SCHOA...what are they?

Anyone who has followed things i have written on TOSC knows i am a big fan of the Sun City Home Owners Association (SCHOA). Other than during a brief period where they refused to deal with a vendor who screwed us out of between $5-$10k with shoddy work, i've always been a member and touted their efforts.

You also might know, i was on their board for three years and have written multiple bodies of work for them. When Jim Hunter was their president who asked me to join the committee on trying to update their CC&R;s. Which i did, and was excited about them doing it; though doubtful it would ever get done (which it hasn't).

I won't bore you with the details, SCHOA was a mess when several of us got elected to their board in 2006. Within 6 months all of the employees (except the head of compliance) quit and we started anew. It was a long slow slog, but we started with the slogan, "Compliance Matters." The magazine we hand delivered to every doorstep showed them why. It featured comparisons on well maintained homes and those with violations.

Our membership went from 6000 plus homes to over 9000. The reality was the organization was put on solid footings and has been an organization to be proud of. They've been really good at dealing with compliance, their foundation got the walls painted and their greatest success was over-turning the water consolidation case we were facing. Awesome.

I still follow the organization more closely than most. Just me being wonky. I have become concerned of late as their monthly newsletter once again appears to being used to promote a local elected politician. Nope, no problem with Clint Hickman, SCHOA has a close working relationship with the county and he is the guy. The other one is more questionable (just my opinion).

Anyway, two things triggered this thread. I saw a facebook post today on a neighborhood section where a person was complaining about barking dogs. Several of the comments encouraged her to contact SCHOA (which she should do by the way). She said she hasn't because the last time she did, she reported neighbors had roosters and she claimed they did nothing about them. I have no idea if what she said is true, but roosters are a clear violation.

The second was regarding a poster i received multiple times in the past several weeks. It is touting a "Community Event and Festival." I am on their mailing list as a member and these kinds of events are standard fair for them. They are a good thing, it does help bring folks together.

Where i take exception is from a historical perspective. Every time they have gotten in trouble has been when they have strayed from their primary mission: "Enforcing the CC&R's." That is why they exist, anything else they do is a bonus. And, to be clear, they do a lot.

Here's my concern; on the flyer it said this: " A Community Building Program For Your Chamber Of Commerce." I've watched this play out before; it's way easier, way more fun to be a chamber of commerce than it is to be the organization that enforces the CC&R's. Picking the low hanging fruit of promoting businesses is easy, really easy. Telling home owners they are violating the rules they agreed to is harder, much harder.

Perhaps i am being picky here, but from my perspective, it's deja vu all over again. I hope i am wrong.

 

And when I commented on another thread that SCHOA should collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce to fill those vacant store fronts in all the various strip malls within Sun City with something other than a CBD oil or hearing aid store, I was told there was no Chamber of Commerce?

 

There isn't the closest thing to it was the Sun City Visitor's Center when it was free standing. Once the RCSC took it over, that too ceased. Nothing wrong with having Chamber of Commerce, the problem from my perspective is when SCHOA thinks that is the purpose they exist. There's been those who have gone down that road before and it cost us dearly. The business partner referral program SCHOA has only works if they protect the members, not the company that is paying them to promote their business.

 

Just to stray a little off topic, who controls the Farmer's Market that's held at Bell on Thursday's?

I went to the Farmer's Market in Sun City West a few weeks ago and was talking to a vendor who use to be at Bell. When I asked him why he was no longer at Bell he made a comment that who ever runs the Farmer's Market in Sun City was making some demands that he didn't necessarily agree with so he left.

There was more than one vendor at the Sun City West Farmer's Market who no longer participates at the one at Bell? Somethings not going right if that's what's happening?

 

RCSC does not run the Farmers Market at
Bell Recreation Center
16820 N. 99th Ave. Sun City, AZ 85351

Arizona Community Farmers Markets operates it and several others, but not SCW. Their vendor requirements and policies are detailed on their website:

https://arizonacommunityfarmersmarkets.com/sun-city-farmers-market

 

Thanks! I wasn't implying that SCHOA or the RCSC was running the Farmer's Market but it makes me wonder what's in it for the RCSC?

It makes me wonder if the Arizona Community Farmers Market Assoc. must be paying the RCSC for rental and set-up fees, or does that only apply to RCSC Members who want to use RCSC facilities and are then required to fork over a rental or set-up fee (See BP-12 )? Hmmm?

 

I’m sure the Arizona Community Farmers Market pays something to RCSC and has a Facilities Rental Agreement. Interesting that the board had to approve. Wonder when that happened and if it has to be applied for annually…hmm?

RCSC
Facilities Rentals
All rental requests for commercial organizations or groups wishing to sell products or services must be approved by the RCSC Board of Directors.
https://suncityaz.org/facilities-rentals/

Non-Member Rental Rates
Does not list parking lot
https://secureservercdn.net/192.169...RCSC-Non-Cardholder-Facility-Rental-Rates.pdf

Setup Forms
https://suncityaz.org/recreation/club-forms/setup-forms/

 

Has to kinda make you wonder if that has an affect on their non-profit status?

 

If it’s classified as an event in the interest of the members, probably not an issue. Just seasonal, not year round and only one day a week, Thursday’s.

