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Why Stefanie?
Let’s Chat about it . . .
Briar Patch Village is already an amazing community, beautifully kept and well maintained! Together, we are working to make it even better! Stefanie offers an organized, detail-oriented, FRIENDLY, and creative approach to daily operations.
Stefanie will be a friendly and approachable board member and neighbor.
We all want to live in a community where our board members are friendly, approachable, transparent, and open to new ideas. We need board members that we can work in partnership with us toward objectives that benefit the association and the residents.
Stefanie will ensure effective communication with ALL residents in our community.
Let’s talk about the WEB PORTAL – Pilera has some good functions, but it is useless to half of the residents and renters cannot access it unless the owners give them permission to do so, which is rarely happening. We can't expect people to follow the rules if they don't know the rules. We can't expect people to know what safety concerns are out there if they can't receive the information. Because of this, and many other reasons, in July 2020, I, along with other residents, created a PRIVATE Facebook Group to bring our community together. It has been well received by our residents! We are sharing information, news, community updates, real-time events, getting help, and making new friends! JOIN US! https://www.facebook.com/groups/BriarPatchResidents This group is not sanctioned by the board, which is fine. I did ask them to be a part of it when we first started, but they declined, which is fine. HOWEVER, since then, they have taken it way too far. They have sent me TWO Cease & Desist letters (AT OUR EXPENSE!) in the last 14 months and "threatened me" with legal action over this group. I am doing nothing wrong. We are doing nothing wrong. Our Facebook group has been a positive experience with more than half of our residents participating already! It has brought the neighbors together in a wonderful way to allow real-time conversations and friendships in the community. The board does not want “conversations.” They want one-way communication that they can control. One must ask... WHY?
Stefanie will ensure the rules are written clearly, are easily accessible, and dispensed fairly to all.
If you're expected to follow the rules, you should have input on, and know those rules! Association rules (aka Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, Rules and Regulations, Governing Documents, ByLaws, etc.), and any changes or amendments, should be used appropriately, not conveniently stretched, and they should be made clear to every resident, owners and renters. The Rules and Regulations should be IN WRITING and available by request! I have asked for these for over a year, got the run around, and have yet to see a Rules & Regulations Book, as required. (It doesn't exist.) I was told, “they are in the newsletters,” FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS! All of the "rules" they have voted in, SOLELY as a board, not by the members, have NOT been formally adopted or amended since 2003! They cannot provide any official list of these rules, other than to say that "they are in the Minutes of the Meetings." Therefore, if you wanted to know what they were, you would have to go back through 18 years of newsletters/minutes to find them. That is NOT OK. How do we inform new residents of the rules then? Since they aren’t formally written, they tend to be loose and often used at their discretion. For example, some owners have decorative ponds or palm trees or certain types of plants, while other owners have been denied putting these SAME things in… even while trying to beautify their home and the neighborhood.
Stefanie will require property management to be kind and respectful while doing their job.
We all have a RIGHT TO RESPECT – Remember, property management is paid by US. We have a right to have a Property Manager that is kind and respectful, while doing their job! Rudeness and talking down to owners and renters is completely unacceptable. The BOARD needs to make decisions, NOT the management company. They are there for GUIDANCE. WE pay THEM! Every board meeting I hear Terri say, “Well, in my other communities we do X.” Well, we don’t live in your other communities. We live here! Decisions need to be made on what OUR RESIDENTS want! It is the BOARD’S job to review options and make an educated decision for themselves on behalf of the OWNERS and residents here at BPV. We need to pressure our board members to step up and take action when the property manager is being disrespectful and rude to our residents. We need to demand change! Remember, the property management company works for US. We pay her – over $16k a year I believe! We don’t pay for abuse!
Stefanie will ensure that the board is fiscally conservative, timely, and efficient while maintaining the community.
