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| TODAY'S ANTHEM VIEW |
The SCA View-Journal
Making Good Things Even Better
providing news and commentary that's fit to print
Today's Anthem View
27 April 2013 PAINT MY HOUSE Gypsy Painting Contractors Continue to Plague Sun City Anthem Homeowners Gypsy painting contractors are already among us, offering low-ball pricing, substandard painting practices, using paint of unknown quality and unauthorized color schemes. For the unaware homeowner that’s looking to get their house exterior painted, perhaps even save a few dollars, this sounds like a win-win situation until you delve a little deeper into the process and potential problems that may be encountered. Under our governing documents, such contractors may not proceed until the homeowner first obtains approval from the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) with the painting color scheme and details in hand. Without that advanced approval, the homeowner is the one who is liable for the painting decisions that are made. Meeting at 9:00 a.m. in the Anthem Center on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, ARC approval should be forthcoming even though actual painting may be delayed a few days while such approval is obtained. Are there any potential liability concerns if the homeowner fails to obtain ARC approval? That depends on the issue, like having your home painted with a noncompliant color scheme, and who you ask. If you ask the ARC, the answer is an unequivocal yes. If you ask RMI as the board’s representative, the answer becomes equivocal. If you ask the board, the impression is that they do not want to take responsibility for sanctioning homeowners that adopt a noncompliant color scheme. The type of sanctioning we are talking about is to require the homeowner to repaint their home in an approved color scheme. Why do I have that impression about the board’s sanctioning attitude? While the board is not adverse to advising homeowners of their responsibility to repaint using an approved color scheme, there is no evidence to demonstrate that the board is remotely serious about that requirement. How come? If the board were serious about the color scheme requirement, each month the Spirit magazine would contain cumulative and monthly statistics telling us how many homeowners were required to repaint their homes. The chance of that happening is very low. Until that happens, you can expect to see the number of Sun City Anthem homes with noncompliant color schemes growing. If you want to follow the established painting color scheme guidelines, you may do so by accessing the “Paint My House” link on the Sun City Anthem website at www.sca-hoa.org as follows: first, click on the Board/Committees tab; second, then click on Architectural Committee; third, scroll down the page until you see the following: “Exterior paint scheme can be found here: Paint My House,” and finally, click on the link “Paint My House.” There you will find Color Scheme information for the model of your home.
The current board/RMI policy is to sit back and place the burden of community compliance on individual complaints. The only conclusion you can reach by that stance is that if there are no neighbor complaints, then noncompliant color schemes are apparently OK. If the board thought they had a fiduciary duty to the community to maintain design standards, they would do so. As I see it, the board's failure to monitor and take action to bring about compliance has a cumulative and deleterious effect on the community. At some point, the board's inaction becomes the accepted standard and cannot be reversed. The board's failure to enforce presumably reasonable design standards today makes it impossible for any future board to protect the community from such action in the future. If the board is unwilling or unable to enforce design standards, how is a homeowner expected to know if any given design standard cannot be ignored without incurring a penalty? The answer is that they do not know and apparently the homeowner may cross the design line at any time without concern for adverse consequences. An SCA View Election Editorial by Ron Johnson, 2 April 2013 Board candidate Jim Long, a question of integrity
Standing at the top of a long list of leadership qualities that are commonly recognized is integrity. A person who exhibits integrity is someone who adheres to a code of moral and ethical principles. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness of one's actions. Sadly, overwhelming evidence has come to light that challenge whether the board was honest and truthful in a key legal matter between the association and state's investigator. No one should dispute that board directors have a fiduciary duty to members to act honestly. However, when credible evidence demonstrates that directors have engaged in dishonest behavior, they no longer deserve your trust, let alone your vote. That would be the case when considering whether to cast your vote for Jim Long’s reelection bid to another two-year term on the board. When in 2012 the state’s investigator looking into possible association wrongdoing wrote about a communication from the association about a significant Neighborhood reserve study event that never happened, it was clear that the assocation had lied to the state. In my view, the only person who had authority to make that decision to lie to the state would have been the president of the association, namely Jim Long. Decisions having a significant legal impact are typically made either in executive session or in secret by a few select board members without obtaining board approval. There is no evidence that the decisions to fabricate evidence and lie to the state were made in executive session. It makes little difference how or why the decision to lie was arrived at since the result is the same. It is simply unreasonable to expect voting homeowners to accept or tolerate dishonest behavior in a matter that entailed formal communication of a lie the state agency that was investigating possible association wrongdoing. For the reasons set out above, I ask you to retire Jim Long from his seat on the board by leaving his ballot choice blank.
A BAD HABIT OF MISLEADING THE COMMUNITY GETS EVEN WORSE IN DAVID BERMAN’S LATEST ATTACK ON THE TRUTH
In David Berman’s recent article, he answers a reader who he claims had asked him this question:
The 2007 tax return was audited by the IRS in 2010-11. You can read a copy of the IRS audit report here. In 2007, Roz Berman was the treasurer of the association and at the time the 2007 tax return was filed by the association in 2008, Roz Berman was president of the board. I have the impression that had Roz’ fingerprints not been all over this issue in 2008, Mr. Berman would not have been inclined to respond as he did. Rather than a mere disagreement between parties over which form should have been filed, the IRS can only act on the basis of the action taken by the association in its filing of taxes owned on IRS Form 1120. Whether the association exercised due diligence in filing Form 1120 is another matter. One assumes the association had relied on competent tax advice in determining the tax filing obligations of the association. As the record demonstrates, year after year such annual filings using Form 1120 resulted in no tax liability owed. However, while those tax filings properly addressed the association's legal obligations, the association's boards conveniently decided to ignored a key requirement of those filings. That key requirement would ultimately undermine the association’s truthfulness in filing their annual tax form. The board's actions demonstrated the association’s failure to comply with the provisions of IRS Revenue Ruling 70-604 that was referenced in the 2007 tax return and association documents. As stated in the 2007 tax return, “current excess membership income will be carried over to the following year’s assessments.” That did not happen. According to a documented association president’s representation, subsequent tax records and 2008 board minutes, 2007 excess income was NOT carried over or credited to the following year’s assessments. Not only that, the IRS audit disclosed that millions in excess income had accumulated for several years and also had not been returned or credited towards homeowner assessments as required by that revenue ruling. It was that fact which resulted in the auditor’s determination that $1.345 million was owed. The association’s ongoing effort to rewrite history will not change that initial determination. That determined underpayment and penalty was the IRS’ administrative or field auditor position on the application of IRS law and regulations. The unanswered question for the association in appealing that determination was what would the IRS agree to accept in settling the case if the association was unsuccessful in arguing that no underpayment was owed? For the IRS, any decision to settle on terms different from the amount determined owned rested on whether the IRS’s administrative position was legally defensible, that is, sustainable at trial in the United States Tax Court should the association decide to litigate. To the extent the IRS considered their legal position was weak or vulnerable due to a statute of limitations issue being raised, a mutually agreed settlement was preferred to a possible adverse court decision at trial. It was my experience that Federal agencies are prone to avoid court decisions where the agency’s administrative position is not a well settled issue in law to justify litigation. In our case, the auditor computed a tax liability for the millions in excess income that had accumulated in prior years, which amount had been declared as income on the 2007 tax return. By excluding such prior year excess amounts from that cumulative total, the resulting tax liability owed would be substantially reduced. That exclusion decision ultimately led to a compromise settlement with the IRS. In filing the 2007 tax return, had the 2008 board complied with the terms of the Revenue Ruling 70-604 and returned the accumulated excess income to the homeowners in 2008, there would have been no reason for IRS to conduct an audit, let alone make a finding of taxes owed. The 2008 board failed to do what they had declared to the IRS they promised to do. Did certain 2008 board members have a reason to lie to the IRS and association members in their tax filing and board resolution dated 28 August 2008? You would have to ask those who signed that board resolution and the 2007 tax return. So, to reiterate the true answer to the question raised by David’s reader, you are absolutely correct that a proper tax filing would have resulted in no tax being owed at all.
An SCA View Editorial on a Five-Year Pattern of Corruption in Sun City Anthem by Ron Johnson, 22 March 2013 Sun City Anthem—The Top Luxurious Active Adult Community in the Nation, at least if you can rely on the assessment of Bill Ness, the author of Top Luxurious . . . ., a real estate broker and a former sales manager for a Chicago area Del Webb community. How does a luxurious active adult community like Sun City Anthem achieve the pinnacle of becoming the top such community? Given Mr. Ness’ provenance, that’s not hard to imagine for an enterprising real estate salesman and former Del Webb employee. Here is a partial list of acts undertaken by successive Sun City Anthem Boards over the past five years that apparently were not taken into account in determining the top luxurious active adult community in the nation:
This list attempts to accurately describe the sorry state of governance in which we have lived for the past five years. It’s a record that no active adult community would want to emulate yet come close to in terms of deliberately committing acts of wrongdoing. As we have learned from past experience, ostensibly good people were not making mere administrative mistakes or exercising poor judgment but instead were embarking on a pattern of deliberate acts of wrongdoing in clear violation of statutes that were designed to govern the board’s behavior in performing their fiduciary duty. Given the above record, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Sun City Anthem stands alone as the most corrupt association when compared to their Sun City counterparts. Fortunately, all is not lost. You have an opportunity to begin the process of changing that disgraceful record in making your ballot decisions beginning in early April. I urge you to vote for the two new candidates Jim Mayfield and Kay Frank. As new board members you can anticipate that Jim and Kay will bring a new perspective to the board. Of the 5 candidates running for the board, Kay Frank is the only candidate on record as favoring an open and transparent board that will not accept actions of the type listed above. While the three incumbents running for reelection might espouse similar attitudes, the actions of the 2012-13 board listed above would call such attitudes into question. In casting your vote for Jim Mayfield and Kay Frank, you will be voting for a needed and positive change in the direction that Sun City Anthem boards have taken over the past five years. Since you can cast your vote for 4 open board positions, I urge you to cast your other two votes for Bella Meese and Mike Carey. In my opinion, a vote for Jim Long will only serve to perpetuate decisions that have acted to discredit the 2012-13 board. For additional information about Kay Frank, her accomplishments, volunteer efforts and Sun City Anthem activities, please click on this Link.
