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Post by Admin on Jan 26, 2015 22:00:57 GMT -5
[countdown:Adjourned Election at Our Quarterly Meeting=April 15 2015 7:00 PM]Hope you Vote![/countdown]** For those interested in approximately when the next Election meeting will be. This timer is currently set for an approximated date. Once the actual fixed date is set, the time will be adjusted to match. Proxy forms are located at PROXY <== Click
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karen
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by karen on Jan 27, 2015 21:47:47 GMT -5
Hi,
Just wanted to know if sometime before the election we might have the opportunity to meet the candidates. I have only been to one meeting prior to the Annual meeting and did not know who they are. I think it might be nice to do a meet and greet somewhere. I also wanted to let you know that you have done a great job with all of the legwork to get us to where we are right now. What do you think?
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Post by Admin on Jan 27, 2015 23:38:25 GMT -5
I had tried to get a list of candidates (or even a list of who the current directors of the board were) but the Metro office refused the information. That is why half the candidates were first heard of at the annual meeting.
That's why the meetings that were set, only allowed meeting our candidates.
The upcoming meeting is supposed to have a notice mailed out from the office, with a list of all candidates and a new proxy form. Once I find out who all the candidates will be, I hope to set up a meet and greet of the candidates, so everyone can have a real grasp of who's who. That way, no one ends up voting blindly.
I'll be talking to the Department of Community Affairs to assist in prompting a free and open election process to make sure everyone has the same information for voting and help to minimized the gross conflict of interest that's occurred so far, as at the annual meeting.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2015 15:45:38 GMT -5
Hi, Just wanted to know if sometime before the election we might have the opportunity to meet the candidates. I have only been to one meeting prior to the Annual meeting and did not know who they are. I think it might be nice to do a meet and greet somewhere. I also wanted to let you know that you have done a great job with all of the legwork to get us to where we are right now. What do you think? Hope to have a meeting set up shortly to allow meeting the candidates and asking questions. This meeting will invite all candidates, both existing and new. The Board has notified us that they will not include a new "mutually acceptable" proxy form with the notice of the Quarterly meeting. Metro Associates will be using their previously collected proxies, that list Mary Anne Hayes. These proxies were objected to at the annual meeting. The Board has been notified of the on going objection to the use of those proxies.
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Post by sbrett on Mar 30, 2015 20:11:11 GMT -5
I think that them being allowed to use their proxies from the first election, the proxies that were questionable at best and objected by many is just flat out crap. Just saying...
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Post by Admin on Mar 31, 2015 13:37:52 GMT -5
I think that them being allowed to use their proxies from the first election, the proxies that were questionable at best and objected by many is just flat out crap. Just saying...
That Is why we all must object to the use of those proxies. Those proxies were and have been objected to, repeatedly. The property management insists on denying any wrong doing in mis-representing the solicitation. Fraudulent means can not be accepted.
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Post by sbrett on Mar 31, 2015 14:10:17 GMT -5
Who is the one that actually makes the call as to whether or not they are allowed? The lawyer?
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Post by Admin on Mar 31, 2015 16:39:01 GMT -5
Ultimately, the members decide. Either by rights under the by-laws and NJ State, or open election or by the legal system. Whatever method is necessary to pursue the best interest of the Association and its members.
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Post by fergus on Apr 16, 2015 8:50:46 GMT -5
I was unable to attend the meeting last night but voted by proxy. Are there any results from last night's meeting? Any updates or information that you could post and share with those of us that could not attend? Thank you!
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Post by sbrett on Apr 17, 2015 10:17:51 GMT -5
Well, by the HUGE amount of proxies that Mary Ann strolled in with, plus voting on all the property she "owns" and Tim casting a ballot for his deceased father on the property that Tim is not listed as the owner, I'd say a majority of the people seem to have had a change of heart and think everything is right with the world; the Board and Management Office we have can do no wrong. Needless to say, nothing has changed.
I don't understand how so many people can keep the blinders on and pretend the way things are going is okay. I get that everyone is getting frustrated by the defeat and think its easier to just do nothing, but that's not the case. If everyone gives up than we will never accomplish anything and all the work people have put into this for months will be a waste. Why are we giving up now? Where are all those people from the first meeting we had, the energy and determination we had because we wanted change? That was our community pulling together... where did you go? Just because its getting a little tough you are ready to throw in the towel? Wrong attitude! We need that determination back!
More and more people are giving up. When the assessments start coming in on a regular basis, bills continue to not get paid, etc... its because people are giving up. So who do we blame than?