 

Kudos to SCHOA, just got this months newsletter and very much enjoyed Ben Roloff's story regarding the Sun Bowl. I was delighted to see them showcasing their work/photo's of before and after of violations. Clearly that is their primary objective and as long as that remains at the top of their to do list, all the other stuff is a wonderful addition. Well done gang.

 

Here's a couple SCHOA news items for those that don't get the email blasts or visit their website frequently. Today(5/10) from 10-12 there is a very informative presentation by the Maricopa County Registrar of Contractors regarding contractor scams. The program will be held in the East Hall of Sundial auditorium.

SCHOA has begun recording and posting to their YouTube Channel all Board Meetings, Road & Safety Meetings and other important SCHOA sponsored events. They are still working on getting a clear audio recording so bear with them. A microphone for each person speaking would be a great step in that direction.

Please visit their site and become a member as it benefits the whole of Sun City and each property therein.

 

Interesting discussion coming out of the Member/Board Exchange meeting yesterday. A member spoke to a vacant house near his on a golf course and the fact transients may be using it to get on the golf course late at night on their bikes. All of which should have been just shoveled off to the old standby, "tell SCHOA." We've heard and seen these stories before, and one that comes to mind was an empty house in Phase 1 that SCHOA has been dealing with for years and there should be a boatload of accumulated charges against it.

The argument was, 10 years back, that these delinquent properties weren't worth the effort to foreclose on. Typically between back taxes, mortgages and any other liens organizations like SCHOA and the RCSC had could never get their money out of. They were so far down the debtors list, it wouldn't pay. All of which triggered the discussion between a couple of us, virtually every single family home in Sun City is worth a couple hundred thousand dollars.

Those of you that go back a few years remember the RCSC actually set up a separate corporation for that sole purpose. Seems to me it was something like the RCSC Holding Company. Many of us scratched our head but the argument was their role/purpose would be to be the bad guys if a property needed to be foreclosed on. No idea if they ever used it or not. Someone should find out.

The bigger question and point here, vacant properties are a blight on our beautiful Sun City. They attract transients, under age people and perhaps even criminals. Having served on the board at SCHOA i know there is a process in play regarding liens and if memory serves me, they needed to be renewed and updated yearly. There should also come a point where the amount is great enough there should be an action against these vacant properties.

In fact, i would argue the boards for both SCHOA and the RCSC need to be sure to hold their management teams in place to file and process these liens. And to be even more clear, now would be the perfect time to force them into foreclosure. The market is crazy hot and flippers would be fighting over buying them and turning them into saleable homes with real people living in them.

Another good thing that came from the Member/Board Exchange, the question is, will the board act on it?

 

We're getting near the one year mark of this post, so was wondering if there were any updates re: strategies towards the vacant properties or does it seem to have resolved itself with the hot market?

 

Over the years i have started so many threads, i have a hard time keeping them straight scj. The furor over this died down and it seems to me some of this was quelled with increased patrolling around Grand Ave. I know the POSSE had invested in having a greater presence in and around the golf courses which resulted in some push back by the RCSC. I asked about the relationship at the last "Exchange" and was told with the new POSSE Commander it would work itself out. We'll see.

SCHOA on the other has has been bludgeoned of late. Three high profile variance requests to the county in the past year has left them reeling as keyboard warriors on social media sites have been aggressively asking "what they are doing about them?" It's a reasonable question and one they (SCHOA) needs to find ways to reach out to the home owners and explain how the age overlay works. Yet again, we'll see.

 

In my neighborhood in Phase 2 there was a house taken over by squatters and they had a heck of a time getting them out, and since there was no garbage service, they stacked the trash in bags throughout the backyard, but SCHOA said something like they sent a notice and then had to wait another 3 months if the first notice wasn't responded to--crazy timeline for something that was so unsanitary.
Seems SCHOA, Posse, MCSO, and RCSC should work together rather than having turf wars esp. re: sharing info about whether the home is occupied or not so if the rec fees mount up, a welfare check can be made and each year a list of occupants in the house should be provided, etc. BTW, isn't the latter needed for Sun City's documentation to maintain the overlay? How do they go about that anyway?

 

Spot on scj, there has to be a better working relationship between the organizations. Watching the rift between the POSSE and the RCSC was painful and the lack of interest between the parties for what the other does is counter-productive to building that sense of community. Of course if that's not one of your goals why would you work toward it?

As far as how the data is compiled, still a dark hole for me. As much as i thought i understood it, i have a raft of questions that need be answered. Still pushing for a town hall style meeting where all of us can walk away understanding how it works. Communication, Education and Participation are all components that bring the community together. Why is that so freaking foreign and frightening to people in leadership roles?

 

Bill, You mention "goals" in your last post. Does RCSC have ANY written goals? If so, where would they be posted? What about SCHOA? I have to admit, I have not spent much time on their website nor have I gone to any of SCHOA's meetings.

Janet

 

No and No...not to my knowledge.

 

How about Article III of the Articles of Incorporation, "To do anything and everything lawfully necessary in the interest of the Members of the Corporation..."

 

Tom, That would be the perfect place to start! Then develop a long range plan from that. ASU is supposed to help with that using focus groups of Members. Not sure of the timeline.

What is so sad is that a 50+ year old organization, serving over 30,000 persons, with $125+Million of assets doesn't have a set of goals that a Member can easily find!

Janet Curry