An SCA View Editorial by Ron Johnson, 16 March 2013 Efforts you can make to address the cycle of corruption The only way to address the cycle of corruption that has plagued one Sun City Anthem board after another is for homeowners to assume more responsibility over the election process. They can begin doing that in one of two ways: by denying the reelection of current board members or, more significantly, by denying the reelection of those board members who are key officers, like the president and treasurer of the association. In boards since 2007, members holding these positions were more likely to make decisions that exceed the authority granted them under our governing documents. Assuming that what’s past is prologue, meaning that the past typically sets the stage for actions that take place in the future, significant change can take place only if the association’s key officers are not rewarded with reelection for transgressions understood to have occurred on their watch. When matters adversely affecting the association’s governance go awry or are called into question, responsibility for those decisions is properly attributed to those in a key leadership capacity. That’s especially true in matters where wrongdoing has been alleged. Sadly, a pattern of lies and cover up efforts affecting financial matters and records have prevailed since 2007. In the current election, of the three board candidates seeking reelection, the only person in a leadership position is president Jim Long. Denying Jim Long a second term on the board will accomplish these important objectives:
One blogger has occasionally reminded the community on the role played by Unity’s past election endorsements. An alleged key feature of Unity was something called “cooperation.” In practice, however, such “cooperation” has come to mean not merely an implied intolerance to dissent, but a willingness to engage in orchestrated wrongdoing, making decisions not sanctioned by our governing documents without documentation or board consensus, and contrary to one’s fiduciary duty, by maintaining silence in order to protect one’s own wrongdoing or to protect the wrongdoing of others. You can make a positive difference in Sun City Anthem’s future governance by voting to make a change in the association’s leadership. Your vote to begin that process will help to guarantee that future boards are free of the inclination or pressure to violate well established principles contained in our governing documents. An SCA View Editorial by Ron Johnson, 8 March 2013 Sitting in on a conversation between the State’s Investigator and a member of the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors The set up: A brief synopsis follows. The board has received a state inquiry concerning the basis for certain changes that appeared in the 2008 Updated Reserve Studies for the Villa Neighborhoods. Those changes greatly altered the reported outputs for the level of required reserves. In response to that inquiry, the board submitted information allegedly obtained from RMI’s Bruno Panek, the association’s Facilities Manager, that attempted to explain how those reserve study changes occurred. In his explanation, Mr. Panek alleged that his “my guy” was tasked on 15 July 2007 to measure the size of a Villa building, a key reserve study metric. That “my guy” measurement resulted in the association’s use of a markedly lower figure than was permitted by the statute, a figure that was subsequently used by the association and by the reserve specialist to calculate the level of required reserves. As a result, the level of required reserves for Villa Neighborhoods was altered to portray a lower and false result. The Problem: There is credible evidence to demonstrate that Mr. Panek’s “my guy” story never happened. That led to the conclusion the association had deliberately lied to the state by setting out to cover up the association’s role in fabricating the reserve study database and the required reserves needed to fund Villa reserves. The participants: The state’s investigator and an unidentified member of the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors. The Action: Below is a portion of a hypothetical exchange between the State’s investigator and an unidentified board member. State’s Investigator (SI): How did the Bruno Panek “my guy” story first come to the attention of the board? Board Member (BM): Are you going to read me my rights? SI: No, we’re just chatting here, trying to understand what happened. Besides, that won’t be necessary since there is no reason to believe that anyone had committed an offense that could result in one’s imprisonment, that is, a situation where Fifth Amendment rights can be invoked. BM: Frankly, I’m a little uncomfortable talking about something that could lead to penalties or other sanctions against board members and, or the association. SI: I understand. But don’t worry about that. We’re not recording this and there is no transcript of our discussion. I thought you had agreed to cooperate. Was I misinformed? BM: No, you are correct. However, I may not be as forthcoming as you might prefer. SI: I understand. Let’s continue and see how this goes. BM: Well, the Bruno Panek story came to our attention as a means of resolving the State’s inquiry into the basis for certain changes that appeared in the 2008 Updated Reserve Studies for the Villa Neighborhoods. SI: Are you saying the board shared the state’s inquiry with non-board members, solicited their input, and adopted that input as the board’s official response to the state? BM: Correct. SI: Are you saying the board did not know how to respond to the state’s inquiry or that the board knew how to respond but understood that its response would necessarily implicate past board members and others in the falsification of data used in the calculation of required reserves? BM: The board knew how to respond but decided not to do so, preferring instead to seek an alternate explanation for what occurred that would avoid focusing attention on past alleged wrongdoings. SI: What is the name of the person(s) who crafted and brought the board the Bruno Panek story? BM: At this time, I would like to pass on answering that question. SI: What efforts, if any, did you make to verify the accuracy of the claims made by Mr. Panek in his “my guy” story? BM: None. That was unnecessary since I was aware that the Bruno Panek story was false. SI: How involved was the board in deciding how to proceed with and respond to the state’s inquiry? It’s my understanding that potential legal matters are brought up for discussion in executive sessions. Was that practice followed in this instance? BM: No, most board members were kept in the dark. Given the nature of our proposed response to the state’s inquiry, efforts were made to limit board member exposure to as few persons as possible. SI: Are you saying that there is no association record of the decision-making process for the board’s handling of and response to the state’s investigation or who participated in that process? BM: That is my understanding. SI: Since the association was submitting a document to the state that was knowingly false, wasn’t there any concern that the falsity of the association’s document would be tested, challenged or become openly known? BM: No, there was no concern whatsoever. SI: Can you please explain why there was no concern? BM: Those responsible for submitting a response to the state were led to believe the state would merely accept without question what they were told without regard to its veracity. I was informed that had been the association’s experience in the past. More significantly, we were led to believe that the contents of our false submission to the state would remain confidential—in other words, the contents of our submission would never see the light of day to potentially expose what amounted to our efforts to deceive the state by covering up past transgressions. SI: Clearly, the board was mistaken. Who misled the board to arrive at those anticipated outcomes? BM: I would like to take a break at this point. SI: Perhaps we can continue after lunch. [A future appointment is being scheduled.] [end]
JUST WHERE DO THE THREE BOARD INCUMBENTS’ STAND. BELOW ILLUSTRATES WHAT HOMEOWNERS SHOULD EXPECT BY CASTING THEIR VOTE TO RETURN INCUMBENTS TO THE BOARD.
An SCA View Commentary on Vic’s Restaurant Of course, you will want to make that dining decision for yourself. To assist you in that effort, here is some basic information that might help towards that end. Vic’s offers two dining choices. First, there is a modestly priced menu for members only that includes an entrée with a side, a salad and a shared dessert that is geared to early diners, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The average price for the 7 available entrées is $15 ranging in price from $14 to $17. Given the attractive pricing and the included items, this menu offering should be a popular choice. On the other hand, if you prefer to begin your dining experience after 6:00 p.m., you have an array of dining options, including 17 different entrée items ranging in price from $18 to $48. There is no member discount applied here. Of the 17 items offered, 9 are à la carte. You have a choice of 11 sides at $7, or a baked potato for $5. With a side dish, the average price of a meal is $33. Add a Caesar salad for $10 and your average dinner price per person is $43. Dont's forget the wine and dessert. There are also 8 additional, more expensive menu items such as filet, rib eye, lobster and lamb, 7 of which are priced on the menu, that include a side dish, averaging $39. Adding a Caesar salad to those entrées brings the total of your dining experience to $49. Throw in an $8 spring roll appetizer and a nice dessert and you are looking at an average meal cost of $60-65 per person, excluding tax. At those prices, we would find after 6:00 p.m. dining at Vic’s unaffordable under any foreseeable circumstance. Regrettably, I have the impression that our situation is not that different from that experienced by 90% of Sun City’s dining out community. If that judgment proves accurate, it is difficult to understand where Vic’s is expecting to find a large enough customer base that will support the restaurant’s high-end dining operations. Bon appétit. To see Vic’s menu, Click here. Ron Johnson, 2 March 2013
Alice in Wonderland (City of Henderson)
In the Upcoming Election, You Will Have an Opportunity to Change Direction: Questions about Sun City Anthem Governance
On the one hand, there is irrefutable evidence of back room lies being created and willful deceptions being crafted and submitted to the state’s agency that has been investigating wrongdoing. On the other hand, homeowners are being led to believe that Sun City governance and transparency issues are being addressed and getting better. In the face of such behind closed door behavior, what can homeowners make of public announcements to the contrary? Admittedly, some homeowners prefer to remain in denial while others are wedded by affiliation to accept a pattern of wrongdoing. The board’s duplicitous actions should be of upmost concern to those who respect transparency and responsible governance. Such actions illustrate the potential cost to the community of reelecting board members who will be seeking your support for another two-year term. When you cast your vote, the community will not be served by rewarding those who have remained silent, acquiesced or participated in such flagrant behavior. Ron Johnson, 10 February
FASCIA PROBLEMS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What homes are affected? Only Phase 2 homes constructed in 2004 and all homes built thereafter. Pulte advised that all homes constructed from 1998 to the end of 2003 are not affected by this problem. What changed in 2004? According to Pulte, beginning sometime in 2004 the subcontractor altered their method of securing the foam panels to the walls. This new method of fastening foam fascia panels ultimately resulted in the formation of cracks in the stucco and the exposure of the foam panels that lie underneath. What is Pulte doing about this problem? Upon a homeowner’s request, Pulte will schedule a visit to determine whether the stucco cracks observed by the homeowner warrant a repair. If the work is authorized, the panels and cracks will be repaired by adding nails, covering the nails and cracks, and painting over the fix. Authorization will depend on the extent of the damage and whether the foam panels are exposed. I am advised that small or hairline cracks will not be repaired. Is Pulte notifying affected homeowners by mail? No. The homeowner assumes the risk of not contacting Pulte. Will Pulte be visiting homes to determine whether the fascia problem is present? No. The homeowner assumes the risk of not contacting Pulte. Homeowner’s responsibility. Since Pulte assumes no responsibility for alerting potentially affected homeowners to this fascia problem, repairs will be made only in response to those homeowners who contact Pulte’s Customer Service department. Have you scheduled or plan to paint the exterior? Painting will VOID Pulte's agreement to fix your fascia problem. Painting performed by a contractor will only cover up or mask the unlying fascia problem and will not fix that problem. How to contact Pulte. Pulte’s Customer Service department may be contacted by phone to 1-800-664-3089 or by email to LVWC@pulte.com. How can homeowners help? Homeowner living in Villages constructed from 2004 and thereafter should contact their village leader or email or telephone-tree coordinator so that repair information is made available to all homeowners in their Village.
