BOYNE OWNERS

The irony of it all!

2009-05-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Childhood is a short but important time to learn the values of honesty, integrity, loyalty and friendship. Throughout these years, those of us fortunate to have great parents also learned the hard lessons of taking responsibility for one’s actions. Mothers and fathers alike remind their children that they may not like the consequences related to an action, but the hallmark of adulthood is owning up to one’s errors and being prepared to face consequences.

At the last bi-annual meeting it was commented, “we should all act like big boys and girls” and recognize that the numbers provided by Boyne Realty prior to purchase, were simply projections, not guarantees. This is a very astute statement that alludes to the fact that we each should have acted responsibly by doing our own homework and asking good questions. I guess those of us who also were shown artist renderings of a Bavarian Village should have also completed our homework to somehow learn that it would never come to fruition.

Putting that aside, I must admit the irony of the comment when it is placed into a very similar context. During the meeting Stephen Kircher was kind enough to share with us various graphs that displayed favorable figures depicting that the MGL Association pays the lowest management fee per square foot in comparison to other Boyne managed properties. When I questioned Stephen about the source for this information he became extremely agitated and deflected his anger on me by accusing me of “always coming up with conspiracy theories about Boyne.”

So in this sense I am left scratching my head wondering when it is appropriate to ask questions. Having great childhood rearing I will take fault for not visiting the local city and development planning committee to confirm the validity (or faultiness) of the information shared by Boyne Realty. One thing I will not concede to, is taking facts and figures provided by Boyne at face value. Similar to any due diligence that is completed prior to purchase I will continue to question the validity and accuracy of data and information provided by Boyne.

Subject: Truth, fiction or fear mongering

2009-05-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

During the course of events on Saturday the exit committee made its report to the membership. As part of the report the committee chairman, Brian Donahue, mentioned that there is pending litigation surrounding the sale of units at the Mountain Grand Lodge. The litigation stems from allegations of violations of the Securities and Exchange Act. Due to the fact that it is pending litigation, few details were available for discussion. However some interesting comments and speculations were made.

Stephen Kircher wanted to ensure that there was no merit to the allegations, and that the case would not succeed. While his dismissive reassurances were appreciated by some others suggested that we wait for all the information to be presented before jumping to conclusions. It was suggested by members of the Exit Committee that all owners take a few moments to research condo-tels and the manner in which they are sold as well as the securities and exchange act violations surrounding the sale of condo-tels throughout the nation.

Mr. Kircher further went on to speculate that it could be the downfall of Boyne and Mountain Grand Lodge. While the doomsday prophecy is interesting to consider one would have to ponder the chain of events that would have to happen for the prophecy to come true. One conclusion could be that the legal fees surrounding the litigation would be so overwhelming to Boyne that it would drive them into financial ruin. Another conclusion might be that Boyne would be found guilty because they did violate the securities act and in turn would have to pay the damages awarded by the court, which would financially ruin Boyne. So realistically, Mr. Kircher is saying that Boyne’s capital and cash flow is so limited that it does not have the resources to defend itself against what he perceives are false allegations, which is poor management or poor performance on their part, and leaves one to question their management capabilities. The other potential interpretation of this message is that they are guilty and cannot afford to payout the penalties.

A step back from the doomsday prophecy is the realm of neutral and negative consequences. The negative consequences stemming from the side of real-estate is that litigation may prevent someone from trying to sell their unit. A couple points to consider,

a) There are 17 units for sale right now, 9 of which are foreclosures. So the realistic probability of anyone selling a unit that is not a foreclosure is very slim.
b) The litigation to the best of my knowledge is not on or against the property itself so much as to the actions, misrepresentations and omissions of the parties involved in selling the units. Hence the litigation would be against persons and entities, not against the property itself thus, not creating any encumbrances on the property regarding sale transactions.

An observation from one of the members of the audience was that litigation would only serve the lawyers presenting the case. This theory might have one believe that in the face of adversity, disenfranchisement or in violations of federal law, one is better doing nothing than engaging in legal recourse. I must respectfully disagree.

To be fair, it should be noted that legal recourse is used as a last resort, as it has been in this case. The history of the association, its members, committees and Board of Directors to resolve issues and inequities in good faith and to avoid litigation have not succeeded in the past. Therefore it stands to reason that a natural progression of impasses of negotiations would lead to litigation.

Under current conditions, as an owner, Boyne would prefer that we do nothing out of fear of an implosion of Boyne and the loss of our investment. (9 investors already have lost their investment) Others would have you do nothing, to the thought that nothing can be done. I believe in the philosophy, who dares wins!

