UN Resolution, HOA Dues, and other things. A letter to Carol Bruner from Sherry Rose

> Carol, I have followed your writings with interest since arriving in VE as an owner in 2013.  I have never met you personally but recognized your astute mind and writing skills.  I looked forward to meeting you one day.  However, I am really astounded by the recent UN dialogue being bantered about by you and your continued advice against paying the mandatory HOA dues.
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> You, and all of us, had our opportunity to exercise our rights to refuse to belong to a HOA by NOT buying a home situated in a community predicated on the HOA system.  We were free to make that choice BEFORE buying into VE!  There are many free standing homes just outside the gate and we all knew BEFORE we purchased in VE that it is a community predicated on a home owners association and a developer's resort property communal existence model!
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> Human rights are for everyone, but you are insinuating that certain human rights trump others rights - for instance the Developer's rights to purchase acreage, to take the risk to develop that acreage, and then to OFFER some of that developed property with unique amenities for sale within the communal living concept.  Human rights issues can not mean that you achieve your rights at the expense of someone else's rights!  You were not forced to buy into the HOA concept, you had a choice of where to buy!  Additionally, Panama City would collapse as all those high rises, town house communities, and condominium complexes have some form of a HOA business model in place in order to operate!  Panama would be off the list of places to retire in a heart beat!
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> As we all exercised our free choice rights to purchase in VE and knew that a form of an HOA model was in place, our human rights have not been violated!  Okay, you now own within the gates and you must pay your pro-rata share of the communal dues for your right for communal services!   Please refer back to the former SC directive of September 30, 2014, wherein your SC issued the broadcast that HOA dues are MANDATORY and then listed the seven penalties for non-payment.
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> What has changed since then other than the names of the HOA governing body?  The same former SC members who issued this directive, collected dues, and spent the funds are NOW advising members not to pay their dues!  This is dangerous and can certainly have unintended consequences for the members who listen to your advice.  The non-related excuse of UN human rights issues is beneath your powers of reasoning!

> Your opinion that the current governing body was illegally elected and, therefore, not empowered to collect the necessary dues to maintain all our lifestyles while continuing to work on the pertinent issues of our community is just that - your opinion!  It is also unfounded in truth or logic!
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> I certainly feel that with your intellect and your protracted tenure within the HOA structure of VE,  you became aware that the HOA documents you were operating under had not been properly filed within the appropriate governmental agency.  However, instead of confronting that problem head on, ya'll obviously accessed the likelihood that you would not come through that process without a new election of all members and a rewording of some of the CC&R language.
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> I note that your website is constantly demanding answers from the newly elected HOA governing body.  There have been many questions asked of the former SC members that have been ignored or ridiculed.  Therefore, indulge me to ask the most pertinent ones on my mind now.  

What did your SC accomplish during your reign of absolute power?  Yes, the former wording of the CC&Rs ( now modified within the election of January 2015 to provide membership oversight ) allowed you to do ANYTHING without membership approval except increase the dues more than 10% per annum.  Why did ya'll suggest a budget increase of 20% in our dues last year until the push back from the residents?   Why didn't ya'll do a Security Survey BEFORE arbitrarily breaking a legally binding contract to replace the existing security service?   Why didn't your recent SC provide the membership with the "actually spent " 2014 budget figures?   Who chose to withhold the information regarding the privately owned website ( posing as the official HOA website )?  Who chose to launch a campaign of ridicule and hate of both the Developer and of the HOA members who opposed the SC's tactics while still supporting the issue of the asset transfer?  Who is investigating the "Enemies List"?  
Why are ya'll so desperate to prevent the funding of the new HOA governing body to pay our HOA obligations which directly effect everyone's lifestyle within our community?
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> The recent former SC members are now alleging that they didn't get to vote in the January 2015 election.  They were notified just as we were of the election and even invited to run their slate of candidates.  They not only chose NOT to participate but used the privately owned website to broadcast their directive for the community to boycott the meetings and NOT to vote!  That was a total disservice to our HOA and it really didn't really work out as you had intended, did it?
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> We have paid our dues for the privilege of using our vacation villa a few weeks a year.  It is time that the residents realize that it is an obligation each condo/villa/homeowner chose to assume and committed themselves to pay when they, of their own free will, purchased in VE.  If you and the other former SC members keep handing out the advice to not pay dues we won't be discussing the type of security we want - there will be none!  We won't be discussing sewage treatments and water chlorine levels because there will be sewage everywhere and the water will not be safe to drink!

