These are my personal images and photos that show the beauty of the view from Deer Ridge Mountain Resort and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cobbly Nob and the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area.
Just click the Play button to watch - or click Big Picture to see a much larger slide show on a dedicated page here at DeerRidgeOwners.com.
Deer Ridge Litigation Fund
Do you, as an owner at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort, believe we are ALL entitled to have access and be able to copy the books and records of our Homeowner's Association?
So, do I.
But, apparently, Employee Joe Thomas and President Luther Parker and the Board disagree - and are doing all they can to block access, publication and candid discussion of the Asinine Assessment, special deals and favored treatment - at the expense of all Owners.
What ARE they so afraid of us finding out?
Maybe it has to do with the HUGE $10,000 overcharge for my HOA Fees, special assessments, water and cable TV bill - which, in my personal opinion, is due to fraudulent intent or at least gross negligence by the Deer Ridge Board of Directors and / or General Manager Joe Thomas. Please see the posts for details.
We have no choice but to file a lawsuit against GGRC and RML in order to finally, once and for all, make it clear that OWNERS do have a right to all the information about our property and our investment at Deer Ridge.
If you have thoughts and ideas and suggestions, please post them here on this blog.
If you have any clout with the Board, convince them to stop the charade - and let the owners have the information that all owners own!
If you want to help cover the legal costs to get us the right to see the bids for $50,000 for nuts and bolts - and the other background documents for the $353,500 Asinine Assessment, please click on the Donate Button below.
With enough in donations, we can hire BOTH an attorney AND a forensic accountant for the whole process through the Court in Sevier County to make absolutely certain we win EVERY point - and never have to fight Employee Joe and the Board on this stuff again.
Even a $100 contribution will help show that you are in favor of an open and FULLY transparent homeowners' association at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort!
Thanks so much to those of you who have already contributed!
GENERAL DISCLAIMER FOR ALL PAGES AND POSTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE I DO OR SAY REGARDING DEER RIDGE AND ANY AND ALL RELATED PARTIES:
Note: The following, and the information on any and all other posts and pages by me about General Manager Joe Thomas, GGRC, RML and /or the Board of Directors and its members, or any related topics, are my personal opinions based on my ongoing investigation into the actions and inactions of the GGRC and RML Board of Directors and / or Joe Thomas, General Manager.
While I believe these allegations to be true based on my objective analysis, these opinions remain as only allegations until I, or others, prove things in court.
My goal is to offer all owners all the information and evidence that I have available so that everyone can reach their own conclusions.
Please note the obvious:
Everything I ever say or write in person, via emails, or on my blog, about Deer Ridge or any and all related entities and organizations or any and all affiliated personnel or owners, is strictly my own personal opinion of course - based, in part, from my owning a unit at Deer Ridge for over five years - and on my own personal history.
That history includes earning a Presidential MBA degree, being awarded a Bachelor of Science, With Honors, in Engineering Physics from UT, working for NASA as a rocket scientist at Marshall Space Flight Center, 30 years of CEO experience directly employing and managing many hundreds of people at multiple companies I personally started and operated (including one that I took public), 15 years experience buying and selling over $100 million of property and managing more than 45,000 rental units - AND being able to read and do four-function arithmetic.
Legalese - And Powered Wig - Off
----------------------------
Welcome to All Deer Ridge Owners
Welcome to all owners of Deer Ridge Mountain Resort condos in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
My goal is to help all Deer Ridge owners to have a voice in the management and operation of your property.
Click on the TITLES of any of the following subjects to read the whole posting - and see the comments made by your co-owners. You can also type any term into the below search box, or any word or term in the search cloud.
Click the big image at the top of the page to return to the front page at any time.
.
Investment Analysis For A Rental Condo At Deer Ridge
Will you really lose $40,000 cash if you buy a rental condo at Deer Ridge and use Ridge Management Ltd?
As an owner-occupied home, Deer Ridge is an incredible value with THE best view in the Smokies and great amenities.
However, several owners and would-be owners of Deer Ridge condos have asked me if these units are a good rental property investment or not. To help answer that question
objectively, I had to analyze the real moving parts of buying and owning here.
