BOYNE OWNERS

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2009-08-26T15:34:52.876-07:00

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At this point Boyne has left us with no options ot...

2009-05-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

At this point Boyne has left us with no options other than to seek legal justification .Why is it that this is seen in such a negative light? I applaud you for taking action and for being our trailblazer. Thank you for taking on this cause because I do not wish to be the next one left in financial ruin because I was naive enough to be lead blindly by someone who does not care about me. We were deceived from the very start and the management continues to put a spin on things today. Please remember they are in business for themselves and their job is to protect their investment I suggest that you do the same.

I too would like to thak the veterans who have ser...

2008-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

I too would like to thak the veterans who have served this country so proudly and who 'love the president who ever is in office'.

God bless America and look over or new congress and president - for only God can protect us!

* Since I like the post I thought I would share t...

2008-11-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

* Since I like the post I thought I would share the readers comments as well.

These comments can also be read at the original post at bnets.

ennyman11/12/08 Report as spam
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RE: Bad Economy Becoming All-Purpose Excuse

It's well known that economic downturns are a way of weeding out the weaker siblings in the economic gene pool. These are tough times, but unless companies deal with their problems in good times, they can end up eaten by the predators lurking at the edge of the herd.
(My apologies for the miscellaneous mixed metaphors.)
e.
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jensipin11/12/08 Report as spam
2
RE: Bad Economy Becoming All-Purpose Excuse

Our sales team has run into the "bad economy" excuse in the past few weeks...

What are some proven sales tactics that have worked either against or with this excuse?
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jongreer11/12/08 Report as spam
3
RE: Bad Economy Becoming All-Purpose Excuse

Good question -- you're going to run into this a lot in sales, and let's face it, sometimes it will be the truth no matter what [think what it must be like to be a hot tub salesman targeting homeowners]. But other times, you've got to look at it the other way: what WILL they be spending $$ on [they must be spending on something] and figure out if you can fit yourself into THAT budget. Another tactic: stress the money-saving aspects of your product/service: how it replaces other expenses or lowers future expenses.
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NorthstarFlorida11/12/08 Report as spam
4
Tactic for giving a sanity check for excuses

When clients I coach begin to use "Universal Quantifiers" like the word all, or "Cause-Effect" explanations I have found it effective to simply reword the phrases as questions and see if the data supports the "excuse".

For example, if the claim is "Sales are down because of the bad economy" then there is an implied "all" in that statement. I like to ask "Are sales down in all areas because of the economy?" The answer is almost always no. Exploring the "exceptions" may reveal that the areas that are doing better can be because of anything from the salesperson, the market segment, the pricing for that client, the communication, the service....

Another approach to take in response to the "Sales are down due to the bad economy" is to ask "Did the sales dip begin with the bad economy?" Looking at the data with the team should be able to confirm if the economy was a contributor and if so, how much. Jon Greer gave a great example above about Circuit City. An examination of the data would show that Circuit City's problems began before the "bad economy".

This is a message I received from a subscriber."Th...

2008-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is a message I received from a subscriber.

"There is a virus in the picture of the bald eagle on this blog post - do not save the picture to your PC, and if you get a fake windows virus alert do not open it. If you do it will open an executable Trojan and it’s a pain to remove."

The best thing to do is 1) delete the email containing the "thank you" post then empty your trash with the deleted email.

If you did not try to download or save the picture to your computer it should pose no threat to your PC.

2) Perform a virus scan of you PC to be safe.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. I am attempting to confirm the information sent to me.

I removed the picture to eliminate any future occurrences. The pictures on this site are from an open source network Picsearch. Please do not download pictures or any file without scanning for viruses first.

The person who hid a virus in this picture is obviously not a friend of the USA and I hope our troops of law enforcement find him soon.

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to post them or email directly

I do not know why they may need 68 million dollars...

2008-11-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

I do not know why they may need 68 million dollars but it sounds like they have enough to buyout investors who want to leave.

Anybody know why Boyne might need 68 mil?

2008-11-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Anybody know why Boyne might need 68 mil?

