We are looking to purchase a home in TV. We constantly hear a rumor that when the developer is all built out, they will then convert each of the villages to a Home owners association. Does anyone think that there is any truth to this rumor?

Beartrack

[another Linda]

There's truth to it alright. We are in Rio Grande and just received a notice that the who shebang will be turned over to us. A little unsettling but I guess we'll see.

Thank you, another Linda. Would you please post any particulars that you already have and any info that you receive in the future. We live in Fort Myers in an HOA and one of the biggest reasons to move to TV is that there are no HOA's. Living with that scenario is something that we absolutly want to avoid.

Beartrack

[SteveFromNY]

Can you please shed some light on the problems with having an HOA?

[another Linda]

Don't really have any specifics as yet. The letter we got said that, "... The Villages of Lake-Sumter, Inc will be turning over control of the homeowners association to the Members. this means that residents of Rio Grande Courtyard Villa will now be responsible for the maintenance and repair of Common Areas within the Subdivision." We can't be there for the meeting (Nov 16), nor do we know anyone to ask. Will some of our amenities fee be returned to us to use for maintenance and repair? And exactly what are the common areas? We've got a ton of questions and no answers.

Hi Stevefrom NY, Home owners assoc's and condo assoc's are very similar. A lot of people with absolutely no experience get elected based on a popularity contest and instantly turn into experts with yellow pads. They start making rules and bylaws with no way to enforce them. Then of course there is maintenance fee's enacted by them for everything under the sun. Your once peaceful community suddenly turns into a war zone. People that were once friends and neighbors now become mortal enemies. I have experienced this and have no desire to repeat the experience.

Beartrack

[Frangyomory]

The Villages will become a resident owned community, totally, in 2011 unless the developer determines that he/they will remain to continue to build. Your bond is supposed to be in a special escrow like account which will fund the infrastructure such as road repair, planting bushes and trees in common areas, planting and caring for grass and flowers, etc.

Each year in your tax bill, you are charged a maintenance fee even if you have paid your bond off, as we did. That fee for us was 400 this year. I called Pete Wahl and asked him why we were being billed for this $400 "maintenance fee". He said this is how the developer pays for all the people who take care of "common areas" in the Villages.

The amenity fee is just for use of recreation facilities. This will continue on for good, regardless of who owns the Villages but will likely continue to rise each year to maintain staff and other infrastructure.

I understand that the developer/family will have completed their building in 2011 and we are then the proud owners. Each time a recreation center is completed, the developer has been selling it to the residents as a rate they determine appropriate for the real estate market. I understand this is all in accordance with the special provisions of communities under VCCDD (? I might have left out a C ) which is a special piece of Florida legislation.

A longer term Villager told me this is due to some influence that Walt Disney Corp had with the Florida legislature. When they had completed Disneyworld they discovered that the surround area was falling to ruin and that pushed up the costs for Disney to maintain the area. Thus a piece of legislation was passed which eventually applied to communities like ours and we are assessed a bond when we buy a new home. Older homes sometimes have a small balance if the first owner did not pay the bond down.

Unfortunately, these are things we are finding out now after we have been here two years and have invested in our home, etc.

It is imperative that all home owners pay attention to how the developer and his cronies disburse property, etc. because at some point in time, we will be holding the entire bill for the place.

The VHA is useless for us and I suggest that all consider joining and becoming active in POA who is a REAL voice for home owners. I believe I have said before that most of the representatives of the VHA are employees, in some capacity, of the developer. They might be a sales rep or a greeter or work in some office or other, but they will not bite the hand that feeds them.

Just my warning once again. Caveat Emptor....as we all learned in grade school...let the buyer beware.

This is a wonderful place to live but keep your eyes and ears open and don't depend on the Daily Sun to let you know what's going on around here!
:cop:

[another Linda]

I do hope you are wrong, Beartrack, because that is the way TV is going. We certainly have seen some dissent here -- playgrounds, pets, rules, etc. Seems like we all have common goals though. We all want to keep our areas well tended, and a wonderful place to live. I hope that is enough to keep us willing to find common ground on all the contentious issues.
Signed: Pollyanna (aka Linda)

[golfnut]

I predict this thread could get interesting....

[Frangyomory]

Linda, there will always be things that don't please some people. I for one don't want playgrounds. However, if they were to build one or two, I wouldn't have a heart attack over it. Over the years I have been told by the folks on the historic side that there were many HOT issues but the residents and Mr. Schwartz got to an agreement.

While Mr. Schwartz is long gone, I am sure that if anyone tries to pass some totally stupid or irresponsible regulation/rule, there will be enough of us to vote it down.

I am all for total involvement in my community. The "silent majority" won't work here!

Keep that positive attitude.....even though I am likely one of those who will post on the negative from time to time!!! :joke:

[Frangyomory]

The Villages will not convert to a Home Owner's Association. We will become a Resident Owned Community.....please look into Florida legislation regarding same. I also posted elsewhere on TOTV regarding 2011 when the developer has completed building here.

[RCT]

Originally Posted by golfnut

I predict this thread could get interesting....

I predict golfnut is right in his prediction

[another Linda]

Fran -- The letter we got specifically calls it a Homeowners Association. What is the difference?

[Frangyomory]

I don't know why and we have friends in El Santiago who also got that letter. We were told in our closing papers ( some 25 pages ) that we would ultimately be a resident owned community. Perhaps they are using the term Home Owner's Association but defining it differently.

If you go to the meeting will you please post what you find out????? We are concerned as well even though we are in district #6 and have a while to go.

Thanks.

[chuckinca]

As a former condo complex HOA board member, treasurer and president I hereby apply for the position of TV HOA President, with a starting salary equal to the developer's manager in charge.

Vote for Chuck inTV!