Get my complete, detailed investment analysis based on buying a rental condo unit at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
It shows what you MUST do to make money when you buy a rental unit at Deer Ridge.
Every Dollar You Pay For Deer Ridge Is The WRONG Amount!
Please read the various posts here on this Deer Ridge Owners Blog - and see my evidence and analysis which I believe shows conclusively that EVERY dollar of HOA Fees, EVERY dollar EVERY special assessment, EVERY water bill and cable TV sent out for YEARS to ALL Deer Ridge Owners has been wrong!
In many cases at least ONE THIRD of ALL owners have been GROSSLY overcharged. My calculations show that I have been overcharged more than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS in the past 50 months I've owned at Deer Ridge.
The Board has been WRONGLY and arbitrarily ignoring the requirements of the Master Deed and the Bylaws for YEARS.
If my analysis is correct, the Board has zero choice. They MUST abide by the Master Deed Percentages.
But they haven’t.
However, if the Board knowingly ignored the clear directives of the Master Deed and the Bylaws when allocating costs to various unit types, and overcharging certain unit types on a regular basis, my opinion is that the Board and Joe Thomas may have acted fraudulently.
If they have not been fraudulent, then they have been, at the very least, grossly negligent.
Read the various blog postings - and judge for yourself.
Comments Welcome From All Visitors
You are welcome to leave your comments on the various posts on the blog. You no longer have to be registered to comment. (Even regular contributors had trouble remembering their log on passwords!)
Note that SPAM blockers are in place - and all comments require approval to be visible.
So, let's hear from you on these topics!
To view the comments, you need to click on the post topic to see the entire post and the comments.
"We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert." — J. Robert Oppenheimer. This includes the Board of Directors of Deer Ridge Mountain Resort.
Asinine Assessment - Timing, Due Diligence - And An Alternative
Have you all noticed the timing of the Asinine Assessment?
The first payment is due March 1, 2010 with a 10% late fee if not paid when due. Firstly, this appears to be half-baked assessment without proper due diligence to begin with…but that aside, why THAT particular timing?
It seems to me that the better thing to do, especially in light of the enormity of the amount of the assessment relative to the market value of the units, would be to have waited a couple of months for the due date.
Why?
Because the Annual Owners Meeting is always held the middle to end of April. By waiting, the meeting could be focused on exploring alternatives, reviewing the multiple written bids, discussing more cost effective solutions, adjusting the timetable and roll out of repairs to reflect the Great Recession we all are experiencing, etc. That way, a consensus of present owners could be reached.
So, why is Joe and the Board trying so hard to get this assessment in place BEFORE the annual meeting? My guess is so that they can avoid the very due diligence I am suggesting – and continue to hide that these numbers are not real, are not supported by multiple competitive bids with very specific milestones and costs – and are in fact a subterfuge for hiding that the primary goal is to feed an ongoing operating deficit.
My recommendation is that everyone contact Luther and the rest of the Board and push hard to postpone the Asinine Assessment for a few months.
Best I can tell, the buildings won’t fall down in the few additional months I am suggesting – and the decision making process on the Asinine Assessment could be VASTLY improved for the benefit of ALL owners.
Comments anyone?
6 comments to Asinine Assessment – Timing, Due Diligence – And An Alternative
I have questions/concerns/opinons to anyone on the vague Skyline Quote or Bid or whatever you might want to call that jumbled mess offer!
Skyline is apparently out of Metro-Atlanta area. General Contractor.
1. Of course the first question is why ONLY 1 quote?
2. When is there going to be a realistic bid that will have more ‘realistic’ and definite information?
3. Why are there not other companies in TN (closer, Knox area maybe?) giving quotes/bids? Why Metro-Atlanta? With the economy as it is, companies would be happy to give bids/quotes.
4. Anyone we know from the Atlanta region, that would want that company to have an inside job, with no other bidders offered?
5. We need sealed bids from at least 3-5 companies and the bids need to be given to an ‘independent source.’ Keeps everyone honest.
6. The information stated that this was the company that painted our complex in 2002. If so, only 7 years and it needs it again? Not very long. Do we really want them again with that track record?
