Community guardian John Marshall Lee shares this commentary about the alarming situation at Success Village.
As a 37-year resident of Bridgeport, at an age where reading the local newspaper, speaking to the City Council regularly, and representing a voice of “justice for all” I have noted the increasing distressing news affecting the owner/residents of over 900 units of CO-OP housing that straddle the Bridgeport Stratford municipal boundary line.
Since raising the subject to the City Council in three minutes of public speaking on July 1, I have met with residents who have attempted to be a voice for democratic representation for the diversity of owners but not the party speaking as Association leader, or other volunteer of paid representatives of SVA. There seem to be five issues that present as intractable to Federal, State, and local municipal issues. They are presented as an outline for more complete research in order for a RESOLUTION to surface that can work efficiently, financially, and legally.
- WEATHER: It is mid-July, but October cool becomes winter temperatures when the failure of systems for hot water and heating becomes most relevant!
- TECHNOLOGY and MACHINERY continues to be unreliable and not discussed in public. Can attention to a one-year temporary solution and then a permanent solution be pursued relative to providing heat and hot water permanently at no further monthly expense to owners, aside from installation?
- MONEY: Looking for financial assistance from City, State, or other government agencies seem unlikely for SVA because these are privately owned residences. Currently SVA owners are seeking current regular and financial records of the past two years of income and expense, as well as a balance sheet for what has happened to $2 Million or more of original funds in SVA accounts in 2022, and more than $12 Million of common charges forwarded or reserved since then.
- SELF-GOVERNANCE: Reading a copy of the By-Laws indicates that member governance has been side-tracked for some time in terms of owner/member/resident meetings, communication, fiscal reporting, motions, and approvals by leaders and managers. Why must owner/members pursue legal remedy at their personal expense, when “association leadership” is using multiple attorneys with common charge funding to fight owners in court? Where is the City Fair Housing Commission, which publicly died from Mayoral inattention two decades ago, in plain public sight?
- RESPECT FOR RULE OF LAW: Facts show the CT Court system does not enforce or oversee judicial stipulations and thus loses respect for the “rule of law.” Would the owner/resident/SVA members be left with no municipal resource on five acres of land valued currently at $28 Million if the CO-OP were located in a different geographic location of Bridgeport?
Time will tell.
OIB has had a problem connecting the title with my article. So I am posting the article as a COMMENT per Lennie request. Peace.
Success Village Apartments-Overview July 14, 2024
As a 37-year resident of Bridgeport, at an age where reading the local newspaper, speaking to the City Council regularly, and representing a voice of “justice for all” I have noted the increasing distressing news affecting the owner/residents of over 900 units of CO-OP housing that straddle the Bridgeport Stratford municipal boundary line.
Since raising the subject to the City Council in three minutes of public speaking on July 1, I have met with residents who have attempted to be a voice for democratic representation for the diversity of owners but not the party speaking as Association leader, or other volunteer of paid representatives of SVA. There seem to be five issues that present as intractable to Federal, State, and local municipal issues. They are presented as an outline for more complete research in order for a RESOLUTION to surface that can work efficiently, financially, and legally.
• WEATHER: It is mid-July, but October cool becomes winter temperatures when the failure of systems for hot water and heating becomes most relevant!
• TECHNOLOGY and MACHINERY continues to be unreliable and not discussed in public. Can attention to a one-year temporary solution and then a permanent solution be pursued relative to providing heat and hot water permanently at no further monthly expense to owners, aside from installation?
• MONEY: Looking for financial assistance from City, State, or other government agencies seem unlikely for SVA because these are privately owned residences. Currently SVA owners are seeking current regular and financial records of the past two years of income and expense, as well as a balance sheet for what has happened to $2 Million or more of original funds in SVA accounts in 2022, and more than $12 Million of common charges forwarded or reserved since then.
• SELF-GOVERNANCE: Reading a copy of the By-Laws indicates that member governance has been side-tracked for some time in terms of owner/member/resident meetings, communication, fiscal reporting, motions, and approvals by leaders and managers. Why must owner/members pursue legal remedy at their personal expense, when “association leadership” is using multiple attorneys with common charge funding to fight owners in court? Where is the City Fair Housing Commission, which publicly died from Mayoral inattention two decades ago, in plain public sight?
• RESPECT FOR RULE OF LAW: Facts show the CT Court system does not enforce or oversee judicial stipulations and thus loses respect for the “rule of law.” Would the owner/resident/SVA members be left with no municipal resource on five acres of land valued currently at $28 Million if the CO-OP were located in a different geographic location of Bridgeport? Time will tell.
JOHN MARSHALL LEE 203-259-9642 john@financiallistener.com
Thank you, John. Yes, technical issue with copy loading. WordPress gremlins!