Dear Anonymous,Thank you for sparking my memory as...

2008-11-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for sparking my memory as I have two additional recollections of reasons Stephen may not be so fond of me. As such, I should add these to the list of attempts to “entice” him in to public debate.

During last year’s annual associate meeting there was a heated discussion between Stephen, another owner, and I, about the complete divergence from the plan we had originally been sold. Plans filed with the planning commission have not been brought to fruition. Furthermore, they never will as the land has been parceled off and sold. The 9-hole golf course, the ice skating rink, extra parking for day skiers, and the Bavarian village we were shown when beguiled into purchasing are no longer being discussed. Somehow, Stephen tried to convince those in attendance that the four-season “destination” we were sold would someday come to completion, but a quick review of the documented plans compared to the present development and sales, indicates otherwise. Needless to say, this may be one of the biggest reasons that my reputation does not hold merit with Stephen.

Like you Anonymous, my husband and I also attempted to sell our unit through Boyne realtors, private realtors and even a private auction, only to have Boyne employees interfere by providing inquiring customers a false depiction of the reasons for the auction. So I am not sure I would agree with your statement that there is “no market” for condo hotels. In my humble opinion a fair statement would be, there is no market for a condo hotel that Boyne does not want sold.

Finally, I should acknowledge yet another reason I am not in Stephen’s favor as this addresses your request to “figure out ways to significantly lower costs for owners and boost income.” My husband and I have requested to the Mountain Grand Lodge Board of Directors that an external audit from a certified agency be conducted according to the by-laws. The driving force behind this external audit is to acquire an outside agency to identify areas for correction, those of which are not readily identified by internal employees. This request was presented to the Board in a certified letter and discussed at a meeting that took place during the summer. There was limited interest in pursuing this request as concerns seem to focus on the cost of such an endeavor. So if you have thoughts or suggestions related to ways of quickly identifying areas of over expenditure I welcome your thoughts and those of others.

Here's The real issue and the reason for all the n...

2008-11-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Here's The real issue and the reason for all the noise..... as you know.... those who bought these investment condos can't afford to make the payments anymore, the 3 year cost recovery is over, most thought they would make money or at least break even. Now you might say .. if you are unhappy sell your property!, I've had mine for sale for several years at a price significantly lower than what I paid for it. The word is out that Condo Hotels are bad investments, you can read about it on line. There is no market. Unless you want to give it away you are stuck with it. In addition you are in competition with Boyne owned properties that they want to sell first and bank owned properties that will be sold at even significantly lower prices.

Nobody wants to be ruin their credit with a foreclosure but many will get to a point where they have no choice. I predict we will have a significant number of foreclosures in the next year or we will see people just dumping their units for whatever they can get. This really hurts us all including the developer, do we really want a hotel full of bank owner properties? Every effort should be made to figure out ways to significantly lower costs for owners and boost income so they can stay in this investment.... maybe in a few years things will change for the better.

Mr. Kircher,Is there a problem with you public deb...

2008-11-04T05:10:00.000-08:00

Mr. Kircher,

Is there a problem with you public debating facts and intentions? Shouldn’t you be transparent on both accounts?

As far as having the highest revenue per square foot of all the facilities you operate, what is that in dollars? That statement is a bit misleading as written.

Does it mean that the reason for this being the highest revenue property is because it is generating a large amount of dollars or that the other resorts are not doing well at all?

In looking at the square foot comparison of revenue, does that mean you 'over built' the other resorts or 'under-built' the Mountain Grand Lodge?

Another comparison of revenue that would be helpful is the appraised value of the properties and revenue generated, i.e, annual revenues compared to real estate value. Surely with property values declining, the comparison may be of benefit.

Please provide more specifics as you have time in your busy schedule. There are those of us who take time from our busy schedule awaiting your answers.

Now as far as propaganda…we live in a wonderful democracy that allows us to Question Authority! And with this being election day, I hope everyone remembers that we must always Question Authority and not be afraid of conflict…’Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict’ - Dorothy Thompson

Here’s to those who ruffle feathers!

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stan...

