The Lakes at

Belle Terre

 

JANUARY, 2012 NEWSLETTER

 

A big thanks to all of you who sent in your ballots and proxies; thanks to you, we made our quorum at the Annual Meeting and were able to re-elect our Officers/Directors and ratify actions taken by the board during this past year!  This is important due to the ongoing lawsuit by the Tugwell, Tabor, Pendarvis and Demaree families, who want to dissolve the HOA; stop paying annual dues; abandon maintenance of the lake, entrance, cul de sacs and common areas, and have no enforcement of the covenants so that individuals can do as they please with their properties. 

 

Your Board is doing everything it can to prevent this from happening and we appreciate everyone’s continued support.  Progress through the courts is slow, but we have the law on our side and with your help and involvement we will prevail.  We hate to think what would happen to our beautiful subdivision without a HOA to contract for landscaping, lighting, irrigation and maintenance and to enforce the restrictions which keep our neighborhood (and property values) a cut above the rest.

 

Our Board and Officers for 2012 are as follows:

 

President/Chairman of the Board of Directors:                        Cheryl Hensley

Treasurer/Director:                                                                          David Strong

Director/Architectural Control Committee Chairman:          Danny Church

Director:                                                                                               Carol Harrison

 

Denise Sharon was also elected as Secretary/Director, but has recently found it necessary to resign her post. 

Also, Carol Harrison has notified us that, after serving diligently for the past four years, she must resign as well, due to health problems.  This leaves us with the bare minimum of 3 directors and a skeleton staff of 3 officers to conduct all HOA affairs.

 

Plainly speaking, if you want to continue to have a functioning HOA some new folks will have to step up to the plate and volunteer NOW!

 

We desperately need a Secretary and a Vice President; these positions also come with membership on the Board of Directors.  The Secretary takes notes or tape records the board meetings and the annual meeting then drafts the minutes.  The Secretary also maintains the HOA files and helps with the annual ballot mailing as well as participating as a Director in reaching Board decisions as needed throughout the year. 

 

The Vice President should be prepared to participate as a Director and be willing to step into a leadership role in the event the President is unable to preside.  As you participate over time, you will learn from observing what needs to be done; it is not difficult, but you do need to be a self-starter who can delegate responsibility.

 

As a Director, your input is important in discussing and voting on various issues that arise during the year and in identifying problems that require HOA attention.  You should be willing to talk to fellow residents to identify and solve problems in order to facilitate the month to month functioning of the HOA. 

 

The work is spread out among all of us and is not very demanding because everyone pitches in.  The only qualifications are that you have paid your dues to-date and that you are committed to maintaining the highest standards in our subdivision, while treating everyone fairly.  We have on-line email meetings as needed and we have 3 or 4 regular meetings each year, so it does not require much of a time commitment, and you will never work with a nicer group of people.  We really need your help, so please volunteer in some capacity.

 

If you cannot participate as an Officer/Director, you may be interested in helping plan some community activities such as our annual Easter Egg Hunt, a winter Snow Party, a summer Fishing Tournament, or a fall Jambalaya/Barbeque event.  It has also been suggested that we have an old fashioned pre-Halloween fall party where we can bob for apples, decorate/carve pumpkins, and have a costume contest.  Other suggestions include Christmas Caroling, with volunteers providing hot chocolate and cookies along the route, and an organized annual neighborhood garage sale.

 

If you are interested in helping with any of these activities, or if you have any ideas for other events, please let us know by email and we will put you in touch with our activities chairman, Peggy Guhn.  Peggy also runs the Welcome Wagon committee and could use some help preparing and delivering gift bags to our new residents…it is a great way to meet and greet your new neighbors.

 

We would also welcome your help on the Maintenance/Grounds committee.  In addition to his many responsibilities as Architectural Control Committee Chairman and Inspector,  Danny Church has been doing a great job of patrolling our streets at night every two weeks to identify and report to DEMCO any broken or nonfunctioning street lights…I’m sure he would appreciate the help if someone else would like to volunteer for this job.  He is also the person to contact if you have a complaint about a restriction violation in the subdivision or if you are contemplating any exterior building projects which require ACC approval, such as fencing, painting a different color, remodeling, installing a patio, etc.  You can contact Danny at (225) 665-3791 or email him at church5@cox.net .

 

If you are a new resident, the best way to get to know your neighbors is to get involved with the HOA…and your efforts will be greatly appreciated!    

 

On another note, the collision damage at the entrance should be repaired soon; we have been trying to locate some large replacement trees and are close to reaching a settlement with the insurance company for the person who caused the damage a few months ago. 

 

Also, a little reminder to everyone regarding the Lake Rules:  Only rod and reel fishing is allowed; no trotlines, jug fishing, or cast nets, please.  Keep in mind, too, fishing for Largemouth Bass will be catch and release only during the spawning season from Feb. 15^th to April 30^th .

 

And finally, if you have not yet received your annual dues bill, please get in touch with Treasurer David Strong at (225) 667-2419 or email him at dstrong55@gmail.com  .  To avoid late fees and fines your dues must be paid in full by February 10^th, 2012.  After that date, there will be an initial late fee of $30 at 30 days; an additional $10 at 60 days, and then fines begin to accrue at the rate of $1 per day.  Our attorney will file a lien on your property and begin collection proceedings after 61 days, and all of his fees and expenses, including court costs will be added to your account.  Please save us all a lot of time and embarrassment by paying your dues in a timely manner.  As always, if you are having financial problems, feel free to contact our Treasurer to make alternate payment arrangements without incurring any penalty.

 

FYI, the Board will be holding its first meeting of the year this weekend;  if anyone has an issue you feel needs to be discussed, please email or phone one of us so we can address any concerns you may have.  We are looking forward to a great New Year and wish all of you the best! 

 

The President and Board of Directors,

Lakes at BelleTerre HOA.

 

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