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!
Should I stay or should I go - in/from my HOA?
August
14,
2007
First
was the Delegate’s Corner blasting CZ Master
Association board of director’s critics for speaking
out against a corrupt delegate system and electoral
process in favor of direct elections, consistent with
current legislation, and consistent with the actions
of most common interest development communities.
Now
in the Director’s Corner of the August 8, 2007 issue
of the Laguna Woods Globe, Jan Mclaughlin blasts
certain community residents characterized as “a
relatively small group called the Voice”
BTW:
We have been to Laguna Woods Village resident's Voice
meetings. We have covered Laguna Woods Village
resident's Voice meetings, We know certain Laguna
Woods Village resident's Voice members - this is not a
relatively small group - unless the size is relative
to all the residents in California, that is!
Ms.
Mclaughlin describes her journey from the
Midwest as follows: "I ame here on Sept 1,
1987 from Lincoln, Nebraska counting my blessings hat
we had found this wonderful place in one of the most
expensive parts of he United States where we could
afford to retire”, she then goes on to to defend the
property management company, and asks the following
questions:
1.
“Our present Management Company has served us
well for over 30 years…., if this place has been so
mismanaged, has
it managed to stay one of the most attractive senior
communities in the country and still one of the most
affordable”
2.
“If you truly believe things are so bad, why
do you stay?”
In
our coverage of common interest development
communities for the last few years, the most often
asked question is number two:
Why do you stay? The Orange County
assistant district attorney, just like the Attorney
General, or even the California Bar might ask similar
questions: if
residents are not happy, why not elect a different
board?
For
that matter, during the last presidential elections
there were a number of high profile figures (read
liberal extremists) who vowed that since things were
so bad in the United States, if President G. W. Bush
was reelected, they would leave the country –
unfortunately they never left!
We
have a couple of questions of our own. We should
note that when
we ask about key business indicators as evidence that
a supplier is being managed properly (or not),
directors for the most part have no clue about what we
are talking about and simply stare at us.
1.
Why Indeed, is it that a common interest
development company has stuck with the same property
management company for 30 years. given the number of
resident complaints- does the board have a set of KBIs
that it uses to measure supplier performance,
including the property management company?
2.
Is it fair to say that critics of the status
quo may have valid points, not to bring down the
community, but to build it up?
If not, if the criticism is too much, then why
does the current board stay?
For
example, we consider the CotoBuzz Journal as a change
agent – change s effected via satire as follows: “The
best satire does not seek to harm or damage by its
ridicule, unless we speak of damage structure of vice,
but rather seek to create a shock of recognition and
to make vice repulsive so that the vice will be
expunged from the person or society under attack or
from the person or society intended to benefit from
the attack (regardless of who is the immediate object
of attack); whenever possible this shock of
recognition is to be conveyed through laughter or wit:
The formula of satire is one of honey and
medicine.
For
the record, I am not a critic. Instead, I am a
thinking CZ Member who refuses to accept business as
usual when it is not in the interest of our Members.
And, guess what, eventually though it may take some
time, the message does get through i.e. moving to
direct popular elections, beginning to charge The
Estates and Village people different annual
transponder fees, appointing Lyle Schlieder to help
with contracts and supplier selection, changing the
landscaping in our parkways, re-hiring the CHP etc.
etc. More needs to happen and I wish the current
CZ Board would move quicker; but I will take what
comes as a sign that good ideas eventually win out and
keep selling the other ideas that should happen until
they do. I am still waiting for the Starbucks at
the
RELATED STORIES
Casta
Courier Coverage of Unhappy Campers at Leisure World
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:
Critics
do not attend board meetings - GRF that is!
Critics do not attend Home Owner Association Meetings
to learn of actions deemed necessary by their
Board!August 6, 2007 Critics are principally
individuals who fail to attend Home Owner Association
Meetings to learn of actions deemed necessary...
The
New Seven, err... Eight Wonders of the World
CZ's definition for leadership is that whenever
questions are raised, the canned response is ?Remember
the Reserves?! Now CZ Spin Machine has to be the Eight
Wonder of the World!- August 6, 2007 The results of
the NOWC?s New Seven Wonders of...
You
Must Resign Your Seat on the CZ Master Association
Board of Directors ? JM
Jerry: No, I won't live with it. You are now going to
add legal cost to the Association; good for Harkins;
bad for our members. It will make it impossible for
you to serve on an equal basis with other CZ Board
Members. You need to RESIGN - JM
BRING
BACK GOVERNOR PETE WILSON
by Donie Vanitzian, JD(c) 2007 D. VanitzianYou can?t
have a good old boys and girls club without a little
help from friends in high places, of course, a little
help from California?s State Bar wouldn?t hurt either.