> How can your group be so blinded by anger to wish these circumstances on everyone?  The current actions of the unseated SC group are detrimental to all of us but some resident members who take your unsolicited advice and then incur consequences ( see your seven items of the penalties of non-payment on the above referenced directive ) may just decide to hold you and your former SC members ( who only identify themselves as the SC on the privately owned - NOT by the Association) personally liable for their predicament!

> Sincerely, Sherry Rose

The stupid runs deep with Bruner and gang.. They declare that Valle Escondido has been annexed and now is part of German Pacific Islands

As per an email recently sent to the homeowners from Bruner and gang it is their belief that the UN is now getting involved in VE business. Here is the exact quote:

" United Nations resolution 21, to which the Republic of Panama is a signatory, is that no one can be forced to join an association."

Ms. Bruner please clarify how UN resolution 21 applies...and exactly when we become part of the German Pacific Islands. How clever of the UN to think of VEHOA back in 1947.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolutions_1_to_100

United Nations Security Council Resolution 21, adopted unanimously at the 124^th meeting of the Security Council on April 2, 1947, placed the former German Pacific Islands north of the Equator, which were formerly mandated to Japan by the League of Nations, under the Trusteeship System. The Security Council declared 16 Articles under which it had approved the terms. It declared the United States to be the Administering Authority and gave it permission to militarise the territory.

Ms Bruner and gang, you have no legitimacy. The SC concept has been ruled illegal by the Panamanian Government. Please, you are making yourselves look like the fools you are. Don't go away mad, just go away!

If you insist on continuing then please address the following that has been asked of your group over and over. How can any of you be in any way legitimate based upon these undisputed facts presented below?

-Carol Bruner, self-appointed President of the previous SC, who has not stepped foot in VE for well over a year and a half, has admitted that she was appointed to an SC position where the person she replaced (Michael Burd) never resigned, nor was any resignation for that person ever accepted. By their own rules, you can only be appointed to that position if the resigning member votes with the majority for his/her replacement. Michael Burd never knew anything about Ms. Bruner's appointment to replace him and has signed an affidavit to these facts.

-Mary Jean "Jeanie" Bell has resigned on at least three separate occasions, with a copy of her most recent resignation available for all to view in an earlier blog post. Once you resign, you cannot just come back as you wish. There is a process and that process did not take place. Also note, that Ms. Bell has her property for sale and had indicated in emails that she wants out of VE as quickly as possible.

-There is the appointment of Pat Mains where the previous SC admits in writing that they took the vote of an SC member's spouse because they were "trying something new." They also admitted using the vote of Michael Traynor as an alternate to elect Pat Mains. The use of an alternate, or a spouse, is not contained in any of the CC&Rs, whether it be Deed 1937 or the 2010 document.

-Then there is the appointment of Larry Thompson. This same SC determined that Larry was not an HOA member and was not eligible to vote on VE issues because his condo is not titled. If you are not a member, how can you be a representative on the SC?

Blue helmeted UN troops patrolling VE and accepting homeowner dues!

Thank you Ms Bruner for the proof all residents of VE need to see just exactly what a joke you and your group have become:

You are now invoking the UN to assist you in your efforts?

Given that I am traveling internationally right now am I in danger of being arrested at a border by a blue helmeted peace keeper?

Is the UN General Assembly going to delay their efforts in Syria, Iran, Iraq and other hot spots to draft a new resolution condemning the VEHOA Steering Committee?

Perhaps they can send Jimmy Carter here to oversee the March election you failed to call?

I am certain I have read they have a commission on skateboarding. Please ask them to include some officials that can help us with this crisis.

Perhaps we now understand why there has been no ruling by a Panamanian court on the legality of the Jan 12 election – the lawsuit was filed with the UN.

And yes, this is exactly the kind of response your post deserves.

