Budget Questions (Scroll to bottom to see budget comparison)
Per the budget, property upkeep includes trash, cleaning, repairs supplies, common area repair, lawn & grounds, snow removal, pest control, concrete asphalt repair, painting, staining, garage carport repair, and maintenance workers. The following items (listed on the budget) are required to maintain the complex:
| Line item | Increase since 2021 | Questions and Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| cleaning | $3,380.00 | As I walked through the entire complex yesterday, I saw no evidence of this cleaning. Please refer to pictures on the website. |
| common area repair | $8,730.00 | As I walked through the entire complex yesterday, I saw no evidence of this repair. Please refer to pictures on the website. |
| repairs supplies | $4,350.00 | As I walked through the entire complex yesterday, I saw no evidence of this repair. Please refer to pictures on the website. |
| concrete asphalt repair | $9,500.00 | As I walked through the entire complex yesterday, I saw no evidence of this repair. Please refer to pictures on the website. |
| garage carport repair | $3,612.00 | I have witnessed only one time of this repair. It was done by a MW, that MW told me that the hold in the roof had been tere for a few years. Soon after speaking to me, she was either moved or fired. The point being we have a budget item for garage repair, repair supplies, and maintenance workers. Since it was a maintenance worker using the repair supplies to repair the garage roof, what part of this work fell under the budget item garage repair. |
| lawn & grounds | $14,800.00 | We see the lawn company mowing the grass, weeds, and dirt in front of all the buildings and in the back areas that are visible from the street. The question is: As the common area continues to shrink, what is the justification for the increased expenses? |
| maintenance workers | $15,945.00 | If one maintenance worker (MW) worked a 40-hour week for 52 weeks a year, earning $22 per hour, their gross income would be $45,760. However, we know that the person assigned to SPC only works three days a week on SPC grounds. Assuming they work a full 8-hour day for those three days, their gross income for SPC work would amount to $27,456. We have budgeted $65,945 for this position. If the worker is scheduled for 40 hours at SPC, this would leave a surplus of $20,185. Alternatively, if they work their usual 24 hours a week on SPC, the surplus would be $38,489. Where does this surplus go? |
| painting, staining | $2,500.00 | I have never witnessed a single person performing this task, so I am curious about how the expense could be increasing. I have been informed that Stephanie P., while she was president, received payment from Prism for painting the steps. This is clearly a conflict of interest. However, I digress. Since the expense is rising and no one is currently performing this task, I must assume she is still being paid for this service. If she is indeed being compensated, does this mean she qualifies as a maintenance worker? If so, should her payment come from the maintenance worker line item? |
| pest control | $4,250.00 | This is a valid expense. I have witnessed the pest control company removing raccoons and yellow jackets. |
| snow removal | $20,000.00 | Last winter, we did not use the snow removal service. Instead, we only had MW sweeping the walks, which falls under the MW line item. So in effect, we did not use 40,000 on snow removal, so where did the budgeted amount get moved to? Was it used to have the bogus lawsuit against me? hmmm |
| trash | $29,352.00 | The trash company does empty the bins; however, it does not pick up the trash that is around or on top of the bins. The maintenance workers are responsible for that task. Therefore, this issue falls partially under the maintenance worker line item rather than trash. |
| A total increase of: | $116,419.00 | But as previously stated, none of this work is being done, so where is the money |
Questions I will be Asking at the Annual Meeting
- Who is responsible for the common area behind the five buildings that are at risk of falling into the creek?
- What is the difference between common area repair, cleaning, concrete and asphalt repair, painting and staining, garage and carport repair, lawn and grounds maintenance, and snow removal? Aren't all of these—except for garage and carport repair—considered common ground?
- What is the budget amount for each of these allocated for? Does it cover labor or supplies? Who is responsible for carrying out these repairs?
- Which individual or company is handling any or all of these tasks? Is there a contract in place? Do you obtain competitive bids during each contract renewal period? How did you become acquainted with these individuals or companies?
- What are considered repair supplies? Where are these supplies being utilized?
- Is the entire budgeted amount for maintenance workers going solely to them? Does this budget apply only when the maintenance workers are on SPC property, or does it also include their work on other properties managed by Prism Realty? Does it cover time spent working on Prism Realty-owned condos?
- Is Stephanie P. still being compensated for painting the stairs? Is she classified as a maintenance worker?