7. Does Skyline have their own painting staff?
OR are they sub-contracting this job out? This is important.
8. If they are sub-contracting this job out then we do not know who we are dealing with do we? All we know is Skyline could become the ‘clean up crew’.
9. Was this the same company that the Mexican workers inadvertantly ‘painted the patio chairs’ in 2002? OR, was this the ‘clean up crew” due to a sub-contract issue/problem? OR, was Skyline a different company that came in to clean up afterwards?
10. Was the painting sub-contracted out from Skyline in 2002?
Fellow Owners…. this is just my own questions and my own opinion but we are dealing with 353G next year and the year after another 353G (we don’t even know what next years is for, only that they ‘need it”, and everything is way too vague from the board/manager, who insist on holding the funds.) I feel there needs to be MUCH MORE investigation before we give a DIME to anyone that wants to eagerly hand it out OR control these funds. Appears to be a lot of ‘contigency and a lot of nuts/bolts’ that is all i can say. Also appears like this is just getting ‘pushed through’ w/o any plans of accountability to All owners.
We need to get all details before we hand out funding. As we do not know where our assessments are going to end up, do we?
This particular contractor (Skyline) is out of Metro Atlanta. As best as i can tell on their website. Nice Website, btw… However; i think they are general contractors.
Another question needs to be asked, or so i feel….
Why do so many of our contractors come from Atlanta area? Who knows someone there????? No other bidders mentioned either? Knox area or otherwise, no one interested? I wonder if this was just a quote and not even a bid from Skyline? (we sure could use that Digital Recording, that the board refuses, hmnn!!! I guess that explains why there is so much flack from the board on that?) Since it isn’t specific at all as far as the SKyline bid. This means we have the blind leading the blind! Or, 84 owners minus- 5 board members -minus 1 employee is blind. The majority are BLIND and that is the rest of us! lol! Too much money to do that to fellow owners, don’t you think?
Another question to ‘think about” owners…………
Same contractor painted these ONLY 7 years ago? Needs it again NOW by the same contractor? Short time period for a re-paint?
Does this general contractor have a “painting crew” on staff? licnensed/insured? OR, are they SUB-contracting this job out??? If so, to whom???????? Who are we really dealing with? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT especially since they are out of Metro Atlanta. Agree? We could have a bunch of fly-by’s easily. Sure, Skyline would ‘clean up’, if something gets screwed up…. but then probably by a different sub-contractor? Not good business.
IF they are sub-contracting it and IF this is the same contractor that was used in 2002 (as mentioned by board) then are these the same folks that hired foreign workers that painted all our patio furniture, because in 2002 they didn’t take them off the balconies and the overspray got the patio furniture? Ugly mess!
OR< was this the clean up crew? Was there 2 contractors that year or maybe 3 on the clean up? I guess i am totally unaware and just have questions for information. For this kind of price tag 353G ~ i bet most owners are also 'concerned over this' and we need to become informed, don't we? Period.
We need to demand the board to come forward. Why Atlanta contractors? I know Joe has lived in GA prior to DeerRidge and probably has some contacts or maybe ties of sorts there, but give us a break………..we need more than 1 bid (or quote) and more local bids as well. Sealed too to independent source.
Face it: All contractors in this economy will be coming out of the woodwork to give us bids. Why are we 'tolerating' this, as it appears not to be in our (84 owners) best interest?
Why was there only one bid? There should be MULTIPLE bids (sealed bids, to an independent source, not the board or Joe to open…so that way no one could ever say there were some funny business or odd kickbacks going on. That would be protection for Joe and the board and i would demand it if i were them) and we need SPECIFIC pricing in writing long BEFORE we choose or hire any contractor, PLUS all that info needs to be given to ALL 84 owners. After all, 84 owners are all paying for it.
What was the price for just the painting? How much per sq. ft? What was for materials/labor? We are tossing 84 owners $ into the wind here folks! For only a few elect to monitor or decide. Goodness, with 353 G! Hmnnn????????? That is a H of a lot money and an H of a lot of Trust!
I phoned a reputable, liscensed, commercial painting contractor in Knoxville trying to get an idea of Skyline. Their reputation, ect… Commerical painting contractors in a certain proximity pretty much know one another. Like with most, it is a small world! I would say they would know a tri-area range, and no one seems to know or EVER HEARD of the Skyline Corp. RED FLAG!
