Monthly Archives: January 2015

No don’t let any of your minds go in to the gutters…. not “did it” did it.  “It” is  getting the Water Amendment passed with the support of the Community!  As he stated in early 2014 meetings; this was a delicate situation (paying for your own utilities?) and it had to be handled carefully.  As with all situations, there will be some who will not be happy and would have preferred to have shared water and sewer expenses; too bad for them. Majority rules in condos. (tongue-in-cheek as often is)

We have been informed that the board, with the assistance of some family members and friends, passed for the 2nd time an amendment for individual submeters. This time of course, it is LEGAL!

Someday , in the not so distant future, we will actually pay for only the water and sewer fees for that which actually use! Until then, wash, wash, till you smell like a dimestore clerk in the fragrance section. May your clothes gleam and your floors be like skating rinks and your skin should be wrinkled from long hot baths!

Break out the Cristal champagne and shake it all over Deboest and Himschoot for that fine legal guidance and keeping the billing under $20,000 to get us back where we already were, over one year ago.

Now that it has been decided (AGAIN) that we have a sub-metering Water Amendment, maybe Van Loon can get 50 % off for the same partner from Deboest and Himschoot’s firm who prepared the first one, Diane Burnside, to prepare the 2nd?  It would be like a boiler plate this time, right? Another $2,000, $1,500? who can guess?

I am sure the cracker-jackers will first need to verify the signatures with the same devotion to detail they used when they signed off on the signatures for recalling (firing-throwing off-however you care to phrase it) me from the board and charged at least 4 hours (for 2 separate persons) to do so. Of the over 80 signatures verified, at least one had died one month prior (Thompson) , one moved one month prior (Perino) , one was in collections (no need to name) , and that was off the top of my head.  Sloppy, or didn’t really go through them all? The “certification” states they were.  Maybe the BOD should do this task themselves, with volunteer owners as witnesses, and save a few dollars since they have WASTED so many with this farce.

It  has now been almost two years since the meters began to fail; 15 months since it began to be exposed. Let’s see how long it will take to be corrected and put in place.  Hopefully, not another year. 

 

 

January 2015: Happy New Year! ?????

So what is going on this week?  7 condos were for sale between 125 and 139k; that is somewhat good news, except that some are selling due to the increase in dues. 34% in 2 years is too much.  In these economic times, condo associations have had to hold the line.  On that note, creative accounting can help, right?   We have had quite an issue over should owners have to pay only for their own water and sewer charges or should it just be averaged out, no matter how little time you spend in your condo?

Well, according to the Revenue and Expense reports prepared by our property manager, it shouldn’t matter! We are so far under budget for water/sewer as of November 2014, we should be more worried that no one is showering or washing their clothing!

I have added Sept and Nov in case you don’t have them or know how to log on to the Sentry Management portal.  Look to Page 3, under Utilities.  See the YTD for Year to Date on Nov, which show the Water/Sewer expense at 46,760. The budgeted amount as of 11/30 is 78,833.  We are under as of that date by 32,072!  That is 40% savings!  So who cares about the amendment! Right?  Hmmm..    Ms. Stiles explained it once that it was Accrual. As an accountant, I know what Accrual is and this is not it.      It does give the appearance of a Surplus though. I added the September as I found the monthly entry to the Water/Sewer; not a payment amount for the month but a negative amount that appears to be 2 months, interesting.   Remember, we just gave the management company a 13% raise to. I asked a board member why?  I was told because that is what Sentry asked for.  Hmmm.  I am going to try that at work tomorrow.

2014 Nov Van Loon               2014 Sept Van Loon

Oh, for the record………we sent in our proxy with our signature but we still state that the 2010 amendment is and was valid.  To continue using the same attorneys as the reason is and was tiresome.  We understand that owners are working tirelessly to obtain enough signatures to meet 73.   They are going with the half plus one, of those not in default (new rule since Feb 2014).   In June, attorney Richard Deboest said no one showed him that the rights to vote had been taken from the 60 foreclosed units in 2010 when our existing amendment was voted on, and those units not counted.      Because maybe that rule was only voted on in Feb 2014 after being suggested by either the property manager or your associate,  and was NOT in any part of our governing docs AND the bank owned units had to FILE for the right to vote…….I digress and (should! ) give up for tonite.    We have a valid amendment but who cares?  Look how little we are paying!! Haha.