[FN1]Forget for a moment that the term...
Consequences
of Ethical Lapses
Consider the consequences for those of us in business,
not yet conversant with what ethics is and is not.In
the early 80's, the ex-CEO of Brocade Communications
was a young salesman (his uncle is Google's CFO),
while I was the operations manager...
Ethical
Divide: Liberal Coast Bar Vs. East Coast Bar- An Legal
Ethical Divide, a ?domestic dispute? or a Paradox?
August 8, 2007 The Miami Herald reports that an
attorney who helped a buddy hide a stolen Florida
State University national football title trophy as a
prank, ?has had his law license suspended for 60 days,
starting this weekend, because he...
CZ
Losers!: Here is a little something to remember me by
- the Estates and the Villages
In a recent CZ Master Association?s newsletter, the
president of the board of directors writes about his
encounter with various presents left by pet owners in
South Coto de Caza, and encourages residents to good
citizens and use the doggie bags to remove...
Trigo
Trail Trailed Trimming Triggered By Board Temper
Tantrum
It took six months for the association to get rid of
the eyesore at CDC and Trigo Trail. We still do not
know who made the decision to trim destroy the hedges
right at the corner: Was it a resident's unilateral
decision? Did the board authorize the...
Dare's
role in Pastures cost association $100,000
By BRENDAN J. LYONS, Senior writer First published:
Sunday, Times Union August 12, 2007. Republished with
permissionAugust 12, 2007 ALBANY -- An advocate for
the Historic Pastures Homeowners Association, which
lost more than
HIRING
AN ATTORNEY CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH LEGAL
BLACKMAIL--TAKING CLIENTS HOSTAGE- Q: How can you tell
when an attorney is lying? A. His lips are
moving.August 10, 2007 If California can place caps on
spending and caps on fees of various types of
businesses -- then it needs to put caps...
"TWIN
RIVERS" = "TRIPLE PROBLEMS"
Note to the do-gooders whose glasses are corrupted by
the half-full half-empty circular-argument nonsense
and who want only to hear the good-of-it-all and
nothing too depressing, oh, and want only smiley ha-ha
journalism: Go grab your teddy bears and...
CALIFORNIA
LAW REVENGE COMMISSION PROJECT #TR-855 FUNCTIONS TO
DISENFRANCHISE AND PARALYZE DEED-RESTRICTED HOMEOWNERS
IN WAYS THEY NEVER IMAGINED
IF owners do NOT oppose this frivolous project now,
you will be funding your own demise; and owners must
be quick in stopping this so-called Project from
moving forward -- Please do not wait to write -- do it
now.
California
Law Revision Letter: TR-H855XStupid is as stupid does
Mr. Brian HerbertCalifornia Law Revision
Commission3200 5th AvenueSacramento, CA 95817 Re:
TR-H855Dear Mr. Herbert,Why? As a realtor I have to
deal with the damage you cause us in this profession,
the senior citizen, the fixed income families, and...
PART
II: KEEP FILING CALIFORNIA STATE BAR COMPLAINTS
AGAINST ERRANT ATTORNEYS - BUT ESPECIALLY HOMEOWNER
ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS-- Make the Bar Care!
Lets spare each other the niceties of: ?there are good
ones and there are bad ones,? because we already know
that -- and -- this article is not about that. She
then says with a cheeky little grin, ?ok, ok yes,
there are some good lawyers out there.?
Mirror,
mirror on the wall, who is the fairest gladiator of
them all?
As I stood atop the Roman Colosseum during a recent
trip, emotionally gripped by its horrific history, I
couldn?t help but make the connection between the
ancient gladiator and my role as in-house attorney,?..
For starters, lawyers are often referred to...
Management
company's tape-recording tactic puts homeowners at
risk
Question: Because our management company has been sued
before, it has a policy of recording all incoming and
outgoing phone calls. Before a management employee
answers the phone, there is an automatic announcement
warning callers they are being recorded....
Of
Trial Lawyers, the AAJ and the Democratic Party
The National College of Advocacy and AAJ Education
maintain two distinct programs that recognize AAJ
lawyer member efforts in pursuit of advanced legal
learning and professional development?the Achievement
Recognition Program and Advanced Studies in Trial...
Laguna
Woods Village CC&Rs, What CC&Rs? I Got Your
CC&Rs Right Here!
Coto de Caza is not the only place where the board of
directors consistently either disregard the civil
code, governing documents (Covenants, Conditions and
Restrictions - CC&Rs) or even the moral code.
