The Story of the Marina Hills Website

The Story of this Website. Why These Pages Were Started

On Friday, October 17, 2003, at about 4:30, on my way home from work I drove to 33 Argos, the house of the Marina Hills Association President, Mrs. Jane Dry.
Mrs. Dry's husband opened the door. I introduced myself: "Hi, my name is Hans, I am a homeowner in Marina Hills. I have some concerns that I would like to share with Mrs. Dry." "THIS IS AGAINST THE RULES, YOU CAN'T BE HERE", a voice shouted from the second story. This voice was from Mrs. Jane Dry.

I am not easily discouraged, so I continued, addressing the voice in the second story from the outside of the house: "You say I can't be here, but I am here now. And I have some concerns about Marina Hills. And I would like to share these concerns with you and explain them to you." Mrs. Dry replied: "Hans you CANNOT come to the house of a Board Member. There are procedures and this is not one of them. You have to leave."

Still not discouraged I tried to offer alternatives: "Mrs. Dry, if it is a bad time right now, I can come back another time. Please give a time of your convenience. The concerns, that I want to tell you about are shared by a number of homeowners..."

"STOP", Mr. Dry interrupted, attempting to support his wife. "There are parliamentary rules and regulations that need to be followed. Listen to my wife." Mrs. Jane Dry then stated: "Hans, if you have concerns, put them in writing, so we can address them."

"But you do NOT answer the letters", I protested referring to an earlier letter of mine that had gone unanswered.

"You also have the opportunity to speak at the Board Meeting. If you want we give you the microphone for three minutes and you can state your concerns. BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO LEAVE!"

That was the end off the conversation. Mr. Dry closed the door in my face. I left.

I had naively assumed that Mrs. Dry as a Board Member and President of the Association would actually be interested to learn what is going on. My experience is that Mrs. Jane Dry does not care. Or maybe she does not know how to be a President or Board Member of a homeowner association.

In my eyes it is not as important to know all the parliamentary rules and regulation, as it is to understand the mood of the homeowners, to listen to their concerns, to get involved in a dialogue and to learn about the issues in the community. An open door policy would be good and very appropriate for this day and age.

A good leader is defined by the way he/she connect with his/her troops, and by the wisdom of his/her words. Hitting that little hammer on the table at the board meetings has nothing to do with leadership.

So I went home and contemplated whether I should be discouraged. Mrs. Jane Dry had stated that I should put my concerns in writing. Maybe not such a bad idea after all, if I can do it in such a way that my writing is actually read by more than one person. So I came up with the idea of putting my letters on a website. I concluded to not get discouraged.

The real boost and the final decision to go ahead with the website came three days later when I received a "Cease and Desist" Letter from the Mr. Tinnelly. The letter forbids me to talk to any Board member in person. The letter threatens a restraining order if I don't comply.

This is an excerpt from yet another letter sent to me by the lawyers:

This is very funny and hilarious. It looks like Mr. Tinnelly doesn't understand democracy either. Why do our present Board Members vounteer for these positions, if they don't want to take the responsibility that comes with these positions?

Since then I have started this website, I have put a number of concerns in letters. As of today, December 10, 2003, none of the Board members have contacted me, either in writing or by phone, to answer any question in my letters. Mr. Tinnelly has answered one letter, but most letters go unanswered. But I know that my letters are read by many homeowners, because of the many encouraging emails that I get from my good neighbors in Marina Hills.

Conclusion and personal note to Mrs. Jane Dry: "Mrs Dry, it is because of your unwillingness to listen to my concerns that I started this website. Thank you."

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Page Last Updated May 9, 2004




					The Story of this Website. Why These Pages Were Started On Friday, October 17, 2003, at about 4:30, on my way home from work I drove to 33 Argos, the house of the Marina Hills Association President, Mrs. Jane Dry. Mrs. Dry's husband opened the door. I introduced myself: "Hi, my name is Hans, I am a homeowner in Marina Hills. I have some concerns that I would like to share with Mrs. Dry." "THIS IS AGAINST THE RULES, YOU CAN'T BE HERE", a voice shouted from the second story. This voice was from Mrs. Jane Dry. I am not easily discouraged, so I continued, addressing the voice in the second story from the outside of the house: "You say I can't be here, but I am here now. And I have some concerns about Marina Hills. And I would like to share these concerns with you and explain them to you." Mrs. Dry replied: "Hans you CANNOT come to the house of a Board Member. There are procedures and this is not one of them. You have to leave." Still not discouraged I tried to offer alternatives: "Mrs. Dry, if it is a bad time right now, I can come back another time. Please give a time of your convenience. The concerns, that I want to tell you about are shared by a number of homeowners..." "STOP", Mr. Dry interrupted, attempting to support his wife. "There are parliamentary rules and regulations that need to be followed. Listen to my wife." Mrs. Jane Dry then stated: "Hans, if you have concerns, put them in writing, so we can address them." "But you do NOT answer the letters", I protested referring to an earlier letter of mine that had gone unanswered. "You also have the opportunity to speak at the Board Meeting. If you want we give you the microphone for three minutes and you can state your concerns. BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO LEAVE!" That was the end off the conversation. Mr. Dry closed the door in my face. I left. I had naively assumed that Mrs. Dry as a Board Member and President of the Association would actually be interested to learn what is going on. My experience is that Mrs. Jane Dry does not care. Or maybe she does not know how to be a President or Board Member of a homeowner association. In my eyes it is not as important to know all the parliamentary rules and regulation, as it is to understand the mood of the homeowners, to listen to their concerns, to get involved in a dialogue and to learn about the issues in the community. An open door policy would be good and very appropriate for this day and age. A good leader is defined by the way he/she connect with his/her troops, and by the wisdom of his/her words. Hitting that little hammer on the table at the board meetings has nothing to do with leadership. So I went home and contemplated whether I should be discouraged. Mrs. Jane Dry had stated that I should put my concerns in writing. Maybe not such a bad idea after all, if I can do it in such a way that my writing is actually read by more than one person. So I came up with the idea of putting my letters on a website. I concluded to not get discouraged. The real boost and the final decision to go ahead with the website came three days later when I received a "Cease and Desist" Letter from the Mr. Tinnelly. The letter forbids me to talk to any Board member in person. The letter threatens a restraining order if I don't comply. This is an excerpt from yet another letter sent to me by the lawyers: This is very funny and hilarious. It looks like Mr. Tinnelly doesn't understand democracy either. Why do our present Board Members vounteer for these positions, if they don't want to take the responsibility that comes with these positions? Since then I have started this website, I have put a number of concerns in letters. As of today, December 10, 2003, none of the Board members have contacted me, either in writing or by phone, to answer any question in my letters. Mr. Tinnelly has answered one letter, but most letters go unanswered. But I know that my letters are read by many homeowners, because of the many encouraging emails that I get from my good neighbors in Marina Hills. Conclusion and personal note to Mrs. Jane Dry: "Mrs Dry, it is because of your unwillingness to listen to my concerns that I started this website. Thank you."






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					Come to a HOA meeting to verify that it is really true			Page Last Updated May 9, 2004