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.

Rosedale Meeting Street Board agreed to ask non-members to Join

According to the August 2015 Board meeting minutes of the Rosedale Meeting Street Homes Board of Directors, three directors agreed to ask "renters" to join the Board.  Translation:  Allow non-members to control other members' monies.  I was appalled as the mere suggestion of this.

Is it legal? Yes, the Bylaws allow for this situation because the original Builder(s) needed to be able to have control of the Association without actually owning a unit within the subdivision.  Logically, once the majority of the units in the subdivision actually had ownership/members,  the members of the subdivision should control their own monies as an Association.

So to ask "renters" or non-members to control our Association's monies seemed insane.  The Board President Jamie Darche Warren explained in the Annual meeting that she meant "no harm" but with five members running for three vacancies, why were renters even considered?  Actually, one other member also considered running.  So we would have had six members running for three vacancies.  With two of the three Board members planning for re-election, there was only one Board vacancy in question.  Now, if any member of our Association had any question about whether or not I as a member was interested in working on our Board, then they would had to be totally distanced from the Association as a whole. So essentially, there were NEVER any deficit in members wanting to work on the Board. Why even consider renters to join the Board?????

On a separate note, the winners of the election all had absentee proxies counted with their names on them.  No names were mentioned when the Annual meeting notices were mailed out so outside of existing Board members running for re-election, the six absentee proxy voters had no inclination that they had other members to choose from except those soliciting for votes outside of the meeting.

So the election was slanted before it even began.  The absentee proxies are legal, and since the people running actually was present for the election, I will not complain.  The only reason that I am even addressing this matter is because I believe in "out of sight means out of mind."  Where there is smoke, then there is often times "fire."  

I do not trust our Board President, and I look forward to Board meeting minutes every other month.  As one of the only minorities present at the Annual meeting, I appreciate many of my neighbors making me feel welcomed.  It was much appreciated.  I was disappointed that we did not see a lot of change in leadership, but I am hopeful that the little change that did happen will make a difference in the year to come. 

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.

Angry Black Woman Confronts Black Member in Rosedale

On Thursday, March 26, 2015 around 8pm after sundown, I had a Black woman to knock at my salon door disrupting my service with another salon patron.  I assumed that she needed a business card or wanted to know more about my salon service offerings; yet, as she began speaking she accused me of leaving a note on her car. Immediately, I was trying to figure out

• who sent her?
• who was she?
• why the urgency?
• what made her think that I left a note on her car?

Of course, I had two clients waiting, but I needed to gather enough information to figure out how much of a threat to my well-being and to my business that she was.  I gathered enough information from our conversation that I asked her to call me to discuss other community relations issues.  I gave her a business card.  I did not hear from her so on Tuesday, March 31, 2015,  I left a detailed, handwritten letter on the porch of where she said she was from.  The note described our 3/26/15  brief encounter with my full contact information as well as a petition that was sent out to the community on last year.

This Black female called the same evening and identified herself in the follow-up voicemail as Meleeka. (spelling may be wrong.)  She claimed that I left a note on her boyfriend's or husband's (Brian) car before. She continued in an angry, irate tone saying that I had a reputation in the community,  that nobody sent her to confront me, etc.   I just listened to the voicemail today, and I texted her the following:

Hello Meleeka! I just listened to your voicemail. I didn't know that I had a reputation in the community. Can you tell me who told you what when? I would like to know. Also, I don't know who your husband is. I never told your husband anything about his car.  Which car is his? So his name is Brian. Okay, thanks for letting me know.  I am totally blindsided by being harassed by you while I was working.  Which car is yours? I literally, do not know who you are. You started the harassment.  Why?  I am clueless who is spreading hatred against me. Please give me more information.  I am tired of being harassed. If I need to go to the police, then I will.  This is ridiculous!

Meleeka's reply:  
I wasn't harassing you when I tried to leave you wouldn't let me because you wanted to gossip.  Call the police you were trespassing on my property when you came on my porch and when you put the note on my car and the reason you don't remember my husband is because you've harassed so many people in the neighborhood.  You aren't on the board for Rosedale as you lied about to me. You're crazy and if you contact me again I will call the police for you stalking.

My reply:
I will save your voicemail and call the police tonight.

Meleeka's reply:
Good they can see how crazy you are.

My reply:
I will save these text messages as well. I will also report to the management company this harassment.

Meleeka's reply: 
A vm/text of me telling you to leave me alone . . .  Please get a life. Bye Felicia.

My reply:
You started it. I also sent her a link to a December 2014 HOA article.

