WELCOME FELLOW LDPOA MEMBERS!
(and other interested viewers, surfers, or accidental drop ins!)
My name is Lew. I am a blogger. I've been blogging for approximately 5 years now and am apparently powerless against the urge to publically express my opinion regarding the perils of DEED RESTRICTED PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. You know, COMMUNITY INTEREST DEVELOPMENTS. ASSOCIATIONS. NON PROFIT MUTUAL BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, blahh, blahh, blahhh.......if you're in one you know.
ANYWAY, I had some past difficulties in configuration of static page displays, but fortunately, photos to the right of blogs are displaying properly. Much of the initial site information and photographs are quite old but I can not update them right now, so bare with me.
The most recent blog entries can be found under Lew's View on the right hand column under BREAKING NEWS.
*** NOTE ***
THIS WEBSITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH THE LAKE DON PEDRO OWNERS' ASSOCIATION IN ANYWAY.
This website has NOTHING TO DO with my official capacity as one of your representatives. It does, however, provide the opportunity to understand my perspective and thoughts regarding how OUR ASSOCIATION should proceed into the future, especially in light of what has already been done in the past.
LAKE DON PEDRO OWNERS' ASSOCIATION (LDPOA) WEBSITE and the Hacienda office telephone number is: (209) 852-2312.
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS SITE ARE MINE AND DO NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF ANY OTHER DIRECTOR, EMPLOYEE OR MEMBER OF OUR ASSOCIATION.
(Think that will satisfy the complainers?)
I started this website when I was just an owner trying to contact other members to advise them what the heck was going on here due to the SPECIAL INTERESTS of local real estate working with a "late comer" multi-million dollar Bay Area land development company. A lot has happened during the last five years of babbling in cyberspace to members I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet.
Thank you for your support. I was elected last October to serve on your Board of Directors and am currently working as your Board Secretary. I am learning more everyday and although some of it is extremely disheartening, the progress made already is fantastic* and the potential for even greater success is certainly obtainable.
* Often I get so fixated on some of the past "SPECIAL INTEREST DIRECTORS" who betrayed us, I gloss over the fact so many good open hearted people have been deceived, used, and worse yet, placed in the uncomfortable position of being afraid to speak their mind for fear of retaliation. Guess what I'm trying to say is, we would not have made it this far without very courageous members who took a stand, be it for weeks, months, years or decades, and tried to make a difference. Maybe they didn't realize it at the time, but they made a monumental difference from which we all now benefit. Thank you.
Our Association is doing much better and you have a CURRENT BOARD that is dedicated and concerned about what the MAJORITY WANTS.
Common interest Development?
What is so FRACKING DIFFICULT to understand?
The MAJORITY of owners should determine the course of their own Association, not a handful of special interest conspirators!
We finally have the NEW DISCOVERER newspaper FREE & INDEPENDENT of the undisputed third party censorship that had intentionally hobbled communications with our absentee members for many years. WHY? Because ABSENTEE OWNERS are, and have always been, the KEY TO CLEANING UP THIS MESS!
Remember?
ONLY LDPOA MEMBERS CAN SAVE THEIR OWN. ASS.
(owners' association abbreviated! lol]
Any wonder those trying to regain control were opposed to a monthly edition?
IF YOU ARE READING THIS & DIDN'T GET A PAPER- SOMETHING IS WRONG!
Every member should be receiving one, but if not, call the Hacienda office, (209)852-2312, and ask Pam Hatler, our Office Manager, to update your address and get one in the mail ASAP (as soon as possible).
$ $ $
Our Association is financially better off than we were last year, primarily because we are not paying tens of thousands of dollars to management and collection companies who failed to perform their "professional duties" as agreed. (These "professionals" who members of the opposition assured us were necessary to properly conduct our association business, were not involved in the largest operating rule change in our 40 year history?--come on now....that's pure BS. No only that, but our association attorney was not advised of this change much less consulted about the legality of such!)
