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
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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.
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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.
Open Letter to Luther Parker and the Board - Special Meeting for February 6, 2010
Open Letter to Luther Parker and the Board regarding the announced Special Meeting for February 6, 2010 concerning the waste of $49,000 of owners’ money to replace perfectly good walkway railings.
Luther, David and the Board,
Pursuant to the GGRC Bylaws, I am required to submit the attached proxies to the Secretary at least one day before the appointed time of any Special Meeting. In accordance with this provision, please see the attached signed documents designating me as their appointed proxy.
I hereby vote NO as the proxy holder for these owners against ANY and ALL changes, alterations or even replacement of the existing Walkway Railings.
Note that I am able NOW – late Thursday night, to legitimately vote these proxies NO without attending the meeting on Saturday morning. (Don’t worry – I will be there.)
However, in reviewing your letter and ballot dated December 10, 2009, it states that if an owner designates a proxy then that proxy member MUST attend the special meeting.
Specifically, your Proxy Form states, “My PROXY will attend the Special Meeting of Homeowners Association being held at 9:00 AM on February 6, 2010 at the Pine Top Lodge and act on my behalf.”
The GGRC Bylaws (Article VII Section 4) state that “Votes may be cast in person or by proxy.” The obvious implication of this is that proxies may, in fact, be cast without the requirement of actual attendance, in person, by the proxy holder. In fact, proxy holders could vote as I did in the above paragraph.
There is NO requirement anywhere in the GGRC Bylaws that a proxy MUST attend any meeting in order to vote his assigned proxies.
As a consequence, proper notice and instruction has NOT been given all owners for the February 6, 2010 Special Meeting to identify a suitable proxy to represent them for the vote.
As a result of the illegitimate constraints and instructions in Luther Parker’s letter and proxy form, some owners may have felt compelled to choose proxies they would not have chosen if they had been properly instructed.
Some owners may have, in particular, selected board members ONLY because they knew they would be present at the meeting. Some of these owners may not have known they had the RIGHT to chose any owner to represent them for the vote at the Special Meeting – whether that representative was going to be present or not.
Since proper notice of a Special Meeting has NOT been provided to all owners, any votes and / or actions taken on February 6, 2010 would therefore be null and void and in violation of the GGRC controlling documents.
Luther, I am sure that you and the whole GGRC Board of Directors would ONLY want to do everything in full accordance with the Deer Ridge Master Deed and Bylaws and will reschedule the Special Meeting once proper notice and instruction have been given all owners about their true rights to select a proxy at Deer Ridge.
Robert
A-202
If you have not already voted, you can fax me your proxy. But bear in mind that no vote is a NO vote – since the Bylaws require the Board gets a 75% POSITIVE VOTE to proceed – plus a 90% vote of all aggregated lienholders.
4 comments to Open Letter to Luther Parker and the Board – Special Meeting for February 6, 2010
The only thing i know for 100% positive is that Politician Joey was still ‘politicin’, or ‘begging for votes’ well after 3pm on the 6th.
Joey was wildly making phone calls (even to those owners at work!) trying to get support. The vote was that close, apparently. The thing is the owner/s that he ‘thought’ would assist him in fact did NOT and voted NO. I just wonder if that owner/s vote was factually counted as a NO vote? I would have to see the votes to believe it or have it tallied by a neutral party, at the very least. I wouldn’t let sticky fingers 5 do it! I wouldn’t trust them. None of the five, and a few back ups to boot! Maybe they have all been in bed with each other way too long? So to speak, that is. Too many games and no rules for them to have to follow? The drivers seat they are in ~ Tommy, best be bracing for a heck of a wreck!
Anyone who feels they were tricked into voting for walkways that will need to be replaced again, just say so here please.
Legal action is coming and the more documents and more documentation involved the better off the property will be. The voting document was wrongly worded by the board, left many unclear as to what exactly was being voted on and what was planned with these dollars.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote today and the meeting, the 90% still must legally be met.
Knowing our board and general manager, they will choose to ignore this step. However,this step must legally be followed and failure to follow the legal requirements of the property will only hold the board and Joe responsible for their actions later when a court steps in.
Luther, Joe you have been notified so you can not plead ignorance to skate on this issue. You will not be covered by insurance or any other clause you will be held responsible for your actions. Understand clearly now in baby talk that this could mean you have to come up with your own attorney. You will not be able to use the GGRC attorney and monies that need to be paid back will come out of your personal pockets if the courts deem you responsible.
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.
Katherine,
The only thing i know for 100% positive is that Politician Joey was still ‘politicin’, or ‘begging for votes’ well after 3pm on the 6th.
Joey was wildly making phone calls (even to those owners at work!) trying to get support. The vote was that close, apparently. The thing is the owner/s that he ‘thought’ would assist him in fact did NOT and voted NO. I just wonder if that owner/s vote was factually counted as a NO vote? I would have to see the votes to believe it or have it tallied by a neutral party, at the very least. I wouldn’t let sticky fingers 5 do it! I wouldn’t trust them. None of the five, and a few back ups to boot! Maybe they have all been in bed with each other way too long? So to speak, that is. Too many games and no rules for them to have to follow? The drivers seat they are in ~ Tommy, best be bracing for a heck of a wreck!
Anyone who feels they were tricked into voting for walkways that will need to be replaced again, just say so here please.
Legal action is coming and the more documents and more documentation involved the better off the property will be. The voting document was wrongly worded by the board, left many unclear as to what exactly was being voted on and what was planned with these dollars.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote today and the meeting, the 90% still must legally be met.
Knowing our board and general manager, they will choose to ignore this step. However,this step must legally be followed and failure to follow the legal requirements of the property will only hold the board and Joe responsible for their actions later when a court steps in.
Luther, Joe you have been notified so you can not plead ignorance to skate on this issue. You will not be covered by insurance or any other clause you will be held responsible for your actions. Understand clearly now in baby talk that this could mean you have to come up with your own attorney. You will not be able to use the GGRC attorney and monies that need to be paid back will come out of your personal pockets if the courts deem you responsible.
Questions: Who counts the votes? Who monitors the counting? If an owner does not vote, does that count as a No vote?
What procedures do we have in place to count and collect votes?