In conclusion,

• It took me about two weeks to finally listen to Meleeka's voicemail which may mean that "I do have a life."
• I have consistently left my contact information with all correspondence that I have left for any reason. If her boyfriend/husband Brian parked in my reserved parking spaces, then I may have left a note on his vehicle versus having it towed. Any notes that I leave ALWAYS has my contact information attached.
• If a note was left on Meleeka's car without my contact information, then the note was NOT left by me.

It is a shame that this predominantly White neighborhood in Rosedale is poisoning another Black woman to harass me and attack my character without any supporting documentation.  I will continue to stand up for my rights as a member.

White Board Member Again Challenges Black Member

SECOND Sighting on December 30, 2014 of Jane Ryan seated in her parked car in front of my hair salon.

Actions speak louder than words.  As you can see Rosedale Meeting Street Homes Association Board member Jane Ryan is pictured in her car parked in front of my hair salon yet AGAIN after I kindly asked her and the other Board of Directors not to park directly in front of my salon even if it is the last parking space on the block.

So within two days of my posting an article and video asking the All White Board of Directors to discontinue any type of loitering or parking in front of my hair salon,  Board member Jane Ryan disrespects my wishes and parks in front of my salon again.

The members of the Association should know that a lawsuit can possibly bankrupt our Association, and then every member can possibly be assessed a special assessment to build our reserves back up.  This statement does not serve as legal advice, but I do encourage others to seek counsel on any questions that they may have.

I personally think that it would be smart for the members to speak up about this reckless behavior of its current Board of Directors. Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan both need to be removed as soon as possible.  I have compounding documentation relating to these two Board members.  The remaining three Board members have been silent to me.

Some members of the Association do not want to be involved in any foolishness.  I respect that.  When and if this situation escalates to the point that it starts to affect each member of the Association, please remember these communications.  The management company is a third party vendor who pays our bills.  Whether we are happy or sad, they still get paid.

Anyone know of any television producers?  I would love to be getting paid for all of this drama.

December 23, 2014 Sighting of Jane Ryan's car parked in front of my hair salon. (different day from the picture at the top of this article)

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!"

My Response to the Rosedale Association Feedback

According to our Rosedale Association Bylaws Article III Section 2, 

association members can request in writing for a special meeting to be held.

Why should you make a written request for a special meeting?

1. To meet with your current Board of Directors.
2. To find out who are your officers.
3. To find out what happened at the October 2014 Annual meeting.
4. To find out why we did not have an Annual meeting in 2012.
5. To find out why you received a petition to remove select Board of Directors.

Who should you send this written request to?

1. Someone who has served on your Board of Directors for ten years ---> Benita Blocker
2. Someone who actually attended the last Annual meeting in 2014 ------> Benita Blocker
3. Someone who has been passionate about ethics and fairness ----> Benita Blocker
4. Someone who has gone above and beyond to communicate to you -----> Benita Blocker

I understand

1. Some members are uncomfortable with removing members of the Board without a special meeting.
2. Some members feel that I am showing a lot of emotion, but I assure you that it is my passion about doing things in order so that all members feel respected.
3. Some members just hope that everything will just correct itself on its own, but it has been a whole month and the most recent elected Board has not made any announcements to the Association.  
4. Some members have called Key Community Management confused.
5. Some members can not grasp what happened in the October 2014 Annual meeting.
6. Some members can not grasp the unilateral decision making that has been taking place in the name of our Board under select Board leadership and condoned by the property manager for years now.

We, the Association, deserve have professional, ethical leadership.  Let's talk about it.  Let's get a special meeting called.   

Just send Benita Blocker a simple correspondence card with 

• your statement " You request a Special Meeting of our Association."
• your name, 
• your property address,  and
• your signature

Please use the address from your most recent petition to get your request to me.  I will collect these Special Meeting requests and present to our property manager.  As Article III, Section 2 states we only need nine (9) members to request this special meeting.

Let's Find a Resolution Together by Requesting a Special Meeting!

Was a Secret Meeting Held in Rosedale?

On Tuesday, October 14, 2014, Jamie Darche Warren brought in six absentee proxies to the annual meeting.  The names of Kathy Lenze and Nathan Diehl were on all six proxies.

Facts:

1. Both Kathy Lenze and Nathan Diehl were ABSENT at the OFFICIAL Annual Meeting.
2. Association members did NOT receive advance notice that Kathy Lenze and Nathan Diehl were candidates.
3. There were only six members of the Association present at the OFFICIAL Annual Meeting.