BELOW IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CONSIDER IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO RUN FOR A SEAT ON THE SUN CITY ANTHEM BOARD. The Poster may grow larger and become more readable if you pass your cursor over the image.
To view the presentation, Click on this Link 24 Jan
Who is the real threat to the community? Below in italics is what David Berman recently wrote about Bob Frank and the return of surplus funds. According to David, Bob got it wrong and David presented what he claimed were the documented facts. At least that is what David would like his readers to believe.
In reading what David has written about what Sun City’s financial record shows, I have the distinct feeling that David is attempting to do today what he had failed to do years ago when he was engaged in the practice of law, namely, to pull the wool over the eyes of his readers. Then his readers were associated with the Massachusetts justice court system and today his readers are the homeowners of Sun City Anthem. If we believe David, the millions in carryforward surplus funds yet to be returned by the board that Bob Frank has talked about were in fact returned to the homeowners. That would be nice if David’s claim were true. Unfortunately we cannot rely on his or his family’s counting skills when it comes down to accurate reporting or providing a basis for their assumptions or calculations. As the below table shows, David is off by $1.5 million in his claim of $4.1 million compared to the board reported return of excess carryforward funds of $2.6 million. Apparently David believes it’s OK to lie to or mislead his readers if his reason in doing so is important enough. I’ll get to that problem of David’s in a separate article. All that higher education should have taught David that when counting the number of apples in the bin one does not also include in that apple count the number of pears in the bin. That’s exactly what David has done in making the claim he did. That kind of mistake is simply a mistake a person does not readily make unless they are intent on deceiving the tallyman, the recipient, or in this instance, one’s readers. With all that available brainpower, surely David would have understood that Bob Frank’s unreturned millions referred to the excess income that was reported annually on the association’s annual tax returns and was carryforward from the prior year. After all, that huge issue was the subject of a police investigation into alleged wrongdoing as well as an audit by the IRS, two recent memories not easily forgotten. Actually, David knew only too well the magnitude of and the basis for the amounts that Frank claimed had been retained by the association and not returned to the homeowners as required by IRS regulations. David did not want to disclose that Bob was correct because he had a different agenda in mind. For David it was enough to simply lie and obfuscate. Before making his unfounded accusations against Bob Frank’s claim that such carryforward funds were never returned, David should have relied on the association’s own 2011 board tax planning workshop report by Treasurer Dan Forgeron. In contrast to David, Forgeron accurately reported the amounts of carryforward funds from 2003 to 2010, information that is on the association’s website and conspicuously that information was ignored by Berman. As shown in column (b) of the table below and reported by Dan Forgeron, the total amount of carryforward funds that were returned during the three-year period from 2008-2010 was $2.659 million, not the $4.1 million that was reported by Berman. Of particular significance in Forgeron’s tax planning document is the board’s acknowledgment that the amount of 2010 carryforward funds to 2011 was $2.121 million, as shown in Column (c) for the year ending in 2010. Although David knows that that $2.121 million was not returned in 2011 or in 2012, he nevertheless would like his readers to believe his fabricated claim. In other words, David lied. Forgeron’s report effectively demonstrated the board’s plan to ignore the IRS requirement to return those carryforward funds to the homeowners. Forgeron creatively proposed that those funds would be used for a variety of other association purposes. In doing so, Forgeron implied that such amounts were needed to meet a presumed but unsubstantiated shortfall in association funds. Having ignored the IRS regulation to return excess carryforward income for years until the audit of the 2007 tax return determined the association had failed to comply, one might think the board would have welcomed the opportunity to return the $2.121 million in carryforward funds that remained at the end of 2010. Bob Frank was correct since that return never happened. I'm confident the association would like the opportunity to demonstrate that excluding those $2.121 million in carryforward funds the amount of income that was collected in 2011 was not sufficient to meet 2011 expenditures. The table below. This table compares Berman's cumulative total claim of $4.1 million for the three-year period from 2008 to 2010, represented by Column (a), to the Board's reported surplus amounts that were carryforward and returned to the homeowners during that same three-year period. That total is $2.659 million, not even close to Berman's claim of $4.1 million. For example, for the year 2008, no carryforward funds from the prior year's carryforward surplus were reported returned to the homeowners. As a result, the 2008 cell in Column (b) is blank. The blank amount means that zero dollars from the 2007 carryforward surplus were used in 2008 to fund 2008 expenditures. That means the monies to fund the partial fourth quarter assessment holiday in 2008 originated from excess funds that were accumulating during the year. Excess income was accumulating in 2008 as a result of an increase beginning in 2008 in assessments by $160, from $940 to $1100 annually. 2008 income from homeowner assessments far exceeded planned expenditures, thereby enabling the board to reduce fourth quarter assessments. In contrast, in 2009 the board reported that $1.408 million was returned to the homeowner. That 2009 returned amount, as reported by the board, came from funds that were carryforward from the prior year, 2008. The amount of the carryforward funds shown by Column (c) for 2008 was $4.780 million. As a result of the partial use of those funds in 2009, the carryforward amount from 2008 to 2009 decreased by $1.408 million, as shown in Column (d), i.e., reflecting a change from $4.780 million at the end of 2008 to $3.372 million at the end of 2009.
Ron Johnson 23 January 2013
Below is a Cartoon by Ron Johnson Illustrating Years of Failed Leadership and Corruption in Sun City Anthem.
When will the board decide to put a stop to the lies & their efforts to cover-up past wrongdoings?
TO VIEW THE MOVIE, CLICK ON THIS LINK.
THE HENDERSON POLICE CHIEF ADDRESSES SUN CITY ANTHEM HOMEOWNERS CONCERNS BUT MAKES ONE GLARING OMISSION
What Chief Moers did not address in his article was another matter of some concern. That was the outcome of a police department meeting in 2010 with members of the association’s board of directors that led to HPD’s filing with the court a false affidavit requesting authority to arrest two Sun City Anthem homeowners. Since that meeting formed the basis for what the HPD learned about certain tax-related issues then under investigation, one would ordinarily assume that Sun City Anthem board members present would have been scrupulous in accurately conveying information they had reason to believe the HPD would rely on. Sadly, HPD’s affidavit depicting what the HPD learned at that meeting did not reflect the type of understanding one might expect to acquire from an examination of relevant facts. Inexplicably, HPD’s subsequent affidavit recounting what had been learned at that meeting demonstrates that the HPD learned the opposite of what was true about what the 2008 board had done with excess funds that were carried over from 2007. How could the HPD have gotten it so wrong to conclude that no wrongdoing had occurred? Was the HPD simply inept in their understanding of what they were told? That’s unlikely. Was the board inept in their understanding of what had occurred in 2008? That’s unlikely given the financial knowledge and abilities of Jack Troia and Roz Berman who were charged with conveying only true and accurate facts. Given that both parties were equally competent to understand the facts, one should rightly assume that the actual purpose of the HPD-Association meeting was other than an unbiased examination of relevant facts to determine the outcome of the HPD’s investigation into possible wrongdoing. Ironically, some have concluded that the actual purpose of that fateful meeting was not merely to set the stage for the exoneration of board members Berman and Cooper as alleged wrongdoers but was actually to set the stage for the subsequent false arrest and prosecution of Bob Frank and Tim Stebbins. If true, would not that act constitute a crime? Since 2007 and up to the present 2011-12 board, one can only marvel at the many ways Sun City Anthem boards have managed to elude their fiduciary duty to association members by engaging in one corrupt act after another.
