I HAVE A QUESTION, I'LL HAVE TO ASK YOU BECAUSE THE BOARD DOESN'T ANSWER all RESIDENTS - JUST SOME - IT DEPENDS

If you are a regular reader you'll understand the sarcastic title.  Maybe you know the answer to my question.  If not maybe you could ask the Board and the management company and provide the answer.

I was listening to the tape of the July WPA Board Meeting, under new business.  Board Member DeMarchi was the speaker.  He stated that there had been a request to install rumble strips on the state road, prior to entering the plantation.  He said we have maniacs driving here.  Mr. LaFrance is going to do some investigating with the state and report back.

My question is who and how did the person who made the request, make the request.  Remember, this was a discussion at the July Board Meeting.  I thought all requests, questions, etc., to the Board were to be put in writing.  I made an appointment to review the correspondence file, after the July Board Meeting.  I didn't see a written request for rumble strips in the correspondence file.  Why?  Is there more than one correspondence file?  Has some Board Member filed the request in their personal correspondence file?  I just don't know.  I checked with another member who had reviewed the correspondence file and they stated it wasn't there when they reviewed it.

No big deal?  It may be.  I'm tired of oops governance.  Things found after the fact.  Do we need rumble strips?  I don't know, but during the same report it was stated that we had to do something on Wedgefield Road at the intersection with Francis Parker.  Someone mentioned that we had a stop sign there, but took it out (last year).  Today, we require something for the safety of our residents, and tomorrow we don't.  Either way, could someone please tell me who asked for the rumble strips and where the written request is?


You can listen to the tape, under New Business, at The Wedgefield Times.

Anyone is welcome to write to The Wedgefield Examiner via email: wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com. Remember to note whether you would like your name published with your article. The option is open to anyone who writes.

AFTER MONTHS, THE PROMISE OF AN ANSWER - NO ANSWER

If you have been following the blog, you know that I've been waiting almost three months for answers to my written questions to the Board.  Finally, about a week and a half ago I received an email from Mr. LaFrance, from the management company.  NOTE that he and the Board don't know which questions have been answered.  I email him back and take my correspondence and note whether I have received an answer or not, (NOT is key).

You'll note he was going to answer me last week.  TO DATE, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED AN ANSWER.  READ FURTHER DOWN IN THE BLOG AND YOU WILL SEE THE NON ANSWER, RESIDENT JUDE DAVIS, WAITED MONTHS FOR.  Hope I don't get that kind of non information, double talk. 

HERE IS MR. LA FRANCE'S EMAIL AND MY RESPONSE:

Edmund LaFrance <elafrance@wmdouglas.com> mclaveloux

Subject: RE: Letter to Wedgefield Board

Priority: Normal Date: Friday, August 3, 2012 1:06 PM Size: 4 KB

Thank you for your response to my email. I intend to follow up on all unanswered questions that you have provided me throughout next week. Thanks, Edmund LaFrance Property Manager William Douglas Management Phone: 843-492-0088 Fax: 843-492-0085 -----Original Message----- From: mclaveloux Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 12:41 PM To: elafrance@wmdouglas.com Subject: Fwd: Letter to Wedgefield Board Please distribute to the WPA Board and place a copy in the Correspondence File. Mr. La France, The original letter I sent you is attached. Below, as promised, I have noted whether I received a response. *REQUEST FOR COPY: Received no answer from you or the Board. I finally wrote the Board, set my own appointment, and received a copy. *PROVISION OF INFORMATION: Again, I was allowed to view the Policy. Neither you, or the Board provided what I asked for. I'm not an attorney or an insurance expert, but during my review, I found no coverage for volunteer committee members. I'm told, certainly not by you, or the Board, the President Walton called the insurance company to secure an answer and he has not informed me, or our WPA residents. *CLARIFICATION: No answer from you, or the Board *REQUEST FOR ARCHIVED DOCUMENT: Received no answer from you or the Board. I finally wrote the Board, set my own appointment, and received a copy. I believe the residents were lied to. This has never been part of the policy. I will provide the history when I speak at the August Board Meeting. *OBJECTION & CLARIFICATION: No answer from you or the Board. As a result, I resigned from the Canal Committee, something both you and the Board preferred. Again, I answered this questions, sent them to the Board, published them on The Wedgefield Examiner. Do my answers stand as record?