Live Streaming Video of Association Meeting

2009-04-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon fellow,

In preparation for the upcoming Association Meeting on May 2, 2009, I have set up a channel on UStream that will facilitate the LIVE broadcast of the meeting. For those that are not able to attend the meeting in person, please make the necessary arrangements to attend remotely. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. but I will begin the broadcast at 8:30 a.m. to assist individuals with any technical issues they may be experiencing.

For additional details, click on http://groups.google.com/group/mgloa/web/live-streaming-video-of-association-meeting?hl=en - or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't work.

Mountain Grand Lodge Update

2009-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is not new news if your an owner with a valid mailing address but just more of a remainder for the May 2nd association meeting.

Dear Fellow MGL Owners,

Your Board of Directors just had our first quarterly meeting since our memorable annual meeting in November. Randy Frykberg has stepped down as President so that I, Gary Bloodworth, can be your new President. Thank you, Randy, for your fine efforts over the last 4 years.

I would also like to thank Cindy Johnson, our newest member, for the great job she is doing. I can’t forget our friends Dan Aitken and Steve Rice also.

I will try to keep you updated quarterly as notable issues are developing. I’d like to do this by email to keep our costs down, so if you haven’t updated Customer Services with your current email address, please do so.

We have worked hard on the budget for 2009 and with Boyne’s help have kept this year’s increase to only 1.7%. Boyne has agreed to drop their management fee of 13% (which was $178,000 in 2007) to a flat $120,000 this year. It will be adjusted by the CPI in the future. See the enclosed copy of the budget for your unit amounts.

More good news, our negotiations on your behalf with Dan Bolle, the Tax Assessor, have paid off. He has been extremely cooperative and understanding. Everyone’s taxes should be going down. The slope-side unit assessments will go down by a smaller amount than the parking lot side units. In the past, all similar units were assessed the same even though slope-side units sold for more and generate higher rental income and more nights rented. Your actual assessment notices should mailed by the end of February. I’m still working on an even larger reduction for quarter-share owners, who I think are assessed too high.

Mark your calendars for a May 2nd Special Meeting at 9:00a.m. Many important issues including an update from the Exit Committee will be discussed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-25T08:12:00.001-08:00

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your Holiday wishes come true and the new year bring you health and happiness.

Robert

Oversight or Lack of Preparation?

2008-12-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

During the Thanksgiving Holiday I took some time off to relax and get in some snowboarding up at Boyne Mountain. The snow was pretty good and the temperature was not bad either, almost like spring. I enjoyed myself out on the slopes as did many other I think people were just enthused about getting some of the first run for the year in.

Unfortunately, the situation off the slopes was about “par for course” when it comes to Boyne and the Resort management. Now please do not get me wrong I am sure opening weekend in any profession can be a challenge. The problem is after 40+ years you would think it might go a little smoother.

The mountain was not jam packed which was probably a good thing for Boyne as their Rental department was not able to meet the demands of the customers it had. The problem was not lack of equipment, it was lack of competency.

Boyne has recently changed to an automated system to try to improve its ski/board rental system. Innovative maybe? However, culture or process change without proper support and direction only leads to confusion, chaos and frustration as was demonstrated over the holiday weekend.

It was clear Boyne did not test the system from the end user perspective. The system was not intuitive to the customer and caused confusion. Boyne did not have staff on hand to assist guests or at the very least provide directions with the system to assist the guests. That created a recipe for dissatisfied guests. Order Up!

The second part of this equation occurred when one of the system broke and guest were stuck with using one system. It took some guests one and a half hours to get their rental equipment.

The third part of the equation is when guest brought the situation to the attention of the rental staff. The first response was “it’s not my problem” the second response was “that is not my department”.

Clearly, This was both a oversight and lack of preparation by Boyne. What if both automated machines failed? What was the back-up plan then? What about customer service or does that fall under “not my problem” That is just what a guest who is paying for lodging, meals, ski rental, lift tickets and water park passes love to hear.

Moving on to Boyne Country Sports. Before going to the shop I called to check and see if they sold a particular item. I was immediately told yes they do. I reconfirmed the item for sale and inquired about a price, the sales person did not know. I then asked who I needed to speak with when I get to the store. When I arrived at the store it took me a second to find the person I needed to speak with. I stood by patiently as he dealt with a customer. During this time there was no acknowledgment of my presence or inquiry to my needs or offer to get us assistance. after waiting for over ten minutes it was not until I approached the sales person that I was acknowledged. When I did speak with him he was good enough to inform me that they did not sell that particular item anymore because of equipment technicalities.