2008-11-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
-Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

Stephen,
Thanks for the post! Like the blog says it is all about communication and free speech.

I must ask however that you do not insult the readers of this blog by implying they are unique for reading the post and replies here as it is clear by your post, that you read my “bizarre propaganda” too! So please go easy on yourself.

Now I respect your disagreement over your absence and truly on behalf of all owners who were present at the annual meeting we truly wish you could have been there. If you read closely you will see that I only reported the speculation of your absence by owners and the effect it had on the meeting as well as your employees. I would tell you they deserve a raise for what they must endure but the increase in my association or management fees to cover it would be to my disadvantage.

Maybe we can agree to the statement that your support was missed by investors who really, really, wanted to speak to you? Others may have been dismayed by your absence as you are the President of the company that is the single largest investor in the MGL, The Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa LLC, or as your employees like to call it the “partnership.”
Now I must respectfully disagree with you about the whole “overshadowing” your employees. I would term you more as a “lightning rod” for unsatisfied investors that demand accountability. You really should check the importance ego at the door though; the ten employees you overshadow take it in the shorts every time you fail to follow through with your investors. Pants go on one leg at a time big man.

Now as far “enticing” goes. First, “goad” is a much more appropriate word (right click then scroll down to “thesaurus” it helps keep you from using the same word twice, like “bizarre”) Second, attempting to drag my wife into your issues with my blog is unbecoming. If your wish to be intellectually castrated by her, I can’t help you. Third, this is not as time demanding as you think.

Moving along… you and I will again disagree as I am not sure I call an investor yelling at you in the middle of the meeting and reinforced by the other investors who were present at the meeting a “healthy exchange.” You even categorized that annual meeting as being in the top three worst association meetings you have had the displeasure of attending in our discussion after the meeting. In my book that might be called a reality check.

Now you want to talk cash flow, speak with your investors with zero mortgage and check their satisfaction levels. I took some time out of my busy blogging schedule to speak with them and attend the annual meeting and guess what Steve, they are not happy with you or their investment either!

For the record you really should employ independent analysis of your statistical data with comparative models to equivalent competitors. Saying that the MGL yields the highest revenues per square foot of any facilities you operate is like the U.S. Congress saying your income taxes are the lowest of any country they collect income tax from.

Back to the attending the meeting thing again, man your feeling guilty, and you should, it was a great meeting. My wife and I asked you a year ago to look into web conferencing and web cast for the meeting to improve attendance for all owners (you could have watched the fireworks from your office without interrupting your presidential schedule). Unfortunately the whole “web” idea fell on deaf ears so here we are on my blog having a delightful conversation.

Regarding the job your employees are doing. First their back must ache from carrying you. Second why confine their performance analysis to the Midwest? I mean you own /manage resorts from coast to coast why are they not the folks doing the best job in the country with the lowest fees per square foot of any resort in YOUR entire system? Your statement would imply you pay some of your employees less than them, or that your qualitative analysis of their work is based on the fees per square foot. Man you’re one hell of a boss. Is there any openings at Boyne USA I was thinking of applying.

Regarding the owner’s council… First your selection of presidents has been limited. The president of my “other” Association who has served as president for the last several years has just been anointed to your council. So presidents they may be, selection and representation have been arbitrary at best. Smells like democracy to me…..

Before you further expound on the virtues of your council you might want to cross reference the newsletters you put out explaining the purpose of said council. When you decide what it is you want the council to do and the purpose for it, please put it into one coherent statement so there is no confusion.

As owners we elect Board Members not Presidents some of those we elect represent us well and others not so well. The representation of your owners council might not be a true reflection of issues your company should address on behalf of owners. If you want to know what owners think ask them.

Now Stevie just so you know the readers of this blog ARE NOT YOUR EMPLOYEES!!! YOU DO NOT GET TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY DO OR THINK OR SHOULD FEEL. THEY ARE SMART ENOUGH TO DO THAT FOR THEMSLEVES. I have encouraged them to question everything including my statements.

