Asset Enhancement
Fee....or...New Member Fee...
Discriminatory Charges that
Most are Unaware of When Selling a Home
Because many of our readers are somewhat new to Sun City Anthem, we feel it necessary to once again, make residents aware of a special assessment called the "Asset Enhancement Fee" or the "New Member Fee" that is payable at the sale of all homes in Sun City Anthem purchased after April 12, 2001.
To our knowledge, Sun City Anthem is only one of a few
homeowner associations that impose this fee.
We have...for years....opposed this discriminatory fee, yet this has always fallen on deaf ears
of those who are elected to our board each year.
What most people are unaware
of.....
Original purchasers decided BY REFERENDUM that they should be exempt from
this "dreaded" transfer
fee...
...and easily passed a proposition that allowed original
buyers to EXEMPT THEMSELVES....yet make sure ALL OTHERS PAY IT
!
A number of years ago, Nevada passed a law FORBIDDING PROPERTY
TRANSFER FEES; however, a loophole was found by our Board at that time in order
to keep it in force.
How best to describe these costs?
"They both look like a duck.... and...walk like a
duck'''....
...but...
... "smell" like
a goat,...and allow people to become... greedy
"pigs"
Other than charging this senseless fee, that fund has become
the "favorite" of past boards allowing them to
finance ventures....AVOIDING ANY VOTE OF THE RESIDENT
MEMBERSHIP.
In essence....it has become a fund in which 4 people have the ability to SPEND YOUR MONEY WITHOUT YOUR
APPROVAL. (a 4 of 7 vote by a board allows this to take
place).
A perfect example of using this fund was the attempt to "sell"
a mini-golf course" idea a year ago, saying "it was free"....enticing in excess
of 700 residents to sign a petition believing that statement to be
true.
Subsequently it was learned that MANY COSTS would have been
added; and was thankfully originally rejected by the Property and
Grounds Committee as a result.....but later brought back to life by the Life Style
Committee.
Without this fee....large
expenditures require A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE
MEMBERS...a democratic approach to the well-being of a
community.
Proponents say that "it's in the CCRs" and as a result, must
be imposed.
Our response...just as some found the "loophole" to continue
collecting it....
...a Board who is RESPONSIBLE and who wishes to "live" by the
democratic principle, can easily make a decision NOT TO
COLLECT IT.
As you consider your choices for this year's election, we
encourage any conscientious voter to ASK EACH CANDIDATE this simple
question....
"If you had the ability not to collect this fee, would you still collect it?"
"If you had the ability not to collect this fee, would you still collect it?"
Remember...that individual would have the opportunity to
determine if it prevailed.
We believe this unnecessary fee is substantial, amounting of
approximately $300,000 each year...totaling close to
$1,000,000 in the past three
years.
This fee creates a burden to sellers and/or buyers (if
negotiated between the two parties) on all "selective" homes in Sun City
Anthem.
And...if this does create a burden and provides no direct
benefit to homeowners other than allowing 4 individuals the opportunity to
"spend" at their pleasure, we ask a simple question:
Why does it
exist?
That...is where the original developer, Del
Webb, comes into the picture.
This fee was created by that firm
for one purpose....
...in order to
reduce their obligations to
subsidize the costs of maintaining the community in the early stages of
home sales.
Dell Webb is now
GONE...and with that departure...
...those costs are now
NONEXISTENT.
Yet, we the homeowners, still bear the cost of this "surcharge" (the verbiage used in the
CCR's).
Just how does the dictionary define a "surcharge"?
An additional or excessive charge, loan,
or burden.
Yes indeed, a burden that no longer
exists...except for one
purpose...
...allowing 4 people to spend at will for
projects they believe are needed...yet feel you the
homeowner, should accept without question.
Anthem Opinions
Administration
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