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.
Guest Post: Neil Blair: Compare Deer Ridge Operation and Politics To This Property
The following is also a comment left by Neil, C-208, about another property he owns. This was an email he sent tonight to the entire “board” and Joey.”
Judge for yourself: Which property is operated better?
Please bear with me… And Yes, WAY, WAY Down the Thread, after my Rant,
Is the Example the Daily Report…. From Leonard…..
This is an example of a Gulf Highlands Board member giving an almost daily, clear, complete reporting of activities, ” Most Days Photos,” Kinda Like Robert and his blog, AND an example of a well run clearly defined use of Association Fees, RESERVE FUND usage and availability, “Yes it is a property with many more owners/members, BUT even more expenses, more complexity, more personalities, some are abrasive, some are very agreeable folks, some so financially uptight they squeak, and make others squeak….
It is a pleasure to visit the office, and REALLY have a conversation with the manager and all assoc. employees: no stress, no past foibles, no wondering if you…
By the way, We have an independent VERY profitable property management Company ON SITE. They pay market rent to the Owners Association, and a percentage back to the Owners Assoc. THEY have only a 28% management fee – and sill make a nice profit, and bid yearly to stay on site…
About 7 other companies manage units, some charge as little as 25% some as MUCH as 35% All inclusive. Yes, some owners even rent using V.R.B.O.com, Vacations4U.com. etc. thereby keeping all the Unit Rental Dollars. They pay an independent cleaning service a fee of about $35-40, not giving up a 30-40% a DAY… It is amazing, all really get along…mo one accuses an owner of “stealing” from other owners, if they use an outside rental company or means of rental of their choice.
This thing called competition makes every one better, and accountable to the folks that have a financial interest in them…
The board members in a situation like that, don’t have to worry if the independent management company. has cash handling issues, has any personnel problems, any late or unpaid workmen’s comp premiums, any occupancy worries, any advertising costs, any legal liabilities for an accident involving guests. The board doesn’t waste time and energy on anything to do with PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RISKS OR HEADACHES…
The board there has ONLY the well being of the OWNERS interests, it makes for a nice reserve account balances and there has been NOT ONE Assessment for road paving, Painting, Nuts Bolts, Fencing, Beach Erosion, Tearing out of Strong, Stable, Sturdy Walkway Railings –ALL– Large Predictable, Normal Maintenance & Financial concerns have a Fully Funded RESERVE Account and the board understands that they have an OBLIGATION To keep the OWNERS on an even, steady monthly fee of……… a Giant $143.00!
Not having to spend TIME figuring out how to JUGGLE /SWAP/ BORROW OWNERS money back and forth from a NOT SO PROFITABLE Rental Management Company and the HOME OWNERS Association lets the board concentrate on the property and the owners.
That Property also has 18 hour a day security guard force, 3 controlled entry gates. The Manager at a $48K/yr salary keeps all 7 of the employees, $7.00 to $18.00/hr. busy doing scheduled PREVENTIVE maintenance, and Yes, they do pick up the trash from All 703 townhouses ONCE a day also. Unlike Deer Ridge, it is not a 3 times a day pick up, which leaves almost no time for PREVENTATIVE Maintenance here in the mountains…
Another RANT from the OLD GRUMBLE BOX Neil…. Can’t help myself… it’s a Sad Sad Way To Have To Live….
See below for Leonard the Board Members Daily Report, Looks like Guests there really enjoy the Shuffle Board Courts there…
I remember an Owner / Resident here at Deer Ridge VOLUNTEERING ALL LABOR to Build a Shuffle Board Court asking the board ONLY For The Cement Costs. He was turned down but more importantly, the reasons were talked about after he left the room, and guess what….
What the board and Joe said, Was NOT in the OFFICIAL MINUTES….
Interesting … Why are the Board Members –SO– Opposed to Digitally Recording and sharing what they say in the Meetings???
Best regards, Neil
——————————————————————————–
From Leonard…..
Have you ever wondered what all our snowbirds do here in the winter besides walk on the beach and go play golf? I have compiled a list from channel five and this may not be all events done in the resort.
Shuffleboard is a big draw to our northern friends, they have leagues at the six Damon courts.