AN SCA COMMENTARY “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Revised Standard Version, John 8:32). For the perpetrators of fraud against the financial interest of the Villa homeowners, the truth of the matter did not work so well. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the truth in this matter will help to further ensnarl if not seal forever the fate of the alleged wrongdoers as the actual wrongdoers. That was not the outcome the association and RMI had hoped for when they proffered their “my guy” story to the State in its investigation of alleged wrongdoing. On the contrary, the expectation was that the association’s “my guy” story would have made those alleged perpetrators free of suspicion of wrongdoing and free of guilt. But that did not happen. In fact, the opposite happened. Those alleged perpetrators are now viewed even more guilty than they were viewed before the “my guy” story was disclosed. The origins and consequences of the association’s “my guy” story is covered in greater detail in my article, The Big Lie. The disclosure of that false “my guy” story had the unintended effect of confirming guilt rather than getting the alleged perpetrators out of limbo as the likely perpetrators. What’s utterly surprising is not that someone might make such a foolhardy proposal to the board to lie to the state on a matter that was factually understood to be impossible, but that responsible board officials could be counted on go along with such a scheme. My faith in this board’s transparency and honesty has been severely tested. Ron Johnson 14 Dec SOME 2013 ELECTION CONCERNS In the next several months, you will be asked to vote for this or that candidate for the board. When you are encouraged to go along with those just like the ones you voted for in the past, please understand that recent boards were composed of directors who were as interested in engaging in unlawful acts and covering up those acts as they have been in meeting the community’s needs. If you are satisfied with the knowledge that some directors had committed wrongdoing in the past while others are willing to lie to a state agency that’s investigating such wrongdoing, then by all means that is exactly what acts your vote may encourage in the future. On the other hand, if wrongdoing and lying to a state agency is not something you are anxious to see on the 2013-14 board, you may want to consider voting for candidates who are unwilling to tolerate such behavior, preferring those who at least profess transparency, honesty and integrity in governing Sun City Anthem. Assume that you were elected to fill one of the four open seats on the 2013-14 board, would you vote to lie to a state agency to cover up past wrongdoing, let alone go along with those who would lie? Sadly, that is exactly what membership on the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors has come to entail. For those who did not know, illegal or dishonest acts are typically excluded acts under D&O insurance policies and such acts are not considered acting “in good faith” and therefore are not protected from claims under the business judgment rule. If wrongdoers are not protected from liability, it goes without saying that efforts to cover up bad acts are likewise not protected or covered under such policies or rules. Ron Johnson 14 Dec 2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION NOTICE
The contrast in the above Election image was adjusted & was provided courtsey of anthemjournal.typepad.com
Here in this CORRUPTION CHRONICLES article I chronicle a number of false claims that were made by board members or their agents over the past 5 years in an effort that was designed to deceive or lie to homeowners about a matter of significance. The one-page summary chronicling Sun City's corruption is displayed in an easily readable chart format. The Corruption Chronicles 27 Nov 2012
The Big Lie 15 Nov 2012
While most homeowners might prefer to say, "NO," the City's Chief Fraud Investigator Sgt. Jeffrey Farley appears to come to a different conclusion when one examines what he wrote in his affidavit. Guilty 7 July
On Ron Johnson’s Belief System As a retired field investigator for the Federal government, I relied on the old axiom “Two plus two equals four.” That axiom typically worked well then when making determinations concerning whether certain actions were legal or not and it has worked as well here in Sun City Anthem in addressing certain questionable board decisions, even when it comes down to recognizing the existence of possible fraud in making a potential association liability disappear or the elements of a conspiracy. When the application of reason and common sense points to a board member as a wrongdoer, it’s understandable that the spouse of that board member may have difficulty in coping with that conclusion. However, using one’s community blog to denigrate, deny or question such conclusions or their authors without a shred of contrary or believable evidence is another matter. Deliberate actions intended to mislead the Massachusetts judiciary and his then client did not work well for David 21 years ago and that practice will not work for David in Sun City Anthem today, as described immediatley below. 7 June 2012
Johnson's article sought to explain the significance of that meeting attended by select board members with the Henderson Police Department in light of subsequent events. David's commentary, which sought to discredit Johnson's conclusions, was riddled with misleading statements and numerous errors. You can read David's entire commentary and Johnson's response by Clicking on this Link: Response
Sadly, an examination of available evidence strongly supports the conclusion that it did happen in Sun City Anthem, although on a different scale and with a different purpose in mind. In both cases, however, it was all about money. In Sun City's case it was about the efforts of the 2007-08 board to negate a key term of a negotiated settlement agreement involving hundreds of thousands of dollars to hundreds of homeowners they did not wish to honor. The Sun City Anthem HOA Scandal
The Untold Story 3 April
Such a shortfall, Johnson claims, would have obligated the association to recognize an additional indebtedness to each Villa unit owner equal to a little over $1,400. The irony of that result did not deter the board from collecting an additional $500 assessment in CY 2007 from each Villa homeowner to meet what was then claimed to be a projected shortfall in Neighborhood funding. It was that same 2007-08 board that took certain steps in 2007 to fabricate the Villa reserve database that led to the board's false claim that Villa reserves had been overfunded. To view Johnson's analysis, Click here. 3 April
Did the recent disclosure of certain evidence confirm the existence of a cover-up between the association and an out-of-state company? The Cover-Up 19 January
Six Business Models, & Summary 8 December
Is HOA corruption possible in Sun City Anthem? HOA Corruption 18 Sept
Were Villa owners mislead?
Setting the Record Straight 1 Sept
President's Report, dated 08/25/2011
Case dismissed by Hubble Smith, LVRJ
REVISED, plus an addendum. Who is to blame for so many bad replumbing decisions? Missing the mark. 10 July
Interesting and troubling developments, depending on who you are.
The June 30th BOD Meeting 7 July
More Idiocy on Parade 25 June
Is Mr. Slark coming to our timely rescue or are we going to Mr. Slark's timely rescue?
Is Fred Slark in Need of a Gravy Train? 12 June
The May 26th BOD Meeting, Part 2 5 June
The May 26th BOD Meeting 29 May
Construction Defects 10 May 2011
James Long 1780-New President Bella Meese 1583
Michael Waterhouse 1300 Robert Frank 854 Carl Weinstein 788
"Memo to Self" 4 Apr
Indicted 2 April 2011
On appealing the tax audit results 2 April
An unusual admission 25 Mar
Free Plumbing Inspection 17 Mar
Origin to Tax Problems 13 Mar
Will the association be able to overthrow the IRS’ application of 70-604 or is the association blowing smoke to gain a more favorable settlement? The IRS Tax Audit, etc. 6 Mar
The Corrected Tax Audit Results 22 Feb
Five Million Dollars and Counting! 15 Feb
Was the board's decision to withhold the results of the IRS audit an example of election fraud? That conclusion appears inevitable.
The shouting match over the Community Patrol and other matters.
The Jan. 27th BOD Meeting 28 Jan
Take out those palm trees. 26 Jan
Were Villa Homeowners Actually Shooting Blanks?
Did Villa homeowners identify the right culprit? 26 Jan
When is a Confidentiality Agreement not an agreement about keeping certain matters confidential? Does paragraph 7 belong in the Agreement?
The Confidentiality Agreement 26 Jan
The Falsified Records Cover-up. 7 Jan
Deceit 7 Jan
Bow-wow 7 Jan
Yes, there is color and glitz along with some badly needed improvements, but much is missing. Many users will be favorably impressed while others will be disappointed. For what's wrong and missing, click on the below link. The updated website 2 Jan
THE RANA GOODMAN LETTER. While David Berman says one thing to his
Some Q & A on the prospects for gaming.
Purported early draft 5 Dec
Will your PVB valve make it through the winter months now and in the future? What's a PVB valve and will it freeze?
Will Liberty Center's LEED design turn out to be a million dollar boondoggle?
The Failure of Liberty Center. 14 Nov
A timely message from Audra Tubin 29 Oct
MY RECOMMENDATION: VOTE YES TO LEARN WHY, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW. "VOTE YES" on the Gaming Poll 30 Oct
The Finance Committee recommends more money is needed to finance Liberty Center, a pittance of an increase, $40, in 2011 and a $100 increase in 2012. Funding Liberty Center 30 Oct
Roof Repair II. 20 Sept
The Authority of the Board and IRS Audit III 19 Sept
The Excess Income Piggybank
Justice Denied 9 Sept
Fair and Impartial or Politics 30 Aug
Will the audit of the association wind up with the board free and cleared of any wrongdoing and, or with millions owed in back taxes? In this article you can glean a hint of the numbers involved and where this audit might be headed. The IRS Tax Audit II 11 August
The IRS Tax Audit 24 July
What's in a Name? 24 July
How will that act affect the future of TNF Holdings operating as the Anthem View Restaurant? Who are the Tubins, Part 3? 21 July
Who are the Tubins? 14 July
Complaint 14 July
What did the board know and when did they know it? The complete story has yet to be told.
The unfolding Tubin story 24 June
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION RESULTS FOR 2010
A Q&A on the Gaming Issue 24 May
Reid proposal to block mining plan 24 May
Warning 24 May
Lyndall Ruiz, Dan Forgeron and Carl Weinstein Election Recommendations 1 May
Unity in action 1 May
The Cover-up Continues 27 April
Pictured at left is Homer Simpson declaring that "I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything."
Waiting for the Official Version 20 Apr
The End Game,Part 2 9 Apr
Final Polling Results 4 Apr
Douglas Hoffman Arrested 1 April
Liberty Center Inormation Sheet & Map
The End Game. 28 Mar
The Board Supports Tirzo. 18 Mar
You're Under Arrest 18 Mar
More Photos 6 Mar
Berman's Mouth Runneth Over 25 Feb
Make Tirzo's an amenity. 25 Feb
Did Bob and Tim File a False Report? 20 Feb
It's Moot, Dummy 14 Feb
Las Vegas Sun Article, dated 28 Jan
If SCA President Jack Troia had anything to do with that decision, he deserves a gold star, or at least consideration for an award as Magician of the Year. In light of the HPD's unique application of the forgery statutes in this instance, we might look for the HPD to announce an arrest holiday or a get-out-of-jail pass to persons charged with a crime that agree to make restitution. 28 Jan It would be interesting to learn at what level in City government that decision of not guilty was reached, especially in light of the mayor and city dignitaries scheduled to be present in Sun City to celebrate the opening of Liberty Center. With on ongoing police investigation of board members on forgery allegations, even the comic book character Robin might be heard to proclaim, "Holy City embarrassment Bat-Chief, we need to cut these folks loose and lay low."
An investigative report by Nelson Orth. Nelson asks whether the board is on the same slippery slope as we were with S&D Cafe. Investigative Report 28 Jan
You decide. An abuse of power, Part 1 24 Jan An abuse of power, Part 2 27 Jan
Investigation Update 20 Jan
Plumbing System Precautions Newly updated 6 Jan
Holmes Unlocks the Thread of Deceit 30 Dec
Click here for information about this IRS ruling.
When a KITEC replumb job failed. 1 Jan Homeowner Precautions Newly updated 6 Jan
Homeowner Precautions Newly updated 6 Jan
Henderson Fire Dept. News Release
Attend and express your thoughts about competitive bidding the contract, as required by law, or if you have any comments of interest for the Board's consideration or to express any concerns about RMI's performance. For David Berman's perspective, Click here.
Report of Interest to Elders & Persons with Disabilities
District Court Case For background on RR 70-604, Click here.
This is a reminder to all. (1) PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE CARS ON THE STREET OR IN THE DRIVEWAY. (2) DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR. (3) REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO HENDERSON POLICE AND THE SECURITY PATROL. HPD DIAL 911, SECURITY PATROL, DIAL 614-6751. (4) PLEASE JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. To Join the neighborhood watch program you can contact the Security Patrol office at 614-6751 and indicate your interest.
According to Community Manager Caren Carrero, you should be receiving your payment books this week with the coupons to be used for sending in Sun City Anthem quarterly assessment payments. If you prepaid your 2009 assessment, or sent in your fourth quarter assessment, you do not need to make a payment for the first quarter. If you believe you have a credit from the fourth quarter 2009, please call to the Member ship Office (614-5816 or 614-5817) and have them check your account. If you have arranged to have your assessment direct-debited from your credit card or bank account, you will be credited automatically for your 1st quarter and will not be charged for the quarter. If you pre-paid for 2009 and have made an arrangement directly with your bank to be debited for a dues payment, then you must contact your bank on your own to instruct the bank to not debit you for the 1st-quarter 2010 payment. If you have a credit for the first quarter and have signed up through the RMI website to pay by credit card, you will need to make arrangements through PayLease to skip a payment. Also, please note the new payment address on the 2010 coupons. If you have the payments sent directly from your bank, please be sure to update the address with your banking institution.
Your check is not in the mail 24 Aug.
