We Need Your Help
Posted By: Chris Quinones, SPHA President
I volunteered my husband, Mike, to be the Summit Park Fire Coordinator about 10 years ago. Mike has a degree in forestry, 13 years with the Forest Service as a smokejumper, was a Summit County Fire Warden and has 20 years in as a Municipal Firefighter. I felt he had too much to offer this community, not to offer it. So I signed him up.
I watched him struggle with the HOA for years. His main complaint, “Why do I keep doing this? I’m working my rear off and no one cares.” I kept telling him he was wrong. Keep going, there are people in this neighborhood that care. The HOA is just not reaching them.
Well I think we’ve reached quite a few of you. I see people that care and I think its great..
The Parkview Super Highway was my trigger to get active in the HOA. I was so excited to see the County putting some money into Summit Park and then SO disappointed when the first part of the road was finished. It was worse than ever! Didn’t anyone tell them that we like to walk and ride our bikes? Who are they talking to when they are making these decisions…?
I guess no one… There was no input from this community and that is why we have the Park View Super Highway.
The County helps those who help themselves. They don’t know what to do for us if we don’t tell them. And they won’t listen unless it comes from a unified, cohesive organization like an HOA.
None of us on the board want liens or wants to be the neighborhood police. We are all doing what we do, because we care and we love where we live. We don’t want to see Summit Park burn up. We don’t want developers to build inappropriate homes for our mountain community. We don’t want abandoned foundations polluting our beautiful landscape. We don’t want developers clear cutting lots to put in houses that belong in Sandy.
This is what the CC&Rs are about. Maybe we don’t have all the wording right. Help us.
We used the existing CC&Rs from Plat’s A &B (which went into effect in 2002) to draft the new version, with a few minor changes (the no chicken clause was removed). We had no issues with anyone in Plat’s A&B, so we thought this was a good and easy way to go. Obviously we need to go back to the drawing board. But we need your help.
We are going to schedule a meeting in January at the Richins Center for us all to meet. I hope you can attend and bring constructive, positive ideas.
We need to remember.. We are all on the same side… Let’s work together.
We will let you all know the date for the meeting as soon as we get it scheduled.
Thanks
Chris Quinones
SPHA President
6 Comments
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Chris,
I first want to introduce myself. My name is Ray Flores and I have a vacation home in Summit Park on Aspen Lane. I purchased the home in 2001 and I always look forward to visiting. I love the area and my neighbors.
My wife and I live in Plano, Texas. We live in a nice neighborhood of about 320 homes in the development. We have a strong HOA, which works hard to keep our neighborhood nice. The interesting thing is that our HOA fees are $160 per year and is on volunteer bases. Even then, we have 93% of all homeowners pay the dues.
Since I’ve lived in this neighborhood (http://forestcreekestates.net/), the HOA have worked with the city to put in a biking trail along the creek, nice lighting posts and benches along the trail, a large playground for kids, gazebo, lawn and landscaping maintences to keep the entrances to the development and along the bike trails nice. Trees and flowers are planted along the trails and throughout the year. The HOA has various activities for all the residence such as a BBQ gathering, movie night, Christmas gathering with sleigh rides (horse and trailer decorated like a sleigh), Easter egg hunt for the kids and other activities.
I’ve never heard of our HOA forcing people to pay fees, but do have the authority to ensure home developments are within guideline of the neighborhood which is why our the development is highly regarded by all realtors.
Chris, I really appreciate all your doing to help Summit Park become a place where people would like to live. Since I purchased my home, I have seen a lot of improvements by existing homeowners to improve their property. We all need to take pride of the area. If everyone can pay the HOA fees, many great things can happen here.
Thank you and the rest of the HOA committee for your hard work and caring. I know it’s got to be difficult and sometime a thankless job, but please do not give up in trying to get all the residences to see the advantages what a HOA can do to the value of their homes and the neighborhood.
Best Regards,
Ray Flores
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Thank you Ray! I appreciate your comments. I hope you can make the meeting on Thursday. We could use your support.
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I’m all for improvements and keep our area clean and healty. But I’m not about too many rules and regulations. Can we just keep it simple and put caps on the fees? I’m concerned about a few having the ability drive people out of the home by jacking up the fees.
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Hi,
First of all I want to recognize the efforts of all the committed Summit Park residents who currently serve on the HOA, and those who have served in the past. I served as treasurer for 3 years and know first hand how hard the board has worked to keep Summit Park an attractive place to live, work and play.
Secondly, I wanted to address the HOA’s ability to foreclose if dues are unpaid as mentioned in the Park Record article of December 13th, and in anonymous flyers that were distributed to homeowners. In Utah HOAs do have the right to foreclose as a remedy to collect unpaid dues. However, HOA foreclosures are rare as they are subject to all senior liens on the property which include first and second mortgages. It also typically costs an HOA more to pursue foreclosure action then they stand to recover in uppaid dues. It is more typical for an HOA to file a lien on a property to encourage property owners to pay their dues. I am not aware that the Summit Park HOA has ever filed a lien in Plats A & B where HOA membership is mandatory.
Finally, there is no evidence of excessive dues increases by current or past boards. When the due were raised to $50 approximately 7 years ago it was the first time in 25 years that dues had been increased. The mission of the board has been consistent, to preserve the lifestyle we all moved here to enjoy while maintaining property values for all.
There are always opportunities to serve on the Summit Park HOA and I encourage everyone with an interest in our community to step up and serve.
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Hi Jo Ann,
Thanks for your explanation of the ‘foreclosure’ clause. A question for the board. If that the ‘foreclosure’ clause has no practical purpose, particularly with the sums we’re discussing, why have the wording in there in the first place? I’m sure I’m not the only one reading it and feeling it’s a little on the drastic side. I would think the ability to lien for uncollected dues would cover most situations in SP.
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Thanks Tom… Great comment.. I agree… I hope you plan to attend the meeting on Thursday. I’ll make sure we have this as a suggestion. Chris