Michael Sukey ~ Homeowner since 2004
626-502-6498 ~ preservebsv@gmail.com
January
2015
Dear BSV Homeowner:
I am writing to you today to ask for your HOA
membership votes as a “write-in”
candidate in the upcoming annual election on January 15, 2015. As a Board member at Brookside Village, I
will promptly introduce a reduction of 5-10% to our assessments simply based on
the operating funds that were not spent last year, but budgeted for again in 2015, by the Board of
Directors. I will scrutinize the budget
and find other areas to create efficiency and value in your assessment dollar. I will also re-establish the good community
reputation in the South Bay that was established during the six years before
the past year.
Over the past ten months, I have been monitoring the
actions of the current Board of Directors and have reviewed the financial
reports of the association on a monthly basis.
Examples
of what I have found:
- An embattled management body that is constantly at conflict within itself.
- Several incidents of conflict of interest with association policies and funds.
- Only $69,232 of the $2.7 million Reserve Fund has been reinvested back into our community. Yet roofs need to be replaced and maintained, buildings need to be painted, plumbing needs to be replaced, trees need to be trimmed, fire alarms need to be inspected annually, etc.
- Vendor payments have been made slow or late or until the vendor complains.
- A 2015 budget that was not adjusted based on community needs but merely rolled over from 2014.
Some
of what has transpired:
- Several officer title changes during the year as each director has thrown up their hands in frustration and pulled away from the responsibilities.
- One Director had resigned as early as August and the Board has not considered appointing a qualified replacement.
- The Horizon management contract had been unilaterally renegotiated to increase services to “full-service” (>$6,000/mo nearly double the previous rate) to alleviate the duties and frustrations of the Board without a competitive bidding process. Competitors offer “full service” at nearly half that amount.
- Monthly meeting minutes are not posted on a regular basis to keep the community informed. Resident open forum sessions are banned at open meetings against Civil Code requirements.
- Non-existent supervision of the maintenance staff resulting in work slow-downs and little production by the crew of six, practically wasting the $500,000 Personnel and Benefits budget.
- The Board has not spent budgeted funds nor have reinvested in the community amenities that we use and pay for so they can show how much money they saved and get re-elected. Why haven’t they passed those savings down to us? Why would they then hold assessments steady and approve a new budget for expenditures they did not spend in the first place?
- Harmed property values by the Board’s delay in rebuilding the south parking structure and recreation facility.
I
am broadly experienced in the homeowners association business since 2008. I am
an active member in the Community Association Institute-Orange County Chapter
(CAI-OC), attending monthly educational events, and periodic educational
classes. I have been an HOA Board member, an on-site General Manager and now a
Portfolio Community Manager. I am certified CMCA by the national industry
standards organization, Community Association Institute (CAI). I won the
CAI-Los Angeles Chapter, Community Leadership Award in 2009. I also hold an
Association Management Specialist (AMS) certificate as the next step in
achieving the PCAM certification, the highest certification in the industry. I am also a member of the California Association
of Community Management (CACM) that focuses its concentration on California
Civil Code legislation under the Davis-Sterling Act. I have also held a
Certified Public Accountant’s license for more than twenty-three years although
my license status is currently inactive.
I will reduce our assessments and protect the market
value of our homes. Please consider casting your five (5) cumulative votes to
me as a “write-in”
candidate prior to the reconvene deadline of February 3, 2015. If you need another copy of the election ballot and casting
envelopes, please contact Tracy Vees at Horizon Management (tracy@horizonmgmt.com or 310-543-1995)
who is obligated to mail out duplicate ballots upon request.
If you have any questions concerning the Association
in which we all live, please contact me above. Sincerely,
Michael
Sukey