Monday Shuffle League
Tuesday Shuffle League
Wednesday Shuffle League
Thursday Shuffle League
Friday Shuffle League
Saturday Shuffle League
Sunday Shuffle League
We are sorry that we don’t have more practice courts around the resort but maybe in the future.
The exercise room is available 8-11 all week with a $10 deposit for a key
Putt putt is available everyday but on Tuesday they have a miniature golf tournament at 1 pm
They have social Tennis at all tennis courts, they meet regularly but I didn’t catch the times and dates
Darts are on Tues and Thurs evenings
Aerobics is every morning Mon – Fri
Line dancing late morning on Weds & Fri
Wood Carving on Thurs noon
Crafts on Thursdays late morning
Bridge on Wed & Fri
Cribbage on Mondays
Dance night every Tues evening
Tai Chi on Tues
Bid Euchre on Thurs & Sun
That is a good portion of their activities, we used to have water aerobics in the past so their is room for more activities. I believe it isn’t posted but their is Dominoes on Fridays. Bottom line is there is a lot to do here and the happy hours parties are all over the place.
Now for some assoc notes.
There is a property Committee meeting March 15th at 1 pm at Grand Island Club House. I didn’t join this year so I may have to drop in as a guest, join me and lets see what is up.
BOD meetings this year will be on April 17th, June 5th, August 21st, Oct 8th. Annual meeting is Oct 9th this year. Don’t forget to put your name in to run to replace me on the board. We will be holding a special phone conference meeting in mid March to discuss and make funds available from reserves for these items if approved. I’ll let you know when it has been posted. Leonard
Porcelain tile in conference center
Resurface parking lot at new office building and new parking areas
Two new golf carts for maintenance
Two new heating and cooling systems for new building. The one large one that used to take care of our new office and Emerald Coast has bite the dust. Each section will receive a new unit instead of sharing.
Robert here….thanks Neil! Folks, compare all of that to Deer Ridge – and the secrecy, insider deals, illegitimate activities, Master Deed and Bylaw violations, illegal board compensation, wasted money, attempted intimidation and complete lack of transparency by the current “board” and Joe Thomas.
It is past time for a change at Deer Ridge. There is a MUCH better way to do things here, like Neil described.
Get rid of the current “board” members. Get rid of Joe Thomas.
Donate to the Deer Ridge Litigation Fund by clicking the graphic below – or send a check to me made out to “Deer Ridge Litigation Fund.”
Thanks so much to those of you who have already contributed!
We already have a separate bank account set up for these donations which will only be used to help get us the injunction against this Asinine Assessment and to have a judge force boards and general managers at Deer Ridge to abide by our controlling documents. BTW, all contributing owners DO get to see all of THESE books and records related to the litigation!
Please donate today. Thanks!
3 comments to Guest Post: Neil Blair: Compare Deer Ridge Operation and Politics To This Property
I was a little off on the number of units at the other property, it’s actually 797. An interesting fact is also that the complex covers approx. 64 Acres of land. That’s a lot of grass to cut…5 miles of roads to keep up, 11 pools, 4 of them Heated, 4 tennis courts an 18 hole putt-putt course, 14 Shuffle Board Courts, 2 club houses. All this obviously compounds the work and expense there, vs. the work here at Deer Ridge.
I really wish we knew where all our monthly dollars go, and wish we had a system set up for reserves for at least 3 major long term maintenance needs, Roofs, Building Painting, & Road / Parking Lot.
By the way, that is the POINT of this post, Knowing where each dollar goes and making sure it gets there…
What an exceptional posting! Thank you for a great apples to apples comparison that everyone should be able to understand.
Some owners wish to believe Joe and his followers. A few owners are of the opinion that it is just Robert’s word against the board.
The latest should convince everyone this is the opinion of a reputable, independent lawyer. As it turns out, it looks like Robert has been about 100% right all along.
Things are not being done properly with our funds at Deer Ridge.
Owners: Do NOT pay another penny toward this assessment as it is not being managed properly at all. This is the advice of legal counsel – not just any owner or just any employee like Joe Thomas here at Deer Ridge reporting this opinion back. This is sound legal advice – and it looks like four different major reasons why this assessment is completely invalid.
