My blood boiled today
Condominium and Housing Associations in these United States have various tasks, rules and regulations “for the common good”. These associations elect representative and volunteer Boards to help the Condo’ or Housing community owners maintain some agreed norms.
I live in the “Glen Oaks Ridge Condominium” neighbourhood, and we have an elected Board of seven owners.
Our Board makes sure that bills for common services (in our case:- water to each condo; maintenance of the clubhouse and swimming pool; cable T.V; and landscaping) are paid. They also make sure that each owner pays his or her monthly fee.
In our case the monthly fee (I pay $330) also covers all exterior maintenance of our condo’s - repainting and roof repairs for example.
Owners have known for at least nine years that the mansards on each condo’ are in dire need of repair and/or replacement. Boards during those years have put off the decision to replace or maintain the mansards. (Oh, how familiar I am with “deferred maintenance” after 31 years in Parish Ministry!).
But last year we elected a Board with a majority of “reformers” who are determined to improve our community.
Our Board has engaged an Engineering Company to examine the Mansards and make recommendations, and has also asked that Company to draw up specifications for Contractors when we enter the bidding process. (Sounds wise to me.)
And that has set the cat among the pigeons. There are “wars and rumours of wars”. Two Board members are determined to undermine Board decisions (say what!) and all manner of petitions (with false information) have been circulated. (Am I back in a parish?!)
And today I saw a sign outside one condo’ (see picture), which made my blood boil!
Why do we live in such a destructive world? Why do we seek to discredit and undermine all leaders.
So here is the letter I sent to the folks who erected that miserable sign. It arises from boiling blood, but also from a deeply felt need to support our Board members.
Did I go overboard?
3901 Glen Oaks Drive East
Villa 67
Sarasota Fl 34232-1256
Mr. and Mrs. …………,
1257 Bellflower Street,
Villa 113
Sarasota FL 34232
23rd October 2007
Dear Mr. and Mrs. ………..:
Yesterday I noticed the “tombstone” outside your Villa, with its message “RIP Glenoaks Rdg Villa Board”.
This disturbed me greatly, and I wish that you had not set it out.
I believe that it is profoundly disrespectful of every one of the seven members of our Board ( Barbara Marinelli, Adele St. Laurent, Kathy Ohlrich, Ruth Thompson, Ed Bellon, Carl Schneider and Charles Boes) who give a great deal of their time and wisdom to serve us all.
Your sign could be a powerful disincentive to other owners who might wish to serve on this Board in future days.
Your sign says nothing constructive. Each and every member of the Board is willing to hear constructive criticism and helpful suggestions ( I know this from my own experience), but the message of your sign is entirely destructive.
Your sign might be a powerful deterrent to potential buyers in Glen Oaks Ridge. Certainly if I had seen something like this when I bought, I would have asked “do I want to live in a community where there is such public negativity?”. Perhaps you would ask a local Realtor what he or she would think if confronted with such a sign.
But, even without Realtors, I believe that the sign is a source of embarrassment to every owner.
Lastly, as a Priest of the Episcopal Church I object to the use of religious terminology in the sign. “R.I.P” stands for “Requiescat in pacem” a prayer for the dead in both Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches. It offends me that your sign uses such sacred language in your disparagement of our good Board members.
Yours sincerely,
(The Revd. J. Michael Povey)
I live in the “Glen Oaks Ridge Condominium” neighbourhood, and we have an elected Board of seven owners.
Our Board makes sure that bills for common services (in our case:- water to each condo; maintenance of the clubhouse and swimming pool; cable T.V; and landscaping) are paid. They also make sure that each owner pays his or her monthly fee.
In our case the monthly fee (I pay $330) also covers all exterior maintenance of our condo’s - repainting and roof repairs for example.
Owners have known for at least nine years that the mansards on each condo’ are in dire need of repair and/or replacement. Boards during those years have put off the decision to replace or maintain the mansards. (Oh, how familiar I am with “deferred maintenance” after 31 years in Parish Ministry!).
But last year we elected a Board with a majority of “reformers” who are determined to improve our community.
Our Board has engaged an Engineering Company to examine the Mansards and make recommendations, and has also asked that Company to draw up specifications for Contractors when we enter the bidding process. (Sounds wise to me.)
And that has set the cat among the pigeons. There are “wars and rumours of wars”. Two Board members are determined to undermine Board decisions (say what!) and all manner of petitions (with false information) have been circulated. (Am I back in a parish?!)
And today I saw a sign outside one condo’ (see picture), which made my blood boil!
Why do we live in such a destructive world? Why do we seek to discredit and undermine all leaders.
So here is the letter I sent to the folks who erected that miserable sign. It arises from boiling blood, but also from a deeply felt need to support our Board members.
Did I go overboard?
3901 Glen Oaks Drive East
Villa 67
Sarasota Fl 34232-1256
Mr. and Mrs. …………,
1257 Bellflower Street,
Villa 113
Sarasota FL 34232
23rd October 2007
Dear Mr. and Mrs. ………..:
Yesterday I noticed the “tombstone” outside your Villa, with its message “RIP Glenoaks Rdg Villa Board”.
This disturbed me greatly, and I wish that you had not set it out.
I believe that it is profoundly disrespectful of every one of the seven members of our Board ( Barbara Marinelli, Adele St. Laurent, Kathy Ohlrich, Ruth Thompson, Ed Bellon, Carl Schneider and Charles Boes) who give a great deal of their time and wisdom to serve us all.
Your sign could be a powerful disincentive to other owners who might wish to serve on this Board in future days.
Your sign says nothing constructive. Each and every member of the Board is willing to hear constructive criticism and helpful suggestions ( I know this from my own experience), but the message of your sign is entirely destructive.
Your sign might be a powerful deterrent to potential buyers in Glen Oaks Ridge. Certainly if I had seen something like this when I bought, I would have asked “do I want to live in a community where there is such public negativity?”. Perhaps you would ask a local Realtor what he or she would think if confronted with such a sign.
But, even without Realtors, I believe that the sign is a source of embarrassment to every owner.
Lastly, as a Priest of the Episcopal Church I object to the use of religious terminology in the sign. “R.I.P” stands for “Requiescat in pacem” a prayer for the dead in both Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches. It offends me that your sign uses such sacred language in your disparagement of our good Board members.
Yours sincerely,
(The Revd. J. Michael Povey)
Did they respond? Good for you! Having served on a beleaguered condo board myself recently, I agree that people seem to like to attack leaders, whether justified or not.
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