NEED TO REGAIN CONTROL
Those same SPECIAL INTEREST DIRECTORS who sold us out years ago have been frantically trying to regain control of our Association and it's finances.
Perhaps they miss those $10,000 parties funded with your money while simultaneously charging members $45 a ticket which quite effectively precluded most members from attending! Not so lol :(
PREPARE FOR MORE DISINFORMATION AND PERSONAL ATTACKS
Anyway, you will likely be exposed to much of their nonsense in this continuing and deliberate attempt to distract from the documented facts regarding their previous betrayal and collaboration with "for profit" companies who violated our regulations for private profit. Look for their vicious personal attacks and name calling of those who ask legitimate questions or make valid points with fact.
Do not forget, many of these people make their living "smooth talking" prospective clients and their "SALES PERSONA" is quite developed. Be very cautious of actual hidden motives when they are trying to cajole you into something that at "first blush" makes sense.
(Heck, if I didn't know the facts, and actually believed what they are spewing, I'd sign a recall petition against myself! LOL .... seriously- they've made up some pretty wild stuff. lol)
Interesting. When much of this was going on some local members tried to stop the wrongful behavior but only received the all too typical intimidation techniques such as threats of bodily harm, harrassment, property damage and "pranks" along with the apparent lack of concern by local authorities.
County officials were likely drooling with the expectations of an increased tax base from the "new gold rush of real estate sales" and home construction in the area, and failed to enforce existing regulations. Maybe some believed it was best for everyone, but they still should have enfoced regulations. Yep, no one could or would stop the assault on our 40 year old struggling subdivision.
"You can stab and shoot and spit, but they won't be fixin' it" (Frank Zappa.)
Then the economic crash did what existing law and concerned members could not.
Very sad that innocent members may unintentionally be "hoodwinked" again by this same group and be used for other purposes they truly do not understand, but that is the whole point of deception, isn't it?
Getting someone to act, or not act, in a certain way based on carefully choreographed mis-information which encourages the desired behavior.
Members are being told that the Association, by focusing on our own immediate corporate business, is now in some way harming these SPECIAL INTERESTS unfairly. What?
Those who arrogantly waltzed through our community for years doing exactly what they wanted despite known existing rules? Please don't buy into this patently absurd argument, because these SPECIAL INTERESTS are merely reaping the results of their own unethical conduct and greed. No one else.
Many people are having difficulty with this economy and they did not bring it upon themselves for the sake of greed. They are true victims.
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(old stuff-"click" the underlined links below for photographs)
LAKE DON PEDRO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB signs having been popping up all over our subdivision like Spring flowers, submitted for your amusement are......
OTHER SIGNS THAT THE DEERWOOD CORPORATION SHOULD HAVE TO INSTALL LOL
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OTHER LINKS TO "DISASTER DIRVE" PHOTOS:(Check out the DEERWOOD DRIVEWAYS on the top navigation bar of this website - these were "developer convenience roads" cut and paved without association approval which violated 12 year old State fire safety regulations. Incidentally, LAKE DON PEDRO is designated a HIGH FIRE DANGER AREA.) DISASTER DRIVE March 13, 2005
WHOSE GOING TO PAY FOR EROSION CLEANUP AND DAMAGE TO PUBLIC PROPERTY? April 6, 2006
COMPARISON PHOTOGRAPHS (EROSION) April 10 2006
MORE EVIDENCE OF EROSION, April 12, 2006
Proposed selling of our OPEN NATURAL PARKS. ABSOLUTELY INSANE!
ANOTHER COPPER BB SHOT AT AN ARMORED TANK, Feb 22, 2006 (While some members were concerned about the SALE OF OUR OPEN NATURAL PARKS for cash and major construction projects in the area - naturally without the required Association approval, SPECIAL INTEREST DIRECTORS were busy surreptitiously planning the removal of our operating regulations - for the pure convenience of real estate profit.)
