Santiago Estates Rosamond

Governance (the HOA)

As with virtually all planned developments having common amenities, Santiago Estates is administered by a Homeowner's Association.  The Association is basically a non-profit corporation under California law, and is operated by a 5-member Board of Directors elected by the membership.  Directors are volunteers and receive no compensation for their services.

As with most developments of any size, including this one, the handling of maintenance, dues collection, accounting, etc, is more than could be done by five volunteer owners.  Therefore, actual day-to-day operation of the development is contracted out by the Association to a professional management company. 

Currently, Santiago Estates' management is handled by PMI Antelope Valley (see the CONTACT tab above).  All routine communications between our residents & owners and the HOA are typically handled by and through the management company.  Dues billings & collections are handled by a separate accounting firm, Fourr, Alden & Associates.
 

Additional Information & Comment

Comment:
In many, perhaps most, planned developments with HOAs, the Association is viewed by owners & residents as "them" and blamed for everything the individual finds annoying or lacking.  However, the reality is that "them" is actually "us".  If you are an owner-member of the Association, you have a responsibility to participate in the operation of the project, if only because it takes participation of the membership to keep the value of your property from diminishing.

A very significant problem exists when too many owners decline to participate at all in the "running" of their Association. 

Legally, there are important functions, for example election of Directors or alteration of our CC&Rs or other governing documents to meet changing conditions, that require a quorum of the total membership to accomplish. Repeatedly failing to reach quorum representation basically paralizes the ability of the Association to properly function, to the detriment of all owners.

 Obviously, not everyone has the time or ability to volunteer & serve as a Director or to directly assist in other ways.  Nevertheless, since each and every owner has invested a considerable amount of money in the purchase of their property it stands to reason they should at least participate to the extent of  responding to requests for mail-in votes.  Likewise, every owner should either attend called Membership Meetings or at least furnish their proxy to someone who will.