Dining expereince. 18 Sept
President's Report, dated 8/27/2009
Roz Berman's statement on her resignation.
Find out what really happened? 13 Sept.
S&D settlement terms 9/2/09
Trumpets 19 Aug.
The Art of the Con, Part 4 25 July
President's Report, dated 7/23/2009
Having witnessed Mr. Song in action before, his efforts to explain and clarify matters are unfortunately confusing at times, counterproductive and not always successful. Click here to read from our OP-ED blog one homeowners insightful and hardhitting views on this ongoing dispute.
Tirzo's Bistro at Trumpets: The Menu Here is the planned Trumpets menu offering, except for dessert items. Shown are the regular prices for non-Sun City guests. Association members receive a 10% discount off the prices shown. Tirzo's Bistro Menu at Trumpets
Where: Penn Room, Independence Center Topics will include Trumpets, Liberty Center, ARC and Covenants and other topics if time permits. Coffee and dessert will be served.
Roz Berman lied about reserves, then lied again, and again and again in her efforts to deceive hundreds of homeowners who happen to live in one of our separately budgeted Neighborhoods. Why she and others did so is no longer a mystery.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire 10 July
The June Board Meeting 27 June
President's Report, dated 6/25/2009
The Art of the Con, Part 2 15 June
Where: Penn Room, Independence Center Proposed topics: Fitness and Recreational Activities; Communications with Residents; Website; Volunteers and Recruiting; and Public Relations.
On the implications of leasing 31 May
Lease Highlights by David Berman 31 May
President's Report, dated 5/28/2009
A one act play brought to you by the Sun City Board Players. After being recently informed by the State that secret meetings are prohibited, how does the board respond to this instruction? They decide to hold a secret meeting to make sure they have the votes to replace Carl Weinstein with Jack Troia, among other matters. The Secret Meeting 9 May
BOARD SELECTS NEW OFFICERS, 7 May: Roz Berman- President
How the Board robbed Peter to pay Paul.
The Art of the Con, Part I 6 May
Story from the 28 April, LV Review Journal
President's Report, dated 4/23/2009
Rubbish 25 April
Q & A on Pulte's Tile Offer 19 Apr Updated
Repair Protocol 19 Apr
Getting to Know You 16 April
Sorry Al. 12 April
NOW WORKING--Home Maintenance Seminars are NOW running on Ch 99 at 7 PM. Tell your friends & neighbors about the Ch 99 showing to alert them to this opportunity to get home maintenance information.
On Casting Your Vote 5 Apr
On 38 Cents; David Berman's Campaign Poppycock 31 March
President's Report, dated 3/26/2009
Two Very Disappointing Candidates 29 March
Is your home in Phase 2? Click here
President's Report, dated 2/26/2009
By any rational test, mounting evidence demonstrates that the board is heading down the the wrong track on selecting an operator for Trumpets. After considering the evidence, you can decide for yourself. WRONG DIRECTION 16 February
PETA at Trumpets (photo of PETA advocate Pam Anderson)
In this case, PETA stands for Please Endorse Tirzo at Anthem.
On Slate Politics 9 Feb
Volunters Needed 9 Feb
CAM Executive Departure Announced
Security Patrol Alerts 3 Feb
Trumpets: Avoiding Accountability 1 Feb..
On Selecting a Trumpets Operator 22 Jan 2009
On Setting a Bad Precedent 22 Jan 2009
Seeking Justice in Sun City Anthem 9 Jan 2009
President's Report, dated 11/20/2008
Tile Flooring Update. Phase 1 homeowners are advised to review the condition of their tile flooring. Looking OK and the absence of cracked tiles or broken grout are not assurances that there is no underlying problem needing correction. Pulte is currently accepting requests for a tile inspection: call 914-4800. Pulte will repair tiles that demonstrate some movement, a condition which hollow sounding tiles will exhibit. You can check for this condition yourself by gently tapping on each tile with a
Re-roofing the Flat Patio Roof Slide Show of Re-Roofing Process 10 Jan 09
Panoramic view of completed new roof. Note: The three vertical lines reflect the effect of overlapping images in creating the panoramic picture.
Flat Patio Roof Problem 23 Nov.
Bob Frank Vindicated 23 Nov.
Trumpets Search Efforts 23 Nov.
The President's Report October 2008
Pulte's KITEC settlement [Link now working]
More Security Patrol Alerts 26 Oct
 Board voted dues changes for 2009 at their Oct. 23rd meeting.
On the Real Cost of Greening RC3 19 October
Security Patrol Alerts 20 Oct
Trumpets and the Board 3 Oct.
On Securing a Qualified Operator 24 Sept.
Sun City Homeowners Lose Defect Case. Almost 1,000 Sun City Summerlin homeowners were left out in the cold with no money award after the jury decides construction defect case for the most part in Pulte's favor. This case aptly illustrates the potential drawbacks of individual homeowners suing. The Summerlin Case 24 Sept.
Two Anotomical Donation Programs 24 Sept.
I P E X Settles Class Action for $90 million Pending court approval this coming week, IPEX agrees to pay out $90 million to Las Vegas homeowners, article from the Las Vegas Sun, 6 Sept.
Some unsolicited observations on Chef Neal, Bob Frank and the Women's Club. Trumpets & Chef Neal 6 Sept.
I P E X U S A , L L C IPEX, the manufactrurer of KITEC plumbing fittings, has provided homeowners with an NRS Chapter 40 Notice to conduct an inspection of your home. As a KITEC homeowner, how should you respond? The IPEX KITEC Notice 3 Sept.
The Trumpets Workshop 24 August
The July Board Meeting 12 August
What went wrong? 17 July
The June Board Meeting 13 July
The Board files a Chapter 40 construction defect claim against the Developer, leaving thousands of unprotected homeowners in the lurch to fend for themselves. Perimeter block wall defects 6 July
Ignoring common sense and losing sight of the mandate and the dining needs of the Community, the Board's negotiators will inevitably drive away Sun City's only potential restaurant operator. Was that by design or just plain ineptitude? The Trumpets Fiasco 6 July
The Board & unrelated news, 15 June 2008
The Board & related news, 2 June 2008
A Lesson Learned 2 June
President's Update 5 May
The Trumpets Working Group 14 Apr
Part II. On Villa Reserves (.pdf format) 4 Apr
The March BOD Meeting 4 Apr
Campaign signs 28 March
Part I of II, On Villa Reserves 26 Mar
What's behind door No. 1? 21 Mar To make a comment, click here.
A White Paper 20 Mar
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is, Well, Still a Wolf 20 Mar
 Does the Association have unsettled tax issues? Only our Finance Committee will tell. For those who are more adept at tax matters, here is a tax primer on large scale associations to check out.
Elementary, Watson 13 Feb
ABRACADABRA 2 Feb
Bella L. Meese (6)
Tree Cutter Sentensed 14 Jan
UPDATE 17 Jan
"We're on track [to wipe out the Villa Neighborhood reserves]" according to Jack Troia, in his report on the status of the "Look-back" 2005 Reserve Study, as announced at the meeting of the Finance Committee, January 11, 2008. Parts I & II of III. Parts II and I 20 Jan
Read David Berman's informative article, "Candidate Briggs: The Bull(Y) in the China Shop." Article 13 Jan
Stepping Out of the Closet: David Berman on Board Candidate John Briggs 3 Jan
Update Reports 3 Jan. 4 Jan
When you replace your rusting State Industries water heater, originally supplied by the Developer's plumbing contractor, you may wish to think twice before getting another State water heater, even if the cost of that replacement water heater is free. Here we have reproduced an excellent review article and analysis of the pros and cons of various types of water heaters, including specific recommendations. On Water Heaters 1 Jan
To make a Comment 10 Dec
Report 8 Dec
The Anthem East Trailhead Project 6 Dec Click here if you would like to Comment
What do you think should happen?
On Trumpets To make a Comment 3 Dec
David Berman's Report 3 Dec
The Double Whammy 3 Dec
SCA View's letter to BLM 14 Nov
Recent Events 11 Nov
The Million Dollar Question 1 Nov
The October BOD Meeting 1 Nov
David Berman's Report 1 Nov
Can You Hear Me Now? 1 Nov
The 2008 Budget Process Gone Awry
The September BOD Meeting 8 October Click here to Comment on the September Board Meeting
Excuse me, who is guilty of what? 8 October
Is there such a thing as a free lunch? 23 Sept To read Sunday’s LVRJ Business Section article by Humberto Cruz on “free lunch” seminars, Click here: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/business/201904.php
A Substitute for Danfoss fittings 23 Sept
Potty Politics 19 Sept
Click on the image for complete poll results on the Board's action to remove Bob Frank from his position as vice president of the Association. 9 Sept.
Another KITEC Update 8 Sept
Bob Frank's Report to Homeowners 5 Sept
More questions and answers 5 Sept
How Much Does Pulte Owe the Association? 2 Sept
In Search of Common Sense 29 August
The good, the bad and the ugly 29 August
The August BOD Meeting 29 August
Click on the hyperlink below. When you arrive at the Anthem View, Plumbing Issues page, merely click on the Article titled "A Plumbing Status Report on Sun City Anthem.doc" and a Word file will open. After reading the Article, you may save the Article or you may either Click on the Return button or Close the Article and you should return to the Anthem View, Plumbing Issues page, where you may Comment on what you have read. SCA's Plumbing Status 24 Aug
Trumpets' lessee, S&D Cafe V LLC, files a lawsuit against the Association. Read S&D's 20 Aug. Amended Complaint as requested by the Court to provide more definite information as to the fraud claim. The Lawsuit 24 Aug
The Story 24 Aug
This is the sixth in a series of Board Updates designed to improve communications between the Board and the Community, dated 8 Aug. Board Updates 23 Aug
Detailed pricing information for homeowners. Johnson's Repiping Decision III 14 August, Rev.