I'm not surprised by any of this.  When YOUR BOARD isn't held accountable by the residents, how can YOU believe that they can supervise or hold a vendor, accountable.  I don't believe this management company is a poor vendor.  I believe they are trying to deal with YOUR neurotic board.  Remember, we don't know what the management contract responsibilities are, because your Board has said we can't see the contract.  Must be another one of those confidential secrets, we are all paying for.

We have the unoffical list of candidates to be voted on for the 2012 Annual Meeting (See following articles).    We have three vacancies and four candidates.  The only new candidate is Taco Wijthoff.  The other three have been sitting at your Board table for several months, to almost a year.  They have raised their hands and voted on the Confidentiality Agreement, with the sole intent, of keeping the Board secrets.  I'm voting for Wijthoff! 

He's submitted the requred form on time.  I sure hope there aren't any tricks coming his way, to keep him off the ballot.  Suspicious?  YES!  We'll see.

Anyone is welcome to write to The Wedgefield Examiner via email: wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com. Remember to note whether you would like your name published with your article. The option is open to anyone who writes.

SEVERAL NEW ARTICLES WERE ADDED THIS WEEKEND

Don't miss out.  Several articles were added Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

*Resident Jude Davis receives an answer ?????? from Mr. LaFrance

*A resident writes The Wedgefield Examiner about the state of affairs in Wedgefield

*Wonder Dog, Brady announces candidates for the Board

*Support offered by multiple lot owners for Concerned Citizen by-law amendment.

*Concerned Citizen by-Law amendment - one vote, no matter how many lots you own.

NEW ARTICLES WILL BE ADDED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS!

MANAGEMENT COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE, MR. LA FRANCE, RESPONDS??????, TO JUDE DAVIS

I can't help but comment.  It can be said in one sentence.  It looks like a lecture, a dance around the subject, and no real answer.  Couldn't help myself.


SHARED BY RESIDENT JUDE DAVIS:

To: wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com

Madeline,

I have received the following response from Mr. LaFrance. He ‘answers’ one of three questions asked. From his reply, I am assuming that volunteers are NOT covered by the D&O policy, contrary to our esteemed Mr. Moody’s opinion.

Jude

From: Edmund LaFrance

Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 3:25 PM

To: 'Jude Davis'

Subject: RE: 555 Wedgefield Plantation

Mrs. Davis

I have no intention of treating anyone differently within your association, nor does the board. Some of the matters to be discussed have taken more time and attention as well as the office work required to answer your questions. Some of the requests that were brought to my attention or the Wedgefield office took less time and energy therefore a response was provided faster than some of inquiries that you had originally provided. It is not unheard of for a two week time period to gain access to office records with the fact that the board do their job as a volunteer position, and someone from the board needed to be there to answer questions. It took some time to schedule this and it was not possible to get you in the office any sooner than provided. There is no doubt that some of these answers could have been provided in a quicker fashion, but at the time I was asked to allow all board members review the questions and wait for their input. Now that we have changed the system the improvements will continue.. Again as we go forward and learn more about your property and its history answers and response time will improve.

As far as the insurance goes. Committee members who are not on the board are those that provide assistance and aid to a project or situation. Their advice and input is collected and reviewed, but any decisions or actions made are ultimately up to a board member who is in fact covered by the D&O insurance policy.

  Thanks,

Edmund LaFrance

Property Manager

William Douglas Management

Phone: 843-492-0088

Fax: 843-492-0085

RESIDENT WRITES THE BLOG ON THE CURRENT WPA STATE OF AFFAIRS

PLEASE NOTE:    The following letter was sent to The Wedgefield Examiner.  The writer has requested that their name be with held.  REMINDER:    Anyone is welcome to write to The Wedgefield Examiner via email:  wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com.  Remember to note whether you would like your name published with your article.  The option is open to anyone who writes.

