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Southern Walk Expenses Out of Control? $360 increased assessment for 2013!

Discussion in 'Broadlands Community Issues' started by Neighbor, Nov 8, 2012.

  1. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I take it that you've moved out of SW due to the legal fight and now "feel sorry" for those that are behind?

     
  2. The Sparrow

    The Sparrow New Member

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    I wanted to express my appreciation to the members of the board that are being subjected to the lawsuit on our behalf. I think it is fair that people in the neighborhood have differences in opinions on the cost / benefit here. It is always difficult to make large groups of people happy. In my view, I would prefer to be out of the contract with OB and feel like we should pursue at least until the next court date. Can there be a date suggested by the Board that the community should review the outcome of next ruling and make a collective vote on whether or not to continue? I guess I am getting concerned that OB is just going to try dragging this out for a decade while continuing to provide a junky service because they claim they are holding back investments because of the dispute.
     
  3. jlf

    jlf New Member

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    What is the name of the FB group? First I've heard of it and cannot find it in a search.
     
  4. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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  5. krmckee

    krmckee Member

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  6. twohokies

    twohokies New Member

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    It is a private group on FB and you have to be confirmed as a SW homeowner. PM lilpea about the request to join.
     
  7. cogs

    cogs Well-Known Member

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    Original contracts are not the issue as far as I understand. This issue is in the courts because, the parties involved believe other side is in breach of the contract(s).

    We really cannot completely understand the judge's ruling without reading his entire judgement. On the surface it looks like SW's attorney's failed to demonstrate the damages.
     
  8. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    I take it as we are in litigation because the contract is pretty much one-sided in OB's favor. We have to pay, we have to take what they give us and we are stuck with it for several decades.
     
  9. krmckee

    krmckee Member

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    I am friends with lilpea on FB and she tried but couldn't add me. Anyone knows a way around this? I don't recall ever joining and then leaving the group.....
     
  10. '03 Cavalier

    '03 Cavalier New Member

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    Your point is the biggest one I would stress to those who are content with OB's service. While there are some folks who find OB's service to be acceptable currently, what happens to those of us who will still live here 10 years from now, or even longer? In other words, you might be satisfied enough now, but what happens if you're not satisfied in the future?

    OB has shown a consistent pattern of doing the bare minimum in regard to improvements. They're getting further and further behind the offerings from Verizon and Comcast. In 10 years, who knows how much further behind they're going to slip.

    Also, what about those of us who currently don't want the triple play bundle? I certainly don't want OB's horrible phone service, but I have to pay for it anyway. If online viewing options (like Hulu Plus) keep improving, it's very possible that our household won't want a cable subscription at all in 5-6 years.

    In other words, we can complain about paying $30 a month, but what about the rest of us being held hostage and paying for services we don't want? And while you may want all 3 services now, what happens if you change your mind in a few years? I'd rather pay $30 a month for the next year or so if it means I may end up saving $70/month once OB is gone.

    Again, this is an investment. Choice is better for all of us.
     
  11. '03 Cavalier

    '03 Cavalier New Member

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    One last thing. To those of you who truly believe OB would have spent more money on improving our service if it weren't for their legal bills...I suppose here's $35 million our friend Billy COULD have spent on upgrades. Instead, he decided it would be better put to use on his Miami mansion improvements ;)

    http://gossipextra.com/2012/01/31/william-dean-home-improvement-capponi-1187/

    Does he strike you as a guy who would put our interests above his own? I'm sure OB's legal bills are a drop in the bucket compared to the price of that project.
     
