Dear Saddle Creek Homeowner’s:
First, we want to thank you for your emails, and for sharing your appreciation, and your concerns, with us. The past year was a very long and extremely arduous one for everyone, and we are looking forward to what we hope will be a much brighter 2021 for all.
2020 was the first year that the Saddle Creek Homeowner’s Association had full control of the business side of the HOA. The appointed Board worked very hard to make the transition from Developer to Board control, and we are very proud of all of the hard work put in by the Board and neighborhood volunteers, and the successful transfer that resulted from it.
Looking back, we understand that not every I was dotted, and not every T was crossed. We simply did the best we could with the information and guidance that we were given. For all of the progress we made, in retrospect we have come to understand that there were some things we could have done differently, perhaps better, and some of the information and advice we were given about the handling of HOA business was not accurate. All we can do now, as a new 2021 Board, is to move forward, take corrective action where necessary, and continue the work to make Saddle Creek a neighborhood that we can all be proud of.
With regard to the announcement of the new HOA management company we have contracted with, let us first assure all of you that this decision was not made without deliberate and considerable thought. As with all of our financial and management decisions last year, our first and most important responsibility is always to serve the Saddle Creek neighborhood by preserving the property values and the investment that you have all made in our community. There are several ways that this is accomplished, but good quality management of the HOA, and it’s finances, are at the top of the list. As such, the Board feels that hiring the HOA Management company is simply the best way for us to accomplish those goals.
As to the questions of the legal right of the Board to act on such a decision, the authority to do so is granted both by the Bylaws of the Saddle Creek HOA, and by Property Code laws for the State of Texas, governing HOA’s. We understand that this decision came out of left field for all of you. And for that, we do apologize. However, we do stand by our decision and our feeling that Beal Properties will provide the HOA Board with the best opportunity to focus on the important decisions necessary, while freeing the volunteer Board from the heavy burden and long hours of the day-to-day running of the business. The duties that Beal Properties will provide to the HOA include bill paying, dues collection, bids for services, general maintenance of the common property, and identification, notification and reporting of the CC&R violations. They will help us to establish consistency and allow for a smooth transition when there are personnel changes on the Board from year to year, as well as being a resource to help us report and stay current with state and county laws and regulations. They will assist us with meeting preparations, serve as a contact and liaison with vendors, legal counsel and title companies, and assist the HOA in processing amendments to the Bylaws and CC&R’s.
Change is sometimes challenging, and many times HOA Board decisions are second guessed. However, as your current Board, we feel this is the right decision for our HOA. We diligently researched management companies, and consulted with other surrounding HOA board members, and Beal Properties came highly recommended. We spent hours interviewing Beal, and other companies. This was not a quick, or easy decision. To put this in perspective, the cost of the extensive service that Beal provides comes to $6,000 a year for our HOA. An amount which totals $1.98 per household per month. We feel very confident that you will see a return on that investment. As we mentioned previously, this does not create any sort of financial hardship for the HOA and will certainly not result in any increase in the dues you currently pay.
To kick off the new year, the Saddle Creek HOA will hold its first of four quarterly Board meetings, open for members to attend, on Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:00pm, via Zoom. An agenda and the Zoom information will be provided to all homeowners three days prior to the meeting. Please prepare any questions you have and submit via email by February 15th to hoa@bealbcs.com. The board will plan to address these concerns during that meeting.
Board of Directors, Saddle Creek HOA, Inc.
Anita Dunkin, President
Donnie Pockrus, Vice President
Brenda Hiler, Sec/Treas.