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FAQ for SWHOA

Discussion in 'Southern Walk Announcements' started by Chsalas, Jan 14, 2017.

  1. Chsalas

    Chsalas Active Member

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    Attached are FAQ's for SWHOA. Please feel free to come to the board meeting Jan 16 with any concerns.


    Thank you

    Charles Salas
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Is it SWHOA's plan to stay as a HOA for the entire life of the Community? Or does SWHOA plan to disband once the new provider comes in? Why do we need to have a HOA if we buy out OpenBand? Why don't we as a community pick our own provider that we like instead of having the SWHOA telling us who we must go with in the future? I'm getting the feeling that SWHOA has NO intention to ever disband.
     
  3. mcspiri

    mcspiri New Member

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    Thank you for providing this document, it should have been included in the original letter that went out last month about the HOA fee increase, instead of just "surprise! we're collecting $32.50 more from you next month!" Calls to first residential for clarification were ignored.
    Also I'm no expert, but it costs quite a bit of money for a provider to build out their service to a new area. Have any actually shown interest? Or are we paying this $ for the easement and then remain still serviced by Openband-only? I lived in Reston for years where Comcast was the only option, but at least their cable boxes didn't feel like they were from 1995. With TV moving to streaming more and more, will this be worth it?
     
  4. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    How about a FAQ on how much money was spent just because an older Board did not want Sashi on it?
     
  5. L0stS0ul

    L0stS0ul hmmmm

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    Just get the cable card for a few bucks a month and buy TiVo roamio's. Prices on those have really come down. No need to live with those scientific Atlantic boxes.
     
  6. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    why would you need the SWHOA for any future contracts? It wasn't setup to administer telco contracts - it was setup as a collection agent for OB. What standing does it have to represent anyone except in the scope of the three-way agreement between OB, the SWHOA, and the home owner?

    With the dissolution of the OB arrangement... people shouldn't accept anything except the dissolution of the SWHOA. Get rid of it and let any 'future' deals be done through the BHOA. The BHOA can always charge SW residents different amounts of money to fund actions that are unique to SW. If I were a SW resident, I'd raise a stink about any right for the SWHOA to enter ANY new agreement outside the scope of OpenBand. That is just wrong on so many levels.

    New fees to raise towards the $1 million buyout? What about the previous new fees that were raised to pay for 'ongoing litigation'.. those fees should be going down, not being straight up added on top of again.
     
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  7. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Not surprised that First Residential blew you off. I called them about a different issue (BHOA) and never received a call back either. Seems they aren't customer-oriented.
     
    Bandit1 likes this.
  8. sens25

    sens25 Member

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    Any details on his Question/Answer mentioning the potential of a new bulk agreement?

    Can you please sum up the issues here?
    The Southern Walk HOA (SWHOA) Board intends to buy out the exclusive easement from OpenBand and bring other providers into the neighborhood. To do this we will need to raise nearly $1 million for the exclusivity removal payment and we most likely will need to enter into a short (under 5 years) bulk telecommunications agreement with a new provider.
     
  9. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    Agree with sens25 - "we" (ahem) fought hard to get rid of OB and their bulk agreement to just get another? So when will actual CHOICE be available?
     
  10. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Steve, I completely agree... but what rights do we have to challenge the SWHOA? Do we have to go back to the Charter? As a homeowner, how to we stop them?

    Is the only option to raise crowds and storm the meetings? How can we go from one bulk agreement to the next? That is not going to happen. Brambleton did something similar with Verizon...perhaps there is something to be learned from them too.
     
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  11. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    1 - voice - but they seem to ignore that
    2 - get legal advise
    3 - sue

    Its pretty ridiculous it comes back to that.. but unless there has been radical change recently... rationalizing and majority opinion seem to have little impact.

    The bulk agreement I think is about getting a vendor to commit to the front-ended investment to build out. While it seems deja vu.. that might be what's actually necessary in end. My opposition to that is there is zero reason (IMHO) that should be done via the SWHOA.

    In the other examples.. I think verizon was able to take-over the existing infrastructure or at least reuse it. Openband isn't going to give any of that up as long as they see future revenue opportunities.. or until they look for an exit strategy to shutdown the business.

    The developers should have good insight into what it takes to entice the likes of Comcast to build out in a community. Given the demographics and density, it seems unusual that Comcast wouldn't want in. Verizon is a different beast since they basically have slowed all their FIOS expansion.
     
  12. jcb

    jcb Member

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    Agree with comments about the lack of standing for SWHOA. They have far exceeded any justification for their existence.
     
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  13. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    We have not heard from the County Commission on this lately... that I know of but a while back they said that due to the density requirements, Comcast was "obligated" to connect the community. I would like the BHOA on our side, and agree, we need the SWHOA out of the way to that. Of course the purchase of the easement will keep the SWHOA going for another year and a half at least...

    But jcb...what do we do about it? Is the only choice to sue our own HOA?
     
  14. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    This Board member has no interest in the BHOA getting involved in any telco contract.
     
  15. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    If given a CHOICE... I agree with your position Cliff. To think that we need a bulk contract to get service is just sad and should not happen. I will never support any move like that and hope that the community would stop this from happening.
     
  16. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    Like we have stopped anything before? :confused:
     
  17. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    I know what you mean. Hard to get the community to do much beyond getting a couple dozen people fired up for a meeting. But I think if the SWHOA attempts to get us into another bulk agreement, that might be the trigger that gets homeowners motivated. I am just concerned that the SWHOA has the legal authority to even do something like this. I am looking into it further...
     
  18. sens25

    sens25 Member

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    I don't think anybody wants another agreement, but ... if no agreement means no other internet choice, don't you think openband will just turn the screws and skyrocket the price? I think there is a cap on openband price increases for now, but I'm pretty sure that goes away. Once it does, look out. Internet access is the key since there are options for phone and TV. If an agreement is very short term (e.g. 2 years) with reasonable costs (e.g. $100) its not really worse then we'd get on our own.
     
  19. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    If no other provider comes in due to costs or incompatibility of wires, etc, OB can and probably will, at the end of rate cap, increase the Internet costs by ALOT. Nothing can restrict them from charging an arm and leg for the Internet access if no other provider wants to come in......
     
  20. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Where is the county BOS in all of this? Openband has no Franchise license last time I checked. And if they begin to turn the screws with Internet Pricing, do you think homeowners, the media and the BOS will sit quietly on the side? I know, wishful thinking but logically, Openband would be stupid if they raise prices aggressively (IMHO)....
     

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