After wasting my time with Boyne sports I researched the item online, almost always a better option, and discovered he was incorrect on the technical specifications of the product.
So not only did the store employees waste my time by being ignorant of what they did and did not sell they also provided me with inaccurate information.

My question is have they really been doing this for 40+ years? It surely does not show.

The 64 Million Dollar Question?

2008-12-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago some of the other owners were intrigued about the sale of Big Sky and what Boyne USA would do with the proceeds. The answer has arrived thanks the Boston Globe. Now I do not get the paper delivered to my house but I am thankful for that little thing called Google alerts. Google alerts is what puts the world in my back yard. If you want to know about something just set your Google alerts and it will come to you, try it, you’ll like it.

Well the article explaining the details can be found at the following link but the interesting reading is in the comments section.

Check it out

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/skiing/articles/2008/11/27/good_twists_and_turns_for_otten/

Where there is smoke there is a fire sale!

2008-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

A friend recently sent me this email that Boyne Realty sent out via their e-news service. I am glad to see Boyne is capable of putting out e-newsletters. As an association we have asked for e-newsletter to help keep owners informed but have been ignored for over a year. Boyne has been INCAPABLE of providing electronic communication in a relevant and effective manner to the owners and their associations but the minute they want to have a fire sale or a press release they seem to find the send button.

BOYNE Celebrates 60 Years with Limited Time Real Estate Offers

Sixty years ago, ski pioneer Everett Kircher founded Boyne Resorts. To celebrate, from now until December 31st, Boyne is offering the following unprecedented real estate promotions!

50% Off Homesites

Choose from any of our breathtaking waterfront, water view, golf course or ski-in/ski-out homesites; we will sell the first 2 properties for 50% off! More Details *

25% Off Condos with Ski or Golf Privileges
You can own a place on the slopes, on the water or on the golf course; the first two condos will go for 25% off and we'll throw in ski passes for three years or Country Club of Boyne Membership! More Details *

25% Off Condo-Hotel Properties with Cost Recovery The Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa, The Inn at Bay Harbor and Heather Highlands Inn will sell two properties at 25% off and the new owners can take advantage of our Cost Recovery Program for five years! More Details *

Now I know there are owners who never got the cost recovery program when they invested in the construction phase. Back then it was hit or miss as to whether it was 3 year or 5 year program.

So how does Boyne pay you back for supporting this losing investment. They lower the value of your property by 25% underselling units in an already devastated market. Create a highly competitive sales market with their distinct On-Site advantage, should you wish to sell your unit independently. Finally they offer to support the losing investment to the new buyer through the cost recovery program.

For the new buyer or first time buyer the Cost Recovery Program (CRP) is a hard sale tactic that needs to be seen for what it is “A hook”. It is more of a gotcha program.

Few investors buy a unit outright. 95% or higher finance the sale of a condo, condo-tel cabin etc. many purchasers finance for years beyond the CRP. Boyne sells the unit then manages it for you. Good management or bad they still get 50% off the top. The bottom line is that even if you buy your unit outright your yearly return under their management might be 2% if you’re having a good year. 2.50% is the average savings APY and you will not have to pay the bank 50%.

If you’re looking for a guarantee make them show you profits and actual occupancy of the unit run the numbers yourself, get everything in writing.

But in the end a hook is a hook and all you get from it is hung.

As many of you may remember the discussion Ed Grice and I had about the appointment of Boyne employees to the Board of Directors before the election. I guess the whole “we do not want to list our units because it would negatively affect those owners that want to sell their units”.

I have to ask you fellow owners and readers are you tired of the lies yet?

Earn BoyneRewards Points for Every Dollar of the Purchase Price
For example, if you spend $200,000 on a property, you get 200,000 BoyneRewards Points, which is enough to get you $10,000 in BOYNE Gift Cards. That should take care of your holiday shopping! Sign-up and learn more at www.BoyneRewards.com.

The Perks of Ownership with BOYNE

Really there are PERKS ARE YOU SERIOUS?? Can I get some?

Rental Management Provides Lower Cost of Ownership
One of the great advantages of owning property at a world class resort is your option to rent your property through an experienced and successful rental management program to help offset expenses while providing virtually maintenance-free ownership.

Lower Cost of ownership?

Lower than what. They charge 50% off the top when property rental management nationwide is 15% on average. Once you add your association dues taxes and utilities in some cases and what you get is FUBAR.

Experienced and Successful??? Really? By whose standard Boynes? I am sure our investment banks thought they were experienced and successful too.

Ask any owner in the Mountain Grand Lodge How they feel about that statement.

Successful is not a word you will hear from owners in the MGL

Maintenance-free = do not ask us any questions or pay attention to the financial statements we provide.