What
is better in HOA Management? Transparency and
Accountability or Feel Good?May 22, 2007
Mostly as a result of the Enron and Worldcom scandals,
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 known as the Public
Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act
of 2002 and commonly called SOX; was enacted to
provide business executives with less wiggle...
HOW
DO OWNERS SPELL L-A-W S-U-I-T? SENATE BILL NO. 127!X
This author asks WHERE ARE THE PENALTIES AGAINST
MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND BOARDS? WHAT?S THE PENALTY
FOR BREAKING THE LAWS THAT THESE LEGISLATORS ARE
PASSING?
Two
of the Worst & Most Detrimental Laws to Hit
California are Sponsored by None Other than:
California Association of Realtors (R) The Gold is
Gone --No more gold in the Golden State!
Dear Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger,
SHATZI! PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE TO US. Please
listen to the people who support you and look to you
to help us! When you first began buying property in
California NO ONE told you what you could or could not
do...
THE
LAW OF INTENDED CONSEQUENCES - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A
"WORD" MAKES: NO! ON ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 563
It apparently does not matter that titleholders with a
vested interest in their property cannot get their
legislators to carry legislation to help US, but, they
can waste taxpayer funds by preventing the bills WE
WANT and NEED by CHANGING *ONE* WORD in an...
EMERGENCY!
EMERGENCY! OOPS! WE JUST HAD THE MEETING! YOU MISSED
IT!!
So THIS is what the Senate calls an "Open
Meeting." How many Open Meetings have THEY been
to? Obviously not many. ROTFLMAO!
CAN
YOU OUTSWIM YOUR HOA SHARKS? or will you drown trying?
Owning, let alone living in an HOA is a tough JOB and
requires you be physically fit, possess a certain
sophistication of the processes, and have the
character let alone stamina, that allows you to be
persistent in a manner that indescribable to REAL...
HEY
GRAY PANTHERS! YOU GOT IT WRONG!
(c) D. Vanitzian
May 16, 2007The Gray Panthers are on record as
SUPPORTING A BAD BAD BAD BAD BILL: Senate Bill Number
948. SHAME ON YOU. Where the heck are you getting your
information from?
The
Law of Unintended Consequences: Legislation and HOA
BOD Cause and Effect: Clueless in my CAR
Coming off a most improbable but successful campaign
to defeat SB 670 author and HOA advocate Vanitizian
thanks supporters making a connection between the
quality of legislation being passed in Sacramento, and
the quality of life in most homeowners...
Paraphrasing
the LA Times on Defeat of SB670 & Wicked Twin
Witches of the West - SB 127 & AB-980
Taking a page out of the OC Register?s ?paraphrased
reporting?, an article written by LA Times staff
writer Diane Weder titled ?Bill to limit transfer fee
founders?, published appropriately on May 13, 2007,
quotes the president of the statewide Realtors...
Private
Transfer Tax - Good for the Common Interest
Development (HOA/CID) Industry or Good for the
Politicians?
When we received our copy of the report that the
California Association of Realtors (CAR) used to
Sponsor and help draft transfer fees, we were
confused. Given that Vanitzian has become an icon in
Sacrament (some say a thorn in the legislature's
side),...
Chuck
Chuckles: Senator Schumer, That is
Those who do not know, go
to law school. Those who do not do, blame. Those who
do not know and do not do, join the US Congress.
Senator Schumer has asked the Government
Accountability Office to investigate if rising gas
prices are the result of oil...
Lawyer
seeking condominiums' business goes over the line
Question: I manage a large condominium project in Los
Angeles. Unsolicited, an attorney sent me an
invitation to meet with him over lunch. He then phoned
me several times, including the day before the lunch,
explaining the purpose was to speak only with...
CONDOMINIUMS
ARE A GREAT INVESTMENT- FOR LAWYERS
About every two months I get a call, or a client comes
in to ask me about condominiums. It usually starts off
with, ?I bought this adorable little condo? and then
the upstairs neighbor had a flood?. And then the
Homeowners Association refused??
Pssst,
Can I Interest You In a Lawyer?
When there are too many policemen, there can be no
liberty.When there are too many soldiers, there can be
no peace.When there are too many lawyers, there can be
no justice.Lin Yutang (1895-1976), Chinese-American
writer, translator, and editor.This...
Mirror,
mirror on the wall, who is the fairest gladiator of
them all?
As I stood atop the Roman Colosseum during a recent
trip, emotionally gripped by its horrific history, I
couldn?t help but make the connection between the
ancient gladiator and my role as in-house attorney,?..
For starters, lawyers are often referred to...
The
Scrutiny of Lawyers
?There are plenty of jokes about lawyers, but everyone
investigating them knows it can be a challenging
task?, reads the preamble to an article by Ames
Alexander, an investigative reporter
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