I personally think we need to know: Where are they out of? Is this the same contractor that did the job in 2002? Are they liscensed/insured in TN? Do they hire illegals? I don’t know but maybe they are fine and i would hope for some direction on this. If not, we are about to get another sample of the same as we did the ‘pool people’. Remember that major flub up by current management and what occured after it. For those of you that are not aware…that fly by night company left town. I beleive they were not inusred and hired all illegals and then after about a year we (owners) shelled out more $ to fix what they did.
We cannot afford to make multiple mistakes. Over and over.
Seems we don’t know enough to accept this decision/contractor. Goodness, this is a lot of OWNERS money.
I think before anyone pays the assessment the board needs to provide to us the owners the following:
1. Copies of the bids on all items included in the $353,500 assessment.
2. Where the money will be kept until the work is completed. Escrow account?? Interest bearing, if so who is getting the interest?? After money is paid the owner’s should be provided monthly a statement showing what money has been spent, what the money was spent on and the remaining balance.
3. The timeline for completing all items in the assessment.
4. Are all of these items included in this assessment necessary/required at this time? If so whose opinion is this?? professional or otherwise….. Could any of them be delayed?
I also think that we the owners should know if these contractors are licensed/insured in the state of Tennessee. I think we need proof.
I do not think that the board is going to make any changes to the assessment unless we get 79 owners to say wait a minute……
We do need answers on Details if we are paying 50 Thousand Dollars !!! For replacement of unnumbered amount of Nuts, Bolts, Washers
Why are we not replacing -ALL- the Bolts Nuts a Washers, not just the ones that are already rusted, if the ones not replaced need replacing in only a couple of yrs… Will it be another 50K… ?
The numbers and time involved leave too much room for mis use of funds, Has there been any discussion by the board on IF the monies collected in 2010 will be in a SPECIFIC ESCROW ACCOUNT that can be Easily Monitored…
If we do as Robert suggests above, Things may be more clear in April than in Feb. I will be asking for the assesment due dates to be delayed until April or May, and have a clearer understanding of the account the money will be placed in.
Check out our new Deer Ridge Owners webcam for the current view from our balcony!
Just click the photo for the most recent update. Updated every 5 minutes.
Top 10 Cam Award!
Our new Cobbly Nob TN site was just chosen as an Earthcam Top 10 Webcam!
All of this in just our first two weeks of operation - and before we install our new wide angle, high definition lens! Stay tuned for even better images!
EarthCam, Inc. is the global leader in providing webcam content, technology and services and ranks among the top 1% of all websites. EarthCam.com is the world’s favorite webcam network and the EarthCam Network cameras have been seen on top news shows, including CNN’s Headline News.
New YouTube Channel For Deer Ridge Owners!
Check out ALL of our videos on our new YouTube Channel for Deer Ridge Owners:
We already have videos that will walk you around the whole property and give you reviews from past guests and tourists. Find out what they REALLY have to say about Deer Ridge!
We are adding even more videos in the next few weeks - so check out our Deer Ridge Owners Channel often!
Update: Just added two new videos for a total of 20 videos so far! Check them out!
Owner Files $3 Million Lawsuit Against HOA, General Manager And Board Members
A homeowner in Gatlinburg, Tennessee has filed a $3 Million Lawsuit against his HOA, General Manager And All Individual Board Members at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort.
In response to their meritless, retaliatory $1 Million defamation lawsuit against me, I have now filed a $3 Million lawsuit against Deer Ridge Mountain Resort, AKA Gatlinburg Golf and Racquet Club HOA and Joe Thomas, Luther Parker, Larry Ohm, Margie Duncan, David Barone and Tom Reise, all as individuals.
If you believe in free speech as much as we do, we need your help - no matter where in America you may live.
The Deer Ridge HOA board and individual board members have filed a $1 Million Lawsuit against me in their ongoing attempts to stop this blog and have its contents removed. Click Press Release for details.
This power clique wants to continue to block free speech on this property and to keep their illegitimate secrets hidden from other owners.
