Port St. John Home Owners' Association:
What Ruined Them?
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What ruined the PSJ Home Owners' Association? PSJ was about one fifth of today’s population in the late 70’s, when a number of civic-minded residents began to meet, and in 1979, formed the Port Saint John Home Owners Assoc., Inc. It formed under Florida Statutes Section 617, as a “Not for Profit” Florida Corporation, (Doc # 749207). It was a vital and valuable organization; an open forum where residents could meet and issues could be discussed, and it served the community well. Membership was voluntary and open to all PSJ property owners. Fast forward to the late 90’s, when the HOA began to change for the worse. There were some in the HOA who felt PSJ must become a city and unfortunately it seems the HOA became the source of their manpower. Unless you favored incorporation, the HOA wasn’t very friendly anymore. The incorporationists then went about the business of pushing their scheme, using fabricated scare tactics such as annexation by Titusville, airport runway extensions, and forced sewers by Titusville. They arrogantly assumed they could bamboozle voters into accepting the idea of more rules and regulations, another layer of government and higher taxes. Their misleading budget projections concluded, “A city would only tax property owners a few more dollars per year”. The scheme to create a city was even bigger than just PSJ: it also included the takeover of adjacent communities South to Camp Road. The HOA was wrong to support them.
But did the devious scare tactics work? ABSOLUTELY NOT! When the votes were counted, 3 out of every 4 [votes] were cast to keep PSJ free, and so it remains. Question: What does this have to do with the HOA today? Answer: Everything! The current HOA leadership continues to demonstrate the same arrogance that nearly destroyed our unincorporated status.
Question: Does the HOA have a future? Answer: Only if there is new leadership that DOES NOT: · willfully disregard the Florida laws, Statute #617. · willfully close open meetings in public buildings to illegally blackballed residents. · willfully discriminate · willfully fail to reprimand an officer who assaulted another member · willfully block openness and accountability. · operate without a secretary, thereby failing to keep minutes · willfully hide records from members · publish biased, inaccurate newsletters · refuse to accept criticism or correction
Question: So, what ruined the PSJHOA? Answer: Tyranny, arrogance, fear of losing power, or, maybe something to hide?
Question: Could the HOA have a future as an organization beneficial to PSJ? Answer: Only if PSJ residents want to clean house, and elect leaders who will conduct HOA business legally and openly.
There are two meetings at the PSJ library before the annual elections on Apr 12th, 2005. If you would like to be part of a new PSJHOA come to the Feb. 8th & Mar. 8th meetings at 7:00 p.m. PSJ would benefit from a new HOA. You could be part of it.
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