BPII Board Makes History!

After two months, almost three, the minutes of the meeting from June 2008 were finally posted on the bulletin board. If it takes three days to change a light bulb in the elevator, three weeks to change a light bulb in a hallway, then it certainly would take this association 3 months to post minutes of a meeting from June. This could be a record. NO WAIT!


The minutes of the meeting from April 15, 2008 HAVE NEVER BEEN POSTED (also a violation of Florida law). The recorder, somehow, mysteriously disappeared. Hmm, I wonder why? Could it be that it contains the recording where the President unlawfully denied me my right as a unit owner, an investor, to record the meeting? Where my attorney has sent a letter requesting a letter of apology to avoid a lawsuit? Isn't that called tampering with evidence?

Wait--the plot thickens. In reading the June minutes, I noticed that three-fourths of the meeting were missing or omitted. The minutes only noted the first hour presentation of the engineer consultant for the entrance ramp--the ramp sidewalk that was ripped up in March 2007--yes last year. But who's counting. This is Bronx Place, no one cares.

What happened to the rest of the minutes? There is a written explanation that the tape recorder failed to record the remainder of the meeting. Since when did the association appoint a digital device to be secretary? Did any board member bother to communicate that the "secretary" Mr. Robert Jaffee does NOT take notes and it's expected of the manager to take notes?

Let's see, there were six board members , not one but two property managers plus a security director or two. Who is responsible for ensuring the minutes are noted? Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.



The President, Ana Guillen was absent which leaves the Vice President, Andy Scalese to run the meeting. Well there's your answer. What does Robert's Rules of Order say about this? Ana Guillen, like an evangelical preacher in the pulpit with bible in fist, upheld the book a number of times at the beginning of the year as her new Bible.

Apparently a "Do as I say, not as I do" bible.

The incompletion of the minutes is disturbing on two levels:


1- It fails to share the discussions and actions taken by Board of Directors on behalf of all unit owners. It is also bordering on if not completely breaking Florida law. For example, as an investor of stocks and mutual funds, I receive regular statements by mail or email of any upcoming board meetings and detailed description of pending votes. Regardless if I own 50, 100 or more shares, I receive the same information as all other investors of that stock. These are the rights of investors in this great country no matter your income or investment size or personality differences.



2- Where is common sense? There are obvious solutions!!! All board members and managers are fully aware that Mr. Phill Hawkins tape recorded the meeting. Why not purchase a copy from Mr. Hawkins (per state law) to complete the minutes?


As one resident suggested, if the board members knows that's an option, there must be a reason they do not want to complete the minutes...


The staff is reduced to a skeletal crew. In my opinion, a new property manager who is learning the strokes at BPII cesspool has little time to play secretary. According to our bylaws, the secretary must keep the minutes and the seal of the association. This serves as another example where the association follows the the bylaws as guidelines and not in black and white. The last appointed secretary who actually took notes and typed them the same evening so they were posted within 48 hours was Morton Friedman, before he was Treasurer.


Several residents have approached me with an observation that the notices in bulletin board are written in very poor English. These observations are not meant as attacks but concern for the lack of clarity in the communication pieces. The question then asked, is there no one on the board or management with English writing skills? A fair question in a city where English is often a second language for residents, even natives. Having served with most of these board members, I can say that Oscar Dominguez has a strong command of the English language and can write well in proper English language.

A recommendation: appoint Oscar and Treasurer and Secretary. It is permissible. Just a suggestion.