Country Club of Boyne
With your real estate purchase through Boyne Realty, you receive complimentary Social Membership with the Country Club of Boyne. This $5,200 value provides your family with discounts on season ski passes, golfing, dining, waterpark passes, spa services and in our retail shops. The Country Club of Boyne is your ticket to all things BOYNE!

Do not forget the $400.00 a year Food and Beverage minimum or the numerous extra accounts they create in your name. Then instead of using the 400.00 food and beverage minimum they will just bill your owner account so they keep can keep your 400.00 and still bill you NICE!

Boyne Vacation Club

The Boyne Vacation Club lets BOYNE property owners exchange weeks in their property for vacations around the world. You are limited only by your imagination; simply choose your destination from over 2,300 resorts in 75 different countries and we will make all the arrangements.

As far as the Vacation club goes well you get better deals as a guest than an owner with Boyne and the bottom line is your better just paying for it out of pocket. No restriction blackout dates etc. its just another Hook

The Bad Economy (a bnet blog post)

2008-11-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

http://blogs.bnet.com/pr/?p=360&tag=nl.rSINGLE

Bad Economy Becoming All-Purpose Excuse

By Jon Greer

November 11th, 2008 @ 4:49 am1

Categories: Public Relations, Spin, Management

Tags: Economy, Public Relations, Litigation, Marketing, Corporate Communications, Business Operations, Jon Greer

Here’s your PR tip of the week: write yourself a page of new messages that include the phrase “because of the bad economy…”

As in, “Our revenues are flat because of the bad economy.” Or, “We have to lay off people because of the bad economy…”

Now, I’m not making fun of companies that are really having serious economic problems as a result of the increasingly perilous economy. But I’m skeptical of companies that are starting to roll out “bad economy” as an all-purpose excuse for whatever goes wrong.

Take Circuit City, for example, which filed for bankruptcy protection Monday. It has been a far less well-managed chain than its main competitors, mainly Best Buy and Wal-Mart, for years, during the good times and now the bad. So it was far than just the “bad economy” that felled Circuit City. But I didn’t hear anything about “poor management” in the post mortem about the chain.

Of course, it’s convenient and easy to blame the economy rather than taking a look in the mirror.

But I caution you to use the all-purpose excuse sparingly.

Why?

Because it’s a credibility killer.

Sure, it’s a tough economy right now. But the economy isn’t to blame for everything. So if you use ‘the excuse’ and it turns out not to be true, it will make you look foolish. And less believable.

A SIMPLE THANK YOU

2008-11-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

To all those who have served

To all those who have sacrificed

To all those that still do

Thank You!

New Management?

2008-11-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Investors in the Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa seek to remove Boyne USA as the property manager!

On November 1^st 2008, investors in the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa a condo-tel development, located at Boyne Falls, MI, (Boyne Mountain) had their 4^th Annual meeting. Owners once again expressed great displeasure with the current management, Boyne USA, of the Hotel operations and the investment as a whole. Steve Kircher is the president of The Mountain Grand Lodge& Spa LLC, the project developer and largest single investor. Steve Kircher is also the Vice President in charge of Boyne USA Eastern Operations and is responsible for the management of the Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa Hotel. Mr. Kircher did not attend the meeting

It was speculated that Mr. Kircher did not attend the meeting due to the lashing he received during and after last year’s annual owners meeting.Further, his absence spoke volumes reflecting the apparent disregard he has for the investors who have carried this failed investment. It was duly noted that the employees Mr. Kircher sent in his place took the brunt of the investors anger.

Investors made a motion to have the board find a new rental management company. The motioned was carried unanimously and the Board of Directors is now tasked to with seeking an alternative to Boyne USA as the hotel management. A second motion was proposed and carried that the Owners Association hold a bi-annual meeting in May so that the Board of Directors can report their findings.

One of the larger catalyst for the removal of Boyne USA is due to the in ability of owners to even support the initial investment they made. Many investors attribute this financial drain to the excessive management fees, association fees and rental fees charged by Boyne USA and the inability of Boyne to fill the Hotel. Several owners have gone into bankruptcy or foreclosure proceeding and many other are on the brink of foreclosure. It was clear that some of investor made a conscious choice to do this as the alternative was to hemorrhage money with no guarantee of ever seeing a return.

Other contributing factors have been the lack of follow through on the project sold to investors, the continuing over development of real estate projects at the mountain that have been deflating property values and rental income combined with the excessively high property taxes.

It is was unclear whether removing Boyne USA as the hotel management company is a viable option, however, it was very clear that Boyne USA is no longer the choice of investors in the Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa Hotel.

