[Bosoxfan]

:welcome :

Originally Posted by IowaParkersburg

If I had to pay $135.00 per month for my amenities and an additional $135.00 per month to the Villages developers for their toys and caviar, I would still be very happy with this place and never complain. We have lived several places overseas and all over the United States for comparison and The Villages, hands down, is the best we have ever seen. We would be more likely to feel guilty that we are taking advantage of the developers than the other way around. No Flames please, just put the cost of living here in perspective for a more positive point of view. Americans are greedy people, so stop looking for things to condemn The Villages for and you will find time to enjoy activities worth far more than your amenity fee.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by katezbox

Taj - I agree that this was a long shot - and it worked. I applaud the POA for working for us. As you say, he didn't do right and ws caught out. I don't argue that the Morses are perfect - just that they built a better mousetrap.

I think that many seem expect more from the developer than a good home and wonderful lifestyle and view the Morse family as paternaistic. I see them as businessmen.

Lastly, I applaud Lauren Ritchie for bringing "Relaygate" to a larger community. I just don't think a four part article full of innuendos and hyperbole is necessary or helpful.

Well said

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by bike42

Oh Please. The point of the lawsuit was that the older northern part of TV thought they were not getting a fair share of the amenity fees, that the funds were going disproportionately to facilities for the newer southern villages. The lawsuit never claimed that Morse was using the fees for his personal benefit.

I wish that you were right in your understanding of the basis of the class-action lawsuit. However, I'm afraid that you are totally mistaken on the point. The class-action lawsuit had nothing to do with a north-versus-south allocation of funds. The truth is much more troubling, and it raises major concerns about the past and present actions of the Developer.

In a nutshell: The thrust of the lawsuit (as well as the IRS's allegations in its pending investigation) was that the Developer sold amenities to the Villages Center Community Development District, which the Developer controlled, at an artificially inflated price. This alleged overpricing left the Center District without sufficient funds (from receipt of the amenity fees) to continue to provide amenities at the promised level. I.e., The Villages amenities system, which is the reason that we all bought here, was starting to come unraveled because of the Developer's actions. Another poster to this thread listed a website for the settlement agreement. You can get a basic description of the IRS investigation by checking prior Property Owners' Association Bulletins on the poa4us.org website.

Time will tell whether the $43 million class-action settlement will be adequate to keep the system operating.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by mikeod

Please try to differentiate between people who love the community (almost all of us) and those who have misgivings about the way the developer operates at times. It is possible to love what has been created while still expressing concerns about matters that affect us.

Welcome.
I agree espressing concerns is one thing.....but some of these people go on and on and on with the same drivel. Nothing new just bringing up the same "concerns". Where do they get the delight in constantly bashing? And what does it really accomplish?

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

...... some of these people go on and on and on with the same drivel. ?

(Drivel: To talk stupidly or childishly.)

Who decides what is drivel and what is not? When members want to post here, I don't consider their opinions to be drivel. I respect their right to have an opinion and to post it here without fear that their comments will be categorized by the self righteous.

JLK

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

(Drivel: To talk stupidly or childishly.)

Who decides what is drivel and what is not? When members want to post here, I don't consider their opinions to be drivel. I respect their right to have an opinion and to post it here without fear that their comments will be categorized by the self righteous.

JLK

Kudos to "The Nice Administrator."

[chuckster]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

(Drivel: To talk stupidly or childishly.)

Who decides what is drivel and what is not? When members want to post here, I don't consider their opinions to be drivel. I respect their right to have an opinion and to post it here without fear that their comments will be categorized by the self righteous.JLK

Agree with your statement concerning everyone's freedom to express an opinion here .....................curious about the capped item at the end.

You too seem to have fallen under the dreaded "self righteous" label. We all do at one time or another. Think about it.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by chuckster

You too seem to have fallen under the dreaded "self righteous" label. We all do at one time or another. Think about it.

That is the type of response I expected.

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by chuckster

Agree with your statement concerning everyone's freedom to express an opinion here .....................curious about the capped item at the end.

chuckster..... ".......the capped item at the end." of the above quote are the initials of the writer, Jan who co-owns and co-manages (extremely well) this TOTV website.

[rubicon]

Advogado is correct concerning both the class action suit and the IRS's investigation of the bonds issued in 2003. Whether the IRS allegations prove true is a test of time. However, as to the class action suit there was more. To begin with the lawsuit only benefited those north of 466. When the Developer and the POA jointly announced the settlement it was accompanied with an admonition that those who wanted to opt out to proceed on their own needed to submit their decision in writing. However, what the Developer and POA did not disclose, and what was disclosed by the Orlando Sentinel (Lauren Ritchie) was the fact that the POA leadership which filed individually were separately offered and accepted $50,000 each and that the POA attorney was separately paid $6.7 million for 15 months work. This created a need for the POA to conduct a March 18, 2008 meeting to explain the settlement. During that meeting the POA attorney kept repeating that she could not go into detail because a confidentality clause was included in this settlement. Perhaps POA members should have been assembled before the settlement to voice their opinions, concerns and otherwise seek complete understanding of the proposal's details before it was settled? I will leave that discussion for the legal minds???

One member has questioned whether the settlement amount is sufficient. Obviously, it would depend on how wisely the money is spent. For instance the AAC used a portion of it to reconstruct cartpaths. I do not know but would hope that the AAC made an attempt to co-opt the Developer and his sub-contractors to contributing to this project since the cartpaths were poorly designed and posed safety concerns their intended use initially. Again I will leave that discussion to the legal minds because I do not know the legal ramifications? This is my opinion and I could be wrong about some of these details and would welcome and invite member(s) for any editorial comments

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

(Drivel: To talk stupidly or childishly.)

Who decides what is drivel and what is not? When members want to post here, I don't consider their opinions to be drivel. I respect their right to have an opinion and to post it here without fear that their comments will be categorized by the self righteous.

JLK

Yet, when I express my opinion.....I am attacked as being self righteous.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Yet, when I express my opinion.....I am attacked as being self righteous.

self-right·eous–adjective
confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

self-right·eous–adjective
confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.

Seriously?

Aren't you the one who said (and I cut and paste to prove) "I'm wondering why it's necessary to assign a demeaning name to people..."

And you just called a member of your own forum 'smug' and 'intolerant'.

Poor form TH.

[2BNTV]

Cabo and redwitch:

I would like to commend you for your articulate and intelligent posts.

If one does not agree with another's point of view, it's nice to "agree that we disagree" respectfully and intelligently.

[Jhooman]

When The Villages are completed, do you think a Home Owners Association will be implemented.

When our development was being built, the developer maintained the amenities and upon completion the homeowners took over.

Thank you