As far as the minutes go I hope they are accurate or I will be sure to oppose them being accepted at the next board meeting.
Accuracy is the bane of records.

Let us be certain as to the presentations here. First, I have asked questions, second I have stated facts as they relate to respective situations and third I have posed speculation and cited it as such.

As far as your 60 year history goes I am sure ENRON said the same thing about those that questioned the super smart CEO’s of that company too…. But I digress.

May those that read this find inspiration by men richer in life and knowledge than I……

Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.
-Warren Buffet

Robert Vander Ploeg
President International Operations. (see I have an important title too!)
Vancomp Properties LLC.

Stephen, Thank you for taking the time to respond ...

2008-11-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

Stephen,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to this blog given your busy schedule including oversight of over 70 associations and 7 condo hotels. In all fairness I do respectfully request that you verify the validity of your own statements.

In a previous post you indicated:

“….the author of this blog and his wife spend most of their time trying to entice me in to public debates about facts and intentions.”

You’ll note that on this blog I have only posted once, on October 13, 2008. That post titled Collection of People or a Community? In that post, I presented the contention that this forum must be a democracy based on free speech. At times, this will mean posing difficult questions to which we will together, find a solution.

It is interesting that this single post was construed as “enticing you into public debates about facts and intentions.” Then again, your biased recollection of my contributions to this blog could be based on e-mail communications inquiring about the calculation of statistical analysis of facts presented during a board meeting. Somehow, my questions regarding the validity of the data must have struck a chord.

Then again, the only other interaction we have had is a conversation after last year’s board meeting. During which time we discussed my suggestion of employing web conferencing at board meetings to encourage and increase participation of owners. To which you responded that you would look into but did not estimate would realize, as your “tech guys” did not have the bandwidth or the knowledge infrastructure to support. We ended the conversation after you clarified the role of Owner Services. I had shared with you the details of the unacceptable managerial decision made by a member of Owner Services, which resulted in out of pocket expenses due to lack of communication and follow through on protocol.

With that said, after a review of our interactions I must surmise that those that ask difficult questions or relay any level of concern are then labeled as troublemakers or rabble-rousers. Seeking answers to questions is strongly discouraged as this could only be construed as “enticing” you into public debates.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

To whom might actually read this bizarre propagand...

2008-11-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

To whom might actually read this bizarre propaganda,

With over 70 associations and 7 condo hotels, I respectfully disagree that my absence at this meeting means anything and trying to make an issue of it is quite bizzare and misguided. My attendance at the first several Mountain Grand meetings was to show support for this new operation. Unfortunately, my attendance tended to overshadow the 10 Boyne representatives that have been at these prior meetings - especially when the author of this blog and his wife spend most of their time trying to entice me in to public debates about facts and intentions.

Last years meeting was a healthy exchange - however there where some owners clearly with the similar view that condominiums should somehow cash flow association dues, taxes and a mortgage at 80 percent leverage or higher.

For the record: The Mountain Grand Lodge has the highest revenues per square foot of any of the facilities we operate nationwide including several we assumed from prior mgt organizations.

As for my not attending this meeting, Boyne Resorts is an organization of almost 7000 people and 13 resorts from Coast to Coast. If I were to get to every association meeting I would not have time to manage anything effectively. Especially with operations opening up for skiing in New England this weekend.

We had all the key personel responsible for the operations of Boyne Mountain and the Mountain Grand Lodge in attendance. They are folks who are doing the best job in the Midwest running a condo hotel with the lowest fees per square foot of any in our entire system.

Boyne Resorts has created what is known as the owners council in Michigan - which is made up of the Presidents of the 28 associations in Michigan that we manage. We have 4 meetings with this council each year - I chair that meeting and it is an effect forum to exchange common issues amoung the associations. This has replaced my attendance in specific association meetings in Michigan.

Those who read this should have a very suspect eye toward the motives of the author of this blog and the facts regarding what went on at the meeting or not. I suggest waiting for the minutes from the Board.

In our 60 year history this blog/forum is the most distorted presentation of information about our company and what we stand for and accomplish each and every day at our resorts.