4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ I still do not understand why the Attorney General of this State could not prosecute under some theory of criminal conspiracy between a multi-million dollar LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION president and his "installed" directors on our NONPROFIT MUTUAL BENEFIT CORPORATION board. These directors subsequently, and intentionally, failed to uphold their fiduciary duties to our Association by assisting the for profit corporation (and other local real estate interests) in violating our 17 year old established regulations to their benefit.
But who cared? The assurances by these treacherous directors of "good times for all", although as meritless as their proclaimed sincere service to our Association, were swallowed "hook, line and sinker".
So here we all are. Scratching our heads wondering why we ever purchased "DEED RESTRICTED PROPERTY" in the first place? Sounded good at the time, huh?
So why won't State Officials assist in cleaning up some pretty ugly violations of law designed by the legislature to protect public safety around here? OH yea, almost forgot.....the State of California is broke! Hummm.....wonder why?
Seems to me our difficulty here in Lake Don Pedro is but a microcosm of the difficulty our state and entire nation is facing. This economic nightmare was created by individuals and corporations who intentionally violated the law in pursuit of their own profit while those charged with the responsibility of law enforcement ignored their duties, for whatever "well intentioned" reasons.
Whether a CEO in a billion dollar national lending institution, or a lowly property owner on their association Board of Directors, those who purposefully failed to perform their duties to their respective organizations, assisted in creating this disastrous financial reality.
The special interests of local real estate and land development in conjunction with good 'ol fashioned greed fueled our particular situation here in Lake Don Pedro.
Pure and simple.
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ANARCHY IS BETTER THAN NO GOVERNMENT AT ALL (LOL)
Think about that ridiculous statement. Without rules there is confusion, with confusion there is misunderstanding, with misunderstanding there is disagreement, with disagreement there is anger, with anger there is more misunderstanding, disagreement and further anger. What a horrible cycle and almost everyone suffers..
Well, almost everyone.
Some will prosper with such an aggravating and vicious cycle.
Why sell a property to people who will invest in the community, build and happily live there most of their lives when you can cultivate a steady source of unhappy people (by not providing established regulations) fed up with the constant turmoil and anger who will decide to sell and go elsewhere?
This will continue to happen to owners without clearly understanding the applicable regulations of their community ......and it will happen over, and over, and over again,........
PURCHASED LDPOA PROPERTY BEFORE JANUARY 2007 FROM A REALTOR BUT WERE NEVER FURNISHED THE TRI-FOLD REGULATION PAMPHLET?
Those who may have been victims of this and dare ask legitimate questions about the "TRI FOLD" subdivision regulations and/or how LDPOA property could be sold without advising prospective purchasers of those (then) existing 17 year old rules (required by real estate DISCLOSURE REGULATIONS), please direct your concerns, questions and/or complaints to:
DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE, 2201 BROADWAY, SACRAMENTO, CA 95818-2500
MAILING ADDRESS: DRE, PO BOX 187005, SACRAMENTO, CA 95818-7005
Enforcement telephone number: (916) 227-0864
There is also a great deal of information on the DRE website including real estate company details such as; address, names of agents/brokers, license status, etc.
To visit the CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE website
please "CLICK" the following green underlined link.
WWW.DRE.CA.GOV
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REMEMBER:
BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING
Seriously, it does not matter one bit if you are a current resident in these beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills, plan to be a future resident, or own LDPOA property strictly as an investment opportunity, this is YOUR ASSOCIATION but it can not possibly or effectively represent YOUR INTERESTS without YOUR INVOLVEMENT.
(I know, you have better things to do. I once did as well. lol)
OH YEA, one other thing. This recall group is going to force us to expend funds that would have helped in decreasing your assessments next year.
4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ 4R$ My best to you and yours,
Lew Richardson, LDPOA owner 19 years.
Lake Don Pedro. org
