The CotoBuzz Journal, Community Journalism

The whole Country is demanding CHANGE in the way BUSINESS is being conducted and MONEY is being spent, and Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village is no exception.

Professional Community Management (PCM) for decades has been the Managing Agent of Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village a Common Interest Development.

The Management Contract between PCM and each of the four corporations of LWV is a COST PLUS CONTRACT where LWV pays ALL the Wages, Health, Life and Unemployment Insurance, Social Security, 401-K, Retirement, housing, supplies, etc., for over 775 full time and numerous part time employee’s. This CONTRACT must be CHANGED, we homeowners can no longer afford to pay for ALL of PCM’s expenses, nor should we.

The LWV 2009 Budget is Ninety Five Million, Three Hundred Fifteen Thousand, Nine Hundred Seventy One Dollars ($95,315,971). All over this Country Corporations are cutting their workforce and their Budget; however Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village budget increased by $1,732,446 and Ten (10) additional employees were hired by PCM.

The increases in the budget and employees must stop. Our boards must change the Contracts and cut the Budget. We in Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village are also in the country’s RECESSION. No more open check book for PCM. Have you ever heard of one corporation paying for ALL of another corporation’s expenses?

When are the Boards and "Hart, King and Coldren" going to sign a Management Contract that is in the best interest of the homeowners they represent?

Every Homeowner should contact their boards and GRF and demand these contracts be changed.

If you would like to make a comment about a specific news article, editorial or commentary and have it considered for publication in the CotoBuzz Journal as a Letter to the Editor, please send it to buzz@cotobuzz.com --. Do not send attachments- or mail to Letters to the Editor, c/o CotoBuzz, P,O. Box 154, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678

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The Right LWV Leadership for Such a Time as This?
Is this general manager (Milt Johns) over his head in his management skills? Can someone come out with only experience from the garden to manage a 90 million dollar business without a conflict of interest? When is the last time Mr. Johns lowered our costs...

Working to Serve, Or Serving To Work - Letter to OC Register Columnist
Another good column. I was wondering if there was ever any serious consideration to any non-union government employee for the position of publicly elected Sheriff by either the Register or Supervisors? That is all I see in your Top Five selection and...

LWV: WHo is On First? PCM? GRF?
A piece titled City, Village news essentials Oct. 16 to 23 News for those on the go published by the Orange County Register asserts that the recent restraining order against Laguna Woods Village resident Lucienne Skogen was on ?on behalf of the Golden...

Flash Report: New Look United Mutual Unusual Business or Business As Usual
Just elected at the organizational meeting for United Mutual are:
President: Lloyd Foster
First VP: Bevan StronmSecond VP: Marv RosenhafSecretary: Linda WilsonTreasurer: Paul VogelExecutive VP: Milt Johns:Assistant treasurer: Janet...

Sleepless in Laguna
ZZZZZZZZZ"S ...........Our Gen. Manager ( Milt Johns) was distressed and fearful because he did not like what was said in an e-mail. He has hired attorney Bill Harts firm to...

New Third Laguna Hills Mutual of Laguna Woods Village Board Seated
The Third Laguna Hills Mutual of Laguna Woods Village seated the new board for that housing mutual today. Officers include Carol Moore, President; Stan Feldstein, 1st Vice President; Don Lippert, 2nd Vice President; Kathryn Freshley, Secretary. The voting...

OCDA: Lack of manpower, Lack of Willpower, Lack of Cognitive power or too Much Power
According to the Orange County District Attorney website, "The mission of the Office of the District Attorney of Orange County is to enhance public safety and welfare and create a sense of security in the community through the vigorous enforcement of...

73-year old Laguna Woods Resident a Threat to Property Management Co. Employees
Apparently Laguna Woods Village Property Management Company employees feel a 73-year old resident is a threat: Last Thursday, PCM filed a Petition of Employer for Injunction Prohibiting Violence or Threats of Violence Against Employee (workplace...

Did they, or did they not?
On Channel 6 News program, Cheryl Walker, reporter for the Laguna Wood Globe stressed three times: "Never, ever, in the years I have been here, has the PCM staff, or any group from the boards, gone over our heads to the Register to try to control...

CA Supreme Court Boots HOA's Spin Doctor's ArgumentXX
The latest missive of "spin" regarding the "GRF v. Franz" was in the process of being widely circulated when on August 27, 2008, the California Supreme Court posted its own message to GRF: "petition for review denied." Jim Gilbert has provided great...

Laguna Woods Village - Having Fun in Paradise?
In a recent letter to the editor, community activist (some may call him a disgruntled homeowner), Mike Curtis raises questions about the community's property management company's motives in obtaining a general building contractors license, and asserts...

California Lawmakers Don't Speak CID- Zilch, Nada!
California Lawmakers Don't Speak CID - Common Interest Development, that is. The Orange County board of supervisors want to pull a "Russian Georgia": The BOS and LAFCO want to obliterate unincorporated communities such as the three unincorporated...

LWV Double the Trouble, Double the Fun?
We have asked Professional Community Management, Inc. representatives to comment on the questions asked my Mr.Curtis, but have yet to hear from them. Meanwhile, Mr. Grundke has rhetorical questions of his own:

When Fees Get Out of Control
QUESTION: I paid $139,000 for my Desert Hot Springs condominium in 2005, but according to the Riverside County tax assessor's office, it's now valued at only $100,000. My mortgage balance is $109,000. I pay two homeowner association dues monthly, $350 to...

LWV Double the Profit, Double the Fun?
Michael Curtis asks the question, as Professional Community Management, Inc. is apparently acting as a Property Management Company (PCM) and as a Building Contractor - we have sent a copy of Mr. Curtis' letter to Professional Community Management...

The Devil Made me Do It - Blame it on the Loopholes
During Thursday?s CZ Master Association?s Candidate?s Night designed for Coto de Caza residents to meet the candidates running for two seats on the CZ Master board, the first question mischaracterized our position, asking an either or question: ?Buzz...

The Wealth (or Erosion of) of Homeowners Association
We previously made the argument that analogous to how a wealth of nations is determined, one can use a similar approach to measure the wealth of an association ? such wealth is over an above ?book value? - such as the CZ Master Association, for example...

Resident?s Voice, a Laguna Woods Village volunteer association, critical of the property management company and the non-profit homeowners association, today announced the launch of what they call Phase 2 and are asking other Laguna Woods Village Residents...

Should I stay or should I go - in/from my HOA? X
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...

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...

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...

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...

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 $100,000 in...

IF You Can Keep Your Home - Apologies to Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your home when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on raising HOA dues,If you do not get a lien on your home for transfer feesWithout notice, and you are being hated byOthers stuck in escrow so complicated, they have to pay by...