What is The Allegiance of the Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale BOD?

Kathy Lenze is one of the Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale Board members.  I was looking into her affiliates.  Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Affiliate of Kathy Lenze.

I love Corned beef hash too!  LOL

Affiliate of Kathy Lenze

Affiliate of Kathy Lenze

Jill VanZandt is another Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale Board member, and she is Facebook friends with Kathy Lenze.

I have written several article surrounding Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale Board President: Jamie Darche Warren.  She is Facebook friends with Kathy Lenze too!

This Board of Directors clearly are not committed to being neighborly to Blacks.  I have served on the Board with Jamie Darche Warren, Kathy Lenze, and Jill VanZandt.  Unfortunately, being neighborly, has been the last thing on their agenda as far as the Blacks are concerned in the subdivision.  Sadly, they have repeatedly refused to resolve any of my grievances.  This information is being provided for public knowledge.

2014/2015 Board for Rosedale Meeting Street Homes

One social event

was scheduled in 2015.  It was a community yard sale, and the flier did not even include an organizer name nor any contact phone numbers.  It appeared to be a social event with an "anti-social" feeling attached to it.

One Board of Directors meeting

was held between January 2015 and August 2015.   Article VI Section 1 states that Board meetings should take place every two months.  Well, that just did not happen.  

Article X of our Bylaws entitles members to review the Board meeting minutes.

One Board member

has announced that she is relocating out of our "hood," and yes, she used the term "hood."  She also could not wait to park back in front of my salon - yet again.

One Board member

seems to have gone inactive by being absent at the few Board meetings held leaving only three directors running our Board.

One of those three Board members,

I actually voted for last annual meeting, and she does not even speak to me when we do see each other in the neighborhood. What a disappointment and appears to be a wasted vote from me.

What can you do as a member of Rosedale Meeting Street Homes?

You can attend our 2015/2016 Annual meeting and election which is approaching soon.

According to the meeting minutes from August 2015, the Board was planning to seek out renters to control the homeowners' monies. Assuming that this Board plans to pull the same stunt that they pulled last year by controlling the vote with absentee ballots of people who were not even present at the meeting, I strongly encouraged members to plan to attend this year's Annual meeting and elect people who will communicate effectively and foster teamwork.

Elect me, Benita Blocker, back to your Board.

I respect our Bylaws, and I am a civil rights advocate for justice.

All White Board Continues to Ignore Black Member

Rosedale Meeting Street Townhomes Association Board member Jane Ryan decides to park directly in front of my salon.  Even if it was the last parking space, I feel that she should respect my grievance against her and the Board of Directors as a whole by parking anywhere except for in front of my salon.  While I can not control their loitering or parking in front of my salon, I can continue to document this blatant disrespect for me as a Black member who has voiced a series of complaints on unethical behavior by the Board.  I have seen no effort by this current Board to obtain a reasonable resolution. I encourage other members to plan to run for a 2015 seat on the Board.  There will be three positions up for renewal.  Below is my third video addressing the Board  and the Association. Every voice matters.  Happy Holidays.

Black Member Addresses All White Board of Directors

I did not realize that I was rolling my neck until I re-watched the video, but the point of this video is that lawmakers need to find a way to regulate or get rid of homeowner associations.  I do not see where they add any value to the community.  They take the neighbor out of neighborhood.  They integrate politics into one's personal community.  The management companies are making plenty of money on managing subdivisions. Certain attorneys are also making plenty of money off of neighbors fighting.

I do not see the value in homeowner associations.  The management companies are vendors that pay bills.  They don't care who is fighting.  Websites such as neighborsatwar.com and hoaowners.org document national issues with homeowner associations.  Please join the fight!

Black Member Speaks about Rosedale Meeting Street Homes HOA

As a long term Board member and past Board President, I needed to get my Homeowner Association story exposed to the masses.  Stories like mine are nothing new.  Homeowner Associations do NOT work.  They are not regulated enough.  They have no checks and balances. Organizations such as www.hoaowners.org have been lobbying for years about the abuses of the homeowner associations.  I hope that our law makers will read my stories and listen to my appeal for fairness and ethics as I address one of the communities in Huntersville, North Carolina US.

Board member Jamie Darche Warren seems to have no problem with holding a conversation in front of my salon nor walking back and forth in front of my salon after unseating me at our last 2014 Annual meeting using an unethical political approach.  Apparently, she still does not feel that my complaints are any concern to her.  However, I hope that the Jamie Darche Warren and her new Board will learn that "Black people do have value!"