2008-11-01T14:19:00.001-07:00

Below is the Big Sky sale article for those who were blindsided by it at the MGL Annual Meeting.

Enjoy!

Robert

Big Sky Investment
Big Sky Resort to Sell for $74 Million

BIG SKY – A Florida real-estate investment trust, CNL Lifestyle Properties, has agreed to buy the Big Sky Resort for $74 million within the next two years.

As part of the purchase agreement, CNL has agreed to advance $68 million toward the purchase price as a loan to Boyne Resorts, owner of the Montana property.

Big Sky Resort spokesman Dax Schieffer confirmed details of the agreement Friday.

Schieffer says the transaction is not expected to result in any changes in Big Sky's management team or staff.

The Michigan-based Boyne Resorts is expected to serve as "operating tenant" of Big Sky, as it does at six CNL properties elsewhere in the country: Brighton Ski Resort in Utah; The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington state; Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire; Sugarloaf and Sunday River Resort in Maine; and Gatlinburg Sky Lift in Tennessee

The ski season at Big Sky is scheduled to open on Thursday, Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Day.

The Presidents Report!

2008-10-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

The presidents report recently released it stated that owners privacy issues were discussed concerning the sharing of contact information. I am sure this discussion took place however I feel the larger issue was either overlooked.

The proposal that sparked the discussion, according to my sources, was the proposal of directories for the Associations.

Now technically, owner information is part of the Associations records and under the Michigan Condominium act you as an owner have the right to view these records. Additionally your owner information is accessible in the county tax / deeds records which are public information.

However, that is not the point of this post. My view is that the ability of owners to communicate with one another is paramount to a properly functioning Association. Now, as I have stated before I respect everyone’s right to privacy. If owner’s do not want to participate in a voluntary directory with personal contact information there are alternatives.

A good alternative is an internal Association mail system Identified by property /unit number.This method would allow owners to retain their privacy while enabling unrestricted private communication between one another.

The statement that “Boards have the final decision to allow distribution” is like your City Council saying they have the final decision on the distribution of the local phone Directory.

The Owner’s Council or the League of Shadows?

2008-10-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

All others should be questioned.

Who is this shadowy council that meets on our behalf? Who are these hand selected individuals that represent us. Are they part of the Skull and Bones? Should we fear black helicopters snatching us off the Street?

Probably not, but I could not help from indulging in the suspicion and intrigue. I find it interesting that there is an appointed council that meets to represent owners at Boyne Mountain. Yet I as an owner have never been given a chance to share my thoughts with the council! Have you?

Who is the Wizard that appoints these select few?

Who are these appointees?

What authority has this council has been given, if any?

What would Dorothy do?

An HOA is established to provide governance of a private community. We as association members elect, as best we can, those we think will best protect our interests as a community.

A private council of a select few, hand-picked to debate and decide and institute policies on what is best for our communities is not my idea of fostering good communication. If Boyne wants owner’s input all they have to do ask. Further, this concept usurps the rights afforded to owners under the establishment of HOA’s and State Laws.

According to the presidents report a guest satisfaction survey shows the “Boyne Vacation Experience” between 82%-90% satisfaction rate. That’s great.

When was the last time they ran an owner satisfaction survey, a rental management satisfaction survey, owners services survey, or any other survey to express they hold value of owner input.

Nobody has ever said the skiing, water park, or spa was not fun. Taking a survey on the enjoyment of amenities, while potentially useful to improve performance, and stating that satisfaction is 82%-90% is like asking a kid if they are satisfied eating ice cream.

Maybe Owner’s at Boyne Mountain should establish an “Attorney’s Council” to foster better communication of our rights as owners, as protected under the law?

Q&A 2007 review from the annual meeting minutes of the MGL

2008-10-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a year since the last Annual owners meeting so I thought it appropriate to reflect on the issues presented at the meeting and the progress made on them.

Some movement has been made as a return on your investment in the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa. Last year “Owners” requested that Boyne present to them, a breakdown of the packages offered by Boyne so that owners have a clear understanding of the package system.

A year of owners consistently pressing the issue time and again had inadequate results until the announcement in the Annual meeting notice, which explains Brad Childress will be giving a presentation on revenues and packages.

Now I realize it is has been a whole year since we asked for the explanation but that’s about par for course around there. When was the last time your boss asked you for a project and after 10 months, accompanied by several requests, you turn in a product that is so poor that your second grade teacher would not provide a passing score?

Seriously, I hope Mr. Childress represents his bosses better than they represent themselves.

