Seems only appropriate to run this unofficial poll as the SCHOA board elections come to a close today. For most who read this, they will never be a board member at SCHOA, but just for ****z and giggles, lets give all of you a chance to play make believe. By the way, any of you that are SCHOA board or staff, feel free to chime in and share your thoughts. So, here's the test, and really, it's not too tricky (my guess is most will get it spot on). Do you think the Sun City Home Owners Association (SCHOA) was created in 1963 to provide a service for the residents/community or for the vendors? A). Members/Community. B). The Vendors. Good luck and have fun trying to logically figure this one out.
Hi Bill, I would say I am going to do a "devil's advocate" take on this question. I truly believe and trust the original intent for SCHOA is for the members. To support the member and community needs should be tantamount to any other distractions. Yet, for SCHOA to remain available for the community, it needs to be financially stable in order to keep their doors open to help those in need within the community. Most people don't even know what SCHOA does, which is painfully obvious every year at the RCSC Candidate Forums. There is a strong belief the RCSC and SCHOA are one in the same. Or that each functions are dependent on each other. So, the vendors, through financial support, help to keep the doors open at SCHOA. So, this is my two cents worth (pun intended) as to which side of these coins SCHOA can fall upon. I have spent some time as a board member of the RCSC, but never on SCHOA. No more public service aligned in my future, not really good with the political side of politics. Good to see everyone still posting, does my heart good.
Hey CM long time no hear, hope all is well. Good effort on your part, because it would be a logical e explanation for the board to ignore their Articles of Incorporation and their BY-Laws. But alas, that is hardly the case. Just over a year back, SCHOA opened their 350K addition on their building and paid for it in cash. Money is not an object and for all intensive purposes woun't be for years to come. They take in way more than they spend and they have become quite good at begging for dollars way over and above what they need. More on that in a new thread. For those of you struggling to answer the question above, here's a hint: There is nowhere in the Articles of Incorporation that Vendors are referred to and only one place in the By-Laws and that is where they specify that members have the right to access the Vendors list.
Did you know.. ..... SCHOA has a membership and COA does not Sun City COA - How Your COA is Governed . I believe like RCSC it is best to have a membership. " structuring a membership nonprofit and welcoming the opinions and voices of people who support the nonprofit presents the organization in the best light. This indicates a willingness to hear and accommodate the needs of supporters, and this act can attract additional support."
No question, SCHOA and COA are different Ida. The problem for SCHOA is having a membership has now become secondary to taking care of their vendors. For 63 years, this organization functioned in accordance with their Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws and of late have now appeared to have shifted gears and see screwing their members as just fine. Think not, ask your husband, he's one of them that thought it was appropriate to vote to support a vendor while we got screwed to the tune of $5000 by a SCHOA endorsed vendor. Dang, nothing better than having friends in high places...especially friends who continually asked for my help.
I have no dog in this fight, but logically, supporting the membership over vendors is fundamental. Bill, I’m trying to understand the “why” here? Why are they supporting the vendor to the detriment of the community? Are they afraid of the vendor? Are there some inside ties with the vendor? Is this a personal vendetta against a community member? This is so fundamental that there must be a hidden agenda at play as it defies logic. What is the agenda?
Hey R, great to hear from you, been a while. Just had coffee with my best friend in Sun City who served on the SCHOA board with me when we rebuilt it and we had this very conversation. Logically, on it's face there is never a point where the board chooses a vendor over a member...never. That said, when i submitted my complaint the new executive director (more on that later) was stunned this had happened. We presented all the documentation including the photo's of the floor we jack hammered out two days after the initial contractor finished. We poured 500 square feet to bring it to grade to match the rest of the interior of the house as the building permit called for. That alone was $3200. There was never a point when i saw the board falling down on the side of the contractor. That was until the new executive director suddenly found a "policy" that said a contractor had to have two documented claims against them to be removed. I asked her to email the policy, when it was written and when it was passed by the board. Dang, got one out of three; when it was written and when it was passed has never been shared. It gets worse though. I've asked board members who voted against it what the priority should be based on SCHOA's governing documents...the answer invariably is a member. Really? I am staggered by the stupidity of it all. The backstory is this: The new general manager in her prior role For SCHOA built a really solid vendor program, it was her baby; so good that PORA (SCW HOA) had offered her a job. The board started crapping nickles they were going to lose her and offered her $15,000 plus more than the old GM was making and she stayed here in the new role as GM. This was the first real test as to where she falls down and board members were intent on showing support for her (at least that is my take from outside the inner circle). Especially given several of these board members and even the GM have asked favors of me in the past 6 months. And to make it even worse, this GM just had her bathroom remodeled in the past year by the contractor in question; a fact that should have recused her from being involved in the process to begin with. It's maddening to me, i ran a non-profit, worked with boards and understood the importance of letting the governing documents be the guide in our decision making process. Obviously that's not the case here and their bigger concern is supporting their new hire.
From an outsider point of view it seems to me the vendor list with SCHOA should be like the BBB. A vendor can pay to be on the list, I see no issue with that, but then as a person that is going to look for a vendor they should see ratings. With BBB you can see number of complaints logged and if they were resolved or not. Unresolved issues would cause me to run away and look elsewhere. In your particular case Bill Yelp was no help, 4.5 out of 5 stars for your vendor, I guess you were the .5 that got the shaft.