Dennis Griffin

PS: If you really want all of this openness why not post full details, dates, court, attorney and other pertinent facts of the lawsuit you keep referring to? Actually, you really do not need to answer this question, we all already know the answer.

If the Tadasly trust is such an egregious crime, why have previous SC's only talked about it and not filed lawsuits to correct the injustice? We have all heard for years of this great Panamanian fraud but you chose to ignore it when you were in position to do something about it. Was the UN to busy to offer assistance?

Answer to Deb's email. Lets Focus on Solutions

Dear Deb,  ( I hear you go by Deb)

We have never met and as a fellow neighbor surely we are all entitled to our opinions as we all should be as owners in VE. Based on your quote below from your email received, which was sent to me and it seems most owners.....I wanted to respond to you personally and hope the rest of the community can view my response if it makes sense and they like. 

Here is your quote.........…..

"As homeowners, we moved here to lead a more relaxed life, not one filled with strife; with worry about home values or infrastructure; or concern about a developer fulfilling promises s/he made: these concerns are the real job of a proper Steering Committee; that is a Steering Committee  properly appraised and elected by all the homeowners.  Once the homeowners get a Steering Committee representing them, residents of the Valle Escondido can proceed to live the promise of a life they believed brought them here in the first place."

My family and I ( like most owners in VE) also did not move or invest here per above for "strife" and surely we are looking for this place to change for the better.  

BUT, can we be objective.....I have never taken a side with any party in VE, yet I have been accused by many of doing so; many by owners I have never met.  I speak my mind with complete objectivity and honesty, I try not to offend anyone and I have never attacked anyone unless I am defending myself from anyone who may have misspoken or been out of line about me or regarding what I know to be truth.

So, can I ask a few questions of you and hope you can agree to answer me objectively in an effort to help get us to that place we are all looking to go. Please answer and do not think I am in anyway attacking you, I would not do that.  I am just confused sometimes as to what the arguments in this community are anymore. They seem to either get lost in grey or deflected away by future arguments. 

So here we go with some questions.........…

* The SC members in the email sent from above, which of those were elected?  Fact…None

* Where is a copy of the filed lawsuit they keep telling us about that confirms the recent election to be a fraud, etc and it will be ruled on shortly?  Please email me and or the community a copy of that suit for review.  Can you?  

If they cannot produce it with a file & recorded date of over 30 days ago, well then, sorry, where I come from, that is a lie, that is what they have been telling the community for at least 30 days.  Agreed?

* The SC members mentioned above, Did any of them resign?  Yes, Jeannie Bell 4 times that we know of.  So, they can legally just jump back on and off whenever they want? is that in any by-law of VE? 

* Did that SC take our funds last year out of our HOA account and not tell the community it represented or ask? 

Fact! Yes they did, and no they did not ask. It was about $30K, It still has never been given an accounting of the funds spent and or who was in control of them, I personally asked many times, no one would answer me.  Not nice, wouldn't you agree?

* Was that SC ever "elected"? NO, Never, only self appointed!

*  Was there ever an election where a POA confirming a legal representative of a property was the only permitted one to vote prior to the 1/12/15 election? If no, that means every election in VE to date has been essentially illegal. Wouldn't you agree? Otherwise we are just trusting anyone to say they own a property, seems odd or illegal to me.

* Did that SC and its advisers spend close to $100K of our money on legal fees and advisers without our permission or vote to do so in the past 2 years?  Fact, Yes! What did we benefit from it?  Fact: Nothing but heartache and divide. 

* Did that SC ask the community to fire BCS last year, than buy them out of its contract and waste another $6K to $8K of our money to terminate them just to get rid of them early? Fact! They did, and no, they never asked us! 

Have you compared the Apple to Apple expenses?  I have. Golf cart purchase, plus owners having to purchase the gas each week, plus a gas cart that signals its travels 1/2 mile away to any would be burglars....Hmmm. does not seem to smart to me. How does this help our security?

  * Is the VEHOA blog a community blog or a private blog like VE neighbors?  Fact! 100% private as well!  We do not have an unbiased/objective community blog. Shouldn't we have one?

