Loading...
PD131-CS 980612 HOHEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION 823 Cambridge Manor Lane Coppell, Texas 75019 (972) 471-4411 June 12, 1998 IMPORTANT Homeowners' Memo We have heard your cries in the wilderness.., your gnashing of teeth! "What are those darn HOA directors doing? We don't see much happening around here." Okay, okay! It is definitely the time for some written communication. In fact, it will soon be time for a HOA general meeting to discuss some of the items included in this memo. You see, a while back at the end of 1997 and the first of the year we were "memoing' you homeowners to death! You were finding information on your doorstep almost weekly. We decided to pull back a bit on all the paper, and now we have perhaps gone too long without written communication. We are now seeking to find the right balance of written communication for the future. In fact, next week we will introduce the "Cambridge Manor Crier," our new HOA and neighborhood newsletter, in the meantime, this memo will catch you up on some important issues. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF PHASE i17 As most of you know, the homes on Castle Creek Drive in Phase il were never le§ally a part of The Estates of Cambridge Manor. Although many of us were led to believe that the ten lots in "Phase I1" were a part of the development, this is not the case. in previous meetings, most homeowners felt it was in our best interest to go ahead and annex these ten lots for the following reasons: Phase Il is a natural and contiguous part of The Estates of Cambridge Manor. It would be inappropriate to chop up our nice, small neighborhood. The eventual neighbors we will have in the homes built in Phase !! will become our friends and be a part of our neighborhood regardless of their official annexation. We believe it is best to annex these lots now to avoid any problems or hurt feelings over the use of our neighborhood amenities or involvement in our HOA activities. By annexing Phase !!, we would have control over the condition and upkeep of our neighborhood's secondary entrance off DeForest. , Finally, the additional ten lots mean additional HOA dues! ' "Thee ~.~.t,.~j~l,LC~bridge Manor Homeowners' Memo Page 2. SO, WHY HAS THIS ANNEXATION THING DRAGGED ON? Per your general approval, we have been negotiating with The Estates of Cambridge Manor Developer, Beamer Development, to put together an Annexation Agreement that would be acceptable to both parties. The items that have held this final agreement up and that continue to be negotiated include: Beamer Development's demand of an unreasonable, comprehensive release signed by all homeowners. Beamer wants to be released from all future obligations and warranties as a developer. The completion of the developer's responsibilities in both Phase ! and Phase !! (lake irrigation, Phase I! entrance, Phase II mailboxes, drainage issues, etc.) Beamer Development's reluctance to pay HOA dues on the four remaining unsold lots in Phase II. We have had several agreements that have been reviewed by your HOA directors and sent back to Beamer Development with proposed changes. While we have been authorized by you homeowners to use our HOA attorney, Dean Riddle, in these negotiations, we have done our best to keep the legal fees to a minimum, although we will most likely exceed our budget in this category. OUR PHASE !! ANNEXATION OPTIONS We hoped to present to you an acceptable Annexation Agreement for your review and approval this week, but it appears Beamer continues to demand some terms that are simply not acceptable. If we do not get this Phase !! issue resolved in the next few weeks, it will be time to consider the following options. 1. Continue to negotiate to annex Phase II while incurring additional legal expense. 2. Use the threat of a lawsuit regarding their handling of the original Phase I HOA to force Beamer Development to deal more fairly with this Phase I! transition. HOA Treasurer Wally Gruenes is confident that Beamer Development misappropriated and commingled HOA funds while they controlled the homeowners' association from its inception through January 1998. He feels that we could recover substantial funds, including our legal fees in a suit. Yet the primary purpose of seeking this option would be to force a settlement that would include the annexation of Phase I!. The Estates of Cambridge Manor Homeowners' Memo Page 3. June 12, 1998 3. Let Beamer Development keep Phase !1, and we will negotiate with each new Phase Ii homeowner to be annexed into The Estates of Cambridge Manor. (Note that one Phase !! homeowner, The Ceka Family, have already been annexed and are a legal part of our HOA.) THERE'S MORE TO LIFE AT THE ESTATES OF CAMBRIDGE MANOR THAN PHASE I! ! While the ongoing negotiations with Beamer Development, through their representative Jack Bommarito, have consumed your HOA directors' time the past six months, obviously there are other activities that are just as important. Much of this will be covered in your newsletter next week. Here are a few of the highlights. The Landscape Committee, headed up by Tracey Garman, continues to work hard to keep our neighborhood looking clean, green, and colorful] The Architectural Control Committee, chaired by Conley Cervantes, is active and will soon make some significant moves to ensure The Estates of Cambridge Manor maintains a uniform and desirable overall look. The Welcome and Social Committee, headed by Sandy Busch, is busy making sure our new neighbors are properly greeted and brought up to speed regarding the neighborhood and HOA activities. She will also soon announce our Summer Block Party around the Labor Day weekend. Your HOA Secretary Eileen Higgins has been doing a fantastic job being the "hub" of your HOA activities, concerns, and questions. Wally and ! appreciate Eileen's willingness to be available to all the neighbors of The Estates of Cambridge Ivlanor. The HOA management and accounting by Principal Management Group continues to be thoroughly monitored and reviewed by HOA Treasurer, Wally Gruenes. Wally, with much enthusiasm ! might add, audits every financial report and reviews all bills to be paid! Wally is also our point person with Principal Management Group and provides excellent direction to our HOA Manager, John Paul Inglehart. We are fortunate to have a penny-pinching, detail-oriented maniac like Wally watching the money and business concerns of our association. The Estates of Cambridge Hanor Homeowners' Hemo Page 4. June 12, 1998 Finally, let's remember that as a group we all decided the three primary objectives of The Estates of Cambridge l~lanor Homeowners' Association were: 1. Peace of l~lind -- a neighborhood that is quiet, peaceful, and safe 2. Protection of Our Homestead Investment m an environment that protects and enhances the value of our homes 3. Good Neighbor Atmosphere -- a homeowners' association whose activities foster cooperation, understanding, and goodwill among all of the homeowners in The Estate of Cambridge Manor With these objectives in mind, we will continue to work toward some sort of win-win agreement with Beamer Development and the annexation of Phase !!. We will also move forward with other issues important to our neighborhood. We look forward to holding a general meeting in the near future to discuss these issues. At that time we hope to have more specific information on Phase II. Questions? We're always available! Your Humble Servant, Rick Ellis The Estates of Cambridge Manor Homeowners' Association President (972) 471-4411 RE/imm