Final comment to neighborhood

A) Impressive that:
1) The next meeting is on neutral ground at civic center.
2) The superb professional approach and timeline.
3) The stated goals, including infrastructure and real estate values.
 
B) As someone who lives on a fixed income, I did not see anything that directly protects my financial investment in this neighborhood
 
I see the following in our neighborhood:
1) The subcommittee folks running up a list of things others are supposed to do without including their own financial responsibility (hope you surprise me here)
2) Our neighborhood has been bankrupt 7 of the last 25 years, and there is NO mechanism to discuss this issue.
3) 1-1/2 years ago 25% of the people here voted to bankrupt the corporation that protects me from personality liability, pays the street light bill, and protects my property values, and there is NO mechanism in place to put a stop to that BS, or for responsible people to ask the people against fees what their plan is.
4) We do not mow the grass at the entrance on a regular basis because ‘that property belongs to someone else’ and would cost $12 to $17 per-year per-lot, and there is NO community mechanism in place to discuss this issue.
5) Our streets are fast becoming a wreck, and there is no sinking fund, or known plan to approach this problem, and NO community mechanism in place to discuss this issue.
6) People say negative things about Shady Oaks, including folks on the subcommittee. Things were said at the subcommittee meeting, and are continually said that NO buyer should hear.
7) Our fee structure does not require a savings account, or ANY accountability by people in this neighborhood, and there is NO community mechanism in place to discuss this issue.
8) We do not have enough money to enforce the restrictions, people on the subcommittee said they’d rather move out than make long term financial plan for Shady Oaks, but we passing more long-term restrictions, without doing a risk assessment or having real estate agents make recommendations.
9) The negative words said in this community always revolve around the word: FEES. Yet our fees are $2 a week per lot. The problem is NOT fees. The problem is that our restrictions were written 25 years ago by a family lawyer and not a property lawyer. People here spend average $1.35 per week on electricity to run the TV. They mail $15-20 per week out of our community to pay for TV programming that is not manufactured in our community. Each household here saves $10 a week not having a water and sewer bill. The problem is NOT our fees, the problem is the demoralizing, image-busting squabble over our fees with NO mechanism in place to discuss this issue.
10) We have not invited a real estate agent to look at our neighborhood and suggest what would improve real estate sales here, nor have we undertaken a proactive approach to change our image, and there is NO mechanism in place to discuss the issue.
 
C) Right now, what can be said of Shady Oaks to a prospective buyer??
Well, our neighborhood is bankrupt; the successful people here squabble over $2 a week; a year and a half ago 25% of the people voted to bankrupt the corporation that protects us from personal liability; we don’t cut the grass regularly at the mailbox because we stand tall against 25 cents a week; and we refuse to talk about financial issues in our neighborhood; and our streets have a big hole and are falling apart while we complain how high property tax is; people living here do not say positive things about our neighborhood; we don’t invest in our own community but we got enough money for TV. Oh, and we expect top dollar investment from you, the buyer, for this great condition.
 
D) Which young person makes a $200,000 investment in a bankrupt corporation filled with old folks who want something for nothing? Which one of the people here would recommend this neighborhood to their friends and family and acquaintances? If anybody here thinks Shady Oaks’ image problems are a secret to the real estate industry, they are fooling themselves.

Gene Haynes