* Are you aware that the HOA computer has countless emails (I am told in the HUNDREDS) from this past SC members mentioned and its advisers with countless emails attempting to lie, make up stories, fabricate histories of other owners in an effort to destroy and even blackmail those in VE who simply disagree with them?  

Are you OK with this?  Would you still support these folks if we get the proof and show you?  This seems absolutely horrendous if you ask me. How could any human being be so hateful towards others over an HOA and or its issues?  Very sad, I think!  I was on the list!

* Are you OK that this group prepared a list titled "The Enemy List" of 60 property owners?  What? named us enemy's!  Very sad!  This is who we are as fellow neighbors? 

* Are you aware that their own "hired" assistant signed an affidavit to the fact that she had to be a part of the above 'illicit" activities and feels horrible about it now? Are you OK with this?  Is this who VE is as a community?

* Do you think it is OK for this past appointed SC to tell VE owners not to pay their dues which is clearly an effort to further damage & help destroy our community. What will happen when it runs out of money, goes dark and turns into an abandoned rundown community?  Are you OK with that? Do you not care that it could further destroy your property values?        

So Deb, can I talk about possible solutions ( the community is really good at talking about fighting and creating massive dissension with each other ) maybe you and I can start some dialog which is focused on trying to acquire the peace you mention above.(I think we both want it. Agreed? )

How about this.......

1) Anyone who believes for any reason they have a legal issue with the developer for any reason agrees to form an independent party of owners who feel the same way and (I.E.) file a collective class action suit or take other action as they desire against the developer.  This group can then share the legal expenses and they share in the outcome either in victor or defeat. But respect and keep us out who do not want to be part of it. What do you say?

2) Lets encourage and have every owner agree to pay their dues and obligations proportionately as required and all of those funds budgeted to be used 100% for our community where 100% of us benefit; such as roads, security, maintenance, upkeep, maybe a new entrance etc. Whadda ya say?  Lets approve a budget.

3) Lets create a true HOA website independent of a private owner and agree it is for solutions, activities and other subject matter that is constructive, free from attack demonizing our neighbors.

4) Election? I am certain the recent election held in January was the most legal ever held in VE for a number of reasons and the BOD is registered with the Panamanian government to confirm so.  Why would any owner oppose it and if so, what is the desire and the objective of those against with an alternative plan where the community would benefit?

   

5) No SC member or its adviser(s) can overtly or clandestinely attempt to hurt or injure any other owner for any reason simply because they disagree with them on community issues. 

6) Maybe we look at hiring a community manager & adminstrator to oversee running our community, done properly it is a part time job and not to hard to manage.

7) We focus on coming together as neighbors instead of being divided. Get to know others where we do not and maybe form a different opinion of each other without the preconceived dislikes, what do you think? 

Please, lets give this new SC a chance, I assure you they will sign a pledge to never attack, hurt, defame or injure another owner in VE,( unless they are biting back). 

They simply want to help restore our community from the pain it has suffered. They are doing their best for free and quite frankly we do not have many left who wish to serve.  So lets try and be less critical and more supportive.

Please encourage others to agree to this little outline of solution, we all win, no one suffers and we can move forward for all.   Whadda ya say? 

I personally think no owner has any right to complain unless they want to be part of the solutions.  We have plenty whining about the problems or checked out completely as this place is falling apart. That is sad!

We have all suffered enough. Lets all empty the bullet chambers and focus on a better tomorrow!

Life is Short, lets make it better!

Will you help?

Anyone is free to send this to other owners who want to help solve our problems.

Mark 

Community Unity!

As we begin April, 2015, with the admitted expiration of the old Steering Committee and the communities vote and acceptance of the new Board of Directors and their approval for the newly elected Steering committee to represent us, it is now time for all owners to put the past behind us ( as many owners already agreed to do) and focus on our budget along with insuring each and every homeowner pays their dues so this community can get back on foot for a better tomorrow; 
So please, encourage your fellow neighbor to put the past behind them and support this new SC, support your property, and pay your dues. 
Stay tuned, good things are coming for all owners of VE. We encourage all owners to put their past differences behind them for the good of all. Lets get Valle Escondido back on track with positive talk to restore our friendships and property values.

Your Neighbors