The board has been MOSTLY fiscally responsible, We do have lower fees. However there are some things that do need to be addressed and things that need to be moved into the future. For instance, a small item, but we are spending over $1,000 a year on "payment booklets" that most people don't use anymore. Most people bank online. We could cut that down by only offering them as an option to those who want/need them or who have used them. Several little things like this do add up.
Let's talk about the Roofing Project – While we are all glad that the board decided to complete ALL of the roofs immediately, this project was long overdue, bordering negligence. They only revisited the 5-year timeline, after the roofs were already 17+ years old, when numerous residents had issues with selling homes, getting/renewing insurance, and having costly leaking issues. I spoke with many people about their roofs, and I myself have 3 written quotes on mine that all sited the same thing:“ "The roof was well beyond it’s lifetime and had extreme wear.” Every roofer recommended replacement, not the costly, extensive repairs - in our case, more than half our roof. (NOTE - The damage was from normal wear and tear, because of the age of the roof. This was not caused by one-time events. Terri told me and others that we would have to pay the thousands of dollars out of our pockets. ) Thankfully, they were pressured into doing the roofs, but it should not have gotten this far. This neglect in preparation caused financial issues for the HOA. Based on conservative estimates, the project will likely deplete our funds, unless they stretch it with a loan.
NOTE - ADDED 10/20/2021At the 10/20/2021 Board Meeting, Terri, the property manager, went on a 20-minute tangent about the roofing project in defense of the "misinformation" that *I* (presumably) am putting out there. Let me be real clear here..... Today they tried to back pedal their reasons for waiting so long on the roofs.. The problem is that they screwed up YEARS ago, not this year (same board, same prop manager). Now they try to make themselves out to be the saints for getting all the roofs done at once.. We are all glad the roofs are all getting done now, but that doesn't change the past.
Stefanie is open to new, fresh ideas and open community conversations
Personally, as a board member, I WANT to hear input from our neighbors! This is OUR community! 5 board members are not the community. They REPRESENT the community. They need to hear what the residents have to say!
We are ready for some new people at the helm.
We need the board to be adjusted from time to time to keep it fresh and accountable. Our board, and the positions held by the directors, has become stagnant. The same 5 people have been making the decisions for everyone for about 15 years, in some cases maybe longer. Most HOA Bylaws have limits on the number of terms that a particular board member can serve to ensure that there is some changeover from time to time. Now is that time. Board members are elected by the people, for the people, and the property manager and attorney quite literally work for YOU, therefore, there is a clear expectation that YOUR voice is being heard.
RUMORS – Please do not let rumors guide your choice!
Last year when I ran, an array of misconceptions were put out there… “A new board member would cause your HOA fees to be raised.” “This person wants renters to vote.” I’m not even sure of all of them or where they originated, but I have my suspicions. They were silly and ALL FALSE. Why would I, an owner, want the monthly HOA fees raised? That doesn’t make any sense! Obviously, we need to be fiscally responsible and maintain our property, but no one is here looking to dramatically raise fees, certainly unnecessarily! That is just silly. (My husband is the cheapest person you know!) And as for renters voting – I absolutely NEVER said that. I did say that renters should be considered an important part of our community! They should also be treated with respect! They should know the rules and have information given to them as needed! PLEASE, if you have questions about my issues, ASK ME! I am straight forward.
Stefanie will bring the community together in a friendly, productive way
The community wants to get together and have events as a neighborhood. We tried to put together a community get together, outdoors, block party style, and it was poo-pooed by the board, using COVID as their "excuse."
