After the August 22 presentation, when I asked for homeowners to join me on a committee to try to preserve our property values by showing a potential buyer of the club that the community would support it, I was overwhelmed with response by people who were willing to volunteer for such an endeavor. There were about 80 people at the meeting and 32 people signed up that night. Our committee has grown to over 40 homeowners.
After many meetings, (one each Monday night since then) and some very good ideas, the committee decided our first step was to get an amendment made to our Master Declaration to legally enable TCMOA, on behalf of a new owner of the club, to collect $15 per month from each parcel in Turkey Creek. The committee’s efforts are because we strongly agree that the club being closed is going to adversely affect our property value. The committee also agrees that the community should receive something in return for the money and access to the pool and tennis courts on Club property is what will be asked for. State law requires that 75% of owners vote affirmative for purchase of such "memberships" and our documents require 75% approval from owners to amend them. The committee views the privilege of access to the pool and tennis courts as a byproduct of the $15 charge. The committee feels that the $15 will help insure our property value. The committee hopes that being able to show that a new owner that they would have guaranteed participation and support from the community will attract a buyer to reopen the facilities. Since there is no potential new owner on the horizon at this time, the committee felt it best to leave working out the details of such an agreement to the BOD or a committee appointed by the BOD and a new owner, if and when the club is sold. Last night the BOD voted to hold a special meeting for the community to vote on the amendment. They have tentatively set the meeting to happen the same night as the February 15th BOD meeting.
If the amendment passes NO money will be collected from owners until the club is open for business by a new owner.
Many people view the percentage of votes required an unattainable number and I agree that it seems almost impossible but stranger things have happened. It will be very important to get as many owners as possible to turn in a ballot or a proxy, so that the votes can be counted. Please, if you believe that having the club open will decrease the decline of your property value, talk to your neighbors and make sure they vote.
Theenie
I want to thank you for keeping this post up, its great. I fault 100% of the issue with the golf course, not with wallace or any of the owners but 100% on the board of directors. big whoopie doo we have a new volleyball net, or a new fern growing in the front or new lights...BIG DEAL.
ReplyDeleteit is the homeowners associations duty and the board especially to protect our the values of our home. i know they cant stop the declining housing market but they could of stood up and fought for the course, the club, the pool, something.
but no, they will go back to voting on new speed bumps, new office for the lady who writes $25 fine for everything.
Until the board gets off their high horse and starts practicing what they preach this neighborhood will get worse, and worse and worse...
I hate to say this but the people on the board their applications are those of a politician...I LOVE TURKEY CREEK! or I WANT TO PROTECT THIS BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD! This is all a bunch of hogwash....we dont even need a board....what good are they?
when are they going to cut the grass around the golf course, looks like we should have cars on blocks, rusted double wides and spare car parts in our yard.
I actually am embarrassed to say that I live in turkey creek. And oh by the way, when are we taking down the turkey creek GOLF course community sign? we will probably pay a pretty penny for that.
Matt D
Honestly, I don’t think 100% of the blame should be placed anywhere. I do feel that the BOD could have encouraged the homeowners to participate more in the activities of the club. I also think that the ones who really believe the closing of the club will cause a larger decline in value than other parts of the county should speak up. The ones who don’t believe it, or want people to think they don’t believe it, have no problem speaking up.
ReplyDeleteThis club has had problems from day one but and one major problem with the club is that the original owners of POGC paying $1 million dollars in Good Will for the club. For those who don’t know the definition of Good Will, it is the difference in the amount a business sells for and the sum of the physical parts of the business. On top of paying too much for the club it was financed with interest only being paid the first five years. The people who made these decisions are no more to blame that someone who paid for a home in a golf community and did not support the club. In my opinion (and we all know what they say about opinions) the only innocent people are the people who supported the club either by being members, paying to play golf or use the pool, and who spent money at the restaurants. We could go on and on about who made what mistakes and it won’t change the situation we (homeowners) are in. I compare it to being in a car accident with the person at fault having no insurance. Just because the accident wasn’t our fault doesn’t mean that we don’t fix our car. What if you bought a home on a lake and the lake went dry, would you be willing to pay something to fill it with water?
I really am thankful that the BOD has voted to move forward with an opportunity for us homeowners to try to find a way to attract a new buyer to the property. I don’t think that the BOD, as a whole, are against the club having some guaranteed financial support from the community. If fact I have been told by a few of them that they are in favor of it. If I had to guess I would say they are relieved that they will have the opportunity to find out what the community as a whole thinks about it. They have heard from the people who are strongly in favor of it and those who are strongly against being charged a fee for access to the club. Who they haven’t heard from are the people who are on the fence. You would be surprised at the number of people who have no idea what is going on right here around them or couldn’t care less one way or the other.
I will ask again, whether you are for or against it, please talk to your neighbors and let them know how important casting their vote is. If there are not at least 75% votes cast, a restriction by the state prevents the votes from even being tallied.
Theenie
This is Dave Clarke, I have been a homeowner in Turkey Creek for 12 years and rented a home 5 years before that. I love Turkey Creek and want to participate in anything that will save it. First, I want to thank Walter and Theenie Smith for all the things they have done and are doing. Also, a special thanks to Wallace Cain for his generous gesture of keeping it open for as long as he did. I thought it was disgraceful the things I saw written about him and goes to show no good deed goes unpunished. I want to say publicly thank you to Wallace and express my disdain for those who write bad things without the facts.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, it's time to put aside differences, opinions and stop worrying who to blame about the current situation. Our property values are droping like a rock and will continue until the golf course, pool, restaurant etc. are re-opened. $15 a month is a small sum compared to the property value lost without it. Even non golfing owners should be 100%behind this because this effects all of us! If we don't act now, soon the effects will be unreversable. We will wake up and find houses will be sold to people who will have a bad effect on the community. I've head this is already happening. Real estate listings in Turkey Creek are being listed by street name only. They do not want people to know the house is in Turkey Creek! This is a huge wake up call!! When all of us bought our homes the listing read "in Turkey Creek" either "on golf course" or "close to golf course" also with emities like pool and tennis. Anybody that thinks the course and pool has no effect is sadly misteaken.
Please, let us all answer the call and do what it take to open the Golf Club. Home values are bad to begin with. Let's do what it takes to make our community desirable and do everything we can to preserve our homes and home values.. Dave Clarke