Respectfully,
Stephen Kircher
President, Boyne Eastern Operations - Boyne Resorts

Anon,Thanks for the great comment and I will agree...

2008-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Anon,

Thanks for the great comment and I will agree that the time spent up there can be the best of times and memories. The activities are great for the family.

The difficulties arise as an owner dealing with property and association and management. Most people purchase property with Boyne thinking it will be a hassle free vacation home or investment. Unfortunately this does not turn out to be the case for all owners.

As I develop better online communities for owners I have come to realize many have the same issues and concerns that I do. Like the point you raise about getting a straight answer.

Many owners felt frustrated and isolated. I am hoping to change that.

Oositive or negative it is time to demand accountability and integrity from those that mange our investments at Boyne. If everything were 100% great then there would not be a need for this site nor an expressed interest by the many owners who have contacted me and thanked me for starting this community.

You can only be made a fool if you choose to follow blindly. So, Question everything find the best answers you can and if your wrong call it experience and try not to let it happen again.

A wise man once said good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from making poor decisions.

May we all have better judgment after this decision.

This guy is an owner who is getting paid by Boyne ...

2008-10-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

This guy is an owner who is getting paid by Boyne and is taking advantage of the rest of the owners. He cant be both an owner and a developer with political ties that block the rest of the owners from being able to sell if need be, Boyne is playing their shell game again and trying to hide behind transparent lingo. Can we team up and demand some answers in person or through a legal avenue? Can this info be disclosed through the freedom of info act?

I agree that some comment are a bit on the negativ...

2008-10-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

I agree that some comment are a bit on the negative side but, don’t get me wrong I bought in Boyne because it is a great place to visit year round and we do. The kids love Boyne Deer Lake, The Beach House, Golf (How many cores) Avalanche Bay!!! Skiing!!!!!,story time with fritz in the library or just going to Everett’s for desert. We love Boyne but sometimes I feel that we should be given a straight answer. How long would you put up with a friend that you dedicate all of your vacation time to and you never get an answer that could possible be correct. So how long would you put up with someone trying to make a fool of you?

Hi Robert,I am interested in the outside rental gr...

2008-10-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Robert,

I am interested in the outside rental groups, can you send me your contacts?

Thanks,
Gene Carlson
carl410@comcast.net

Thanks so much for volunteering you time on our be...

2008-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for volunteering you time on our behalf. We are lucky to have a dedicated leader with such insightful contributions.

Ed,Thanks for the update and clarification on the ...

2008-09-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ed,

Thanks for the update and clarification on the developer and successor
developer. You will have to forgive my misinterpretation. Apparently, when
the Developer sold me my unit they did not feel it important enough to give
me a correct and complete copy of the condominium documents.

Maybe you could be so good as to send me a complete and updated hard and
electronic copy I will post the electronic version so that all owners can be
sure they are reading the right documents. This will certainly help to
reduce any future misinterpretations. On the topic of sending stuff we never
received a breakdown of the packages like you promised us, do we have an
expected delivery date for that?

I guess that brings us back to my original argument then about the exact
wording and intent of the bylaws. The developer under whatever name he would
like to use does not have the right to appoint a director to the Board just
because he owns the required number of units. The units as stated in the
Bylaws must be for sale.

You state that all of the residential units are for sale. Do you have
documentation to support this? Have the units been rented to guests? Has the
developer received income from these units? If the developer has received
income from these units then they are no longer new. If the units are no
longer new and are not for sale then the developer has taken ownership of
the units (not just post development possesion with intent to sell) making
his possession no different from any other owners. By taking ownership of
the units and not continuing to have them for sale the developer loses his
right to appoint a director to the board.

Now I know you stated that out of consideration for owners who have their
units for sale the developer has withheld aggressive advertising and
marketing. However, Ed I am going to have to call B.S. on that statement.

First, the developer through his real estate company has been marketing and
advertising in the lobby of the hotel since the doors opened. Some owner’s
tried to sell their units through the real estate company owned by the
developer, however the real estate company would not sell them, or is it
could not sell them, because they were too focused on trying to sell the new
Creekside development (kind of like steering in real estate terms). Now I
could digress and go into supply and demand as affected by new developments
(like the chalets) and the effects it has on property values, rental income
/ heads in beds, but I can start a whole other discussion on that, so I
won’t.