Now last year a great suggestion was made by an owner L.F. and he suggested “Top Management “ and the New Board of Directors get a list of questions from the owners and try to get them answered.

I do not know if “Top Management” and the New Board ever got together but I don’t remember any survey or questionnaires from either. Maybe, they’ll get together this year and address your concerns, then again maybe not!

Now L.F. also suggested that if we do not like the answers to sell our unit. Some owner’s have tried and to date only former Boyne Real estate Agents have had any measure of success. I will not count Foreclosures, Short sales, or “trade ups” as success. Now if I am misguided here please let me know by posting in the comments. A Mountain Grand Lodge success story would be uplifting.

Finally, for those that wanted to sell their units a former owner J.P. suggested that owners should be able to put signage inside of their unit advertising the sale and persons to contact. I guess the Board and Boyne forgot about that issue.

On the bright side there is always this year!

INCREASING RENTAL INCOME

2008-10-20T23:07:00.001-07:00

Owners,

I am sure that many of you are concerned with your return on investment here at the MGL. I for one am looking for ways to increase income or decrease expenses. My cash outflow is significantly higher than my cash intake from rental, making this a very expensive investment, in fact I'm not sure if it is really an investment at all. Add in the loss in value from current market conditions and competition from Boyne and other nearby rentals the property looks to be nothing but a drain on my pocket book for years to come. I am not blaming anyone because I chose this property and at the time it looked good. I've had it for sale for 3 years and haven't had any lookers even at a price way below my cost. So I'm in for the long haul, so what can a owner do?

Here are the only two ideas that I can come up with.
1. Appeal property taxes, has anyone done this at the MGL? What was your outcome? Property values have certainly dropped my guess is 10-20%.
2. Employ a outside rental agency to handle rental and cleaning at a reduced price.

Of course renegotiating your loan or refinancing is a possibility, however I currently have about the best loan I can hope for in this economy.

What other ideas do you have?

Gene Carlson

Associated or disassociated?

2008-10-19T23:14:00.001-07:00

Before I begin lets visit our old friend Webster

associated

Main Entry:: ¹as·so·ci·ate
Pronunciation:: \ə-ˈsō-shē-ˌāt, -sē-\
Function:: verb
Inflected Form(s):: as·so·ci·at·ed; as·so·ci·at·ing
Etymology:: Middle English associat associated, from Latin associatus, past participle of associare to unite, from ad- + sociare to join, from socius companion — more at social
Date:: 14th century

transitive verb1: to join as a partner, friend, or companion2obsolete : to keep company with : attend3: to join or connect together : combine4: to bring together or into relationship in any of various intangible ways (as in memory or imagination)intransitive verb1: to come or be together as partners, friends, or companions2: to combine or join with other parts : unite

synonyms see join

disassociated

Main Entry:: dis·as·so·ci·ate
Pronunciation:: \ˌdis-ə-ˈsō-sē-ˌāt, -shē-\
Function:: transitive verb
Date:: 1603

: to detach from association : dissociate

— dis·as·so·ci·a·tion \-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən, -shē-\ noun

The last post about community was great and well researched, great post!
Recently, while reviewing the newsletter Boyne Property Management staff put out I had some thoughts about communication among association members and the challenges we face.

First, let us start with the current situation. Currently, if I want to speak with any other member of my associations, who I do not personally know, I cannot.

Now in residential associations this is not an issue. You can either, go door to door to introduce yourself and begin a conversation or you can drop a letter or flyer in a postbox.

Your neighbors may want to talk to you, they may not, but at the very least you should have the ability to communicate unimpeded. Your neighbors may choose to listen to you, or ignore you, but your right to free speech within your community exists.

Now I will admit I have been encouraging the Boards of my associations to create a directory of members. The focus of this effort is to give all owners the right to speak to their neighbors, should they choose or the right of owners to ignore their neighbors should they choose.

The Presidents summary clearly states that the purpose of the Owner’s council is to foster good communication of issues that are common to all properties. To “garner higher level of owner input into the planning process and discuss issues on the company level. It is important to communicate back to the owners with the Presidents summary.”

Now in theory that sounds great! However, how does the process work? What is the flow chart for communication? Who is on the owner’s council? How do you get on the owners Council? What authority does the owner’s council have? Where do they meet? Have you ever been invited to attend one of their meetings? If you cannot speak with other owners how do you know what the issues are? Boyne Newsletters? I digress so let me refocus.

To foster good communication one must be able to communicate through some medium, unimpeded. i.e. person to person via phone, email, or online communities or via letters with the U.S. Postal Service.

It is through this communication among owners / members that issues are discovered, solutions, ideas and resolutions found.