In conclusion:
Unfortunately, it has been hard to find people willing to run for the board. People don’t want to deal with Terri. They are treated so rudely when they call property management, or by a certain board member, that they are unwilling to take on the job. Sadly, “RUDE” is the word I hear most often when describing them. Last year, Terri did everything she could to keep ME from running for the board. Doesn’t that beg the question - WHY are they, or is she, so afraid of someone new joining the board??? They've used every tactic to keep me out. They said we owed $15 in back fees. Ok. we paid it. Then she said I wasn't an owner, because only my husband was on the deed. Well, no problem, within two hours we filed the Quit Claim Deed that we already had on hand. Done. Both years I've gotten Cease & Desist letters to try to scare me off, oddly right before election time. I am not afraid. Someone needs to stand up! Remember, property management is paid by US. We have a right to have a Property Manager that is kind and respectful while doing their job! We have many long-term renters, and they are a vital part of our community! Many of them would someday like to buy a home here, but sadly are apprehensive. I also hear of OWNERS who are considering moving because of the poor treatment! This is very sad! We need to make Briar Patch attractive to new buyers and high-quality renters! We have more and more younger families moving here each year, and we have not responded to the changing demographics. We need to bring change that is keeping with the times! Not only should Briar Patch Village be well maintained on the outside, but it should also be a place that gives us a sense of home, fellowship, trust, and neighborly support inside our gate.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you will support me and VOTE FOR STEFANIE for the Briar Patch board!
Warm regards - your neighbor, your peer, your friend,
Stefanie
Watch my video
Download my Candidate Information Sheet
About Me, Stefanie
I moved to Briar Patch Village about 5-1/2 years ago with my husband Jeremy and our youngest daughter, Sedona, now 11. We have two adult children who still reside in the Chicagoland area, Maxwell, 28, and Hailey, 24. We have been very happy living in this community. It is just the three of us here in Florida, so our neighbors in Briar Patch Village have truly become our "Florida Family" over the last few years. They are the ones with which we celebrate holidays, special events, and everyday happenings now.
Jeremy is a Hotel Manager with a major brand, and I work part time as a Creative Manager. We have homeschooled our daughte for 5 years, and I also manage a large, well-respected homeschool group, with about 1,100 members. As an entrepreneur and volunteer, I have served on, and chaired, numerous committees through various public and private schools, park districts, chambers of commerce, local government and churches. I also served as an Elected Director on a Board of Directors for a Chamber of Commerce in Illinois. I have earned several awards throughout my career and have maintained an honorable reputation as a trustworthy, honest, transparent, and sincere businessperson.
Jeremy is a Hotel Manager with a major brand, and I work part time as a Creative Manager. We have homeschooled our daughte for 5 years, and I also manage a large, well-respected homeschool group, with about 1,100 members. As an entrepreneur and volunteer, I have served on, and chaired, numerous committees through various public and private schools, park districts, chambers of commerce, local government and churches. I also served as an Elected Director on a Board of Directors for a Chamber of Commerce in Illinois. I have earned several awards throughout my career and have maintained an honorable reputation as a trustworthy, honest, transparent, and sincere businessperson.
I am your Neighbor, your Peer, your Friend . . . . . . YOUR Representative.
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* A VOTE for Stefanie is a vote for ADVANCEMENT! *
We may be individually STRONG, but we are collectively POWERFUL.
LANDLORDS:
Ask your renters who THEY think would be a good candidate! They live here and likely know most of them personally!
RENTERS:
You might not have an "official" vote, but your opinion matters! Let your Landlord know who YOU recommend!
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY FACEBOOK GROUP! We created an (unofficial) Facebook Group so the residents can share ideas, share and learn news in real time, and build a strong sense of togetherness. Please join us! Owners and renters welcome! Share the group with your neighbors too! The facebook page/group is NOT in connection with the election in any way. The group is a place of community for the residents of Briar Patch Village of Seven Springs in Trinity (NPR), Florida. We want to share information in a really strong and productive way, in real time! We love Briar Patch Village. It is a wonderful community to live in, and we are only here for the betterment of it! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BriarPatchResidentsYou will be asked a few questions to verify residency.Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BriarPatchVillageThe page is only meant to make our group more searchable on Facebook and guide you in the right direction.
You can also now use the "tag" for your Facebook posts: @BriarPatchVillage
Briar Patch Village Residents - Trinity, FL.