Are Rosedale Board members on a Power Trip?

Over a year ago on November  5, 2013, Jamie Darche Warren made a motion as a part of her hidden agenda, and Jane Ryan seconded that motion.  The motion showcased their ignorance of our Bylaws.

In order to cover up their incompetence, two sets of Meeting minutes were generated as either suggested by Jamie Darche Warren herself or Key Community Management.  I am unclear who originated the idea.

So in summary, there are two sets of Meeting minutes for 11/5/2013, one- that you as an Association member are designated to receive upon request, and then there is a second set of "executive" meeting minutes that reveal additional details of the incompetent motion that was carried.  I also have in my possession the original set of Meeting minutes revealing the true power trip that Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan orchestrated in November 2013.  I did not feel that it was appropriate to post Board meeting minutes online, but I would be happy to share those documents and more at a special meeting.

Also, for the record, I feel that having two sets of meeting minutes is unethical, and who is to stop this current Board from continuing to hide unethical actions?  Certainly not, Key Community Management.  Their duties are to follow orders from one Board member: Jamie Darche Warren or whomever is the designated Board point of contact. This approach is quite disturbing especially when that point of contact is on a power trip.

In further support of my findings, you see in the email above that Jamie Warren implies that Benita Blocker is not respected as an equal member of this Association.  If Jamie Warren does not respect me as a "Board member at Large," then how can I expect her to respect me as a non-Board member.

How can any member of this Association expect to be respected by Jamie Darche Warren, Jane Ryan and the new Board who secretly took over?

 It is time for our Association to take our Board back.

All Rosedale Association members except the current Board members plus three members who refused my last mailing should receive a petition in the mail shortly to remove both Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan from our Board.  If any of the eight members who have been excluded from my mailing want to join my effort to bring back order to our Association, please let me know, I will be happy to mail you a petition.

Note to Jamie Darche Warren:  You have spent over a year trying to get me off of the Rosedale Board.  Congratulations, you succeeded.  I hope that your victory is as sweet as you have ever dreamed it to be.

Note to Rosedale Association members:  Our Association deserves transparency, fairness, and a code of ethics.  Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan have ruled our Association long enough.  It is sincerely time to take our Association back.  Please sign your petitions and send them back to me.  Upon removal of these two Board members, Key Community Management should call for a special meeting to fill the two vacancies.  If you are curious about how transparent our Association is being run, you can ask Key Community Management about the two separate meeting minutes for November 5, 2013, then let me know what they say.

In the meantime, consider joining our Board.  We can use a fresh perspective.  I do not know many of you, and you do not know me.  I assure you that I stand for the greater good of our Community.  Please support me, and thank you in advance for your patience.  We can get our Board back together!

All White Board Attempts to Violate Black member's Right to Lobby in Rosedale

The new 2014-2015 Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale Board of Directors consists of

Nathan Diehl

Kathy Lenze

Jane Ryan

Jill Vanzandt

Jamie Warren. 

(in alphabetic order)

At the publishing of this article, I believe that Nathan Diehl is a White male.  Two requests for him to correspond with me have been sent to him by US Postal Mail, and I had no response to date.  All other members of the Board are White.  Only Jill Vanzandt and Jamie Darche Warren were present at the last annual meeting where Nathan Diehl and Kathy Lenze were elected using six absentee proxies in combination with the six members present including myself as described in a separate article on this blog.

I have been lobbying to have Jamie Darche Warren removed because she has attempted to violate my rights as a member of this community.  The details of this personal violation is also described in another article on this blog.

Apparently, this all White Board of Directors voted to have our Board Attorney to send me this letter above.

Thank God that the Board Attorney did not charge our Association to send out this letter implying false accusations and attempting to violate my right to lobby.

The Board attorney and I had a brief discussion, and she clarified that

1. I have a right to lobby
2. Defamation consists of speaking untruths, and 
3. I have the freedom of speech to tell the truth.

As far as harassment and abuse that is mentioned in this letter, I have seen no police reports.  The new Board can either deal with me as a paying Association member and as professional adults on a private basis or they can answer to the public in a forum such as this blog.  The choice is up to them.