Concluding Facts:

• Jamie Darche Warren and six other Association members decided prior to the Annual Meeting that they wanted Kathy Lenze and Nathan Diehl on the Board.
• There were more Association members present at this "secret meeting" than there were present at the official Annual meeting.  At least, 7 members present at secret meeting versus 6 members present at the Official Annual meeting. 
• Those seven Association members secretly conspired to steal the Board election, and they sent Jamie Darche Warren into the Annual meeting with their results in the form of absentee proxies.
• Some may say that Jamie Darche Warren was lobbying to unseat the Board members up for re-election, but Jamie Darche Warren as Board President did NOT inform the existing Board members of her lobbying efforts.  How disrespectful can a Board President be to its existing Board members?

I am lobbying to have both Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan removed from our Board because our Association deserves decent, fair, ethical people on our Board.  I am NOT secretly hiding my efforts to get these two Association members removed.  I am making sure that the current Board is aware of each article that I post.

Many of our units within the Meeting Street Homes Association are NOT owner occupied. Formats such as this one are more effective than trying to knock on everyone's door.  Please join me in making our Board better.

What questions do you have?  Key Community Management is a vendor who pays our bills.  They do not attend Board meetings.  They can only tell you third and fourth party information and  biased history based on the Board President's viewpoint.

Got questions, comments, or opinions?  Please feel free make your comment in writing.  I have served on your Board for several years.  Thank you for your continued attention on this matter.

Backstabbing Behavior is Typical of Board members in Rosedale

 In March 2014, Annie's Salon which offered body massages was in the location of where Applause! Hair Design is now.  As you can see by our Association's Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions Article X Section 2(b), massage parlors are forbidden within our Association.

As a Board member, I had been pushing to get this business relocated within a ten month timeframe to keep our Association in compliance with our rules.  Board member Jane Ryan who admitted to patronizing the legitimate massage business challenged my motion repeatedly. So in March 2014, a massage table box apparently blew into the area behind my salon with the address for Annie's Salon listed on it.

I addressed the lady at Annie's Salon about the box, and she told me that someone (being a Board member) had already mentioned this to her.  So in summary,  I addressed the Board about the massage table box and then someone from the Board goes behind my back and mentions the box before I could talk to her about the debris.  Furthermore, after finally getting a motion approved to set a date of around March 2015 to get the massage business relocated, the massage business moves out within weeks of that Board decision.  How coincidental is that?  Someone on the Board had to have told her and the homeowner about the Board decision.  The next thing I hear is that a Black Beauty Salon is going into that space.  Of course, how coincidental is it that a potential "direct" competitor of my beauty salon business is now going into that space? It felt to me like a "revenge" move by the other homeowner for me trying to bring his unit in compliance with our Association's Covenant, Conditions, and Restrictions.

Anyway,  Applause! Hair Design  takes over the  spot.  You can see in the picture below that it is the same address.

Unfortunately, as I stated in a separate blog article, the new husband/wife team are not hairdressers, and they initiated an aggressive solicitation campaign on our block.  As I was getting more and more annoyed with the solicitation, I addressed my fellow Board members in this letter below asking for feedback.

This would have been the perfect time for Jamie Darche Warren (board President) to discuss with me about her "free enterprise" belief, but she did not.  Instead she went behind my back and addressed the Applause! Hair Design salon owners who are NOT members of the Association and told them about "free enterprise" and they could solicit fliers on the block if they wanted to.

As you can see by the letter below from the female salon owner, Jamie Darche Warren went into their salon representing our Board unilaterally.  Our Board had NOT agreed for Jamie Darche Warren to visit Applause! Hair Design salon. Nor did any Board member give her permission to undermined my request for solicitation to stop.

My request for solicitation to stop as an Association member speaking to non-members was to protect my business of ten years from this new business that was not even 60 days old.  Furthermore, the female salon owner makes false accusations with no supporting documentation in her email.

In addition, if I harassed anyone's children, then I need to see a police report.  I might add that the husband/wife team sometimes go out of town and leave their hairstylists running their salon.

So in a nutshell, Board member(s) Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan have consistently gone behind my back as a fellow Board member to undermine and disrespect me.  Both of these backstabbing acts were centered around a unit that Jamie Darche Warren used to own as detailed in a previous blog article.

I feel that both Jamie Darche Warren and Jane Ryan should be removed from our Meeting Street Homes Board of Directors.  I ask that Association members please join me in my cause.  I want fair treatment for all of our members. Not all of our current Board members embrace equality.  I have not had any Board member nor management company representative to attempt to resolve my grievance at this time.

Rosedale Board Members are definitely Facebook Friendly!

As you can see by this public Facebook post entry, that newly elected Board member Nathan Diehl wishes veteran Board member Jane Ryan 

a distinguished birthday wish.  

