wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com
This is the upcoming topic that The Wedgefield Examiner posted a few days ago: UP NEXT: WHILE THE BOARD STRIPS WORDS OF THEIR MEANING - OUR GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, DEGRADING QUALITY OF STANDARD - VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES - COMMUNITY STANDING IN THE MARKET - QUALITY OF LIFE, OUR RESIDENTS HAVE DEMOTED THEMSELVES, AND THEIR POWER OF COMMUNITY SHARE HOLDERS - WITH POWER TO CHANGE THIS DISREPUTABLE BOARD - TO RESIDENTS OF CRINGING CAPITULATION, WHO DO NOTHING. IT HAS GOT TO CHANGE. EVERY ASPECT OF WEDGEFIELD IS DECLINING!
My household has been busy working with an over 40 year medical battle for a distant loved one, but as I was listening to news programs over the last several days, two phrases came through all the other verbiage. As I heard them I got up, grabbed a pencil, and noted them. As I heard each of the terms I thought this is Wedgefield. They are: "he strips words of their meaning", and "cringing capitulation". These two terms are Wedgefield!
"He strips words of their meaning" While "he strips" is a singular person word, in Wedgefield it is both singular, and plural. Your WPA board, each and every board member has allowed the stripping of the words of our governing documents of their meanings to suit their own purpose, and it isn't in the best interests of Wedgefield, our community appearance, property values, etc. This board has "stripped the words of their meaning" of those documents to the point that we have lost our resident property owner rights, home values, and demoralized us to the point that we have fallen into a state of resident "cringing capitulation", and apathy.
The singular person in "he strips words of their meaning" is legal chair Garrison. He has cowed the board, hired and fired numerous lawyers, translated verbal legal opinions to suit his whims and private course of action and thought, interpreted settlements to be judgements, and harassed any board member, or resident along the way who challenged him. Your president, and your board have allowed and blessed it, and we have all paid a high of a price.
Are you part of the "cringing capitulation"? Probably. What do I mean? Why out of approximately 577 properties, have we reduced ourselves from 90 people in the building, with others standing outside hoping to attend board meetings, to 9-12 in attendance at a meeting? Granted there are a few more if the board has staged the audience with a resident crew to plump a interest in one of their illegal (against requirements of governing documents) votes. Generally, they have advised certain residents at those times, to stand up at the end of the meeting during resident comments, and verbally stroke their move. If you dare to call them on it, they attack, criticize, make fun of, and even have their resident actors in the audience assist them with remarks, and groans. You have to get your strength, and bravery together residents, and get to the meetings, write the board, and unite to save Wedgefield.
Do you realize that many of your fellow residents who do care, who do want change, are afraid? They are afraid to stand up, speak up, clean house to make their statements turn into actions - actions they speak of, but want to have someone else be brave enough to move on, so they aren't singled out in the wrath of this board! I get private emails - not intended for publication that I honor and answer to the best of my ability. I get phone calls. I move throughout our community, and the larger public community. Increasingly in the last 6 - 9 months, people have genuine concerns and solutions, but don't want their names attached to them, and hope that I'll write about it, or speak up. It's time to get your guts together, gather interested neighbors to discuss and come up with a plan, and speak up for yourselves. Otherwise this disreputable board is causing you to strip your own concerns, and action words to nothing more than "cringing capitulation"!
Here are a few ideas that people are expressing, but won't step up to the plate, and bat a home run for Wedgefield.
*"This board has got to go. Can you provided me with any of the legal portions of our governing documents, etc. that my small group could discuss?" I forwarded the language from our by-laws, and the SC non profit law. God bless, and gather enough people quietly to support your effort should you decide to move forward on it.
*"This board has got to go. My family would be willing to contribute to a fund to hire an attorney to remove them." Organize a group, discuss, quietly collect, and go for it.
