registrations, don’t have permits on display and appear to be inoperable; there are sheds that conform to county ordinances - however, while Members who own RV lots are given violations and harrassed for sheds with extended roofs, other Members who own lots with houses and have similar sheds on are not (drive around and see how many sheds have an extended roof, lean-to, or other attachment).
Does this mean we need to write up every violation in Surfside? Perhaps, but a better course of action might be to review the Covenants and pare them down so that we have fewer, fairer, more reasonable Covenants - and then enforce them.
If people don't follow the covenants now what makes you think that by giving them a pass and then lower the requirements they would then all of sudden start following them? I agree with you that there are many examples of people violating them, that is a consequence of a complaint driven system. But it is obvious by comments that have been made that there is a group who moved here who do not want to follow the rules and in fact feel there should be no covenants at all, including at least one trustee. How is that fair to those of us who moved here for the rules and follow them?
Listen Deb, we all know that people on the Westside are better that the people on the Eastside?
8:25. True unless they are an westside RVer, then it’s a coin flip.
Ms. Blagg is not a compliance expert nor is she a compliance officer in Surfside. I do not agree that non-compliance is rampant, nor is it a problem. The HOA has been slow, even hesitant to address some of the most glaring cases of blight and/or abandon.
Surfside is over 50 years old and has become a large community. Over that period of time, there have surely been mistakes made relative to lot lines, and properties that have fallen into neglect. If you go searching for violations you will surely find them - mostly issues on the margin and of little or no significance - because you WANT to find problems. That is not how most of us live.
Everyone who moves to Surfside is aware of the intended function of HOAs, and is accustomed to abiding by rules in every aspect of life. When these rules seem arbitrary, discriminatory, or invasive of owner privacy, people resist. When dissent is dismissed or ignored, resistance grows.
6:11. Covenant enforcement is always a chalengr in HOA communities. However, I think we would have fewer problems if we were to revisit all the Covenants, give the Members (not the Board) the right to propose changes, additions & deletions to the Covenants and let the Members vote to adopt them. We also need an impartial, paid enforcement officer and an ombudsmen committee comprised of Members representing each district to which Members can appeals. If the Members have ownership of the Covenants and Members have input into enforcement appeals, I think we will see more Members complying. We need to have some compromise and common sense and fairness in our Covenants.
8:52. There are no compliance experts in Surfside and never will be. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I am just as capable as anyone else of making observations. Compliance is subjective, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Covenants put in place years ago by a small group of investor owners might be due for a second look by all the owners. I very much agree with your statement:
“Everyone who moves to Surfside is aware of the intended function of HOAs, and is accustomed to abiding by rules in every aspect of life. When these rules seem arbitrary, discriminatory, or invasive of owner privacy, people resist. When dissent is dismissed or ignored, resistance grows.”
I couldn't of said it better Deb
Thank you
The covenants feel invasive, discriminatory or arbitrary only to those who are hell bent on breaking the rules. Most of us are just fine with the covenants as they are. We would like to have a full time employee engaged in fair and timely enforcement to prevent the inconsistencies that exist with the complaint method of enforcement. The resistance mentioned by a small number of members is a matter of a few malcontents who clearly made a mistake to purchase property in Surfside. These folks should put their efforts to finding property that has rules more consistent with their dreams instead of stirring up trouble in Surfside.
Speaking of compliance. Yesterday at about 3:30PM Mrs Olds (Tree Committee Chair) was observed standing in the middle of I Street with her expensive laser binoculars (courtesy of your HOA)sighting in on a house on the east side of I street around 331st or so. They can expect a letter as she will undoubtedly turn in a dastardly tree violation to the compliance officer for enforcement action. I thought this was supposed to be a neighbor thing. Somehow, Mrs Olds, who lives about a mile from this apparent terrible violation, must feel her views are obstructed by this injustice and feels compelled to right this terrible wrong, even though it isn't anywhere near her property. If this is a neighbor thing, shouldn't the neighbors address it first without the Gestapo stepping in? Sure, say there is a "violation", but who does it affect? Who is complaining? I would like to see the number of tree height violations in the past year and who filed them. I believe it would lead to a change in that particular rule. For those of you who don't think you can change laws/rules, just look at your own lawmakers whether they be community, state, federal or international. It is done all the time to keep up with the times.
The committee validates the original complaint, they do not write the complaint
I have to definitely agree with the inconsistent enforcement. If all the rules were enforced as hard as this made up shed overhang rule, we'd look like a bag of money. Ocean park street of dreams.
On a walk on North Pl. on the east side, between 321 and 320, there's a property with a shed size building clearly being lived in and all in all this property violates just about every single covenant in the book. No joke. Full timers should roll by and see for themselves.
Examples like that are what make me so irritated with the selective poorly executed BOT. I'd rather see less dumps like the mentioned than a shed with a slightly long overhang (which is NOT a rule to start with...).
Hey snarky, the Committee should arbitrate the complaint first, but oh that wouldn't show a power play, just cooperation, can't have that!
I think stickbuiltless is talking about the pole building that is an eye sore. It is not lived in. It is owned by your board treasurer, James Clancy. Fine example he sets. He is quick to side against other member minor violations while ignoring his own mess.
to 12.03 How do you know they don't write complaints? If you saw that on the internet, it must be true. I thought complaints were confidential. They admit to writing them in the past.
I asked them
Shouldn't we know who filed a complaint??
When we bought our property here our agent told us oo you don't have to worry things are on a complaint basis. And I know my neighbors don't complain
There are members that drive around looking for people that are out of compliance. You don't even have to be a member to file a complaint, anyone can file one.
All of surfside so called rules should be the same for all property owners no wonder everyone's devided
If the rules were the same for all property owners, you would quickly see the rules changed. Just pick on a few and you can get away with it. That's how discrimination works.
2:59:
Clancy's pole building is on I st so I think you are mistaken in you hate.
4:16:
What difference would it make if you knew, don't believe your neighbors? Either the complaint is valid or not, doesn't make a difference who did the complaining.
Am sure those that reported on their neighbors to the KGB, thought the same.
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