Now the issue of privacy is a concern of all. I enjoy my privacy and the right to it as much as the next person. Furthermore, just like my home and neighborhood I would not give out my neighbor’s personal information. However, if a determined individual or company wants your information all they have to do is go to the county tax records to find out who owns that property and from there your personal public information is just a few records checks away.

I guess my point is I do not fear my neighbors nor their knowledge of my name or how to contact me in fact I encourage it. I do however, distrust those who impede my neighbors’ right to free speech / communication, with me or anyone else in my associations, whether I agree with that speech or not

Just ask yourself this, what is the name of your next-door neighbor of the street you live on? Now ask yourself who owns what used to be 500K investment next to yours at Boyne?

Collection of People or a Community?

2008-10-13T05:57:00.001-07:00

Reflecting upon the content and purpose of this online forum made me think further about the purpose of utilizing this medium to communicate. I started to think about what differentiates this collection of people from a community.

Let’s start with the definition of community:

A muti-generational group of people, at work or play, whose identities are defined in large part by the roles they play and relationships they share in that group activity. The community derives its cohesion from the joint construction of a culture of daily life built upon behavioral norms, routines, and rules and from a sense of shared purpose. Community activity also precipitates shared artifacts and ideas that support group activity and individual sense-making. A community is multi-generational, that is, it exists over time and individuals. In short, a community differs from a collection of people by the strength and depth of the culture it is able to establish (Polin & Reil, 2004).

Notice the key terms in the definition that are centered on a shared purpose. The shared purpose that we have collectively is to assure the soundness of our investments in Boyne Properties for not only this generation but for future generations. I would venture to say that although we may have coalesced together unintentionally we did invest purposefully. The reasons for investment may vary whether it is a financial investment or personal investment centered upon the growth and development of familial joy and memories.

To continue to assure the soundness of our investments is not an easy task. We are disbursed throughout the country and may at times feel that we are in isolation. While this may be the case I propose to you that this forum can become a true online community of Boyne Property owners. As with any new community, there will be concerns that revolve around codes of practice for communication, rules for moderation, issues of privacy and trust but together we can work through the ebb and flow of communication.

Investments opportunities in condotels are fairly recent. Together we can build knowledge that will inform our decisions and contributions that will ultimately assist Boyne with its developments. This will create a mutually beneficial relationship as we, the owners of Boyne properties, will prosper in the log run.

Finally, I pose to you the contention that this forum must be democracy based on free speech. At times this will means posing difficult questions to which we will together find a solution. I encourage you to share your thoughts as it is a guarantee that you may be saying something that someone else is thinking.

For more information on the novelty of this type of investment, please visit the National Association of Condo Hotel Owners. http://www.nacho.us/

Polin, L. and Reil, M. (2004). Communities as Places Where Learning Occurs. In S. Barab, R. Kling & J. Gray (Eds.), Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning, pp. 16-50. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Leadership at Disciples Village

2008-10-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

I would like to show my support and appreciation for the Board of Directors for Disciples Village. The Directors have shown good leadership and strong fiscal accountability for their Association.

The directors have done a great job of looking to future expenses and obligations of the association and have created a very strong budget analysis. This type of leadership will help to ensure that owners in the Village at Disciples Ridge can feel good about their investment.

Another sign of the leadership in The Village is the demand for clearly defined roles and services provided by those persons and companies hired by the Association. It is clear that the Board of Directors knows the importance of understanding what it is the Association pays for and being able to convey that understanding to its membership. This is a trend also being pushed by other Associations at Boyne Mountain.

The idea of an independent Audit or review of the management Company for ALL Associations at Boyne Mountain has been discussed. Dispersing the cost of an Audit across all of the Association may lend itself to a reduction in cost and provide a more accurate reflection of the Books.

The Directors in The Village are also showing their leadership by creating committees to assist them in the management and development of the Association. They are tapping into the resources of the membership to help them in this development. The Board of Directors has come to the realization that the resources knowledge and skills within its membership is a powerful tool to be used for the betterment of the Association. The educated and professional membership of the Association brings with it the diversity, experiences and knowledge that could rival any large corporation.

Developer? Owner? or Competion?

2008-10-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been much discussion regarding a possible bylaw violation by the Developer of the Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa, a Boyne Managed Property.

For background on the issue, please refer to my earlier posts in September. I would further like to develop this discussion and the role of the involved parties.

The developer is claiming that they reserve the right to appoint a person to the Board of Directors due to the number of units he possesses and claims are for sale.
The developer states that they will not officially list the properties for sale out of respect for owners trying to sell their units in the Mountain Grand Lodge(MGL).

