To the Editor:
There have been several letters to the editor recently suggesting that Villagers shouldn’t pay amenity fees during this time in which we are unable to use the facilities. There are suggestions that the Developer should waive the fees, or that the Developer should somehow chip in.
The Villages Holding Company (ie. The Morses) developed this place for us and then sold it to us. You, me, and all the Villagers who enjoy the benefits of this wonderful lifestyle, OWN IT! Everything we enjoy is OURS!
The Developer is not in the business of maintaining the amenities we enjoy. That’s why after an area is developed, they sell it to us. They need to get their money out and move on. That’s what developers do. We have the great good fortune to be blessed with a Developer who continues to take a vital interest in all of us. It is fine with me that they make a lot of money doing it (I hope). I enjoy a lifestyle that I never have dreamed of, and a home that has appreciated in value beyond my wildest expectations.
Have the ongoing expenses for our amenities gone away? Even during this down time I see power washing being done. I see shrubs and flowers being attended to. I see workers maintaining the pools. Will taxes be waved on the facilities? If facilities were purchased by issuing bonds, will the payments be waved?
The expenses are our responsibility attended to by the officials that we elect to our CCDs, and district wide committees. These folks do a wonderful job and deserve our thanks for keeping everything up to snuff and ready to go when life returns to normal.
It’s time to suck it up and stop complaining.
Ron Klock
Village of Charlotte