  12. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    I too look towards the future. When we moved from a townhouse in Blands north in 2003, OB was cutting edge, especially for internet. Phone was service (and always has been) EH, and TV was comparable... UNTIL HD started to boom. That is when OB, IMO, started to lag behind the competition. I look at the lawsuit in 3 possible outcomes with SW winning in 2 of them.
    1. SW wins BIG. We get choices, lower monthly payments, SWHOA rebates monies spent, need for SWHOA (and payment) possibly goes away.
    2. SW wins but homeowners do not get legal fees back. But for those around long enough, money is easily recouped over time. No resale issues involving the word Openband.
    3. We lose (shudder)

    I do not like the assessment or the monthly increase and I bet that most do not either. I also do not like the "entity" of the SWHOA makes decisions for the entirety of the SW without a bit more transparency. I do know people on the board and I have no beef with them. I am MOSTLY content to sit back and let our SW bulldo... er, Erika and the other members hopefully get this resolved with the least amount of pain for the homeowners moving forward.
     
  13. twohokies

    twohokies New Member

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    As far as I know......... she's the expert on the group. Maybe friending one of the other admins will work?
     
  14. twohokies

    twohokies New Member

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    :clap::clap::clap: Exactly! I'd rather invest $30/month now to get myself out of a $155/month lifelong contract. Of that $155/month, $49 is for tv service that is duplicated by the satellite provider we CHOSE to use for tv. I'm sure we could also do without the $23/month we pay to have a landline connection (which doesn't include caller id).


     
  15. cynspen

    cynspen New Member

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    Yes, yes, yes!
     
  16. chattycat

    chattycat Member

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    So livid. We knew what we signed up for at the very beginning and I have no problem with Openband. Why should we pay for this? You did a survey. I said no. What a joke.
     
  17. hberg

    hberg give me some of your tots

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    It's not a joke to those of us who have been fighting to get out of this obviously illegal contract we have been chained to with Openband. This is not something new, this is not something that just came out of nowhere. Your elected representatives have done their best, volunteered countless hours of work and their free time, and numerous appearances and meetings with homeowners such as yourself, Board of Supervisors, lawyers, reporters, Openband, etc. What did you expect when you joined a community with an HOA? You cannot make 100% of the people happy all the time. Someone will always disagree. Heck you can't even get a return of a survey from 100% of the homeowners.

    Maybe you were very lucky you never had an issue with Openband even though you are paying more than you would with another provider but your friends and neighbors in the community have had countless issues. I too knew for the most part what I signed up for until I finally got a copy of the contract (that was not provided at closing). Once I read through it, I now see why the State of Virginia deems these type contracts illegal. Again, I am sorry you have heartburn with this but I am extremely happy with the the SW HOA has continued to fight for us and worked on this. I will be happier when we win.
     
  18. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Hberg --- I agree with you on this and I stand in alliance with you. OB, if we had not fought this, would have kept on going and never would have improved our services thus would have gone farther and farther behind on technology compared to FIOS and Comcast and others. Heck, they are SO far behind, when you think about it.

    So you said it best here!

     
  19. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Yup, Yup, Yup! I was VERY surprised that when I moved here that the phone never included caller ID!!! I had that with FIOS and never paid extra for that. It came included and I was happy with that feature. Now, its gone and OB sucks royally. Am so willing to pay the extra 30/month to see OB gone from this community. At first, I was concerned about the lawsuit but after attending several community and HOA meetings, I signed up right there and then for the lawsuit because I dislike the idea of being locked in into a 75 yr contract with one technology provider that has NO interest of ever improving the services or even adding new features.

    Example: This guy, McDean, is plowing the money INTO renovating his Miami Beach mansion instead of putting it into OB's infrastructure. Does that speak LOUD AND CLEAR to his intentions with the money? Yep, it sure does. No longer! We want our money to go somewhere else where we will get better service and technology with our hard worked money.

    So I do agree with you!


     
  20. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    You hit it right on the head. OB, IMHO, has no intention of ever improving the technology at all, except for improving McDean's Mansion in Miami Beach. He's pouring $35M into this mansion improvement. Unbelievable amounts of money and ZILCH into our provider's infrastructure. Go figure.

    Yep, having a choice is better for all of us, indeed.

     

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