Villages of Westcreek (Post: trails, amount, problems)

[GoinRogue]

Originally Posted by FCF's Wife

...then it's time for you to get in your little wagon and start knocking on doors. Let's see what ya' got.

What makes you think I haven't been already?

[FCF's Wife]

You would be crowing about any response you got from homeowners if you were...you know it, and I certainly know it. Let's put it this way, keeping your mouth shut isn't one of your strong suits.

[GoinRogue]

Originally Posted by FCF's Wife

You would be crowing about any response you got from homeowners if you were...you know it, and I certainly know it. Let's put it this way, keeping your mouth shut isn't one of your strong suits.

Why would I crow about any response I got from homeowners? One thing I have learned in my profession...you never show your hand until the time is right. You have no idea how I can keep my mouth shut. Thing about posting on a forum....annonymity is embolden.

[FCF's Wife]

Hehehe...OK..sure buddy.

[wellguy]

OK Everyone -We need to work together. We all have differences and in the end we want the same thing. Right?

We all know the BOD /HOA are aware of this Forum. Let's not allow them to sit back , read this, and laugh.

[Joe Joe The Dog Faced Boy]

Originally Posted by wellguy

OK Everyone -We need to work together. We all have differences and in the end we want the same thing. Right?

We all know the BOD /HOA are aware of this Forum. Let's not allow them to sit back , read this, and laugh.

Great attitude, Mr Wellguy! Your right, all we want is politeness towards
one another. If your out there BOD/HOA remember you get more flys
with honey.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by Joe Joe The Dog Faced Boy

Great attitude, Mr Wellguy! Your right, all we want is politeness towards
one another. If your out there BOD/HOA remember you get more flys
with honey.

He seems like a good guy...but it most likely was his attitude that got him black listed.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by wellguy

firstclassflyer

Ten years ago there was still at times the aggrogance that it present today. I have known, not known of, Resident's that moved out of the VOWC because the HOA /BOD were not fulfilling their part of the deal. These folks were great people, great neighbors, and an asset to WC. Their home's were always kept to the point of being impeccable. They chose to live here mainly because of the HOA and BOD. They could have lived almost anywhere in San Antonio. It had to be pretty bad for one fellow as far as the aggravation he felt. I remember that he told me the same thing I tell most folks,"I going to live here until they come and get me" He didn't mean those from the Funny Farm

To this day I can remember showing up a little early for a BOD Meeting (one of the few I attended until this year) and before I could get out of my pickup I was approched by the then Community Manager, Mr. Richards and the HOA President who's name escapes me. Still inside I was asked in a very rude tone by the CM why I was there. Well hell wasn't that the question of the day. Of course to attend the meeting I told him (but in a polite tone). He asked me what I was going to talk about and I informed him of several issues. Well you would have thought I pulled his glasses off and crushed them with my boots. He was upset since I did not let anyone know I was going to attend and that they were not informed as to what I was going to say. The BOD President stood there in total silence and the CM contunued to pretty much yell at me for being present. I had dealt with him in the past and I was not aware of any anger he felt towards me. I had even talked to him in his Office (Portable Building) concerning several issues. I must have pissed him off without knowing or he was pissed at me for questioning the HOA and BOD. I'm a pretty big guy, 6' 3" / 268 lbs. and that evening I was pissed to say the least. I got out of my pickup in an attempt to continue the conversation. I will admit it was also to intimidate him. About that time it was announced that the meeting was canceled and everyone went on their way. I knew right then and there there was no talking to him.

I called the Office the next morning on my way to work and I pretty much laid everything I had into the mesage I left for him. I do remember three things I said. One was that if he ever spoke to me in that tone again he and I were going to go round and round. The other was that the BOD President was pretty wimpy for allowing him to dictate to me what the rules of the evening were going to be. I guess he had no balls. Thirdly I asked him to call me, well that never happened.

The willingness to talk to folks (well at least me) and resolve issues was never there. I did make phone calls (actally left messages), wrote letters to the BOD, etc. I would get responses to my letters and I was always told the issue would be looked into and that I would be contacted. That was usually the end of it.

Back then and up until recently (as you know) you always had to leave a message and you would hope that your call would be returned. Even today if I call late at night or early in the morning and I leave a message my calls are not returned.

The more I think about it I am not the only one who never gets any sort of reply. I know not everyone has burned bridges like me. It should not matter if they have a like or dislike for me. If my approach is done so in a polite way and is in no way threatening with name calling, etc. I deserve a call back. It is funny that with the last CM she would never return calls. But stupid me I would accept hers and fulfill her requests or put her in touch with the right people.

So Wellguy-
You're telling us basically there has been an adversarial relationship between the BOD and the HO's for at least 10 years now (and could be more, since you've been here 10 years) . I'm pretty sure the BOD and the POA was formed in 1994...so that's at least 10 out of the 15 years that this type of relationship has existed.
If HO's keep voting these clowns in...this relationship will continue.
When do candidates have to declare?

[BamaSailor]

Originally Posted by WC2006

I do think the low assessments play arole. That is why I think the previous BODs have done a disservice to the VOWC, by not keeping up with inflation (at least) and periodically raising assessments.

There is no logic there at all. Assessments should only be raised when there is a legitimate need for additional money to operate the business end of things. The amount of money coming in has greatly increased every year due to the number of houses being built. How many homes were in the association when it started. Next to none of course because that is how these things begin. Now there are over 3,200 homes. That is an annual income of over $900,000 just from assessments. Plus parties at the community center, the pool, late fees, transfer applications, income from HOA owned houses.... There is more than enough income!

[SilverCreek78250]

I'd like to offer a little insight from the perspective of an outsider. I've been trying to follow this discussion because it sounds familiar in that our HOA has experienced some of the same pains between homeowners disgruntled with the board.

My wife and I just decided to start attending the board meetings without making comments or yelling at people. I'll never forget my first meeting a few years ago. As the new person, I was approached by people from all factions trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing there. I had offers of private meetings so I could learn "the real story" etc. I declined all. My wife and I got several neighbors to start attending with us and again, we listened but never spoke out of order even though others did.

Later, we began volunteering with the neighborhood watch and with our association's volunteer group. Through the meetings and the volunteering, we met a lot of really good people and a few real, what is the word, I guess jerks will suffice. But along the way, we always tried to be freindly with everyone we met. It wasn't six months before people on both sides of the warring factions were asking me to run for the board of directors, though I repeatedly declined preferring to make changes through good will and volunteering.

You would be surprised at how much impact a regular homeowner can have within an association, simply by being willing to volunteer to help out from time to time. You are seen as someone who is helping the situation rather than someone yelling at the people in charge. Suddenly, (okay, maybe not suddenly, but over time) your opinion means something and you can offer a compromising view. I can't tell you the number of times that I have offered a differing view to the community manager or a member of the board, and because it came from somebody non-threatening, somebody not yelling at them, they changed direction.

I admit, I do volunteer a lot of time for a person who has a full time job (and lots of other activities going on), but you'd be surprised at how few hours a month you need to put in in order to become one of the insiders. If you ever wonder how people get put on community boards and panels, this is how it happens. I have been invited to City of San Antonio planning meetings and to speak at conferences, not because I am anything special, but because I am willing to do it. And the other people I see at these events are not the big Whig Red McCombs types, they are just regular residents of neighborhoods willing to get involved.

I'm sorry to be long winded about this, but I genuinely believe that if many of you tried a different approach to you HOA situation, you might get a better outcome.

Oh, and yes, if you are wondering, I am on the Board of Directors for my HOA.