They are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars of other owners' money on legal fees to keep themselves in power while they continue to break both Tennessee state law and Deer Ridge property law.
We need your help with the legal fees that will be required to force them to abide by the law - and insure that Deer Ridge Mountain Resort is entitled to free speech like the rest of America.
If you would like to join with others who believe in free speech and believe that all of the 305,000 Home Owner Associations across the nation should be protected from tyrannical boards that ignore the laws, please click the
Donate Button below.
Even a donation of just a few dollars would be very greatly appreciated as a way of showing that we have financial support from thousands of Americans for these important issues!
Thanks so much to all of those of you who have already contributed!
Please help us broadcast this Press Release to others you know who can spread the word. You are welcome to link to this site from Twitter, Facebook or other sites.
With your help we can fight and win this $1 Million lawsuit - and keep this blog active - and an inspiration and model for other HOA Abuse Blogs across the nation.
I have questions/concerns/opinons to anyone on the vague Skyline Quote or Bid or whatever you might want to call that jumbled mess offer!
Skyline is apparently out of Metro-Atlanta area. General Contractor.
1. Of course the first question is why ONLY 1 quote?
2. When is there going to be a realistic bid that will have more ‘realistic’ and definite information?
3. Why are there not other companies in TN (closer, Knox area maybe?) giving quotes/bids? Why Metro-Atlanta? With the economy as it is, companies would be happy to give bids/quotes.
4. Anyone we know from the Atlanta region, that would want that company to have an inside job, with no other bidders offered?
5. We need sealed bids from at least 3-5 companies and the bids need to be given to an ‘independent source.’ Keeps everyone honest.
6. The information stated that this was the company that painted our complex in 2002. If so, only 7 years and it needs it again? Not very long. Do we really want them again with that track record?
7. Does Skyline have their own painting staff?
OR are they sub-contracting this job out? This is important.
8. If they are sub-contracting this job out then we do not know who we are dealing with do we? All we know is Skyline could become the ‘clean up crew’.
9. Was this the same company that the Mexican workers inadvertantly ‘painted the patio chairs’ in 2002? OR, was this the ‘clean up crew” due to a sub-contract issue/problem? OR, was Skyline a different company that came in to clean up afterwards?
10. Was the painting sub-contracted out from Skyline in 2002?
Fellow Owners…. this is just my own questions and my own opinion but we are dealing with 353G next year and the year after another 353G (we don’t even know what next years is for, only that they ‘need it”, and everything is way too vague from the board/manager, who insist on holding the funds.) I feel there needs to be MUCH MORE investigation before we give a DIME to anyone that wants to eagerly hand it out OR control these funds. Appears to be a lot of ‘contigency and a lot of nuts/bolts’ that is all i can say. Also appears like this is just getting ‘pushed through’ w/o any plans of accountability to All owners.
We need to get all details before we hand out funding. As we do not know where our assessments are going to end up, do we?
This particular contractor (Skyline) is out of Metro Atlanta. As best as i can tell on their website. Nice Website, btw… However; i think they are general contractors.
Another question needs to be asked, or so i feel….
Why do so many of our contractors come from Atlanta area? Who knows someone there????? No other bidders mentioned either? Knox area or otherwise, no one interested? I wonder if this was just a quote and not even a bid from Skyline? (we sure could use that Digital Recording, that the board refuses, hmnn!!! I guess that explains why there is so much flack from the board on that?) Since it isn’t specific at all as far as the SKyline bid. This means we have the blind leading the blind! Or, 84 owners minus- 5 board members -minus 1 employee is blind. The majority are BLIND and that is the rest of us! lol! Too much money to do that to fellow owners, don’t you think?
Another question to ‘think about” owners…………
Same contractor painted these ONLY 7 years ago? Needs it again NOW by the same contractor? Short time period for a re-paint?
Does this general contractor have a “painting crew” on staff? licnensed/insured? OR, are they SUB-contracting this job out??? If so, to whom???????? Who are we really dealing with? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT especially since they are out of Metro Atlanta. Agree? We could have a bunch of fly-by’s easily. Sure, Skyline would ‘clean up’, if something gets screwed up…. but then probably by a different sub-contractor? Not good business.
