Landen Meadows Residents Forum

February's Highlights

No numbers forthcoming yet from Bumgardner.
The budget figures are discussed and approved normally on the 4th Wednesday of the following month.
The Feb figures should have been passed on March 25th.

Update 04/16/09 : Okay, we're off !!! Bumgardner provided the information discussed here and it looks like...

Grounds Labor & Materials : 7052.50
Water & Sewer : 3.90
Electricity & Gas : 627.19
Maintenance & Repairs (grounds) : 251.00
Telephone : 69.16
Swim Team : 271.04
Management Fee : 1125.00
Admin - Postage & Copies : 186.80
Communications : 159.75
Unallocated Reserves : 399.17

It's Profit and Loss time for April !!!!!

This is how we spent our money in April

Grounds Labor & Materials : 2400.00
Commercial Impr./Beautification : 0.00
Water & Sewer : 7.82
Electricity & Gas : 615.66
Maintenance & Repairs (grounds) : 0.00
Pool Contract : 0.00
Maintenance & Repairs (pool) : 0.00
Telephone : 69.18
Pool Furniture : 2615.00
Swim Team : 0.00
Recreational Equipment : 0.00
Insurance : 0.00
Management Fee : 1125.00
Legal : 0.00
Admin - Postage & Copies : 20.30
Auditing : 800.00
Bad Debts : 0.00
Social : 239.11
Communications : 187.23
Unallocated Reserves : 399.17

Some April facts :-

We are tracking well as a neighborhood, and our total expenses are 24.59% of budgeted for the year as opposed to where they should be at end April...32%
Thus our costs are roughly 7% below budget.

At the end of '09 we would have contributed another 5000.00 to the reserves fund we have.

If the year came to an end at the end of April, as a neighborhood we would have made $112,955.16 profit.

If you spread a pair of  human lungs over the area of a tennis court, you'd probably die.

June

Grounds Labor & Materials : $2400.00     
Commercial Impr./Beautification : $114.29
Water & Sewer : $109.64
Electricity & Gas : $1021.30
Maintenance & Repairs (grounds) : $11,500.00
Pool Contract : $9,308.75
Maintenance & Repairs (pool) : $3,323.13
Telephone : $70.44
Pool Furniture : $255.72
Swim Team : $3,077.87

Insurance : $409.33
Management Fee : $1,125.00
Admin - Postage & Copies : $437.70
Social : $2,345.97
Communications : $64.35

Unallocated Reserves : $399.17

Your maintenance and repairs cost was for the improvements made on the pool house by JB construction as follows :-
Note this was not paid for by the Assessment (which by the way bought in $15,580.00 in revenue to the association for June)
Clubhouse 35 sq of shingles – 30 yr arch    $5900.00
Shelter 14 sq of shingles – 30 yr arch         $2200.00
Clubhouse and shelter painting and wood replacement   $3400.00
Total Cost                                                $11500.00

July

Grounds Labor & Materials : 2400.00
Water & Sewer : 759.47
Electricity & Gas : 977.71
Pool Contract : 9308.75
Maintenance & Repairs (pool) : 340.00
Telephone : 70.30
Swim Team : 2639.00

Insurance : 409.33
Management Fee : 1125.00
Admin - Postage & Copies : 162.20
Social : 204.41

Unallocated Reserves : 399.17

I would like to know why we are paying $70.44 a month for a phone that does not work!!
That is a lot of money for swim team after the season is over, where did that go??

August Highlights

Water & Sewer : $1,527.81
Electricity & Gas : $1,256.11
Pool Contract : $3,723.50
Maintenance & Repairs (pool) : $38.80
Telephone : $141.28
Swim Team : $439.00

Insurance : $419.33
Management Fee : $1,125.00

Admin - Postage & Copies : $70.65
Social : $400.00
Communications : $193.05

Unallocated Reserves : $399.17

Total Expenses for August = $9,733.70

The 2010 HOA Annual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 28, 7:00 PM at the Rea road library.

My current schedule shows me available for the meeting and I plan to attend. Maybe we will get answers at that time?

October's Expenses....

Grounds Labor & Materials 2400.00
Water & Sewer 2251.52
Electricity & Gas 1174.10
Maintenance & Repairs (pool) 550.00
Telephone 73.57
Recreational Equipment 874.77
Special Assessment Expenses 4150.00
Insurance 419.33
Management Fee 1125.00
Admin - Postage & Copies 48.55
Social 951.47
Communications 64.95
Unallocated Reserves 399.17

I have given up even trying to keep track of the special assessment expenses, with Bumgardner telling me one thing, and the board another.
Here's hoping a presentation at the Annual Meeting will explain (and also reveal who our new Management Company will be).

