The CotoBuzz Journal
Community Journalism, Newsletters and Blogs Covering South Orange County, CA
The CotoBuzz Journal is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and NAHJ
SEPTEMBER 2007 ISSUE
We do not make jokes, we simply watch the LA Times, the Orange County Register and the Coto de Caza Board of directors and report the facts!
LETTERS
Casta Courier Coverage of Unhappy Campers at Leisure World
August
10,
2007
Joyce & Bill,
I'd like to comment on the following paragraph
that was in your publication "The Casta
Courier" on July 19, 2007. The second paragraph reads
as follows:
"President
Saltzgiver reported that she had a lengthy
conversation with the CEO of PCM, our management
company. They talked about the recent news stories
concerning a small number of unhappy residents at
Leisure World also managed by PCM. The protestors were
principally individuals that had failed to attend Home
Owner Association Meetings to learn of actions deemed
necessary by their Board. Joyce reminded our residents
that all meetings, except executive sessions, are open
to all home owners."
This might not seem to be any concern of mine,
but, I would like to get the record straight since we
have one thing in common, PCM, our Management Company.
PCM may consider several hundred active residents,
"a small number," but what if you had that
many attend one of your Board Meetings. Would you
define that as "a small number?"
The protestors were not there because they
failed to attend Home Owner Association Meetings, as you
were told. They were there because the Boards did not
show any concern on the expense charges by PCM that
the residents discovered after years of requests for
the information.
Please look at the following web page, which is
a history of 30 months of Credit
Card Billing Statements that Board Members were
unaware of:
These Credit Cards were never acknowledged by
PCM and even though a resident and Board Member
requested the Billing Data in 2003, it wasn't until
this year, and the new laws forcing PCM to provide the
data, brought these to light. Prior to March
of this year, the only acknowledgement of 9 credit
cards issued by our GRF Board of Directors to PCM
Senior Staff, was, "Some cards existed but were
for emergency use only." We are now listening to
PCM explain the "emergency" nature of these
charges, and at the same time asking our Board if,
"They should have been aware of these as a
fiduciary responsibility of their position on the GRF
Board." These bills were all paid for from the
assessments of the resident/owners from our Trust
Fund.
After reviewing the Credit Card data, we asked
for and received the "Expense Reimbursement"
Statements. The results of minimal analysis of this
information was, "More of the same." The
following webpage is a small sample of some meals that
were paid for by Senior
Staff for their departments:
As you can see from this partial summary,
Birthdays for individual PCM staff are celebrated by a
full department lunch paid for from the
assessments of the resident/owners.
These revelations did not occur as a result of,
"Not attending a Home Owner Association
Meeting." PCM and our Board would have
liked to continue as they had over the past, at least,
9 years, and kept these charges from the knowledge of
the resident/owners.
As we, the "protesting individuals," delve
into the records of our Managing Agent, we continue to
bring to light areas that were unknown to the Board's
of Directors. If the Boards are remiss in bringing
this information to the resident/owners, should we be
"punished" for exposing where our money is
being spent? It might be something of interest for you
to pursue.
Just a little bit about myself:
My name is Conrad (Connie) Grundke. I am an
ex-board member on one of the Mutuals and resigned
after 34 months due to the lack of support in
generating a Management Contract with PCM that would
have attempted to curtail some of the activities that
we are just now bringing to light.
My wife, Pam, formed a group of concerned
residents called, "Residents Voice" which
started two years ago and has grown from 36 people to
several hundred active participants at this time.
While on the Board, I kept myself at arms length from
her activities but, since resigning from the Board in
August 2006, I have become vocal in supporting the
"Residents Voice."
My website: www.rvoice.org
has all of the supporting data for the PowerPoint
Presentations that have been given at the
"Residents Voice" meetings along with the
presentations themselves. They are available for you
to peruse and perhaps raise some questions that you
might have of our "Common Denominator, PCM."
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