Then newly elected Board member Kathy Lenze also gets a good laugh out of Jane Ryan's birthday wish from Nathan Diehl.

This birthday greeting seems to imply that the new Board is going to be ran like a tight knit social clique. 

Diversity helps to keep decisions fair across the board.  I am hoping that more members of our Meeting Street Homes Association members will step up and support me to help make some changes in this newly elected Board of Directors.

I have not heard anything from the current Board about keeping the "neighbor" in the term "neighborhood."

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.

White Board member Targets Black Board member in Rosedale

Jamie Darche Warren seems to have spread untruths about me, Benita Blocker, within the Rosedale community based on the number of  "cold shoulders" that I have received.  So I am writing to shed some light in case some members of the community are interested in my side of the story.

In the email above, Jamie Warren
1) is incorrect in who made the initial complaint about the new hair salon that recently opened.
2) tries to control me which intrudes on my rights as a member of this community.
3) complains about my actions to protect my business and my rights as a member of Rosedale.

Jamie Darche Warren should be removed from the Board on the grounds of dictating rules to other members such as myself.

In my email above, I correct Jamie Darche Warren on the fact that my complaint initiated others to complain in response to my complaint.

 In the email above, I complain how Jamie Darche Warren believes that she is my "momma" or that she has supremacy over me.  Jamie Darche Warren does not respond to me.

 In the email above, I explain to Jamie Darche Warren that I am also entitled to "free enterprise" since she went behind my back and told the renters that they could solicit on our block after I told them that their aggressive solicitation practices had become annoying to my clientele.  She had no financial investment in the matter, and she personally wanted to see the renters and I argue.

Now, that I am standing up for my rights as a member of this community, Jamie Darche Warren who was NOT up for re-election conspires before the annual meeting to gather SIX (6) absentee proxies to bring to the annual meeting.

So at the annual meeting, there were six votes present and six votes counted from absentee proxies for a total of 12 votes.  I was up for re-election, and I was the only one present at the annual meeting that was running for re-election.  Without the six absentee proxies, I would have won or at least tied to remain in my Board position.  However, because Jamie Darche Warren brought in the six proxies with names of members that were not even present, two new members were elected to the Board who did NOT even show up to the annual meeting.  This move to unseat me on the Board is probably legal, but it is "dirty" and political as can be.

None of us are paid for these Board positions.  As the only Black on the Board in Rosedale, I felt that diversity was important as well fair treatment enforced for all members.

Our Board deserves better than Jamie Darche Warren who allowed one of our properties in the community to go into foreclosure, and our Association had to absorb her delinquent HOA dues.  How do you get elected as President of the Board when you are not even a role model for the community?  Maybe Jamie Darche Warren wanted to befriend the tenants occupying her former foreclosed unit because she still feels a bond as the original owner of the property?

Regardless of whatever delusion that Jamie Darche Warren is under, as a Black member in good standing, I demand that my rights as a member of this community be respected. I have a lot of documentation supporting other discriminatory actions that I have suffered under Jamie Darche Warren's leadership.

 Members of our Rosedale community can make a difference by having Jamie Darche Warren removed from our Board.  Again, we deserve better!

Jamie Darche Warren refused to resign prior to the publishing of this article. She refused to apologize to me for violating my rights as a member of this community.  The new Board members have not reached out to resolve my written complaint mailed to them. Political games can ruin the "neighbor" in "neighborhood."  Members should take action before you find your own rights disrespected by this new Board.

Lake Norman Yard Sale Mania Date: 04/26/2014

 What a day to remember in Lake Norman!  Saturday, April 26, 2014 was perfect weather in the Carolinas!  So apparently, everyone came up with the same idea . . . have a community yard sale.    So in the Lake Norman area alone, at 7am the following communities were promoting yard sales with several to hundreds of households involved:

Rosedale, Birkdale, The Hamptons, Tanners Creek, Oakhurst, Wynfield, Stephen's Grove and more . . .

 I interviewed some ladies that were at their third community stop by 8:30am.  Many of the yard sale sellers probably would have preferred to have been yard sale shopping because the crowds were so spread out that no one was spending a lot of money in any one place.

Goodwill probably was overloaded with items that did not sell. Next time, we may have to rotate community yard sale dates!  Otherwise, the community yard sales become a swap meet!  By noon, most sellers were well into packing up.

Anything brand new for a dollar was a hot seller, and any nice furniture in the $10 to $20 range was also a good bet.  Anyone with enough items that you can see from a long distance also worked to get people to park and look.  Too much territory to cover in five hours without people being able to easily spot some things that they need.

As for me, it was a learning experience. LOL!  I probably would not participate again now that I really saw what was in demand.