I haven't ripped him yet on the three links he sent me to tell the world what a great job he did. I will, wanted to wait for SCHOA to dump him. Right. The story gets better, because i provided the new general manager with a couple who had gotten screwed by him in 2015. When i asked if she wanted to talk to them, she said i should go. Seems to me the one thing she/the board should be after is the truth about this vendor. Foolishness on my part eh?
The fact that there is no type of rating or place to read reviews is the reason I don’t bother using the preferred vendors list. I did find one good person from there, however, that I have used consistently. But looked on my own for *others.* I find it odd they have no ratings. Ratings are certainly not 100% correct but they are standard these days and they can help. Especially when there are more than just two or three.*
Here's some information about the SCHOA Business Partner Referral Program. We do talk to others to get names for different jobs/projects but we also check them against the SHOA list. Many times the businesses offer a discount if you are a member of SCHOA. The SCHOA guideline for removal of a business is two written unresolved issues. We've been through the arbitration route with BBB with unsatisfactory results. We also were bilked out of $12,000 over non-documented add-ons from a builder while we were constructing a new home in Wisconsin. We have learned and everything is now is signed and in writing for any project. So sorry when anyone is wronged and I hope all the appropriate sites such as BBB, Yelp, Angies List etc. are advised.Business Partner Referral Program - Sun City Home Owners Association - SCHOA
I agree, there is no way to know, based upon the SCHOA recommendations, if there have been any criticism or complaints against a contractor? So we are leaving additional members at the mercy of a contractor which could continue to perform poorly? And what about those that have been ripped off and chose to fix the mess themselves, did they deserve to be left hanging by a contractor that may be performing shoddy work? I don't think the policy of two complaints before taking action is prudent, especially in a senior community, where bearing the costs of work getting done right the first time is imperative. Most seniors I know, us included, could not afford to come behind someone and redo a job which should have been done properly the first time.
The SCHOA guideline for removal of a business is two written unresolved issues.[/B So, how can the SCHOA member, relying on the vendor list for a referral, stay abreast of who is good or not? I checked with the ROC and as long as they keep their license and bond current, they can be rated as good, but all it takes is one complaint, and I will know what it was for, how it was handled and if the contractor made good on what the contract stated as to work to be completed.
Okay, let me please take this discussion in a slightly different direction. I have been looking at other HOA's which offer vendor referrals. The commonality is the HOA provides the names of contractors, but the members provide the rating. Something akin to a Yelp for an HOA. Each vendor receives a "star" rating based upon their work. Brief commentary space is also provided to add value to the commentary. So, if a vendor is valued, based upon their work, price, customer satisfaction, and ease of communication, this could be value added, not only for the HOA, but also for the vendor. If after X number of poor reviews are received, the HOA could possibly remove the vendor from the list of preferred referrals. The star rating also gives the homeowner/member a chance to know if a particular vendor is one they should use. Comments and how long ago the rating was posted could be an asset for all involved. I just did this very type of action on a YELP review where it is obvious the comments were placed by there by others to willfully discredit the business. The reviews were also over a year old, so I made a decision based up the information provided. I am happy to report it worked well, and I had a wonderful experience with a contractor. Can someone at SCHOA look at this as an option for the immediate present and near future? I see real value in offering this type of service. I have copied and pasted another HOA's website so an example of what could be available is offered. Thanks for everyone's time, it is appreciated. Vendor Referral Pages This page contains recommendations from James Creek Owners for or against local contractors they have used. While moderated by the HOA board we do not endorse any of the contractors listed herein. To RECOMMEND or WARN about a contractor you have used please provide the company name, phone number. Using 1 to 5 stars for each category comment On their, price, schedule, quality of work and customer service if used. You may add additional comments (25 words or less) and send to webmaster@jamescreekhoa.org. In order for recommendations to be accepted you must include your name and address (this is for verification and will not be published
Yes , I’d rather not be the second one that got screwed by s vendor and then they were removed. I want to know about number one. If I decide to go ahead anyway then I was warned. If they post ratings the bad contractors will remove themselves. But as we’ve seen now they are more on the side of the vendor. Does anyone know how much a vendor pays to be on the list?*
Does anyone know how much a vendor pays to be on the list? I would really like to know the specifics of how much it costs to become a preferred partner on the SCHOA vendor list. Is it a one time charge? Is it renewable yearly? Is the charge based upon licensed versus non-licensed? The size of the business? Does SCHOA contact the company and ask them to become a vendor, or does the contractor contact SCHOA? I would really love to know how this program works. I understand the need to make money for the hoa, and I would presume the vendor list is one of the options to draw in monies. I am just really curious how the process works between SCHOA and the vendor/contractors. This question was asked a few days ago, with no reply. I am hoping someone will at least offer an overview of how the program works and how it benefits Sun City. Thanks to all. I noticed the SCHOA site states "Business Partner Referral Program The Business Partner Referral Program is an integral part of SCHOA. All business partners qualify to become a member following an application process which requires business referrals to be provided. This program assures Sun City residents that all businesses have met th[/COLOR [COLOR="#800000"[COLOR="#FF0000"]]required guidelines to provide ethical and quality service.[/COLOR] So, if a vendor has to screw up twice before being removed from the list, are the "guidelines" really providing ethical and quality services? I have real concerns about how this program can hurt innocent folks who feel they are doing the right thing by using a SCHOA preferred vendor. I know I have called several different vendors listed with SCHOA, and ended up not using them for various reasons. Had I known I was placing my home and money at risk, I would have never used them as a referral source. Any and all answers appreciated, as I really do want to understand how we got to this point and what it will take to get beyond it. No, I am not running for a board position.
