Quote:
Originally Posted by redwitch
I truly admire the business acumen of the Morse family. TV is an amazing place and I will be eternally grateful to Mr. Schwartz for conceiving of it, Gary Morse for enlarging the vision and Mark Morse for continuing the legacy.
All of that being said, I still stand by my opinion that the Morse family is greedy. They nickel and dime TVers, especially newbies who know no better. A couple of examples: When Empty Nest was run by the developer (i.e., the Morse family), they charged $3.50 a day to check a home once a week. This fee was outrageous. They have now sold that portion of their services (or so it is claimed, although I'm not entirely convinced -- if you go through enough corporate records, you will find it is still a subsidiary of the Morses and still charges higher rates than the norm). The Villages Golf Carts is owned by the Morses -- their carts are priced higher than anywhere else around here; their rental fees are higher than anyone around here (and for a lesser, slower cart). They charge businesses a little higher sales (not profit, SALES) rate than the majority of malls in the U.S. and there is no negotiating that fee. They could easily put their fees in line with those of other businesses in and around TV but have no need to do so -- people will use their services and products because they know no better or have no choice if they want to do business in TV.
So, I thank Mr. Schwartz and the Morses for their visions and willingness to put their livelihood on the line in building TV and making it what it is today. I also do my best to not do business in a Morse-owned property (direct ownership or via a subsidiary). I can usually find at least equal to, if not better, services and products by others at lower prices.
|
My thoughts exactly. The question posed here is "what do you think of Gary Morse", not what you think of The Villages. Many of us posting here on TOTV actually live in The Villages, and we love it here with all the amenities, etc. I too am grateful that Harold Schwartz had the vision to get this place started, and the Morse relatives continue the legacy. But from my perspective there is a greedy aspect to the Morse business dealings. Everywhere you look they have their "hands in the pie" so to speak. You can call that good business acumen, or if you're on the receiving end of having to pay out, as we Villagers are, I think it is called taking advantage. Yes, as consumers we have the right to utilize other services, and many of us do. I didn't buy my furniture from Southern Lifestyles, another arm of the developer. I found the same products cheaper elsewhere, for example. But other people living here may not find it as easy to do so.
Another important case in point is the $40 million class action lawsuit filed against the Developer. Its shameful that things had to go that far, just so amenity services and facilities would be maintained. It seems to me that if Morse had really cared about the status of the facilities and services in The Villages, he would not have to be prodded by a lawsuit to do what is good for the community.
The the whole IRS bond thing is another issue the Villagers have been saddled with, thanks to the "business acumen" of the Morses. It remains to be seen how it will be resolved, but certainly has the potential to cost us Villagers hundreds of millions of dollars. If that happened, I expect there would have to be another class action lawsuit to get the Morses to do what is right.
Do I love the Villages? Yes, I enjoy most aspects of it. Do I think the Morse's are taking advantage of the seniors here? You betcha.