- Who is responsible for snow removal? Last year, $40,000 was allocated for snow removal but was not used. Why is this year's budget still the same amount? What happened to the surplus funds?
- What caused the significant increase in insurance costs? Why have you not provided homeowners with a copy of the insurance policy, as stipulated in the bylaws?
- What is the special assessment for this year?
- Why are we projected to bring in almost $89,000 more this year while transferring $23,000 less to reserves compared to last year?
- How much is currently in our reserves?
- Last year, the budget for legal expenses was $996.00, and this year it is $1,045.00. However, we know the Board spent approximately $40,000 on legal fees last year and this year combined. Why is that expense not included in the budget? From which budget item did it come from?
- Why is the person from whom we purchased a townhouse in 2011 still residing in it? Why have we been paying taxes on that townhouse since 2011?
- Why did we buy a garden condo for $19,403 in 2022? Where is that expense reflected in the budget? Why does that same condo have a closed auction offer of $27,000? Where is that money accounted for in the budget? These two condos suggest potential dishonesty.
- We have a waiting list for rentals. How did Jim jump the line when he bought 3 condos?
- What are the bank charges?
5 year Budget Comparison
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | |||||
| Condo Fees | $595,778.00 | $654,740.00 | $724,740.00 | $783,904.00 | $862,295.00 |
| Special Assessment | $0.00 | $54,560.00 | $120,790.00 | $65,430.00 | $72,804.00 |
| Garage/Carport Fees | $7,740.00 | $10,320.00 | $10,320.00 | $10,320.00 | $11,352.00 |
| Charter | $10,200.00 | $10,200.00 | $11,304.00 | $11,304.00 | $12,000.00 |
| Legal Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Parking Income | $0.00 | $500.00 | $504.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Interest Income | $250.00 | $100.00 | $96.00 | $96.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Interest on past due balance | $200.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,000.00 |
| Fines/violations | $500.00 | $1,000.00 | $3,504.00 | $3,504.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Late Fee/NSF Fee | $8,500.00 | $8,500.00 | $4,752.00 | $4,752.00 | $5,200.00 |
| Total Revenue | $623,168.00 | $742,920.00 | $879,010.00 | $882,310.00 | $971,151.00 |
| Condo Expensives | |||||
| Management Fees | $50,220.00 | $56,450.00 | $56,448.00 | $56,448.00 | $59,280.00 |
| Accounting | $660.00 | $660.00 | $672.00 | $675.00 | $675.00 |
| legal | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $996.00 | $996.00 | $1,045.00 |
| misc | $10,500.00 | $10,500.00 | $13,500.00 | $13,500.00 | $14,850.00 |
| electric | $14,000.00 | $14,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $16,500.00 |
| water | $73,550.00 | $95,450.00 | $95,448.00 | $108,690.00 | $122,000.00 |
| sewer | $92,000.00 | $110,000.00 | $110,004.00 | $110,004.00 | $117,000.00 |
| trash | $12,648.00 | $17,280.00 | $19,008.00 | $22,800.00 | $42,000.00 |
| cleaning | $4,370.00 | $7,800.00 | $7,380.00 | $7,380.00 | $7,750.00 |
| bank charges | $120.00 | $120.00 | $120.00 | $120.00 | $60.00 |
| repairs supplies | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $8,250.00 |
| common area repair | $45,000.00 | $45,000.00 | $45,000.00 | $47,500.00 | $53,730.00 |
| lawn & grounds | $49,000.00 | $49,000.00 | $53,904.00 | $58,000.00 | $63,800.00 |
| snow removal | $20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $50,004.00 | $40,000.00 | $40,000.00 |
| pest control | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $19,250.00 |
| concrete asphalt repair | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | $2,496.00 | $6,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
| painting, staining | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| garage carport repair | $7,740.00 | $7,740.00 | $10,320.00 | $10,320.00 | $11,352.00 |
| property ins | $95,000.00 | $101,000.00 | $127,908.00 | $172,063.00 | $208,464.00 |
| maintenance workers | $50,000.00 | $55,000.00 | $54,996.00 | $59,950.00 | $65,945.00 |
| transfer to reserves | $64,860.00 | $119,420.00 | $185,794.00 | $120,364.00 | $97,200.00 |
| total condo expense | $623,168.00 | $742,920.00 | $878,998.00 | $882,310.00 | $971,151.00 |