How many folks does this apply to? Can the folks who do have to pay take over the Ramapo Lake Association and at least get access to the facilities if they have to pay? Also maybe a two tiered fee structure, a higher one for those who live on the lake (for dam maintenance and facilities upkeep) and a lower for everyone else (for facilities upkeep)?
RML's lawsuit sued 1,620 properties (I think that was the number) over an area of 700 acres, that was supposedly the original holiday resort in 1947, that turned into a regular town over the years. (This lake is TINY, so it boggles the mind that the resort covered 700 acres). The area even covers what's now the commercial heart of the town. The reason they started trying to collect from people in the area who never even heard of them, who bought their houses in recent decades, is that the lake needs dredging and a new dam, and the association is broke. So they just sent out bills hoping us suckers would just up and pay. When most of us laughed it off, they started the class action suit. They wanted about $50 a year dues, retroactive to 2012 when they started sending out bills. This final judgement clears 40% of the 1,620 properties of responsibility! So that's a lot of cash they WON'T get, besides however much money they'd spent on the suit over the years (and where did that come from?). So, HA! There've been rumblings throughout that if we end up having to pay, that makes us voting members of the group, and then we'll vote the fuckers out of office, dissolve the association, and donate the lake to the state (It's part of the Ramapo River watershed). So I reeeeeally hope that still happens.
The lake in question is that tiny little thing in the center (Crystal Lake). They claim everybody in the blob of suburbs around them is part of the original holiday resort. That TINY little lake. The only land the association actually owns is a 100 yard beach on the east side of it, the rest of the shore is private homes.
Aaand they're talking about appealing the decision, so this shit will NEVER actually be over. Oy vey.
There are people who only moved here in 2018 saying they got dues bills going back to 2012, and had to get lawyers to straighten it out. The court ruled that RML can only assess dues starting in 2018. So anyone RLM billed from 2012 who paid, RLM is required to refund them for those four years. But now RLM says they don't have the funds to do the refunds, unless the people who ARE required to pay, finally pay up. So of course RLM is petitioning the court to put the squeeze on them. A lot of people are saying, ya know, if the Lake Association had put out some heartfelt pleas for donations, they would have sent them some bucks. But getting sued kinda sours you to helping the sewer - er, suer - out.
Lots of action on the FB group this week, with people bitching and sharing stories. Another person, one who has been paying the dues as requested, took her two small children to the lake during the summer for some paddle-boarding off the dock. One of the lake residents called the police on her. She said the cops were nice, told her she wasn't doing anything wrong but they have to respond, have a nice day. She was told, I guess by lake management, that payment of dues is for lake maintenance, not permission to use the lake. That requires joining the "Beachhouse Club."
would Forbin even live long enough for the the lawsuit to play out? If it took this long just to resolve the original problem I could only imagine another lengthy ordeal. That said if I were a local lawyer I would already be trolling for business. My son got arrested (he's out on bond) a couple of days ago. I will be very disappointed if my mailbox doesn't have a few lawyer advertisements in it today. The last time he got arrested it was literally within 24 hours before the lawyers started trolling. Hey, nice work if you can get it! We have a couple of lawyers here on wordforge but I don't remember their specialties.
Heh. A lot of the victims are reporting getting a letter of apology for being sent bills or notices during a period when the courts ordered RML to stand down until a decision was handed down. I'm told the apology letter was "instead of" a director being found in contempt of court. Their lawyer managed to convince the court it was an ignorant mistake rather than a blatant disregard of orders and yet another money grab.
so let me get this straight....you folks get sent apology letters (who doesn't want more worthless mail, and the letters are great for lining a bird cage I guess) and the director dodges a contempt of court charge? Well played director, well played.
Someone still stuck paying this furshlugginer group got annual budget statement. It includes a need for $50,000 for legal fees - to be collected from the people they sued for memberships they didn't want.
Someone said 1,300 households got a bill of almost $500 for back dues, at a time when a lot of people are out of work, and many of the households are elderly people on SS. They also upped the yearly fee by $20. These people are evil.
So the Association sent us a bill for back dues to 2012, and crossed out the amount and marked it PAID. Enclosed was a letter referring to us as "pre-endentured shareholders." Pre-endentured meaning our property predates the club's right to charge fees. I don't like that it was marked PAID instead of VOID, and I don't like us being called "shareholders" in any way. It makes me wonder if there are still future shenanigans in store. Like, "Look, we have a statement marked PAID! That means they paid! That means they have to keep paying!" I don't trust these assholes.
I would get a "Void" stamp from Staples, stamp it, copy it and send it back, certified mail, with a letter saying "This wasn't paid, it was void in the first place, and I'm not a shareholder so fuck off."
Meanwhile... So now the town tells us everybody's property is being reassessed for property taxes. So if we see a guy wandering around our property, that's what it is. We are also instructed to allow him inside the house to assess it, and if we don't, we'll be punitively assessed the same as the most expensive house in our area. There's a movement in town trying to block them from coming inside on 4th amendment grounds. Interesting town I got here. :/ My wife says "Just pay the man the two dollars."
That has "vote Miss Allen's kindergarten class in next election" written all over it. Get that punitive promise in writing, from as many politicians as you can, the higher up the better.
Good God. The kits. They're on to you. I remember a Dobie Gillis episode with a tax assessor. They put a table cloth over the TV. Maynard messed up their plan.
Okay, thought I'd pop in to wrap this up with the final coffin nail. I've been following along even though my property was declared safe, because the Lake Association has always been hinting they'd find a way to bring us escapees back into the fold. Well, a group of angry villagers ran for the RML board on the platform of abolishing mandatory dues and finding a way of managing the lake and dam expenses without fucking suing our neighbors, and we won 10 out 0f 15 seats. There's a mix of "forgive and forget" and "fuck those assholes" sentiment in town. One vocal fella said "Forgive?? I sold my house and moved to another part of town because of them!" So anyway, TEN years after those first "bills" showed up in our mail, it's finally truly over for everybody.
I think I'll stay away from politics for a while. I'm not good at arguing, I get mad, and say things I regret later.