More thoughts about your repiping decision, about Repipe Specialists and Town & Country Mechanical. Ron Johnson's Repiping Decision II 2 August
The Board's Villa Dilemma 29 July
THE VILLA OWNERS MEETING II Did Roz Berman deliberately set out to deceive the Villa owners? The Villa Onwers Meeting II 26 July
The Villa Owners Meeting 21 July
The Community Services Building Here is the genesis behind the building we know as the Community Services Bldg., a gift to the Community by Del Webb/Pulte and secured through the efforts of The Minuteman Foundation and Favil West. The CS Bldg. 26 June
A Plumbing Repair Update 13 June
A discussion of plumbing options homwowners will need to consider along with recommendations for those planning to use Wirsbo or Vanguard. Plus copies of product warranties. In 10 days or so, we will find out if some homeowners can get their home replumbed with copper for about $8,000. Plumbing Options, I 15 Apr
WIRSBO Homeowners planning to use Wirsbo and who wish to have any protection against dezincification should request their contractor to use Wirsbo's new (and more costly) C314 bronze fittings, which are confirmed to be currently in stock at Ferguson's, a plumbing supply company in Henderson. 13 Apr
Amphitheater 11/29
Story, The High Cost of Speaking Out, Part II. The Nelson Orth Story 11/19
Speaking Out in Sun City: The Nelson Orth Story, Part I. Speaking out can be hazardous to your liberty & health 11/13
Community Service Club. For upcoming events, scheduled meeting times, further information on how you may help, please visit our website page: Community Service Club
Community Patrol: Volunteers Are Needed. Please call between the hours of 8 & 4 daily to 614-6751. |
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Inc. All rights
reserved. Published by Ron Johnson, 2040 Rose Cottage Way,
Henderson, NV 89052, Telephone 702-617-8172
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Does that mean you can paint your house any color scheme you wish, like red, yellow, purple, etc? Unfortunately, until the board takes a more decisive stance on color scheme compliance, the available evidence suggests that the answer to that question is YES! 
In a five minute drive around a few nearby neighborhood blocks, I spotted half dozen homes that were painted using a noncompliant color scheme. If I can find so many in so little time, how many other noncompliant color schemes are out there among our 7,000+ homes? Pictured at left is an example of a Sun City home with a noncompliant color scheme. 
In support of his candidacy for reelection to the board, one blogger provided his readers with positive information about Jim Long, who currently serves as president of the association. Given what amounts to a glowing recommendation, many voters likely will be motivated to vote for Mr. Long. One gathers that Jim Long displays the kind of qualities homeowners look to and would like to see in someone who is charged with directing the nine million dollar Sun City Anthem Community Association Corporation.
Does the 2012 board and the three incumbents running for reelection really deserve credit for the IRS and Construction Defects settlements? And what about credit for the outcome of that search for a viable restaurant tenant? To find the answers to these questions, please Click 
Making Sense out of the IRS Settlement, an SCA View Editorial by Ron Johnson, 24 March 2013
For those long-forgotten tasters and board members who were overwhelmed by Vic’s initial presentation, they and you should be prepared to be overwhelmed again when you make your dining selections at Vic’s. While there are many homeowners who can readily afford the fare for an evening’s dining experience at Vic’s, it is clear to me that Vic’s is not a restaurant that most Sun City Anthem diners had in mind when that restaurant decision was placed in the hands of the board to make. 
In David Berman’s 11 February update to the Frank-Stebbins case against the City of Henderson, he makes an interesting departure by including a statement from the Defendants’ (City of Henderson) counsel. In doing so, one must assume that David attaches some importance to that statement. I happen to agree with Mr. Berman, but for entirely different reasons. Here is what David wrote: (to read the rest of this article, Click 
When testimony is fabricated to portray an outright lie and that lie is then submitted to a state agency as alleged proof that association wrongdoing did not occur, what does that say about the state of Sun City Anthem governance? 
The Problem. The foam fascia panels installed under the eaves of many homes were inadequately fastened during construction. This problem results in numerous cracks appearing in the stucco applied over the foam panels. 
The Construction Defects Settlement with Pulte and Slide Presentation. Here is a slide presentation on the details of the $5 million settlement with Pulte covering Independence Center, Anthem Center, Civil Issues (Block Walls; Iron Fence; Anthem Center Parking Lot; Pinnacle roads) and Villa building exteriors.
Visit Anthem Center's new fitness center scheduled to reopen on Monday January 14th. To learn more about what's new, Click on the following Link:
To view FINRA's hour-long program "Outsmarting Investment Fraud" online from your computer, iPad or similar tablet, Click on the LINK below. This feature is presented by FINRA's Investor Education Foundation President Jerri Walsh and was developed in partnership with AARP. Utilizing compelling stories of victims and perpetrators, the video uncovers the persuasion tactics that con artists use to defraud their victims and the basic tools investors can use to defend against fraud.
In his “Hello” article in the November Spirit, City of Henderson Chief of Police Patrick Moers addressed some resident concerns. Those concerns included the failure to locate a sub-station in the Anthem area, response times on calls for service, and the appearance of a rise in crime in the area. In a nutshell, Chief Moers said that there was no money for a new sub-station, response times were good, and there has been no increase in crime, although homeowners are now more aware of crime as a result of the availability of information on criminal activities through the 
The 2011-12 board of directors deserves your attention for a disappointing outcome. That outcome had the effect of corrupting the otherwise good name of the association by lying to a state agency that was investigating past wrongdoing. 
Sadly, Sun City Anthem has been and continues to be plagued by ongoing efforts to corrupt the good deeds performed by many of our volunteer leaders as evidenced in my most recent article below, called 
The recent disclosure of a 5-year old story has surprising and disturbing implications for Sun City. That story was told to a State agency in part one assumes to exonerate former board member Roz Berman and others from accusations of wrongdoing in connection with the falsification of association records. Those financial records were doctored in order to eliminate a potential indebtedness of transition reserves to Villa homeowners. That unbelievable story is the subject of my article here called The Big Lie. To read, Click on the following Link.
A Proposal to Change Channel 99 Oversight. Also, do Ch. 99's underwriting practices jeopardize our agreement with Cox Communications? 
Were Rosalyn Berman and Roger Cooper guilty of criminal conduct when they signed a certain board resolution? 
On 7 June David Berman wrote a commentary for his blog that was in response to Ron Johnson's article, 
Can it Happen Here?
When is a meeting of the board not a meeting of the board? The answer to this seemingly innocuous question will unravel a web of deceit, vengeance, betrayal and wrongdoing by our elected leaders that is unparalleled in the 12-year history of Sun City Anthem. Sadly, the meeting’s outcome aptly illustrates the height of political corruption engaged in by our then esteemed board members. To learn more Click on this Link: 
For information on how to be the the first to receive official Sun City Anthem e-mail blasts of current and upcoming events, including board president announcements and decisions plus administration messages affecting our amenities, Click here: 
For those who were waiting for the outcome of the trial of Bob Frank and Tim Stebbins on filing a false report about the actions of Roz Berman and Roger Cooper, the short answer is there never was a case that could be successfully brought against Frank and Stebbins. When that outcome was finally realized, the case was dismissed and Bob and Tim were exonerated. The longer answer appears in my article, "The Untold Story of the Resolution of the Frank-Stebbins Criminal Complaint against Rosalyn Berman and Roger Cooper."
REVISED 2012 Candidates for the Sun City Board
Updated Results. Ron Johnson provides a detailed and Updated analysis demonstrating that association claims that Villa Neighborhood transition reserves had been overfunded were false since that claim relied on erroneous assumptions and outright fabricated data. While using procedures similar to those utilized by reserve specialists, Johnson concluded that had the board kept their hands clean and not tinkered with the work product of reserve specialist DFS in conducting the 2005 "look-back" Reserve Study, the results of that reserve study would have established a substantial shortfall in transition reserves, amounting to $236,000, even after taking into account the results of the Favil West negotiated settlement agreement. 
Evidence of Wrongdoing by Sun City Anthem Board Members and their Agents.
Which Restaurant Business Model is Right for Sun City? Here Dick Arendt offers his opinion on each of the 6 business models under consideration, plus his Summary and repercussions. Are any of them more acceptable than the others? 
What happened to the $1,000,000 shortfall in Villa reserves? Missing documentation raises awkward questions. 
Villa owners to decide whether to accept cash rebate of excess operating funds or xeriscape. 
President's Report, August 2011
Case against Sun City Anthem board dismissed without giving any decision on the merits--Was the prosecutor Nevada's Office of the Attorney General incompetent?
Did Your KITEC Replumb Decision Miss the Mark? 
The June BOD Meeting 
On David Berman and the U.S. Tax Court. Are the prospects for litigation getting closer? Will Sun City Anthem homeowners be ignored?
Is the New Prospective Owner of Our Restaurant Fred Slark in Need of a Financial Gravy Train? 
Construction Defects: A Status Report What Sun City Anthem homeowners need to know.
Four New Board Members
SCA Board Recommendations.
Here is a great example of the pot calling the kettle black in "Memo to Self" by "David Berman," an SCA View editorial.
Board Vice President Roz Berman and six other former board members were recently INDICTED by the Nevada Attorney General for 2008 violations of NRS 116. 
The prospects of a successful appeal of the IRS tax audit results.
Did David Berman Spill the Beans in his commentary about the board's reason for their decision to keep their 24 March response to the IRS hidden from the view of members? In doing so, David appers to have opened up for discussion the questionable veracity of the association's response? Was that David's intention or was that an unintended consequence of his commentary?
On the Kitec plumbing Class Counsel's 2011 letter offering certain WIRSBO homeowners a free plumbing system inspection. 
On the Possible Origin of the Association's tax problems. 
The IRS Tax Audit Results, Allegations of Forgery, and Filing a False Report. What's the Connection? 
The Corrected IRS Tax Audit Results: Eating Crow. Two unreasonable errors qualify for a heaping dish of crow. 
Possible Election Fraud.
Homeowners searching for that unobstructed golf course view. 
Villa homeowners are looking to save their front yard sewer lines from possible root damage by proposing to take out those beautiful pine trees. 
The Community Patrol's Confidentiality Agreement. 
THE 2010 SUN CITY ANTHEM FALSIFIED RECORDS COVER UP.
DECEIT, a disappointing legacy for Sun City Anthem: An SCA View Editorial
BOW-WOW: USING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS YOUR PET SITTER
THE UPDATED WEBSITE! Sadly, the rush to judgment on inaugurating the updated website did not allow enough time to bring homeowners what they deserved.
readers about his Rana Goodman letter to City officials, shown at left, David says just the opposite in that letter. This is how I read David's introductory statement he published along with his letter: As any reasonable person will see, my letter to the City is an attack on Rana Goodman's character; while supposedly factually accurate, it's not; although I say that I do not seek Ms. Goodman’s removal from her position on a City advisory commission, that's the only reason for my writing to the City—to cause Rana Goodman harm in her capacity as a member of the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission; and my solicitation of names to sign in agreement of what I wrote definitely looks like a petition. 