I will digress to point out that the developer did use false and misleading
statements and documents during the original sale of MGL units; Is that what
you meant by aggressive marketing and advertising?

Let’s review on your statements regarding the value of our units. You stated
that if the developer markets for sale the units all the units he has, all
our units will decrease in value. Well that implies that we overpaid to
begin with (the benefits of aggressive marketing and advertising I guess?).
It also implies that the developer in order to manipulate the market in an
attempt to price fix Boynes real estate market pulled units off the market
or never released for sale certain units.

And further digression:

Ed, when you asked to be part of this group, you asked, as a representative
of Boynes interest. So let me ask you. Are you representing Boyne or The
Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa? Or are they one in the same?

I realize your job is to manage the hotel and some of the issues and
questions presented here are beyond your scope of authority. Unfortunately
you have been tasked you with the chore of addressing said issues presented
in this forum so the accountability is yours. If I am misguided in this
respect please clearly define your role and responsibilities as the relate
to the MGL.

I am glad the developer has selected Cindy Johnson as the replacement for
Phil Jones. Is there any explanation for the sudden departure of Mr. Jones?
Owners have right to know why Directors are replaced or removed.

Your assurance is to the effort you put forth in running the hotel is always
appreciated and acceptance of accountability is always reassuring.

I will continue to question Boyne/MGL&S actions on all fronts as I will
question actions of the Board of Directors. Unfortunately for the owners the
MGL&S or Boyne realty or Boyne Properties INC. and its affiliates have
developed a pattern of behavior that requires owners question their actions.

To Gene's point maybe a Laywer or Judge should review our situation.

Regards,

Robert

Folks:When the Master Deed was first recorded (pri...

2008-09-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Folks:

When the Master Deed was first recorded (prior to the start of construction) Boyne Properties, Inc. was named in the Master Deed as the Developer, but in 2003 prior to the sale of any units title of all units was conveyed to the Mountain Grand lodge and Spa, LLC (MGL&S. The Michigan Condominium Act (section 135) automatically makes MGL&S a successor Developer. Also, the second amendment to the master deed recorded in 2003 stated that MGL&S was assuming the role of Developer for the project. Then all sales of units were by MGL&S to the new co-owners. MGL&S is the Developer and still owns enough units to have a representative on the board. We have selected Cindy Johnson as the Developer Board representative. Cindy’s financial background will be a good resource to the Board in helping control costs and grow occupancy for the MGL&S.

All of the residential units held by the Developer are for sale. In consideration of co-owners in the MGL&S that have their unit up for sale the Developer has withheld aggressive marketing and advertising of Developer owned residential units. To advertise all Developer residential units for sale would bring the number of units for sale in the project to number that would diminish the values of project as a whole.

I assure all co-owners that we are doing our best each and every day to run the MGL&S facility as efficiently as possible. We don’t mind being held accountable and are always open and appreciative of comments and suggestions from co-owners on how we can continue to improve.

Ed Grice
General Manager
Boyne Mountain Resort

Robert,It makes sense, maybe we want to get a an o...

2008-09-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Robert,

It makes sense, maybe we want to get a an opinion from an attorney before
taking any action. What do you think?

It would also be nice to know if a precedence has been set on any other
properties owned by Boyne or any other Condo Hotels not owned by Boyne.

Thanks,

Gene

Hey everyone,It’s that time of year again! That’s ...

2008-09-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

It’s that time of year again! That’s right, time for the annual meeting.

Annual election time. The 4th annual meeting should be a fun one, with lots to discuss.

It has come to my attention that Phil Jones is no longer an employee of Boyne. I do not know the details of his abrupt departure but I am sure an explanation will be forth coming. As all of you are aware, Phil was appointed to our Board of Directors in 2006 and his seat as a director will be filled. I will provide you with the details as I get them.

