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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?

Click To Download!

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.

Just click the picture or click Investment Analysis

Gross Negligence – Or Is It Fraud?

Legalese On

GENERAL DISCLAIMER FOR ALL PAGES AND POSTS

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.

Legalese - And Powered Wig - Off

----------------------------

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.

Please Register To Log In And Leave Your Comments

Please register first - so you can participate in the discussions by making comments that reflect YOUR opinion.

When you register, please include your unit number so we can confirm you are really an owner!

You are welcome to submit as many comments as you want on any of the topics - or even on a new topic. This is the time and the place to finally have YOUR voice heard with regard to your investment at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort.

I would ask that you include your Deer Ridge unit number at the end of each of your posts so other owners get to know you - however, it is not required. I understand some owners may want anonymity for a variety of reasons - but I will need you to show me that you are an owner.

I may post non-owner comments from time to time if I believe they add to the discussion. When this happens I will note that it is a non-owner comment.

Bear in mind, any and all comments you make here can be seen by all one billion folks on the Internet, worldwide!

Thanks!

"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.


Open Letter to Deer Ridge Board: Lawsuit Being Prepared Against GGRC and RML

Luther,

Yesterday, I received the below email from Employee Joe Thomas regarding maintenance on our unit at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort – indicating that:

“At this time, due to reduced staffing in our maintenance department and
their duties & responsibilities to the GGRC common area and the RML
Participants, I am unable to honor your current request for maintenance
services or any future repair & maintenance service request for the interior
of A202. ”

Please note that Joe Thomas does not say that Tom is too busy right now…but that he will never honor ANY FUTURE request – irrespective of whether Tom was going to be busy or not!

Do you think that a court of law might, just maybe, consider that a tad discriminatory?

Firstly, I would like for the Board to explain to Employee Joe Thomas that Tom does NOT work for RML but instead works for GGRC – according to the 2009 Budget that was sent to all owners.

Good-Photo1004Smokies044

Equal Access to Deer Ridge Maintenance

Therefore, RML does NOT have ANY exclusive rights to use any of Tom’s time to the exclusion of any Deer Ridge owners.  Joe seems to have completely missed this critically important point.  Perhaps, the Board can explain this to him…and get this problem immediately solved.

As a result of Tom being a GGRC employee, ALL owners – whether they are using RML or not – should be treated EXACTLY the same when it comes to using Tom’s services for the interior maintenance of all units.

  • This means the SAME priority for all work orders.
  • This means the SAME charges for all work done.
  • This means that ALL owners – in or out of RML – have the SAME right to on site maintenance.
  • This means that any work that Tom does for the non-Deer Ridge cabins should be paid back to GGRC and not RML – since GGRC pays for all of Tom’s salary and benefits.

In other words, I am THE one who pay Tom’s salary and benefits, along with EVERY other owner at Deer Ridge – and ALL of us deserve equal treatment.

In my opinion, anything else is discriminatory.

Period.GGRC 2009 Budget - Maintenance and Repairs

Joe Thomas Actions Are Retaliatory and Discriminatory

Luther, please confirm whether you, and the Board of Directors, agree with Joe Thomas’ stated position regarding maintenance and repairs of my unit so that I fully, and unambiguously, understand the legal position of the Boards of GGRC and RML on this matter.

Please note that we, and others, view Joe Thomas’ actions as retaliatory and discriminatory – and actionable in a court of law.

How do YOU think a judge will react to this information about YOUR employee?

In our opinion, we believe this is in direct retaliation for our strong and public recommendation that RML be sold – and that Joe Thomas be fired.  The position Employee Joe has taken in the below email is indicative of a long running pattern of slanderous and vilifying comments made by Joe Thomas concerning us, and others, to employees, vendors and other owners.

We have been told of many other past incidences where Joe Thomas has tried to use his position with GGRC and RML to intimidate, retaliate and discriminate against various owners who did not use RML – or otherwise share Employee Joe’s approach, attitude and opinion.

I, for one, will NOT tolerate – even the attempt of this – for one second by the hired help.

I want to know if the Deer Ridge Board of Directors supports, and in any way condones, the retaliatory and discriminatory behavior of Joe Thomas or not – or if you plan on any public reprimand of his actions or termination of his services?

Joe Thomas – Refusal To Allow Copies Of Documents Regarding Asinine Assessment

His despicable actions were grossly amplified again yesterday afternoon when he refused, in writing, to allow me or other owners to make copies of requested books and records concerning OUR property and OUR investment in Deer Ridge.

Be aware that I, along with several other owners, plan to immediately file a lawsuit in Sevier County over this, and any other, retaliatory and discriminatory actions taken, or instigated, by Joe Thomas or the Board – if this intolerable matter is not quickly and satisfactorily resolved by you and the Board.

We have already kicked off a Litigation Fund for other owners to donate to this cause – and we already have contributors.

So, what do you want to do, Luther?

Proposed Lawsuit Against GGRC And RML

This proposed lawsuit that we have in mind will include several Deer Ridge owners as co-plaintiffs and will require a substantive request for production of documents that ALL owners have a right to see.

These documents will include, among others, all past work orders, payroll records, time sheets, employee records, rental records, agreements, contracts, bids, correspondence, emails, etc – so that we can conduct a forensic accounting for GGRC and RML for the past five years.

This will also include a forensic review of all rental history to identify rental favoritism and insider deals and special treatment for board members.

This proposed lawsuit will also include issuing several subpoenas for testimony as to the long running pattern of slanderous comments made by Joe Thomas concerning us, and others, to employees, vendors and other owners.

We also intend to file suit for the free and open access to audio recordings of all Board meetings – along with other steps to insure that all owners have free and easy access to every part of what goes on regarding our investment and our property.

