Am I the only one who missed this...

Just noticed that my HOA fees went up to $70/month. I called and was told it was in the newsletter. I'm usually pretty good about reading those, but I definitely missed this. We don't get any other notification, just a mention in the newsletter??

I'm just grouchy and venting today... haven't found my kitty yet and it's been the longest day on earth. [}]

 

Sorry about your kitty...I've got 2 and they can drive you crazy when they take a "vacation" ...I hope she's back soon...Re the budget... The new budget is announced in the newsletter rather than an individual mailing because mailings are so expensive...and they are often tossed out as junk mail...there was also a meeting on Dec 8...also announced in the newsletter... to answer any budget questions and Wes or I are at the Nature Center M-F 9 to 5 to answer questions as well...You can also contact any member of the board with questions...their contact info is on the inside cover of the newsletter...I'm a long time resident here and the board has really done a great job holding costs and assessments down...I know no one likes to see an increase but it's such a great neighborhood...it's worth the slight increase to keep it that way!

 

Aha... if it was included in all the budget stuff, my eyes probably started glazing over and it's no wonder I missed it! I thought I got something from Armstrong before the last increase, that's why I was wondering. No biggie, I'm just glad it's Friday. Now I have time to actually go out hunting for my runaway kitty!

 

Have faith that your kitty will come home. Our cat Molly was found the week before Thanksgiving after being gone almost 6 months!!!

 

golfnut-
Yes, I conducted a budget review meeting with the residents on Dec 8.
The good news is that there was a 100% increase in attendance from the previous year.
The bad news is that only two residents attended!! [xx(]

 

I think a dues increase warrants more notice than a "budget review meeting" - I would bet that most residents who saw that notice thought it was a formality to go over a routine budget.

I would ask the HOA in the future to announce dues increases specifically, not as a line item in a long budget.

 

Audrey,

it was announced in the newsletter! What more can we do?? Send individual letters ?? That now costs 41 cents per letter, for 2500 (or so) that's over a thousand dollars !! We're trying to save money here by sending out the notification in a way that saves money, but that everyone receives on a monthly basis.

IMHO ... I'm fairly sure that they may go up again next year as we get updated fuel and labor costs from our contractors !!



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

how about an email mailing list? or is that what armstrongconnect is for? do we have to call the hoa if we forgot the passwd for the web site?

 

I'm not disagreeing with you - I think the newsletter is the right place for such an announcement. I just was saying that announcing "HOA dues increase set for 2006" is more clear than "Budget review meeting set for December 15" and would have fewer people expressing surprise about the increase. And I was saying that specifically for dues increases.

A lot of things go on in the HOA that don't all warrant a special extra announcement beyond the minutes and reports we already see in the newsletter. But a dues increase affects every homeowner financially and, seems to me, warrants that extra column inch for a specific announcement.

 

There is a letter from Wes in the December newsletter on page 9 that highlights what the increased assessments will be and the reasons for those increases...between that and Cliff's Budget Explanation Meeting notice shown in a quarter page blockon page 13...I'm unclear what more needed to be said....

Maureen Burns
Assistant Property Manager and Resident since 1997

 

IMO...It wasn't much of an increase anyway (i know that's not the point so don't attack me!) Broadlands has the least expensive HOA dues of anyone I know! Friends, Co-Workers etc.. are shocked when I tell them the amount of our fees.

 

We're starting to use Armstrong Connect more and more. As far as forgetting the password you set, there are instructions on the site on who to contact to retrieve it.



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Speaking of the December newsletter...is there any reason why it still hasn't posted on the HOA website? Here is the URL I am trying (you can see that the "Current Newsletter" is still Nov 2005):
http://hoa.broadlands.org/newsletter/newsletter.htm

 

For those concerned they didn't receive "proper notification" about the increase... why don't you lobby for a cut in the compensation Neilz, Vacliff, et all, get for the work they do on the Board.

 

Oh sure ... do away with the few measily slices of pizza we get once a month during the 5:30 pm HOA BOD meetings!

Thanks Steve, but I suspect that was the point AFGM was trying to make.



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Neilz, you're correct. Your perception is much more accurate than flynnibus. Now that's not surprising

 

Now, now .. that wasn't necessary. [}]

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Audrey-
Thank you for expressing concerns about the budget. Please join the Budget Committee so that you can be involved in the process. We make every attempt to get residents involved, but as the meeting demonstrated, residents don't care or, more likely, aren't concerned about the modest increase.
We use the newsletter to inform residents of the budget process. I will not support additional mailings, and thereby increasing HOA costs, because the newsletter is not read. Except for rare instances, it is the ONLY way the HOA will communicate information to the commmunity.
In case you're wondering, most of the increase was due to one source, and one we can't control: increase in trash removal.
Cliff

 

Ok, I didn't mean to open a can of worms here! I think all Audrey was getting at is that a headline that jumps out at you in the newsletter would catch more people's attention. People may not know to look in the budget for this information if they aren't working with/involved closely with the budget.

Taking myself as an example, I did read the December newsletter, but I didn't catch the increase. I think most people skim the newsletter and don't necessarily read it cover to cover, so an eye-catching headline about HOA dues increasing would do the trick. I don't expect, and I don't think others do either, a separate mailing as long as the announcement is hard to miss. Maybe it could be a headline on the home page of the HOA website as well?

PS- Kitty is back home, thanks to my great neighbor!!