HERE IT IS:  (This individual has not written to The Wedgefield Examiner in the past)
(Please note that I have retyped this and any typos are mine.)
Dear Madeline

It is with dismay that we read about the machinations of the current WPA board.  It looks as though some have forgotten or chosen to ignore the agreements we made in the Wedgefield Civic Group to always follow to the letter the by-laws and covenants.  This was especially important to those of us who had watched as previous boards kept the membership in the dark about so many financial matters, law suits, and other business.  Their mission seemed to be to keep the membership ignorant of the facts.  We thought with the election of  new board members meetings would be open to all and there would be no secrets.  What a joke!  This board has followed DeMarchi's lead in an unenforceable loyalty oath which he insists that all sign.  Changing a secret meeting to a secret workshop is an insult to our intelligence.

We have made serious mistakes in electing some of our new board members.  The president has difficulty holding order, and his leadership is questionable.  He and others refuse to acknowledge letters from members who are genuinely concerned about matters in Wedgefield.  Yet they are willing to communicate with former board members.  Others on the Board continue to be uncivil to members with whom they disagree.

The latest debacle is the amendment which states that owners with multiple properties may only have one vote.  This is a homeowners' association and doesn't function the same as the government.   They compare apples to oranges.  How can you require someone to pay an assessment on property if he is not allowed to vote?  Many of us could play the same game as a former board member and sign over quit claim deeds to family members.

Thank you for continuing your accurate coverage of the board's actions and for keeping the membership informed.  You spend many hours looking for answers, and we applaud your efforts.

WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER WONDER DOG BRADY ANNOUNCES WPA 2012 BOARD CANDIDATES - FROM ANONYMOUS SOURCES

Residents, you know Brady is wonderful, but you also know he can't read.  I can't believe our good fortune.  Around 5:00 PM this evening my husband and I left to run errands and have dinner out.  When we arrived home there was a typed note on our door, announcing the 2012 WPA Board candidates. You could think someone wanted to fool us, but it was backed up by a phone call from a person who had received the same information.

According to anonymous sources our 2012 candidates are:  Al DeMarchi, Adam Anderson, John Walton, and Taco Wijthoff.  I'm reporting this without confirmation from the Board.  The deadline for submissions was today at noon.  If more are produced, I'm sure there will be a story behind it.  So give Brady credit for not chewing off the leg of the person who left the note by our door.

To the Board, I say, "who did you allow to put the word out"?  Either this is a ploy by the Board, or your CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT isn't working.

Residents, prepare to vote.  Multiple lot owners get together and save all the votes that you pay assessments for!

IMPORTANT UPDATE TO (added Friday 5:00 PM) GOOD NEWS - THERE IS A OFFER ON THE TABLE, TO SUPPORT THE MULTIPLE LOT OWNER AMENDMENT

UPDATE, FRIDAY, 5:00 pm:    I just a had a call from one of the largest mulitple lot owners.  He would like to sign on to this amendment to the amendment.  This lot owner is excited about the savings, but more importantly, the coshesive working amongst residents to work toward common goals. 


In case you haven't already read it, read the following article, "ATTENTION MULTIPLE LOT OWNERS.........".

Thursday, after the article appeared I had several phone calls.  By the end of the day, three multiple lot owners had an offer to put on the table in support of the amendment. They were delighted to work with the current writer, and hope that they will have the support of the Board.  Why the Board?  The deadline for By-Law amendments has passed.  If the Board and the writer, will allow the following changes, they feel that it could be a win, win, for everyone.

Here is the proposed change (change underlined and capitalized): On matters submitted to a vote of the membership, members in good standing, who have officially register with The Association by providing the name and address of the legal owner/s of the property, shall be entitled to one vote only no matter how many lots or condominium apartments they own, WILL ONLY BE ASSESSED FOR ONE LOT, NO MATTER HOW MANY LOTS OR CONDOMINIUM APARTMENTS THEY OWN.

The three multiple lot owners have expressed their hope that the writer of the first amendment, and the Board, will work along with them, in their efforts to bring cohesive change to our community.  The multiple lot owners feel that this would bring fairness to the amendment, and savings to multiple lot owners, during the current economy.  They say, "can we work together, in cohesive harmony, for the equalization of voting and assessment in Wedgefield."?

NOTE:  The Board and the original amendment author, may contact the multiple lot owners involved by writing to:  wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com.   The Wedgefield Examiner is pleased to provide this service to our community.