Don’t let Joe Thomas try to falsely intimidate you into paying what is really not owed! They have no legal ground to stand on. None!
This comparing of properties proves how poorly Deer Ridge has been managed. With our 84 unit owners paying in all the funds we have paid for over 20 years, we should have accomplished a LOT more with our past money.
And, we should not pay new money until these problems are properly solved.
Ever notice in the days before Joe Thomas arrived on property, things were different at Deer Ridge?
Notice, too, the next time you visit Deer Ridge how many little things our two maintenance folks could fix very easily – but instead have been ignored for years as a result of bad management by Joe Thomas.
Do you know exactly what all the money you pay to Deer Ridge goes towards (what, if anything, is being fixed, maintained?) It seems to me that all we get from two maintenance people on our payroll is getting the trash emptied. What do they have in the way of a checklist and timetable for taking care of maintenance, repairs and preventative maintenance that could save all owners a lot of money so that outside contractors do not need to be hired on our nickel?
Neil has an excellent guest post here with the comparison of Deer Ridge to another property and how a well managed property should and can be run.
I notice Neil speaks of the property that he is comparing to Deer Ridge is a larger property and he also speaks of seven employees. Our tiny 84 Unit Deer Ridge has like 11 employees – way too many employees.
What exactly are these folks who “work” for us accomplishing everyday?
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.
Hey Katherine,
I was a little off on the number of units at the other property, it’s actually 797. An interesting fact is also that the complex covers approx. 64 Acres of land. That’s a lot of grass to cut…5 miles of roads to keep up, 11 pools, 4 of them Heated, 4 tennis courts an 18 hole putt-putt course, 14 Shuffle Board Courts, 2 club houses. All this obviously compounds the work and expense there, vs. the work here at Deer Ridge.
I really wish we knew where all our monthly dollars go, and wish we had a system set up for reserves for at least 3 major long term maintenance needs, Roofs, Building Painting, & Road / Parking Lot.
By the way, that is the POINT of this post, Knowing where each dollar goes and making sure it gets there…
Take care, Neil C-208
Neil,
What an exceptional posting! Thank you for a great apples to apples comparison that everyone should be able to understand.
Some owners wish to believe Joe and his followers. A few owners are of the opinion that it is just Robert’s word against the board.
The latest should convince everyone this is the opinion of a reputable, independent lawyer. As it turns out, it looks like Robert has been about 100% right all along.
Things are not being done properly with our funds at Deer Ridge.
Owners: Do NOT pay another penny toward this assessment as it is not being managed properly at all. This is the advice of legal counsel – not just any owner or just any employee like Joe Thomas here at Deer Ridge reporting this opinion back. This is sound legal advice – and it looks like four different major reasons why this assessment is completely invalid.
Don’t let Joe Thomas try to falsely intimidate you into paying what is really not owed! They have no legal ground to stand on. None!
This comparing of properties proves how poorly Deer Ridge has been managed. With our 84 unit owners paying in all the funds we have paid for over 20 years, we should have accomplished a LOT more with our past money.
And, we should not pay new money until these problems are properly solved.
To All Owners,
Ever notice in the days before Joe Thomas arrived on property, things were different at Deer Ridge?
Notice, too, the next time you visit Deer Ridge how many little things our two maintenance folks could fix very easily – but instead have been ignored for years as a result of bad management by Joe Thomas.
Do you know exactly what all the money you pay to Deer Ridge goes towards (what, if anything, is being fixed, maintained?) It seems to me that all we get from two maintenance people on our payroll is getting the trash emptied. What do they have in the way of a checklist and timetable for taking care of maintenance, repairs and preventative maintenance that could save all owners a lot of money so that outside contractors do not need to be hired on our nickel?
Neil has an excellent guest post here with the comparison of Deer Ridge to another property and how a well managed property should and can be run.
I notice Neil speaks of the property that he is comparing to Deer Ridge is a larger property and he also speaks of seven employees. Our tiny 84 Unit Deer Ridge has like 11 employees – way too many employees.
What exactly are these folks who “work” for us accomplishing everyday?