VILLAGE PALOS VERDES
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
June 6, 2008
Dear VPV Homeowner:
Early last month, a letter was distributed to VPV Homeowners from a small group of individuals not affiliated with the VPV Homeowners Association, the Exterior Renovation Committee (ERC), or the VPV HOA Board of Directors. This group previously referred to themselves as “The Concerned VPV Homeowners Committee” and this recent mailer was signed, “VPV Homeowners Committee.” Please be reminded that this group is not a committee sanctioned by the VPV HOA Board of Directors, but rather an independent group acting solely of their own specific interest.
In response to this latest mailing, the VPV HOA Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to further clarify a couple of items raised in the mailer. We would also like to formalize a response to the initiating group’s request to have the Board assign an individual to work with them to prepare an alternate plan for the Exterior Renovation.
Firstly, the Exterior Renovation Committee was sanctioned by the VPV HOA Board of Directors in September 2006 and formalized with a call for all interested Homeowners to volunteer and join the effort. The ERC was created with a rigid structure to perform due-diligence and progress the needs of the community in respect to our required repairs. A portion of the ERC’s Mission Statement (mailed to all VPV Homeowners) was to thoroughly review all project-related work products developed to date and to provide a summary to the community of the work performed as well as a detailed accounting of all costs spent on the effort. This was achieved and the process provided the foundation for the full due-diligence effort which concluded with a resounding concurrence of the advice received by various industry professionals who have reviewed our property for more than the last decade. Full agreement was reached that VPV requires an extensive reconstruction effort and that a comprehensive plan would be the most cost-effective and responsible method at repairing our damage, re-constructing originally deficient techniques and to replace the faulty exterior envelope which protects our homes.
The mailer states that this group has been reviewing materials distributed over the last six months. We recommend that all Homeowners educate themselves on the basis for the renovation and become familiar with the documents which clearly substantiate the need for this reconstruction effort. There have been numerous lengthy and detailed documents distributed over the last two years and some readily available going back as far as nearly three years with the production of the Construction Deficiency Report. These documents are available on the VPV website at: HYPERLINK "http://www.villagepalosverdes.org" www.villagepalosverdes.org.
Many of these documents were, and continue to be, provided as full disclosure to new homeowners through the Escrow process.
The VPV Board has been working on this issue throughout the years.
Various tests, including power-washing and staining were performed when the problem was originally thought to just be a deterioration of the aesthetic appearance of the cedar, prior to understanding the issues of failing materials underneath the exterior siding.
Various materials have been used to evaluate performance where major repairs were required. These are still evident throughout the complex.
Invasive testing was performed to gain an understanding of the depth, origination and order of magnitude of our required repairs and replacements.
Industry professionals have provided recommendations that a comprehensive repair and replacement plan for the exterior envelope is the most productive and cost-effective solution.
Maintenance issues which are safety hazards are addressed with priority.
Chronic maintenance issues have been maintained at a minimal level as to not invest funds for a temporary patch-work fix where areas require an integrated reconstruction.
Mailings and polls by this group have contained incorrect and misleading information. The recent mailer stated that “only one in seven homeowners are in favor of a major renovation project and special assessment.” In stark contrast to the ‘one in seven’ figure this group provided, the Board has received unsolicited support from more than twice as many Homeowners who are in favor of performing the work, over those who are openly opposed or who do not understand the breadth of the repair issues we face. While it might be safe to say that 100% of the Homeowners are not in favor of a special assessment, this is unfortunately the reality. The Reserve fund is not adequate to appropriately repair our homes.
We are all in this together. Purchasing this property included becoming a 180th owner in the complex as a whole and we have governing documents which must be adhered to. If you owned your own individual home and were not part of any association or community standards, and your 30+ year old property required repairs, new siding and or a new roof, you might have the option to neglect the repairs. However, there are 180 of us who agreed to maintain our property. This project is a necessity and is being responsibly managed.
The VPV Board of Directors continues to encourage individual Homeowners to seek the correct answers to their questions. Please submit your questions and or concerns through the VPV website or send them to Joanne Pena at Horizon Management. We also appreciate your letters of support as they offer encouragement through this difficult and time consuming process.
Sincerely,
VPV HOA Board of Directors