*"We've got to replace this board. We've got to get new board, forward thinking, willing to utilize our governing documents, to bring Wedgefield back." Get busy finding good candidates NOW, because about July, the board will announce a deadline to file your candidacy, while those whose terms are ending file theirs. Request use of the office, invite residents to hear you and others, and campaign for votes.
*"We thought Wedgefield was the place where we would live out our lives. The almost daily discussion in our home now is should we get out now before the prices go lower." We hold the same discussion in my home. At this point, I still refuse to let this board directed decay, make me move.
*"This place is a mess. The board won't enforce the restrictions." There is many in this group that add notations about their neighbors violations. Several in this group, individually have made jokes about the constant viewings of our grounds chair, and board treasurer, ever present near the front gate staging plantings, watering of plants, and recently seen with clip board in hand making plans. One such person asked "if they were planning to fix the front to provide a ribbon on the now garbage package called Wedgefield." The humorous comments on these two board members are numerous, and constant. Don't tell it to me. Tell it to the board, and get them off the board, if that is your thought. They've assessed us for general maintenance already, and they aren't providing it, and they need to start making everyone follow the restrictions, including themselves on their properties.
*Some recently have asked if the county is going to buy the golf course? They don't want that. Some have asked if it illegal for the board to move forward to buy the golf course. They'd like to see Wedgefield HOA own it. Why ask me these things? Demand answers from the board, form a group, and make things happen. This board needs to address the golf course - we don't own but we could - assess me, I'll pay.
*Some have asked why I don't think it is wise to pay anything on the board's voluntary pay canal dredging. Don't make me go there. I'm not into buying tickets to poorly planned, no future for the canals in the long term, illegal (as in process, and - no real) vote from the board table approval, furthering the decay of my community project. My advice, if you paid the $400 you have wasted your money. Don't pay another dime. If you have paid nothing, keep it that way. Force your board, or get a new one, who will operate legally, and in the best interests of Wedgefield for the long term. I want the canals dredged, will the board please assess me. I'll pay.
The above, are routine comments sent my way each day. I'm not wonderful, extraordinary, or brilliant. The board reminds me of that, knocking me down every time I speak out. I will speak out, cry in the wind, because I will stand up, and try to help Wedgefield. It is a desperate cry in the wind. In September 2016 I spoke at the September WPA board meeting, during the meeting, using one of the two five minute resident speaker spots, available to residents each month. Here is the beginning of what I said:
"Madeline Claveloux, 168 William Screven. My presentation is: “Wedgefield Crisis – Canal & Golf Course Properties, General Maintenance, and Concerns Regarding Actions of The Board, Particularly – Legal, ARC, Water Amenities and Compliance”. I’m hearing dissatisfaction from every type of lot owner, and the statement, “This isn’t what we were told when we were buying our home, on the canals, golf course, or in the condo area.” Wedgefield is in a crisis when even the real estate listings have added the new term “buyer must verify”. Take a ride from the front entrance to every corner of Wedgefield. Would you expect anyone to pay top dollar for your property?
Hmm, we are still stalled in the same place we were last September.
First, it should be noted that the words above were detailed with backup in the remaining 5 minutes of my prepared remarks. I presented a copy of the entire presentation to be included in the minutes. I have paid dearly with attitude, and comment from this board since. Additionally, the board has once again sanitized the September 2016 minutes by failing to include my presentation in the actual minutes, as was done in the past. Additionally and apparently, while they decided what to do about rebel, outspoken me, they failed to approve, or publish the minutes for months, and only did so after I asked where they were - minus my presentation.
Most of this board has been in their board seats for 6-9 years. They keep removing our ability to review their work. We now have diluted minutes, no public votes on major items, no posting of meeting recordings, secret - or closed meetings, a half baked accounting of our funds, and harassment and silencing of anyone in the membership who questions. With the board's "stripping the meaning of words" of our governing documents, leading residents to fearful, apathy, and "cringing capitulation", they have created a mindless dictatorship, using our assessments, to destroy Wedgefield.