Our Association deserves good leadership, fair treatment for all of its members, and protection of the rights of all of its members.  Any members of the Meeting Street Homes at Rosedale Association that want to support my petition to remove Jamie Darche Warren from the Board of Directors, please feel free to contact me.

Any Board members who want to meet with me to work out a plan to move our Association forward together should also contact me.  I will continue to keep you posted on articles such as this one.

NOTE:  I protected the identity of the Board Attorney because she did not charge our Association for this letter and her time to counsel us on our rights, and if she has to continue to deal with this disagreement, then our Association money will be spent to pay for the legal fees.

Live Work Townhouses: The Good and the Bad!

What are Live/Work Townhouses?
The Live/Work Townhouses built by Meeting Street Homes are townhouses built to meet commercial standards on the lower level, and residential standards on the top levels. Some people refer to these townhouses as "mixed use."
Can the Live/Work Townhouses have two different tenants within the same townhouse?
Some Live/Work Townhouses have been city approved for double tenant occupancy meaning separate tenants for residential floors versus commericial floors. However, in some cities such as Cornelius, NC, the commercial floors and the residential floors must be the same tenant. This information was accurate as of 2005. Inland Homes started the Cornelius project as well as part of the Vermillion Huntersville project. Check with the city before buying one of these to make sure of the occupancy rules.
Can two separate tenants within the same townhouse co-exist peacefully?
Because these Live/Work Townhouses by Meeting Street Homes were a "first of a kind," and they could not build them fast enough to meet the demand from 2003 to 2009, many design flaws were duplicated over and over and over again. Most of these townhouses are quite challenging to get two separate tenants to co-exist peacefully because there are no sound barriers between the commercial and residential floors. A commercial leaseholder may hear the residential leaseholder walking or vacuuming or listening to music. This can be a huge business distraction. Most Live/Work townhouse owners will require the residential tenant to have a day shift job while the commercial tenants operate their business during the day shift. That way, the two tenants will not disturb each other. If the residential tenant has second shift job and commercial tenant has "after work" clientele, then that would be an ideal operating schedule as well.
Are there any Live/Work Townhouses where the sound barriers were fixed?
Meeting Street Homes finally fixed this "sound barrier" issue on the last set of Live/Work Townhouses built in Morrison Plantation, Mooresville, NC. Actually, I believe almost every major issue to date from all the past Live/Work townhouse sales were fixed such as a flat roof versus a excessively high pitched roof. The irony is that this best set of Live/Work townhouses that Meeting Street Homes built have been sitting empty/vacant for a couple of years or more because the demand has almost completely gone away especially at a $300,000.00 price tag.
What other problems have the Live/Work Townhouses experienced?
1) Flooding due to bad grading. A foot of water could be sitting on the commercial floor of units at the bottom of a hill. (example: Eastfield)
2)Flooding due to bad Architectural design. Rainwater would pour into the commercial area down the extended wall/balcony area. (example: Rosedale and Morrison Plantation and maybe other subdivisions)
3) Tankless water heaters were an effort to "go green" but some homeowners could not adjust to the newer technology. (example: Eastfield)
4) Regular water heaters were placed in the fourth floor attic. (example: Rosedale) Who puts a water heater on a top floor?
5) A Direct business competitor can open up right next to you without regard for your business.

Check with seller before buying one of these properties to make sure all major design flaws were finally fixed. Meeting Street Homes did their best to rectify all reasonable complaints.
What are the most common use of the commercial floor of the Live/Work Townhouses?
Hair Salons, Pet Grooming Salons, Barber Shops, Nail Salons, Spa Services.
How about the privacy?
If you want to keep where you live secret, then living and working out of the same live/work townhouse is not going to allow you to have that luxury. If you have a car, then clients may circle around your building just to see you if your car is present. It is an invasion of privacy that you will not be able to control. In essence, you are working from "home" and some clients may not respect your boundaries.
Do you need a car if you are able to live and work from the live/work townhouse?
Check for public transportation options. If the live/work townhouse is not on a bus route nor a train route, then yes, you will need a car.
Should you already have a business going with steady clientele before moving into a Live/Work townhouse?
Yes, most of these live/work townhouses are not necessarily known for a lot of foot traffic. In addition, there is no control over how many of the same business can be in one area. The Live/Work Townhouse owner only has a few Association restrictions as far as business use of their commercial space; therefore, one can expect a direct competitor to open next door to you without saying a word.