Kay Van Zant July 11. 2013 EMAIL TO THE BOARD

From: Kay Van Zandt <kvz@msn.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 8:27 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Retraction Request
To: Monterey Homeowner <Montereyhomeowners@gmail.com>, Monterey Open Forum <montereyopenforum@gmail.com>
Cc: Dana Brown <dana@albertmgt.com>

Since my email has somehow become the center of a dispute with the HOA--I was merely expressing my opinion and why I am rejecting all of the proposed rules changes in Section III--it has become necessary to clarify what I wrote in that it has been misinterpreted by Ms, Brown.  If you read my email, I NEVER addressed cutting down trees and only referenced cutting PLANTS, because from my review of the proposed rule changes it did not say that trees would have to be cut down. Never mind that trees are, in fact PLANTS.  My use of terms such as capricious, frivolous, and self-serving were used primarily in regard to requiring homeowners to cut their plants down to be invisible to those passing by while at the same time limiting plants inside the walls to the list of HOA approved and acceptable plants. I ask merely WHY?  These references also applied to other areas of overreach such as the draconian approach to colors for patio furniture--I didn't have a chance to read everything in the documents, but there are plenty of additional areas of excessive control within that document in both the old and proposed new language.  What is wrong with primary colors for patio furniture and umbrellas? Who determined that the "committee" is some kind of expert on colors or taste?   Personally, I welcome seeing blue, green, and yellow umbrellas as I move around the complex rather than everything being the same colorless "colors" this committee seems to stick to. Regarding colors, I again ask WHY?  These are typical of the types of things that I believe are excessive when it comes to control by a few committee members over almost 1300 homeowners who seem to have taken their "committee" beyond overseeing the overall appearance of our complex into exerting excessive control over our own preferences and tastes. 

Ms. Brown's discussion of HOA meetings and the absence of homeowners at various HOA and board meetings, while perhaps intended as a condemnation of the lack of homeowners' involvement, actually strongly reinforces my case as to why they board needs to implement the type of communications I addressed in my email.  Many of us, myself included, actually have lives and responsibilities that conflict with attending board meetings and/or pouring through complex documents to figure out the current regulations affecting each and every one of us. Why should anyone have to pour through the CC&Rs and their numerous revisions before purchasing new patio furniture? I know I have half a shelf of documents addressing CC&Rs and language/rule changes from the years I have lived here, but I have no idea of what is and is not currently required on anything!  The board meetings are scheduled to accommodate the board, and the dates and times conflict with my duties and responsibilities outside of the Monterey Country Club.  I have no doubt that is the case with many other homeowners too, not to mention homeowners who are not here 12 months a year. But part-time residents are still homeowners and deserve an equal say in what is being done here.   Bottom line, an absence at meeting attendees should not automatically be interpreted by the board as a lack of homeowner interest or concern.  I chose to buy a home and live here because in my senior years I didn't want to be slave to a big house on a1/2 acre.  I chose to downsize to a townhouse/condo that I could close up and leave without worry, and Monterey Country Club met this and everything else I was looking for when deciding on a new home location.  According to Ms. Brown, perhaps I was supposed to simply trade one form of homeowner slavery to one of slavery to an HOA board, HOA rules, and HOA regulations?

And finally, when "correcting" and clarifying my message, how interesting that Ms. Brown only addressed her and/or the board's interpretation of just two of my comments.  Her message was deafeningly silent when it came to my addressing the insidious introduction of desert landscaping that homeowners preciously rejected, the mandates relative to tree/plant removal/dramatic cutbacks to accommodate upcoming house painting, and the dreadful outcome of removing all plants to paint the perimeter wall along Gran Via in a ghastly color.  We have to live with strict rules, but the board and committees seem to function with impunity in their arbitrary establishment and enforcement of "rules."  That just doesn't seem right to this homeowner.

Kay Van Zandt