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karen
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by karen on Apr 17, 2015 21:05:37 GMT -5
I very much agree. My concern here is how do we know her proxies were legitimate. How do we know that she did not make up a bunch of proxies and hand them in. the only way we can find out is to demand to see them and then we would have to call every person on the list and ask if they signed a proxy. Would people comply? Probably not. We really need to stick together again on this. We were able to get our quarterly meetings. Now we all need to show up at every meeting and make them hear our side and make things happen. We were able to also vote on getting an engineer in to assess our water situation and see if that can be changed. Let's make the Board do the work that they are supposed to do to make BTM a better place to live. I think if we show them that we are not going to put up with the things they have done in the past maybe something will get done in the future.
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2015 0:22:20 GMT -5
“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”- Joseph Stalin (of former Communist Russia) This quote and excerpt is republished from by the CIHC, Common Interest Homeowners Coalition. "Sound or feel familiar? Hey, wait a minute . . . this is New Jersey in the United States of America and the year is 2014 in the 21st century! We do NOT live in the former communist Soviet Union in the early part of the 20th century. So what is going on in our CICs? Have we gone back in time? What are our Legislators thinking/doing? What is the DCA doing? What are WE doing? We can NOT take for granted our rights . . . to elections . . . to transparency . . . to “fairness”. We must take ACTION. You read in the Spring 2014 newsletter and in a CIHC Alert, Helen Bacorn and her neighbors at Alexandria Condos in Hillsborough had no choice but to bring suit against their Board to have elections for their community’s Board, AND they WON! In recent years, their Board had been appointed by the Property Manager; and owners repeated requests for transparency in their governance, access to records and to have elections went unanswered." Read the rest here...
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2015 1:12:16 GMT -5
So a quick list of highlights from the "Election?" meeting.
If there is one word to describe this so-called election, it would be "stone-walling".
Once again the proxy votes from our supporters were denied. The overall tone of the meeting was the appearance of a choreographed effort by the current board and attorney to restrict the terms "open", "fair" and "unbiased" from clouding the issues. Frequent attempts to ask questions were routed to the attorney who was noted to repeatedly say, "it's all per the by-laws and state law". Many, who had questions specific to the judges and ballot procedures, were told to wait and direct the questions to the judges after the voting. A negative letter was provided at the sign-in table, talking out against the "group for change". With a demand to address it, prior to voting, went ignored. A request for viewing the list of eligible voters, as per requirement, was never provided.
Those attending were amazed and standing to see Tim Hanna, vote his father's proxy. His father, Harold Hanna, is deceased. It is remarkable that Tim would have a proxy, since no one would have a need for such a thing, prior to our starting to push for an election. And, though I have no definitive proof, I had been told Tim's father may have died over a year ago.
Many had attempted to question, why would Mary Anne be able to vote proxies that were previously contested. As well as, proxies for properties she claimed for Shorrock, which is a corporation listed by the Secretary of State, as deactivated. She also replied to questions of what property she owns, with the defense she is spouse to Paul Hayes.
Note: in January, we had a candidate disqualified due to he was not on title with his wife, though they both had live here for years.
On a better note - Martin McDermott did discuss the water usage problem and surveyed the attendees for interest in pursuing hiring a water engineer to seek solutions to our over-whelming water use concern.
We were also able to hear a presentation, with handout, from Sean Pfeiffer, on possibilities concerning development of a website for the Association and the many features that may be possible. Further research will be continued for future meetings.
The results of the "election" was;
Paul Hayes Mary Anne Hayes Martin McDermott George Bischoff Peter Alvarado
Each candidate was said to have received over 100+ votes.
Inspectors designated by candidates to observe the ballot counting, claimed to be restricted from asking questions and obtaining answers, by the attorney.
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2015 1:37:07 GMT -5
CORRECTION:In a flyer distributed earlier in the day, prior to the meeting, there was an error. There was a reference made about the overdue water/sewer balance at the end of 2014. The flyer read as; › MUA - 2014 ended with our debt balance of $114,067 and threat of a TAX SALE! A Tax Sale on the Association would stop anyone from selling there property! Why wasn't the WATER/SEWER BILL paid for 10 MONTHS??? It was intended and should have read as; On 2-21-2015, the MUA showed us to have a balance of $63,925.19 and with the then overdue amount for 2015, of $50,141.49. Together this equals a current debt balance of $114,067. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused. Other items mentioned concerning the recording of amendments to our by-laws, being done the board and through the attorney is still correct, as shown by public documents available from the county records department. AMENDMENTS CREATED AND RECORDED IN OCEAN COUNTY Feb 2005 AmendmentOct 2007 Amendment
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2015 2:01:05 GMT -5
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