Despite negative polling results, video poker at The Anthem View Restaurant appears to be an alive and thriving prospect. 
A purported early draft of David Berman's letter to the City of Henderson on Rana Goodman's suitability to be a member on the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission. 
How to avoid costly sprinkler system repairs in freezing weather conditions.
THE FAILURE OF LIBERTY CENTER. Were we mislead about the benefits of LEED certification and the downside to our comfortable lifestyle?
Dining at the Anthem View Restaurant
The Anthem View Restaurant's Opinion Poll on Gaming.
Projected assessments to increase $140 by 2012. 
New and improved flat roof repairs on Phase 1 homes now available from Pulte through Cooper Roofing. Pictures illustrate the differences between Willis Roofing and Cooper Roofing.
The Authority of the Board and the IRS Audit III--What Budgetary Powers Does the Board Really Have? Homeowners might be surprised to learn that the authority of the board to assess homeowners are limited to meeting the community's "common expenses." Did the board go beyond that?
Board finds Norman McCullough guilty of assaulting Caren Carrero on trumped up charges. Privileges suspended and fees assessed. The Board's view of justice takes a disappointing and a likely illegal turn. 
The Norman McCullough Hearing
The IRS Tax Audit II
President Troia announced that the IRS will be auditing the association's 2007 tax return. As with any audit, the IRS will be seeking answers to how the association arrived at the decisions reflected in the return's tax liabiliity determinations. 
The Board's proposal to delete SECURITY from the name of the Security Patrol. Fearing imagined lawsuits, the board is moving to change the name of the Security Patrol.
Audra Tubin commits mortgage loan fraud by identifying herself as an "UNMARRIED" woman in the purchase of property in 2010. 
The Hatchet Job! As the Tubins' defender, David Berman writes that my earlier article on the Tubins (see below) was nothing more than a defamatory hatchet job. While that possibility might appease the view of some homeowners, we have yet to learn the complete Tubin story, or what brought the Tubins here, let alone the full impact of their presence here in Sun City. 
Noted scumbag and blogger David Berman claims he's the victim, while suing Norman McCullough for reminding homeowners about David's past as an uncontested forger of a Judge's signature, among other things. Norman, a renowned advocate for Villa Neighborhood justice, is one of Sun City's most loving, pleasant, giving and wholesome persons who you would want to know. Read David's Complaint.
IS GAMING COMING TO SUN CITY? Pursuant to an agreement with the new restaurant owner-operator, the board is expected to distribute a poll on the adoption of gaming with the upcoming Spirit magazine. It's unknown how the poll will be structured, who will be permitted to present arguments on the issue, and whether the polling results will have any impact on the outcome of gaming.
Senator Harry Reid proposes to block the BLM Sloan canyon mining plan. With broad opposition to BLM's plan, Reid is hopefull that he is not too late to express his opposition, given 
Election Recommendations: 
Audio Clip of Unity Taking Control of the Emergency Board Meeting. A vote for Unity is a vote for heightened control and outright intimidation. Can it be much different on the board? Listen to a short audio clip of how Jack Troia controls a meeting. 
The 2010 Board Election Cover-up Continues. Were there just too many important homeowners with their fingers in the election pie failure to justify telling the truth? Was the election of the Unity team an issue in the board's decision to lock down the evidence trail?
The 2010 Board of Directors Election Ballot Fiasco: Waiting for the Official Version
Tirzo's Bistro: The End Game, Part 2. With a vote to evict Tirzo's Bistro, the board is assuming that their action will result in a productive and successful outcome for both parties. 
SCA tree cutter Douglas Hoffman was just arrested in Arizona for threatening Governor Gibbons in 2007. 
LIBERTY CENTER. Here is an informative sheet about Liberty Center along with a MAP that should help those who are uncertain where Liberty Center is located. 
You're Under Arrest. An SCA View editorial on the arrest of Bob Frank and Tim Stebbins by the Henderson Police Department. Are we living in the South in 1950s or earlier when political corruption was rampant? It's hard to tell the difference sixty plus years later in Henderson, NV.
Berman's Mouth Runneth Over
The filing of a false report is a serious crime being alleged by the Henderson Police Department against Bob Frank and Tim Stebbins. Whether Bob and Tim actually filed a false report in alleging possible wrongdoing by Rosalyn Berman and Roger Cooper is an interesting matter worthy of investigating. Rather than the accuracy of their report being at issue, is it more reasonable to conclude that the City was attempting to send a different message?
An issue is MOOT if the matter has been settled or irrelevant. On the other hand, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. Some believe that the issue of the board's response to the adequacy of Villa reserves is moot, akin to ancient history. I disagree in the article "
President Jack Troia addressed concerns about Tirzo Bistro's financial condition by stating that they were not in arrears through December but had missed their January rent, making the operator in default of their lease. There is some dispute whether Tirzo's was also in arrears through December and how the board may have reconciled that alleged disclosure. Now, however, Tirzo is proposing to defer future payments until customer support eventually picks up. Apparently, that proposal is something the board is planning to consider. This might illustrate the inherent risk in signing a lease with someone who was not financially viable to begin with and had no experience as a restaurant owner-operator. While this is not something the board bargained for, do we know how many months or years the board will want to go without receiving any income? 
Jack Troia got it wrong at the board meeting when he said that the association was not included in the suit filed by investment companies for overcharging fees to buyers of distressed homes. Red Rock Financial Services, our collection arm, was also included in a separate filing.
How Much Does Tirzo Bistro Owe Sun City Anthem? 
Part 1 and Part 2: In exercising their authority, did the board abuse their power and rush to judgment by prematurely removing a healthy tree and then sticking the unsuspecting homeowner who had the tree pruned with a bill for $6,800?
Click below for the latest information on the status of suspected criminal activity currently under investigation. 
PLUMBING SYSTEM BREAK: How a homeowner can take precautions to mitigate the possibility of water damage from a break in the plumbing system when the homeowner is away or on vacation. 
Sherlock Holmes successfully tackles the Villa mystery and concludes that our official financial records have been doctored. 
We have learned that a report of suspected criminal activity has been filed with authorities alleging that certain SCA board members may have executed a false board resolution document in 2008 concerning the board’s failure to return excess funds carried over from the prior year to homeowners as required by IRS Revenue Ruling 70-604. If the allegation is true, this may raise the question of whether such an act is a violation of the Nevada criminal code and what further action may result. In my editorial capacity, I spoke this past week with and was advised by a representative of this authority that this matter is currently under review for the purpose of making those determinations. When I learn more, I will keep you informed. 2 Jan.
SCA home a total loss inside after flooding from a break in their overhead water line while homeowner was out of town. 
Many SCA homes have an air vent above their range hood like the one shown here. If you have such an air vent, you should know: 1) there is no back-draft damper installed that would prevent warm air from escaping or cold air from entering the home; 2) a homeowner should be able to purchase a damper from the hood's manufacturer; and 3) the 
Fire destroys Sun City home. Although the front of the home appears intact, the fire resulted in a total loss, as described in the attached HFD news release. The fire likely started earlier that day in the wall immediately behind the oven when the owner had extinguished a fire in the oven, apparently unaware that the fire had migrated to the wall behind the oven.
Are important Board decisions made behind closed doors?To learn more, attend the Board's Workshop on RMI's Contract Renewal, Tuesday, Dec. 8th at 9:00 a.m. in the Anthem Center. 
Recent Legislation of Interest to Nevada's Elders and Persons with Disabilities, 2009 Report
Did the Board gamble with our money in deciding 2010 assessment levels? One might get that impression from a reading of a case won by the IRS against a homeowner's association on the issue of their compliance with Revenue Ruling 70-604,which happens to be an issue here at Sun City Anthem. 
We know what it means to lose weight, or to lose some object we can not find. But how did the Board lose 150,000 s.f. of Villa buildings needing a paint job? If any Board member has the slighest clue to this onging mystery, please enlighten us. 
Security Alert. Assistant Chief Joe Mihalich reported last month that there were several nighttime vehicle break-ins. Only vehicles that had valuables visible in them were targeted. Windows were broken and the property was taken. This indicated that someone was walking the streets and looking into cars. It also suggests that it was a team with someone driving or parked in a car in the general area. The latter is one of the reasons why the Security Patrol places parking reminders on vehicles in the overnight periods.
Your 2010 Assessment Coupons.
At the November board meeting, Attorney Roger Grant said that mediation sessions have been scheduled for Dec. 10 & 11 at which time Pulte will indicate if they will agree to make the the needed repairs alleged by Sun City. If they agree, in part or to all alleged needed repairs, it's not anticipated that repairs will actually be made but that a monetary settlement will be negotiated. 
The August board makes decision not to return all $4.755 million in excess surplus income to homeowners. 
Newly elected president, Jack Troia. Upon Troia's election as president, Roz Berman was elected as vice president,replacing the vacancy created by Troia's elevation to the presidency.
Settlement reached in S & D Cafe V lawsuit against Sun City Anthem. S & D to receive a payment of $250,000, to be paid by the Developer and insurance carriers. The settlement terms made no mention of who will pay the past and costly legal expenses that were incurred in defending legal action.
Trumpets Lease Process in Disarray, plus Hidden Agenda, a One Act Play. The Board seeks cover from future criticism over the gaming issue. 
The Art of the Con: Part 4: An unexplained million dollar reality gap. 
Association attorney Edward Song comes to the aid of the July board to explain the Trumpets so called "deal breaking" lease provisions required by the lessee that would permit gaming machines.
OPENING SOON
TOWN HALL CHAT, Thur., 30 July, 6:30 - 8:30
The Art of the Con, Part 3.
The June Board Meeting and Approving $212,700 to Provide a Solar System for the Anthem Center Indoor and Outdoor Pool. Really?, No, Really! Really?
The recently concluded biennial session of the Nevada Legislature passed 18 bills affecting HOAs. Here is a summary of those bills prepared by CAI (Community Association Institute). 
