HOA Board Members are paying for services not delivered
It appears the
Board members have no solutions to the dilemma either, yet HOA members continue
to pay for management services that are not being provided. The question is, will Bluffview Greens members be reimbursed for the time First Service Residential
management is shut down? ...The fact is the annual Landscape Maintenance
Contract price of $10,000.00 actually includes three (3) seasonal floral plantings per year. A service we discovered
that has been routinely ignored. ..., over the past four (4) years there
have only been two (2) plantings.
Bluffview
Greens Community
HOA Board Members are paying for services not delivered
Update on Bluffview Greens Challenges,May 6, 2016
The Bluffview
Greens Homeownerâs Association Newsletter arrived last weekend announcing a
Neighborhood Town Hall Meeting on May 14th from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Paris
Constantzos the recently reelected President of our HOA some time ago expressed
his intent to hold Town Hall meetings in order to hear community concerns. We
would like to encourage as many members as possible to attend and talk about
the issues that concern them.
Regrettably,
administrative and management conditions continue to decline. First Services
Residential (FSR) was shut down indefinitely
when hail damaged the office roof and it began to leak. See FSR
notice attached. For the past month FSR has been unable to provide services
to our community.
On Wednesday
04/26/2016 FSR management sent an email: âThe board members and I wanted to inform
you that until our office moves to a permanent location, I am unable to meet
with you.â 4/27/2016 â âAt this time we
have not been provided any information about relocation to a permanent office.â
It appears the Board members have no solutions to the dilemma either, yet HOA
members continue to pay for management services that are not being provided.
The question is, will Bluffview Greens members be
reimbursed for the time FSR management is shut down?
For those of
you who expressed concerns over the lack of services such as the neglected and
deterioration of the entrance common areas including, rusting and paint peeling
off the gates and light posts, burned out street lights, faded and pealing
street signs?
Bottom-line homeowners have not been getting services that we pay for. Another example, since at least 2011 we have
been paying for plants that were never planted. The fact is the annual
Landscape Maintenance Contract price of $10,000.00 actually includes three
(3) seasonal floral plantings per year. A service we discovered that has been
routinely ignored.
To explain further,
over the past four (4) years there have only been two (2) plantings.
That is until a month ago, right after our last Update on Bluffview
Greens Politics, March 26, 2016 that identified the entrance conditions as, âThe Entrance has never
been worse.â See
item #2 on list below. Apparently that sparked some attention
because on April 4, 2016 small petunia seedlings (without flowers) were planted
and after one month are finally at the blooming stage. Again we have been shortchanged with second
class service.
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So, who are we to see about the neglect of the entrance and paying for
substandard services or none at all?
Based on the Bluffview Greens HOA board membersâ reÂsponse, it is probably not
going to get any better. Specifically discouraging is the response of board
member, Joseph Battaglia about the seedling plants and the landscape maintenance
contract - which was disÂapÂpointÂing to say the least. Battaglia said: âIf
you expect this board to act on every little sugÂgestion we receive from
property owners of this community you are sadly mistaken... if you are not
satisfied with our performance than you make sure we are not reÂelected next
time, just like when I am not satisfied with a politician, I vote to replace
them.â |
I am sure homeowners will agree that we as HOA members deserve the services
that we pay for and that the Board of Directors has the fiduciary
responsibility to the members to see to it that the services paid for are
provided.
The fact list remains the same as last monthâs â March 26, 2016:
1. For
the past year this board has done little if anything to problem-solve, improve
or to maintain our
community.
2. The
Entrance has never been worse. Plants were torn out and the beds were
left empty for an extended period of time, trees and shrub trimming is
non-existent, weeds, flower displays, lights and gates have been in disrepair
for the better part of three years.
3. The
board has disregarded any and all member petitions submitted
and blocked two Special Meeting opportunities to hear from homeowners.
4. At the February
Annual Board Meetings the board failed to include membersâ concerns as an
agenda item, since prior to last
Thanksgiving and then blocked homeownersâ right to speak.
5. Common complaints among members is that
management does not return phone calls, and most express frustration that the community is not receiving the
services for which we pay.
6. The
boards #1 priority of the year was the controversial illegal filing of an HOA
Regulating Governing Document without the knowledge and consent of voting
members or compliant with the HOA Bylaws as well a violation of
State law, 209.0051 of the Texas Property Owners Protection Act, which
has unnecessarily and drastically
increased the cost of HOA legal fees.
Additionally we are still waiting to hear from Paris Constantzos who publicly
promised at the February Annual Board Meeting to respond to the letter written
and delivered to the board dated January 25, 2016 on behalf of
HOA members (Bluffview Greens Homeowners Advisory Committee).
Now that the FSR managementâs
services are so uncertain and indefinite conditions challenge our community needs, it
is our hope that the upcoming Town Hall Meeting presents the opportunity for
both the HOA members and the board to participate in a meaningful dialog regarding
the issues.
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