IF they are sub-contracting it and IF this is the same contractor that was used in 2002 (as mentioned by board) then are these the same folks that hired foreign workers that painted all our patio furniture, because in 2002 they didn’t take them off the balconies and the overspray got the patio furniture? Ugly mess!
OR< was this the clean up crew? Was there 2 contractors that year or maybe 3 on the clean up? I guess i am totally unaware and just have questions for information. For this kind of price tag 353G ~ i bet most owners are also 'concerned over this' and we need to become informed, don't we? Period.
We need to demand the board to come forward. Why Atlanta contractors? I know Joe has lived in GA prior to DeerRidge and probably has some contacts or maybe ties of sorts there, but give us a break………..we need more than 1 bid (or quote) and more local bids as well. Sealed too to independent source.
Face it: All contractors in this economy will be coming out of the woodwork to give us bids. Why are we 'tolerating' this, as it appears not to be in our (84 owners) best interest?
I have a question………
Why was there only one bid? There should be MULTIPLE bids (sealed bids, to an independent source, not the board or Joe to open…so that way no one could ever say there were some funny business or odd kickbacks going on. That would be protection for Joe and the board and i would demand it if i were them) and we need SPECIFIC pricing in writing long BEFORE we choose or hire any contractor, PLUS all that info needs to be given to ALL 84 owners. After all, 84 owners are all paying for it.
What was the price for just the painting? How much per sq. ft? What was for materials/labor? We are tossing 84 owners $ into the wind here folks! For only a few elect to monitor or decide. Goodness, with 353 G! Hmnnn????????? That is a H of a lot money and an H of a lot of Trust!
I phoned a reputable, liscensed, commercial painting contractor in Knoxville trying to get an idea of Skyline. Their reputation, ect… Commerical painting contractors in a certain proximity pretty much know one another. Like with most, it is a small world! I would say they would know a tri-area range, and no one seems to know or EVER HEARD of the Skyline Corp. RED FLAG!
I personally think we need to know: Where are they out of? Is this the same contractor that did the job in 2002? Are they liscensed/insured in TN? Do they hire illegals? I don’t know but maybe they are fine and i would hope for some direction on this. If not, we are about to get another sample of the same as we did the ‘pool people’. Remember that major flub up by current management and what occured after it. For those of you that are not aware…that fly by night company left town. I beleive they were not inusred and hired all illegals and then after about a year we (owners) shelled out more $ to fix what they did.
We cannot afford to make multiple mistakes. Over and over.
Seems we don’t know enough to accept this decision/contractor. Goodness, this is a lot of OWNERS money.
tm
I think before anyone pays the assessment the board needs to provide to us the owners the following:
1. Copies of the bids on all items included in the $353,500 assessment.
2. Where the money will be kept until the work is completed. Escrow account?? Interest bearing, if so who is getting the interest?? After money is paid the owner’s should be provided monthly a statement showing what money has been spent, what the money was spent on and the remaining balance.
3. The timeline for completing all items in the assessment.
4. Are all of these items included in this assessment necessary/required at this time? If so whose opinion is this?? professional or otherwise….. Could any of them be delayed?
I also think that we the owners should know if these contractors are licensed/insured in the state of Tennessee. I think we need proof.
I do not think that the board is going to make any changes to the assessment unless we get 79 owners to say wait a minute……
We do need answers on Details if we are paying 50 Thousand Dollars !!! For replacement of unnumbered amount of Nuts, Bolts, Washers
Why are we not replacing -ALL- the Bolts Nuts a Washers, not just the ones that are already rusted, if the ones not replaced need replacing in only a couple of yrs… Will it be another 50K… ?
The numbers and time involved leave too much room for mis use of funds, Has there been any discussion by the board on IF the monies collected in 2010 will be in a SPECIFIC ESCROW ACCOUNT that can be Easily Monitored…
If we do as Robert suggests above, Things may be more clear in April than in Feb. I will be asking for the assesment due dates to be delayed until April or May, and have a clearer understanding of the account the money will be placed in.
Easy fix for this let’s all get together and move the Home Owners meeting to Feburary this year!