In the letter announcing the meeting I noticed some things that should be brought to all owners’ attention.

1st is the number of director position up for election.

The letter states that there are two positions up for election. I will contest this assumption. While there is no question that Steve Rice’s and Dan Aitken’s positions are up for election I venture to propose that the seat held by the developer is also up for election!

Yes, I said it! The developer’s seat is up for election!!! Now Boyne and Steve Kircher will argue different of that I have no doubt.

However let’s review the bylaws and surrounding facts.

According to article 11 section (C)(1)

“the developer shall have the right to designate at least one Director as long as the Developer owns and offers for sale at least 10% of the Units in the condominium or as long as 10% of the Units remain that may be created.”

I will re-emphasize that the developer has to offer for sale the units it holds. It cannot hold them to retain the right to appoint a Director to our Board. According to information provided by Boyne realty, the MLS and tax records, the right, as defined by the exception according to the bylaws, is in question.

The other part of the equation Article XI section (C) (3)

“if the Developer is retaining only 1 directorship it shall be a 2 year term”

According to the Annual state filing there were no changes of directors or officers from 2002 until 2006. The officers and directors of the association were Steve Kircher, Steve Mathews, and Ed Dembeck.

In 2006 we elected to the Board of Directors Dan Aitken and Steve Rice to two year terms (as provided for in article 11 section (C)(3) per highest number of votes) and Randy Frykberg and Gary Bloodworth to one year terms (both re-elected last year). Phil Jones was appointed by the Developer in 2006 to a two year term.

Since we are voting for seats held by Steve and Dan it calls into question the right of the developer to appoint the seat held by Phil Jones. According to the information provided by Boyne realty tax records and other real estate information collection, Boyne is no longer offering MGL units for sale.

Another issue would be the intangible legal state of the units now offered for sale. If any of the units have been rented or occupied by any guest at any time they are no longer “New” hence the end of the development phase. (how many people buy a “New” home that has been slightly lived in. If someone has been living in the home it is no longer New).

By renting the units, the developer has created an “implied ownership”. So regardless of whether or not a unit is for sale by the developer, rental use by the developer would change their intent of ownership to be no different from yours or mine.

While this does not take away any voting right as defined in the bylaws, it does take away the right to appoint a position to the Board. If Boyne wants someone on the Board of Directors, that someone needs to be elected just like any other candidate.

I will formally contest this issue to the Board of Directors and ask that it be resolved prior to the election and all owners notified as to the outcome.

Now for the second issue:

I brought this up a while back about the election of Officers to our Association. Every year the Board must ELECT, (not appoint), officers to run our association. EVERY year these positions are open, yet the Board NEVER announces these positions. The positions open are Vice President Secretary and Treasurer. The Position of President is reserved for a member of the Board per the Bylaws. All of the positions serve at the pleasure of the Board

Please make no mistake these ARE VERY IMPORTANT POSITIONS. Anyone can offer to be a candidate. The Board of Directors may not elect you but at least you offered to volunteer. If the Board makes a bad call by whom they elect, you further your right to challenge them and hold them, the officers they elect and the agents they employ, accountable for their decision and the outcome of those decisions.

By not volunteering to be in these positions, you limit your ability to effect change and development of your Association and investment.

If you are not happy or satisfied then volunteer, our association needs you.

I know many are concerned about the time and distance meeting issues.

Do not be. Present has been legally defined as a conference call or web conference for many years. If you can operate a phone or computer then you can be present too.

Will volunteering take time and energy? Yes. Anything worth doing does and anything not worth doing is never productive. Therefore, without time and energy, this Association will never be productive nor the investment we have made.

If you are satisfied and think all is in good health, then you probably are not a member of this group or care for my opinions ideas or commentary.

The last time I checked the Owners of this association are highly educated and successful individuals who rival any of the Boyne employees elected to run our Association.

The MGL Association is YOUR COMPANY, ITS YOUR INVESTMENT, ITS YOUR FUTURE; if you do not like It CHANGE IT.

I will be running for the Board of Directors and I hope to see you at the annual meeting!