The Sun City Anthem BOD Vote Tally. The Unity slate takes all four seats. The winners are noted by an "*". The top four vote getters are those who were elected to the Board, listed below in their order on the ballot
Senator Harry Reid comes out against gravel quarry.
"RUBBISH" The Board as THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. Apparently there is no obstacle too great to get in the way of the Chef Tirzo Hernandez' train headed for Trumpets.
Questions and Answers on Pulte's Tile Offer to Repair flooring in Phase 1 homes.
"Getting to Know You" A response to Al Glickman on his more recent OP-ED editorial on what's important for our Neighborhood homeowners and Sun City's governance.
Ron Johnson responding to Al Glickman's OP-ED piece on the State's ongoing investigation , the board, on responsibility, on doing the right thing, and Al Glickman facetiously written commentary "Giving Up." 
David Berman asks whether a leopard can change its spots? Apparently not! We answer the more difficult question of why votes for Berman and Troia are votes for deceit. 
38 Cents: On David Berman's Campaign Poppycock
IT'S TIME TO VOTE FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Consider carefully whether your candidates have served the best interests of the community. I found two who failed us miserably. 
DOES YOUR PHASE 2 HOME SMELL AS GOOD AS A FLOWER? Let's assume so. According to a March 2009 
A Tile Offer That's Too Good to Pass Up. Check out Pulte's tile flooring offer for Phase 1 homes and decide whether their buyout option may be of interest to you.
The Board's majority is headed in the wrong direction on Trumpets. An UPDATE on recent events.
Did you receive your PETA invitation yet? No! If you did, you will delight in an early (4:00 p.m.) special food tasting experience with Chef Tirzo at Trumpets with selected non-board luminaries in attendance on Tuesday the 10th of February with PETA advocate Pam Anderson or Roz Berman. In our case, PETA is not Pam Anderson's PETA, which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Instead, PETA represents the board's call to selected homeowners to ask for their help in justifying their ill conceived decision-making process that resulted in the selection of Tirzo Hernandez as our next Trumpets operator. Bon appetit. 
On SLATE Politics in Sun City.
Sun City Volunteers Needed. Here is a listing of volunteer committee positions needed by the board. 
Beginning Monday, February 9, the Police Department will increase speed enforcement activities on the loop in areas where speed monitor trailers are currently located. A recent traffic survey found that 42% of motorists on the loop were traveling faster than the posted speed limit of 45 mph. 
PREVENTING A FIASCO ON TRUMPETS. Why is the board rushing to judgment today on selecting a Trumpets operator? 
wooden, plastic or metal object (like the handle of an ordinary kitchen knife). If the number of tiles needing repair exceeds the number of replacement tiles in the garage, Pulte will re-tile the entire home, or give the homeowner a cash buyout. Homeowners are cautioned to check the condition of their flooring in advance of any Pulte inspection. There is good reason for that recommendation. I had 21 tiles in the garage that Pulte counted before starting the inspection and Pulte just happened to find only 18 tiles needing replacement. Only after Pulte had completed their inspection, I did my own inspection a few days later and found an additional 110 tiles needing repair. I recontacted Pulte and the second time around they confirmed my finding. Be forewarned. If in doing your own inspection you find tiles that exhibit a hollow sound, it would be worthwhile for you to mark the tiles in some manner with a piece of tape so that when Pulte comes out they will have the benefit of your information to go by. 10 Jan 
Premature failure of flat patio roofs in Phase 1 homes. This flat patio roof problem was being addressed by Pulte but that is no longer true. For more, Click below.
Board Director Bob Frank vindicated by State's action to drop case that had been initiated by then Board President Mike Dixon. 
Construction Defect Meetings. Meetings disclosed serious issues of potential concern for Sun City homeowners. 
On the Real Cost of 
Planning Ahead for Death. While death and taxes are inevitable, have you considered what you would like done with your remains after you die? Here is one option you may not have considered: Making an anatomical donation of your body for science. 
Trumpets and Luncheon Caterer Chef Neal.
SALICE Hinges. SALICE, acknowledges that some of their door hinges installed in the 2002-03 period in 
The July Board Meeting. The Board lets some homeowners talk without interruption; others not so lucky. The President's Report. More plumbing problems. Trumpets issues. Will Mike Dixon be running Trumpets? Is Roz Berman withholding key information on Trumpets? 
Boulevard Group explains decision to withdraw. Here is Boulevard's letter of 10 July to the Board. In a statement to The SCA View on 16 July by William G. Goff, Jr., President of the Boulevard Gaming Group, while clearly disappointed at the outcome of the negotiations, Goff said he believes their letter fairly and accurately reflects the views of the company. Mr. Goff added that they look forward to meeting our dining needs at a previously planned restaurant they will be constructing near the corner of Bicentennial and Sun City Anthem Drive. 
On the failure of the Trumpets negotiations.
Block walls improperly constructed in Sun City. 
On the Trumpets Fiasco: a preview. 
The Board & Unrelated News 
The City of Henderson preempts Sun City's interests by leasing light poles as cell phone towers--A Lesson Learned 
President's Update Report on Construction Defects. In an unprecedented statement from the Board regarding construction defect issues and impending statute of limitations concerns, President Mike Dixon provides some guidance for Sun City homeowners. 
Driver crashes into Security Patrol annex bldg. According to RMI, "at approximately 12:00 PM Saturday night April 26, a dark blue or gray full sized pick-up truck went out of control and jumped the curb and struck the pillars supporting the overhang to the building, resulting in substantial enough damage to the building that it has been temporarily red tagged(cannot be occupied). The pick-up truck was also substantially damaged but managed to sneak off into the night. According to an eye witness to the accident, there were four cars that saw the accident and we are hoping that one or more of those witnesses can provide the Security Patrol with additional information such as, license plate number, definite color, description of driver or any other information that may lead us to the responsible party so that we may recover the cost of repairs to the building.
How many campaign signs are homeowners allowed to exhibit on their property? The Board Decides: An example of good governance or more dirty tricks by Mike Dixon?
With three "top" contenders for Trumpets having made their presentation to Sun City homeowners, we should be happy, right? Tell us what you think.
Will the Board be able to avoid a scandal over their actions to "fix" Villa Reserves? In light of growing evidence, that may be difficult to achieve. Here we offer a While Paper on The 2005 "Look-Back" Sun City Anthem Reserve Study.
The Villa Reserve Mystery, Solved! Here is the last chapter in The Case of the Disappearing Villa Neighborhood Reserves. With clues everywhere, there is but one inescapable conclusion to this mystery. 
ABRACADABRA: The Board's agenda to scam Villa homeowners continues unabated. Part III in a series on The Case of the Disappearing Villa Neighborhood Reserves. 
The Case of the Disappearing Villa Neighborhood Reserves, Part II. 
David Berman questions the suitability of John Briggs to be a member of the Board. 
Your New Water Heater!
The City's Sun City Anthem Trailhead Project. I think we should welcome (at no cost) the City's proposal to improve the Anthem East Trailhead on Shadow Canyon Dr. See what's planned and why some homeowners are concerned. 
Tree Slasher Convicted. While Douglas Hoffman sits in jail awaiting sentencing, delayed until 11 Jan. his conviction has not gone unnoticed in CA. See the Los Angels Times article and 68 responses from their readers. 
A Report by David Berman on the November Town Hall Meeting. 
The Double Whammy--On leaving the Clubhouse Villa owners out in the cold for 2008. 
Our letter to BLM on the Calvary Chapel Church's application to lease/purchase 20 acres on Volunteer. Depicted at left is a picture of a Russian Church in St. Petersburg, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. 
City efforts to intervene in Church plans; Tree slasher guilty on all charges; Murder will out? How much is that Kitec inspection really worth? 
The Million Dollar Question: On the failure of the Board to act in the Community's interest. Without sufficient justification, the Board votes to raise assessments. 
The 2008 SCA Budget. Here we offer a Peek at the Finance Committee's Proposed budget for 2008, or PP as we refer to our charts. The "need" for an increase in assessments is in question. 
Excuse me, who is guilty of what? In the recently concluded stage play Amadeus at UNLV, court appointed music director Antonio Salieri asks the audience, "Did I do it," referring to the demise (possibly due to poisoning) of Mozart. Here in Sun City we have we have a number of prominent characters, all denying their guilt in one form or another. Caption to picture: "I didn't do it." 
KITEC Settlement Discussions. Class counsel provides update on status of negotiations with Judge Bell. 
Is there such a thing as a free lunch? Here is some advice on investment seminars: Be informed and be wary 
Another Kitec Update
Potty Politics. Sadly, key Community players are playing potty politics with the unmet lavoratory needs of the our residents. 
Vice President Bob Frank, in his first public statement, responds to questions raised about what happened at the August BOD Meeting.
How Much Money Does Pulte Owe the Association? Some evidence suggests that Pulte owes the Association in excess of $1 million. If true, why is the Board relucant to pursue the matter?
With ongoing efforts to dishonor an honorable man, will we ever know the truth of the matter? The Bob Frank story continues. 
We are introducing a new website feature with this article on SCA's Plumbing Status. As you will learn, an addiitonal 2,000 Sun City WIRSBO plumbed homes are at risk of dezincification. Since we are testing our new "Comment" feature, one or two commentators will be appreciated. NO LOG IN OR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO VIEW OR TO MAKE A COMMENT. 
Have You Already Voted? Give us your anonymous opinion on the Board's action Thursday to remove Bob Frank as VP of the Association. 
Bob Frank, already found guilty of bruising egos, is on the verge (TODAY) of being voted out of office as Vice President of the Association. The beginning of an unfolding story. What do you think about this impending event. Take our Poll and give us your opinion. 
The Board's Villa Dilemma: continued secrecy or a path towards an equitable resolution? 
The Villa owners program was interesting for the illusion that was created. 
Evaluating Your Plumbing Options. 
A VERY SERIOUS Plumbing Problem Looms Over Phase 2 Homes. Homes built in the 2003-05 period with a REHAU sticker are beginning to leak in the attic from dezincification of those brass fittings. (see photo). 
Brass Fittings Galore Phase 2 model homes have brass fittings up the wazoo, that is, in the attic. When I wrote to the manufacturer, REHAU, asking them what the zinc content was of their brass fittings, they never got back to me. [Picture at left is of Phase 2 home attic then under construction. See above for an after picture.] 
Where is our Amphitheater?
