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Dear friends and neighbors in Paradise,
Here we are again, another week of navigating what at times feels like shark infested waters as we try to right the ship. We appreciate the many of you that continue to support your Board and our daily efforts to leave the resort and Board on a better course for the future.
I want to start out by sharing an email we received this week from an owner, as follows:
I’m quite discouraged about the state of the resort. In the almost 11 years we have been lot owners, there have been SIX different managers. I liked all of them and thought they did quality work. Most of them were driven off by a toxic environment, something even the best board cannot control. Owners who are determined to foment chaos cannot be changed by the chastisements of a board. Any board. There are people for whom chaos is simply a form of entertainment.
I’m trying to decide if there’s any point to staying a lot owner, especially if fees are going up again. HHIMR is the loveliest RV resort we have ever visited. We have thought it to be well run. But it is wearying to read week after week about seemingly endless conflicts.
I haven’t even been able to bring myself to look at the roster of board candidates this year (and I always voted before), because it seems nothing and no one will make any difference.
There’s not really anything for you to say here, but I wanted to give you feedback.
Thanks for listening.
I think it captures so eloquently how many of us feel in the resort we love so much. That sadly just a few owners only appear to be happy when causing angst against the Board, management and their fellow owners.
The Board continues to find itself spending the vast majority of its time trying to deal with issues of these relentless few, rather than spending its valuable time in making the resort a better place for us all. In their own world and clearly for their own reasons, they characterize these endless questions and demands as benefitting the resort and its owners. We’re telling you it’s not, quite the opposite, it’s to its detriment, enough already, please just let us get on with serving the huge majority of owners that are happy.
Are we a perfect Board, no, do we always have all of the answers, no, do we sometimes look back on Board votes and wished we’d have voted a different way, I’m sure we sometimes do. But I can assure you, as we have stated before, as owners too, we always have our fellow owners best interest at heart.
We hope this coming Sunday’s Zoom call will help answer more questions and set right some of the rumor mill and misinterpretations. Please make every effort to attend, I think owners both new and old will find it very enlightening, open, and honest.
Talking of open, we had been asked by several owners about current legal matters and where the resort is spending money on legal counsel. Below is a current list, some of it redacted where the parties involved are not in the public domain and/or we are not allowed to discuss due to the ongoing litigation, as follows:
- Baldeagle Lawsuit – Many of you have heard about this, it was filed against us many years ago by a vendor (coach washing). The case is being handled by an insurance appointed attorney where any potential award to the plaintiff will be paid out by that same insurance. Therefore, it is not and will not cost the resort or owners anything. Furthermore, as Spiros has previously stated, it does not affect in any way our claims rating for our current insurance coverages.
- RO Deep Well Litigation – As you’re are aware, this is a litigation against the SIPSD/Town that we the resort are paying for. There is too much to get into in this report, however, Bud Grindle will have a full report with our current status, goals and plans on Sundays Zoom call.
- Slip and Fall by a renter – We were contacted by Morgan and Morgan for a potential claim for a renter that slipped and fell on an owners lot. Upon Wendy answering questions, Morgan and Morgan dropped the case and we have heard nothing more since.
- SC Department of Consumer Affairs – Filed by Ted Lanham (owner) complaint made that the resort HOA was acting as a landlord. Wendy replied to the complaint under advice and responses prepared by the resort’s general counsel, based on review and discussion. The SCDOCA were satisfied and have closed the case made against the resort.
- SC Department of Consumer Affairs – Complaint made that the resort interfered with the purchase of a lot as retaliation. Wendy replied to the complaint under advice and responses prepared by the resort’s general counsel, based on review and discussion. Additional information was asked for and supplied. The SCDOCA has now closed the case made against the resort.
- Threat of litigation by owner Tim Newman – This was turned over to the resorts general counsel who after review, instructed the Board that we are to no longer engage in any discussion or correspondence with Mr. Newman. Mr. Newman was instructed that any further correspondence should go from his retained counsel to the resorts general counsel. Unfortunately, we the resort, will be paying our general counsels legal bills associated with this correspondence.
- Threat of litigation by owner Jennifer Newman – This was turned over to the resorts general counsel who after review, instructed the Board that we are to no longer engage in any discussion or correspondence with Mrs. Newman. Mrs. Newman was instructed that any further correspondence should go from her retained counsel to the resorts general counsel. Unfortunately, we the resort, will be paying our general counsels legal bills associated with this correspondence.
We received the below email from owner, Jennifer Newman this morning. After talking to our general counsel (yes, more of our money being spent on legal fees), she is within her right to obtain this list. We’re sorry, but wanted to make you aware of her demand on us.
Please consider this my written demand to inspect and copy the members’ list for voting according to the South Carolina Nonprofit Act. Kindly let me know where the list is located (in the HHIMR Welcome Center, another location, etc.) and when I can have access. As permitted by law, I am requesting a copy of the list for the purpose of communicating with other members concerning the elections for the new Board of Directors which begins today, the upcoming Owners Meeting, owner attendance at the upcoming Owners Meeting meeting, and proxies for the upcoming Owners Meeting.
Jennifer Newman
Now, onto happier news.
We’re happy to report that last term Board member, Phil Noftsinger has agreed to fill the seventh Board seat for the few remaining weeks before the new Board is seated. We welcome Phil’s knowledge and very sound advice.
Our new registration and booking system, NewBook is under planning and implementation and it’s going to be great. We hope it will be up and running in about four to five weeks. A big thank you to Glenn Rockwood for spearheading this effort and being on the daily planning and structure calls with NewBook every day this week.
There is still time to submit a new more pleasing name for our work-campers as mentioned in last weeks PfP. Please get those thinking caps on, there’s a $100 Kind of Blue gift card up for grabs to the winning name. Send your suggestions to president@hhimr.com. We will close the suggestions next Thursday.
Glenn has been in contact with the management company on the island recommended to us. We hope they are interested and feel they can meet our needs, if so, they will meet with us to put on a top level presentation. Apparently, the 2017 Board had approached the same company when a similar idea was being considered. Just to reiterate, the current Board will NOT make a decision on this initiative, we are merely getting the ball rolling for the new Board to carry forward. Clearly a change from a General Manager type structure to an outside managed resort would require an owner vote.
I want to thank all nine Board candidates for putting their names forward and attending the Candidate Forum on Wednesday evening. For those that were unable to attend, the recording is now on the Owners Portal under 2025 Candidates. We apologize for the poor sound quality, it was not easy having eight candidates and roughly a 100 owners in the clubhouse with one additional candidate calling in on Zoom. Please take time to get to know the candidates and vote accordingly. As I have said before, being on the Board is not for the faint of heart, so good luck to all candidates.
In closing, please try and attend the Sunday morning Zoom ONLY call. Join the call and hear the facts and background to many of the Boards decisions. Try not to get caught up in the rumor mill, false information and twisting of the truth that a few owners like to do. It is exhausting, and does nothing to help bring our resort back to the friendly place we all love to call Paradise.
Tony Goddard – HHIMR Board President for only 22 more days…but who’s counting!!
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