​

Dear Highlands Homeowners:

🟦 ANNUAL MEETING

This is intended to provide an update to The Highlands community and to provide information that was unable to be presented as originally intended at the Association’s recent Annual Meeting. As many of you know, the Association’s Annual Meeting took place on March 27, but regrettably was unable to proceed as planned. The Association certainly appreciates the attendance and interest from the number of lot owners who showed up at the Civic Center. The Association had tried to determine how many lot owners would be attending to make certain that there would be enough space, but very few lot owners had given the Association any type of advance notice regarding attendance. The Association understands that several lot owners were frustrated by the lack of meeting space at the Annual Meeting. If the Association had any prior indication about the number of people interested in attending the Annual Meeting, a larger meeting location would have been secured. The Association will certainly address this issue going forward.

It is important to note and to make certain that the Association’s membership understands that the current members of the Board are volunteers. The Board members are lot owners and no different than any other lot owners within the community. The Board members have to pay the exact same amounts as all lot owners. The Board members do not receive any benefit and/or reduction in assessments, dues, and fees. The Board members are serving on the Board simply because they want to help The Highlands community.

Unfortunately for the lot owners who were genuinely interested in the status of the Association and may have had questions regarding the proposed amendments, it quickly became apparent that there was a small group whose intention seemed to instigate the crowd and to provoke an aggressively negative response toward the current members of the Association’s Board of Directors. This included Karen Paine (the owner of the former property management company) and her attorney, whose involvement clearly was an attempt to disrupt the proceedings and/or launch some type of personal agenda.

While your volunteer board was doing its best to follow Florida law, which entitles each owner 3 minutes to speak on agenda items, several owners in attendance began shouting, refusing to let others speak, declining to fill out the required speaker form, and disregarding meeting procedures. It was becoming almost impossible for the Annual Meeting to continue. The agitation, yelling, and/or disruption being caused by certain individuals was only brought to an end when the Winter Springs Police Department arrived and ordered the meeting to end and the room to be vacated. The Association was forced to formally adjourn the Annual Meeting until further notice.

The Association and your Board of Directors are working closely with our legal and management teams to determine appropriate next steps and to ensure that any future meetings are conducted safely, respectfully, and in full accordance with the Association’s governing documents and applicable Florida law.

🟨 DEMAND AGAINST FORMER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Up to this point, the Board of Directors has been advised not to share details about the legal matter involving the Association’s former management company, Paine Anderson. However, since the information was publicly disclosed during the Annual Meeting by an individual with apparent direct knowledge and a close connection to Paine Anderson, we can now confirm that the Association did send a $2.2 million demand letter to Paine Anderson looking to recover monetary damages related to its management and/or handling of The Highlands community and/or the Association’s common areas.

During the meeting, the attorney representing Karen Paine (the owner of Paine Anderson) publicly announced their joint intent to pursue the replacement of the current Board of Directors. Since then, it is the Association’s understanding that efforts have begun within the community to initiate this process. Notably, Ms. Paine is one of the people identified as a replacement Director, along with four additional individuals aligned with her interests. The primary conclusion that can be drawn from this would be for these people to get on the Association’s Board of Directors with the likely intent of withdrawing the $2.2 million demand and potentially reinstating or rehiring the former management company. This would be a clear conflict of interest, but these people are not addressing that and would prefer the lot owners to not have any knowledge of that fact.

It is important for each homeowner to understand what is at stake here. In addition, if you did already sign a document to recall or remove the existing Board members based on potentially inaccurate and/or misleading information, you can submit a written withdrawal or revocation of that document. You would just need to provide that written withdrawal or revocation to the Association as soon as possible in order to make it effective. The Association encourages each homeowner to educate themselves regarding this attempt to remove the current Board members and all other issues that the Association is currently facing.

🟩 MOVING FORWARD

While the disruption at the Annual Meeting was extremely unfortunate, it also presents a unique opportunity. Due to required deadlines, the Association was unable to make any changes to the proposed amendments prior to this meeting, as the annual mailing had already been issued. However, this pause allows us to proactively seek additional feedback on the direction you would like to see your Association take — and potentially incorporate that input moving forward.

We’ve heard input from many owners informally, as well as at some of the prior town halls and Board meetings, but the Association is now creating an official list of those who want to contribute to this important conversation, ask questions, or stay informed.

Your Board of Directors was prepared, and actually started, to give a presentation at the Annual Meeting to update the community on key events from the past year — including issues with the clubhouse, amenity updates, and the status and causes of our current financial crisis. Since that presentation couldn’t be delivered — and while much of this information has been shared previously through newsletters, past meetings, and other updates — the Board is now working on the best way to provide that very important information in a consolidated format, possibly through a video presentation or similar approach, so that all homeowners have a clear opportunity to stay up to date and well-informed on the realities affecting our community.

We remain committed to protecting the long-term health and financial stability of our neighborhood and will continue to keep residents informed throughout this process.

Sincerely,
The Highlands HOA Board of Directors
​Email: directors@thehighlandsws.com

​

Disclaimer: This communication pertains solely to matters involving the master association, Highlands Homeowners Association Inc, and does not involve any operations, decisions, or business of individual sub-associations. For any concerns related to your sub-association, please reach out to them directly.