November

Grounds Labor & Materials : $4,800.00
Commercial Impr./Beautification : $881.96
Water & Sewer : $2,376.75
Electricity & Gas : $1,154.31
Telephone : $142.47
Special Assessment Expenses : $23,725.41

Insurance : $419.34
Management Fee : $1,125.00
Admin - Postage & Copies : $35.50
Bad Debts : $174.58
Communications : $64.95
Unallocated Reserves : $399.17

Total Expenses for November 09 = $35,299.44

Still the question of the magic telephone bill in the magic pool house that is unused for half the year...$142.47 in October.
Perhaps the little magic pool-gnome people that come out at night are using the phone ?

Interestingly we have spent $58,600.00 of the special assessment money year to date.
Remember the assessment breakdown was supposed to be

Tennis Courts : $48,000.00
Rea Road Entrance : $8,000.00 (When is work starting on this ?)
Irrigation Systems : $9,400.00
Pool Deck Area : $4,500.00
Wrought Iron Sign : $2000.00 (Do we really still need/want an ugly sign at the entrance, in this modern age of emails and websites ?)

Are we over-spending or does Bumgardner have the figures incorrect ?
The pool fencing is the key here - did we pay for it using assessment money or not ?

The swimteam is always interesting and my favorite part of LM - since according to Bumgardner - it turned a profit last year. This year, no so much.
Swimteam Income 2009 : $5,780.00
Swimteam Cost 2009 : $6,951.91
I love our swimteam, but this year I think the escalated cost came about since we decided to actually pay a handsome sum for the coaching staff - $2500.00 to be precise.
Considering the pool season ran from May 16th to around September 16th - that would be 4 months.
$625.00 per month for a part time coaching gig ain't half bad. Go Gators !!!

As of the end of November, the association actually made a net income of over 14k - so don't let anyone threaten you with rising HOA fees this coming year.

I look forward to the year end round up once we get the figures for December from Brawley
Your last update from the HOA board on the board website - June 15th, 2009.

So you are saying homes are for sale in Landen Meadows because of your perception of a lack of answers and/or accountability?  Really?  Do you think it might be the economy?  Do you think it might be that this is still one of the most affordable, desirable, middle income neighborhoods in this school district?  It's your opinion and your entitled to it but that point of view seems a little short sighted to me.  Just my opinion though....

PD.  I agree with your point!  I have never heard of anyone not being able to sell or buy in LM due the board.  I think the board was more than fair with the amount of time that was allowed for each homeowner to pay.  What the board has done will help everyone in LM who wants to sell their home.  The pool area and tennis courts were a disgrace to LM. When we were looking for homes and were to drive by the TC and pool and they looked the way they did prior to being replaced, we would have not bought our home.  But as you stated everyone has an opinion and that is what makes America so great! Atleast for now. No telling what will come out of the next 3 years form PA Ave.

As far as the money paid out to the coaches for our swimteam.  What people see are two young college girls who love the sport of swimming out coaching their kids.  What they do not see are how many HOURS they spend after the kids have gone home building heat sheets for upcoming meets.  Each new meet means a new heat sheet has to be made due to kids on vacation, sick, other team having the same issues. They do not get any money for exspenses (gas, whistles, food at meets) all of that is paid out of their pockets.

Here is a good estimate of how they are paid:

Number of practice days:  30 avg 4 hours (per day (120)
Number of meets: 6 avg 4 hours per meet (24)
Number of All-Star Meets: 1  avg 4 hours (not including travel)(4)
Number of meets to prepare heat sheets for:  6 avg of 3 hours (18)
Total number of hours spent by coaches: 166 hours spent by each coach
Total per hour: $2500/166 (hrs)=$15.06/2=$7.53 per hour

Each coach is paid approx. $7.53 per hour to coach our kids.  They are not paid for their travel to away meets, they pay for their own food.
So, by the end of the season, both coaches are working for less than minimum wage.  That's not to handsome to me.  I know for a fact that there are teams that we have swam against that pay their coaches more than what we do.

The above example proves a point. If you are not out volunteering in your community to see what people are doing you don't have any idea of what is really going on.  Therefore by the time it shows up on this site, the 5 lb. bass has become 15 lbs.   

However, your site is interesting and you have a nice talent in hosting it.

Axa- doesn't this entire post (2009's Budget & P&L) show cash distributions from the associations budget for the entire year of 2009 (save December)?  Weren't these numbers supplied by the management company?  Maybe I'm confused but what are you refering to when you say you have no "insight" into how finances are distributed?  Are you just tryig to stir the pot?