A QUESTIO0NABLE INCREASE IN YOUR DUES IS COMING JAN 1-WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Of the 586 owners in Morgan Creek, 377 will see an increase of over $18/month. Some will see little change. However, some “lucky” few in the Lake community will see a decrease of over $56/month! Two of the HOA Board members will significantly benefit from this change. In our view, this is a self serving breach of the Board’s fiduciary responsibility to the HOA. It is one significant basis of many for the recall election coming up February 10.
Most members were emailed a summary budget on November 13. Make no mistake, this budget was the work of Steven Lalliss, the Board’s Treasurer, and his alone. We have confirmation in writing that, contrary to misleading statements he made at public meetings that the budget was reviewed by the Community manager’s controller or the associations’ CPA, It was not. This final budget was given to the full board only one day before a hastily called special board meeting and railroaded through to meet a 45 days notice time limit on increasing dues.
So, other than most of us paying more while the select few pay less, what’s the big deal. The changes were made to skew the allocation of money the Association is required to set aside as reserves for future replacements and repairs of infrastructure. These reserves are broken don down by areas, e. g. Lakes, Villas, general. While the new budget does not change the overall amount of money required by the audit of Browning, an independent firm, It does dramatically skew the reserve amount away from Lake properties and toward the other members, leaving the Lake area underfunded, less than 20% of the amount needed. Read the report in the budget documents. It’s all there. Who does this benefit, Board members Steven Lalliss and Stephanie Bernal.
So, if any of the above offends you and your pocketbook as it does us, in addition to supporting the recall by voting YES, we suggest you write to the Community managers, the Board, and our Association’s attorney demanding the budget be revised to correct this financially irresponsible wrong and leave the existing dues structure intact. In addition, we suggest that you request the HOA attorney review the budget process and go on record as to whether any rules were violated. You can reach Action Property Management at the below address, and ask them to forward your correspondence to the Board. In addition, the HOA’s attorney, John Hansen can be reached at the address shown below.
rleng@actionlife.com
jhansen@bayjaclaw.com
If you wish to comment click the “comments” word at the top of this post.
Support the recall. VOTE VOTE VOTE We need a quorum. YOUR VOTE MATTERS
Yes Lake lots owners will a slight decrease because we have been being overcharged for past few years.
Nick, that’s a fiction. Look at the budget document. It shows lake lots are dangerously under reserved. Could require a special assessment. Don’t believe Steve’s BS. Look at the numbers.
This is insanity. As a former board president at Morgan Creek for 7 years I know first hand the financial demands to maintain the lakeside community and the reserves required. Lowering lake lot dues for personal benefit violates the legal obligation to make decisions for the benefit of the community as a whole and not self serving decisions. I support the recall as noted above 100% to fix what is broken and put somebody in their place that we can trust with the monies of the community and balance the budget while properly appropriating the dues relevant to the cost centers and the expenses to run each area of the community.
Enough is enough! Trust is totally gone and will NOT be restored until they are recalled! Proudly voting YES on the recall.
I’m not sure who authors these MCowners posts, but after reading it, the author(s) seems to raise some valid points.
I’m uncertain whether the Lake Homes may have been overpaying in the past… potentially resulting in a reduction in their HOA dues, but I would be in support of an independent audit to provide some clarity on this situation.
I have also reviewed the financial report. There is no factual data to support the estimated needs outlined in this document. Also, an independent audit is not an unusual request. I don’t understand what is different to make the HOA for the lake lower, and what caused the cost for the other HOA to go up. There are numerous assertions and arm-waving statements with no supporting evidence presented. I don’t recall any forward-looking projections for future needs in this report. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong but I need the facts to understand why some of this is happening.