Likewise, and equally abhorrent, is Employee Joe’s position taken today on not allowing copies to be made of documentation regarding the pending and massive assessment that was recently announced by the Board of Directors.

I have offered to copy the documents myself – and to even bring my own copy machine to the office to make copies.  Yet, Employee Joe insists that no copies will be made, stating in today’s email:

“My positions stands, no copies. If you disagree with my position please feel free to take it up with my superiors.”

Well, you ARE Employee Joe’s superior.  And, I AM taking up this matter with YOU.

What say you?

What Is Joe Thomas Trying To Hide?

What is Joe trying to so desperately hide by not allowing ALL owners to see all underlying documents that provide the basis for a MASSIVE $353,500 special assessment against all owners of Deer Ridge Mountain Resort?

I want to know if the Deer Ridge Board of Directors supports Employee Joe Thomas’ indefensible blockage of document availability that interferes with my right, and the rights of other owners, to acquire copies of any and all books and records related to GGRC and/or RML – especially those related to the massive special assessment?

Luther, if the Board is as transparent as you have professed in prior communications to all owners, then WHY on Earth would you or the Board have ANY reason to object to ALL owners knowing, in detail, what is going on with their property?

Be aware that I, along with other owners, intend to file suit against GGRC and RML with regard to any and all blockage of document availability that interferes with my right, and the rights of other owners, to acquire copies of any and all books and records related to GGRC and/or RML.

Luther, Don’t Waste Deer Ridge Owners’ Money

GGRC and RML cannot afford to waste owners’ money on legal fees fighting a lawsuit trying to defend the retaliatory and discriminatory behavior of Joe Thomas – or his attempts to block access to books and records that should always be easily made available to ALL owners.

If the Board chooses to fight these issues, I believe the Board should be held liable for squandering Deer Ridge assets – instead of simply fixing what is an obvious employee problem and just doing the right thing and provide documents that ALL owners should have easy access to.

So, Luther, what do you and the Board want to do?

Do you want to resolve these issues here and now – and avoid all the wasted time, effort and money defending the indefensible – or do you want these matters to move forward down their apparent path to their obvious Point B?

Now is the time for you to choose.

Robert
A-202

——————————

At 04:16 PM 9/30/2009, Joe Thomas wrote:

Dear Robert,

As I stated to Janet in an earlier email;

At this time, due to reduced staffing in our maintenance department and
their duties & responsibilities to the GGRC common area and the RML
Participants, I am unable to honor your current request for maintenance
services or any future repair & maintenance service request for the interior
of A202.

However, I would like to provide you with a list of a local handyman who may
be able to help; Kirk Ennis- 865-397-6282, cell 865-335-5470 – Handyman,
countertops, kitchen cabinets.

Additionally, I’d like to provide you with a list of local service companies
who can handle your interior repair and maintenance items.

A/C & Heating- Miller Heating and Air- Danny Miller – 865-453-8534, cell
865-604-8534

Carpet and vinyl install and repair- Bruce Williamson- 423-623-2577

Wall Paper – Rickie Taylor- 865-430-9074

Plumbing- Mark and Mona’s Plumbing 865-577-9920

I hope you find this information helpful.

Thank you,

Joe Thomas

General Manager

Tags: Board of Directors, lawsuit, Retaliatory and Discriminatory Behavior, Documents, litigation, HOA, Joe Thomas, owner's rights, litigation fund

2 comments to Open Letter to Deer Ridge Board: Lawsuit Being Prepared Against GGRC and RML

  • Katherine

    I have to agree with Robert after looking over these budgets.

    GGRC does not need a reservation person and should not be charged for one as a way of hiding the real cost of RML. As far as maintenance goes, GGRC likely only needs a part-time maintenance person who should be able to do any work for GGRC members regardless whether they participate in Joe’s No Tell Motel.

    For that matter, we only need a Manager about 30 hours per week. That would be more than enough since we are a tiny 84 owner unit (not even a total of 84 owners when you stop to take into account some owners own more than one unit.)

    We employ 11 people, not even counting all the contract maids!!!! 11 people!!! The salaries are too high for the area and we do not need all this waste in our budget!

    I certainly do not need $22,000 for pumpkins!

  • Tinamarie Wood

    Katherine,

    You are correct. Under the right format, appropriate circumstances this place could be run extremely efficiently. Saving owners what is now wasted revenue. Building revenue in places where we are losing it, or not collecting on it at all. Revenue we as owners are not tapping into, some conflicts of interest are now going solely to the manager. The way i see it.

    **Give those employee’s that are HONEST and UPFRONT and doing a GOOD job a MUCH better salary/hours/benefits PLUS a TERRIFIC work environment!

    **My opinion from working here: The work environment as it stands is VERY stressful for any employee that would attempt, ATTEMPT to be honest. Don’t expect them too, as they are trying to simply ’survive’ at this point. They are told whom they can and whom they cannot talk to. What they can and cannot say. I am sure it could be very threatening from working here prior. Not one worker deserves that type of a work environment. No one.

    We simply need honest, caring, cheerful employee’s and they need and DESERVE the same from a manager! That i believe will be accomplished and will occur once the current management AND board is abolished. Under this no-tel motel a worker here unless one plays the game ‘instructed’ to be played, will be harassed at best. I feel for the honest workers here. They must play the game in some fashion, but everyone please understand it is NOT their rules. Never has been.

    If the employee’s are reading this, and i am sure they are, please understand that it IS going to CHANGE and it WILL get better! For those employee’s feeling REAL LOYALTY to Joey ~ well GOOD LORD PLEASE go with him! lol! When he is gone as i am sure he will need you, desperately. (Remember then to know your worth. I am sure he can afford you.)

    Like Always in Life, when one door closes ~ another door opens!

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