Email reply from Sultan to Lenny on Friday, October 21, 2005 at 9:34 a.m.
Hi Lenny,
(SNIP)
About you letter: I know how concerned you are about FCC, it's great to so
see that you're an advocate for the many owners there. Please keep in mind
that you only know bits and pieces of the big picture which is very complex.
I echo much of what you say in your letter, and in fact, that is being
done...from being able to get you own contractor, to disclosing amount of
coverage etc... It all just takes times, if we say things that we have to
take back, we're putting ourselves at greater risk than if we don't say
anything at all.
Please try to be understanding and patient, remember that you are a tenant
and if you have any problem you should take it up with your landlord. As you
can see from my unit, I have taken things in my own hands and will just have
to cross my fingers to be made whole.
Call me if I can do anythign for you,
You da man!
Sultan
----------------------------------------------
SNIP of email from Lenny to Sultan on 10/21/05 at 10:09 a.m.
Dear Sultan,
SNIP
I wish YOU, and the other Board Members that I have done work for, would have NOT singled me out in your October 17, 2005 letter when Chet said, "Lenny... is not acceptable...". The fact that you all had already put in the parameters of what was and was not acceptable should have been sufficient without the need to single me out. MANY of my clients said it reads in a VERY BAD light towards me. I have asked Don Gauthreaux to issue a retraction letter and he has personally apologized to me but he says that Chet will not do the retraction letter. It's a shame that Chet is running the Board instead of the Board managing Chet.
Since no retraction was made, and in my defense, I have taken it upon myself to communicate my position and my attorney's information to my clients and any other interested parties. I have further information coming out soon. Information that Charlie and I were privy too on things Chet was doing early on that were a conflict of interest and may have led to the delays and low-ball figures from the insurance company(ies). I think you and the other Board members may only know bits and pieces as well. Maybe we need to put ALL of the information out in public so the unit owners, who you are elected to represent, will also know ALL of the information. I don't think you have done anything self-serving but full disclosure is the best thing to do at this time. It's not too late to do the right thing by ALL of the owners.
Sincerely,
Lenny Vasbinder
Hurricane Damage Cleanup, Sheetrock & Flooring Removal, etc.
504-621-1870 eFax - 413-318-0742
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email from Sultan to Lenny on 10/21/05 at 11:10 a.m.
Hey Lenny,
First off let me say that you all appriciated your being there for the
duration of the storm, and being able to help us out with initial cleanup. I
have no doubt that you have the best intentions for FCC and you letters and
consulting with your attorney is an attempt to make things better.
I'm sorry about the letter and the way that it may have singled you out, I tried to
stay in constant contact with Chet and others there but I'm sure there are
things that fall through the cracks. Anyways, I hope that you're making out
okay, I also want to fight those low figures, for one, I'm going out of
pocket over 3k if the figures stay the way they are so trust me I'm with you
on that. The tough thing it finding a good lawyer to help us out who won;t
take 10% of the award which would put us back where we started, but I know
we;'re looking into that. See you on the weekend of the 28th, I'll pay you
then.
Sultan
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Email from Lenny to Sultan on 10/21/05 at 1:13 p.m.
Hi Sultan,
In reviewing your email a second time, I think you may have fallen into the trap that Chet Hingle set for himself, because even you admit that we only know "bits and pieces" and that is what is wrong with the entire scenario.
THERE SHOULD BE FULL DISCLOSURE TO ALL UNIT OWNERS OF ALL INFORMATION... not just "bits and pieces".
Chet Hingle (and the Board if they agree with him) are fooling with people's LIVES and HOMES. Refusing to give them the necessary information is downright WRONG!!!! Just giving them "bits and pieces" is WRONG!!!
I was privy to many conversations in the three weeks that I worked for the Condo Assn. and I'm sure that Chet decided that they did not need me anymore because of my vocal opposition to some of his ideas as well as my informed input. Chet was even arguing with me about who the flood insurer was. I kept telling him it was the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) underwritten by FEMA and he kept saying that it was a private insurance company. Obviously, he was WRONG on that too!
Chet Hingle told Charlie and I that he "had a plan" and that we were not to tell any of the unit owners that he had a plan, because then every owner would want to put their two cents in and it would mess up the plan. This is where the air of secrecy started and it continues today.
Chet Hingle told us that F-D-L Construction Company (FDL) was somehow related to him, either through an old friend or an in-law but somehow there is or may be nepotism involved. Chet Hingle tried to cram FDL down several owners throats and said that they HAD TO USE FDL. I'm not sure if he is getting some kind of benefit(s) from trying to force as much business their way but it sure does seem suspicious... in light of his secret "plan".
As you may or may not be aware, while Charlie and I were "on the clock" for the association, Chet Hingle had us go up on the roof and put some tarps down over ONE unit to try and keep the unit from suffering further damage. I told Charlie (and he agreed) that is was WRONG to be doing this work for only ONE unit which was politically connected to Chet Hingle. This was done by Charlie and I, prior to FDL ever coming into the picture. I told Charlie that if this ever came out, I was not taking the fall for him or Chet and Charlie concurred that Chet was WRONG with this political or nepotism based decision.
I really do wish you would start leaning towards FULL DISCLOSURE, rather than keeping so many people in the dark. Anything other than FULL DISCLOSURE is messing with people's lives!!!
Sincerely,
Lenny Vasbinder
Hurricane Damage Cleanup, Sheetrock & Flooring Removal, etc.
504-621-1870 eFax - 413-318-0742
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Email from Sultan to Lenny on 10/21/05 at 3:17 p.m.
Lenny,
I can only be compassionate to your frustration. However, you must
understand that by "bits and pieces" I mean that there are different
adjusters for different buildings from different companies working with
different figures giving us information that are not always in agreement and
passing that on to everybody while things are constantly changing would
create more interference than progress. Now, while that in itself is a
moving target, we have to fight those figures and get them up, we have to
try to get them to cover every possible thing and not just what they want to
hand us. While transparency is always the best option, when things are in
the works and as fluid as they are now, there needs to be some order and
discipline as to how it is handled. That's where an elected board and
appointed mgr. comes in. And to give you an example, giving people the
number and name of our adjuster turned into a disaster, so much so that now
the insurance Co. refuses to talk to anyone but Mrg., or Board!
Also, keep in mind that you are a renter, not an owner, you're entitled to
answers from your landlord not FCC, if you require anything, your landlord,
not FCC is responsible for satisfying those. I'm only entertaining this
discussion because I can answer my position and will do so for as long as I
can.
Be well and let me know if you have any other concerns, but please, try to
make things better at FCC, not stir things into a pissing match by raising
things that are already being addressed. It's a very difficult time and as
long as I'm president, no one at FCC will unfairly benefit from this and no
one will receive preferential treatment of any kind. All will be made whole
to the best of our ability and while staying withing the boundaries of the
law, period.
S.
No comments:
Post a Comment