I will not digress into the ethical questions, appearances of impropriety nor the violation of agency, implied agency and Dual agency a defined by Michigan realty Law, that is created by this situation if you are represented by the developers real estate agents. Furthermore, I will not expound on market manipulation or supply and demand.

The developer claims his right to appoint a Director to the Board as a Developer. Conversely, the Developer turns right around and collects rental revenue as an owner.

The developer collects rental revenue in direct competition of us fellow owners.

Is the Developer the Developer or an owner?

Maybe the GM of the MGL, an employee of the Developer would like to explain the Developers position?

Let me know what you think take the poll on the right hand side of the page

A different view

2008-10-06T12:02:00.001-07:00

Recently, a fellow owner of a Boyne affiliated property emailed me. This owner's concern was that this blog was leaning to the negative side.

As a result, the owner felt it might slow the acceptance and use of the blog.

I value the owner's comments and views of the blog and the insight in helping to promote the blog to other owners.

This blog is open for the entire world. People are free to comment, as they like, they can comment on any of the post in any manner they see fit.

I do not moderate the post for anything other than gross obscenities and materials that would be deemed or inappropriate to children.

This Blog is not a PR site for Boyne.

Not everyone will agree with the things I post.

If people read this blog and feel the site is negative, one consideration may be, that it is not the post so much as the actions (or in some cases the lack of) described within those posts.

Sometimes the truth is not always positive.

Currently I am developing some post that highlight some of the progress owners have made and continue to make as we open the lines of communication with one another.

If you have something you would like posted email me.

The sound of Silence

2008-10-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

I am sure that Boyne and all its affiliates / partners would love to hear that sound from me, but alas, it shall not happen and it should not happen. The more resources I find for HOA's and the more news articles and legal briefs I find, I also discover the abuses that have occurred across the nation.

The one reason these abuses become known is because owners and investors decided to speak up.

One sound of Silence that I do hear is the Silence from Boyne and the employees designated to represent their interest.

It has been weeks since the GM of the Mountain Grand Lodge promised the Owners and Investors a breakdown of packages for the hotel anD still no word.

Ask them about the sudden and unexplained removal of a Board of Director appointed by the developer and still no answer. This is a pattern of behavior by Boyne just look at how they respond to complaints by the BBB, simple, they don't.

So if you own at:

Big Sky Resort, Montana

Boyne Highlands Resort, Michigan

Boyne Mountain Resort, Michigan

Brighton, Utah

Crystal Mountain, Washington

Cypress Mountain, British Columbia

Gatlinburg Sky Lift, Tennessee

Loon Mountain, New Hampshire

Sugarloaf/USA, Maine

Sunday River Resort, Maine

The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort, Michigan

The Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington

and you are not getting the response or respect you deserve then speak out.

We are not alone!

2008-10-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Many owners are still more than frustrated with their involvement with the Mountain Grand Lodge and Boyne. I think part of the reason is that concerned owner are speaking up and to one another and to the Board of Directors but the problems persist and the distrust of the developer, management agency and Board of Directors continues to grow.

There are more and more HOA's getting together on the web to share their ideas, concerns, solutions, and legal victories that surround the Abuses and criminal actions of those that run or manage their HOA.

The resources and networks grow daily. I have added several new links to sites to help Boyne Owner better manage their investment. Take some time review the sites. It is a shame to see the abuses encouraged and protected poorly run Boards and the corruption that ensues.

The good news is that we are not alone and as one site states " there is strength in unity"

Who this Blog is for

2008-10-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

This blog encourages free speech by Boyne property owners to voice opinions, perceptions, facts, conjecture, stories and experiences as Boyne property owners. It is open to all property owners affiliated through Boyne USA including:

Big Sky Resort, Montana
Boyne Highlands Resort, Michigan
Boyne Mountain Resort, Michigan
Brighton, Utah
Crystal Mountain, Washington
Cypress Mountain, British Columbia
Gatlinburg Sky Lift, Tennessee
Loon Mountain, New Hampshire
Sugarloaf/USA, Maine
Sunday River Resort, Maine
The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort, Michigan
The Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington

While we encourage free speech we request all post be done so with civility and respect.

Lawsuits and Corruption

2008-10-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

The other day I was surfing the web and landed on one of my favorite sites. I like this site because it has some good articles on lawsuits and corruption. The site is the HOA nut house and it is a great place to learn that most Associations have very similar problems.

I will post the links to the articles in the article links section. While the articles are not exact reflections of the activities of the developers, Association Boards, contractors, and Management companies at Boyne Mountain they are close enough to make one wonder....