IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE IN OUR HOA LEADERSHIP

NEW FOB POLICY, FEES & ROLLOUT

The new key-fob system has raised concerns about cost, convenience, and transparency. Under the current process, homes are limited to one fob, fobs are sent by certified mail, and homeowners may face significant replacement or redelivery fees and a 90 day processing time. No secure on-site pickup option has been offered.

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When a homeowner reported that an initial FOB had not been received and requested redelivery, a $30 resend fee was required. When questions were raised about the basis for that fee and the governing policy authorizing it, those questions went unanswered.

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After the Board was repeatedly asked to identify the existing authority for the FOB fee, it did not provide that authority to the homeowner. Instead, the Board subsequently adopted a FOB Amendment formally establishing the fee structure.The sequence raises a significant concern: rather than identifying the authority under which the fee had already been imposed, the Board appears to have taken subsequent action to formalize the policy after its authority was challenged. This could be characterized as an attempted post hoc or retroactive ratification of the prior fee structure.

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The current Board President's responses to inquiries about the fees, certified mail, and sending new or replacement FOBs included the following statements:

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“No, I didn't think to call you when the certified mail went unclaimed. If you ever change your mind about the fee then you have my contact info.” 

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“The charge is $100 to replace the card and $30 to resent it certified mail. The process takes about 90 days. Let me know if I should start the process.”

“No, I won’t send it soon.”

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We believe access to community amenities should be handled through a reasonable and transparent process—with clearly established fees, practical delivery or pickup options, and prompt answers when homeowners question the basis for a charge. Further, a replacement process should not take 90 days as it is effectively a denial of access to community amenities for an entire season.

CENTRALIZED CONTROL & SERVICE DELAYS

Since on-site management was removed, the current Board President has become increasingly involved in day-to-day community matters, seemingly serving as the de facto point of contact for many routine requests.

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Routine matters—including key-fob issues, clubhouse use and rentals, and other homeowner requests—have been referred by Management to the current Board President for approval rather than handled directly through Management. At the same time, homeowners have reported unanswered communications, repeated follow-ups, and delays in matters requiring her involvement.

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This creates an unnecessary bottleneck. We believe there should be a clear separation between the Board’s governance and oversight responsibilities and Management’s day-to-day administrative role. Professional Management should be empowered to efficiently carry out policies established by the Board.

FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS HOMEOWNER CONCERNS

Homeowners should be able to raise legitimate concerns, receive timely and respectful responses, and understand what action is being taken to address them. Many residents have expressed frustration with how their questions and concerns have been handled.

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Homeowners have reported emails and requests going unanswered, lengthy delays, and the need for repeated follow-up. Some residents have described responses as dismissive or disrespectful, leaving them feeling that their concerns are not being taken seriously.

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Similar concerns have arisen during BOD meetings. Residents raising issues during Zoom meetings have reported they have been muted or prevented from continuing their comments. While reasonable meeting procedures are necessary, homeowners should still have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

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Issues raised by homeowners are also not consistently reflected in BOD meeting Minutes, even when residents have requested that their concerns be documented. Without a meaningful record of significant concerns, promised follow-up, or resulting action, homeowners have difficulty determining whether an issue was addressed or simply disappeared after the meeting.

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We would also like to restore hybrid BOD meetings, giving homeowners the option to participate in person or virtually and creating more opportunities for neighbors to engage directly with their Board and one another.

VENDOR VETTING & BIDDING PROCESS

Homeowners entrust the Board with significant community funds, and we believe major service contracts should be awarded through a transparent and competitive process designed to obtain the best combination of price, qualifications, experience, and service.

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The current Board President has stated that the HOA is “not required” to obtain multiple bids before selecting a vendor. Regardless of whether multiple bids are legally required in every circumstance, we believe competitive bidding should be standard practice whenever reasonably possible.

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Residents have also questioned the Board’s selection of certain contractors, including Western Underground Utilities for landscaping and snow-removal services. Concerns have included the company’s experience and business history, as well as questions about whether it possessed all required licenses for the work.

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When questions like these arise, homeowners deserve documentation and clear answers about the qualifications of companies being paid with Association funds.

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LOSS OF ON-SITE SUPPORT

Under the current Board leadership, our on-site manager was eliminated, and homeowners lost the consistent professional presence they previously had within the community. The current Board President has since stated that she will “never” support bringing on-site management back—even on a part-time basis.

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Since its removal, residents have reported an increase in community violations and a decline in the overall appearance and upkeep of the neighborhood.

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At the same time, responsibility has increasingly shifted to homeowners to identify problems, document violations, take photographs, and report issues involving their own neighbors. Even after residents take the time to do so, there have been frustrations with follow-up and enforcement.

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Homeowners should not have to police their neighbors to maintain basic community standards. We believe professional Management should play a more active role in identifying and addressing these issues objectively and consistently.

EQUALITY OF SERVICES & REPRESENTATION

Residents have raised concerns that investment, services, and upkeep have not been consistent throughout Hidden Creek.

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Condo owners have also raised concerns about receiving fewer HOA-funded services despite continuing to pay the same HOA assessments as other homeowners. Landscaping and snow-removal services for common areas were previously provided through the HOA, but areas the HOA considers condo-related have since been excluded from those services. The COA has consequently had to separately address and fund services previously provided through the HOA, creating additional costs and responsibilities for condominium owners who already pay assessments to both associations.

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These concerns raise a broader question: Are HOA resources, services, and attention being distributed fairly across the entire Hidden Creek community?

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We believe every Land Bay and housing type should be represented equally. Community resources should be prioritized based on objective needs, available funding, long-term planning, and transparent decision-making.

REVERSAL ON HOMEOWNER COMMITTEES

At the July BOD meeting, homeowners asked about reactivating HOA Committees/Subcommittees. The current Board President initially expressed support for the idea, along with the current Vice President, and indicated that the clubhouse could be used for this purpose.

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On September 2, homeowners held the first Exploratory Committee meeting at the clubhouse, with approximately 14 residents attending in person and several more participating by Zoom. The current Board President attended. Although the meeting was intended to identify priorities and develop a framework for volunteer involvement, the current Board President expressed frustration that specific volunteer assignments had not already been established. When one homeowner stated that they had already volunteered, several participants characterized the current Board President's response as dismissive and mocking.

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Nevertheless, participating homeowners moved forward, developing a comprehensive community survey to identify resident concerns, priorities, and interest in volunteering, and purchased the dedicated URL HiddenCreekSurvey.org at one volunteer's personal expense.

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When the group attempted to schedule its September 16 follow-up meeting, Management advised that the current Board President had indicated the meeting was “not sanctioned by the Board,” and clubhouse access was not approved before the meeting date. The group instead met by Zoom, reviewed the draft survey, and prepared to report its progress at the next BOD meeting.

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At that BOD meeting, a homeowner reported on the Exploratory Committee’s progress and the difficulty obtaining clubhouse access. The current Board President stated that she was “not interested” in these meetings, expressed doubt that any other Board members were interested, called the participating homeowners a “rogue” group, and claimed that no one had volunteered at the September 2 meeting—despite a homeowner specifically stating during that meeting that they had already volunteered.

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We believe this represents a troubling shift from the support expressed in July and an unnecessarily adversarial approach toward homeowners actively trying to become involved. Residents willing to volunteer their time and expertise should be encouraged, not discouraged.

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We believe the Board should actively welcome functioning Committees, establish a clear process for participation, and make it easier for homeowners to contribute their time and expertise toward improving Hidden Creek.

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