Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdNoMore
The POA's primary function is to be an advocate for owners, who individually (history is replete with examples of this)...have very little sway in getting things changed.
The VHA's primary function, is to counteract the legitimate complaints brought by the POA...and to minimize costs of fixing issues, of which developer should take responsibility. 
It really is...as simple as THAT. 
Even those, provided they possess a sense of fairness, shouldn't begrudge those (much less take it personal) who were compensated for their time/effort/money/chance taking...spent on the successful $40M settlement.
After all, those legal monetary awards...is the way the law works.
The POA hit a roadblock in finding a large law firm willing to take on the power of 'The Developer' and they eventually found a lower status firm willing to play David...against The Developer's Goliath.
The eventual outcome, which even the developer admitted to "being good for The Villages owners" shows that even the 'little guy' can win...if they have fairness on their side.
It's very telling, that some people hate the POA... even though the POA advocates for them too.
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Yeah it befuddles me that anyone would begrudge someone from being paid after spending countless hours grinding and sweating and toiling and researching to help support a cause they believe in. Where would the American Cancer Society be, if none of its employees or board members or department heads got paid? Why should the Developers get paid, when "all they did" was tell the towns and cities they planned on building there and showed up at meetings and drew pictures on paper to show the city managers their plans?
Being paid for work performed should be expected, when someone works their butt off on behalf of an entire community. It's time they're not spending earning money elsewhere, and they have bills to pay too.
As for the specific situation mentioned, Paradise Rec Center had to be rebuilt, and funding had to be set aside to benefit ALL of the Villages at the time, as a direct result of the suit. Without that lawsuit, without the POA, Paradise would eventually have gotten someone sick, or injured, the center would have been condemned, and the lawsuits would have been far more significant.
One doesn't need to live in a community to know how to read about it from all available public sources.