New Year News

As we begin a new year, the Indian Lakes Estates Homeowners’ Association (ILEHA) Board of Directors would like to wish each of you a happy and prosperous 2019.  Also, to thank our members for their support throughout 2018 as we continued to stabilize and reenergize our Homeowners’ Association.  Additionally, we want to share the outcome of our General Membership Meeting from late last fall as well as other ‘New Year News’ as we look forward to spring.
 Although some time has passed since our fall General Meeting, we thought it best to wait before providing an update until after the holidays to not compete with the many activities of the season.  Those who attended our Annual Meeting in June may recall that the membership requested the Board hold a separate and additional membership meeting later in the year in order to have time specifically dedicated to discussing annual dues and our legal fund.
    
General Meeting Summary
Annual Dues:  After review and discussion of ILEHA’s operating budget including revenue and expenses, a motion was made by Angela Wilson and supported by Jim Heirshiser to increase the annual membership dues from the current $100 to $125 beginning with the 2019/20 fiscal year.  The motion was approved unanimously.  
Requested Legal Fund:  Next the group discussed the status of the Association’s legal fund.  This fund has been providing the revenue that has sustained us over the last 15 years to pay for legal advisory services.  These services have been primarily to protect the best interest of our neighborhood relative to the development of the Hannah Farms property immediately to the west of our subdivision.  It is worth noting that our annual association dues have not been used for this purpose as the legal fund was created to cover these expenses and was capitalized through an assessment and contributions by members.  Although the fund is now nearly depleted, it has sustained our effort for nearly 15 years.  After much discussion, a motion was offered by Christel Forsberg and supported by Angela Wilson for a voluntary replenishing of the ILEHA legal fund of $250 per household.  The motion was approved unanimously.  
For those unable to attend the meeting, the Board reminded members present that the Board is under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and could not speak to the details of the on-going issue of the Hannah Farms development and our negotiations therein.  However, each Board member (except Suchitra Webster who opted out of the NDA due to a potential conflict of interest) individually acknowledged their satisfaction with progress to date.  Therefore, at the end of this communique please find a form to be filled in and returned with your remittance.  The Board respectfully requests that each homeowner consider doing their fair share of helping us replenish our fund.  We are currently at a crucial point and after all these years believe we are positioned to finally bring this issue to closure.  However, as we near the finish line, our legal expenses will be exponentially increasing, and additional resources will be required to help us close out successfully.

Property Values
Over the past year the Board has undertaken an effort to re-acquaint homeowners with our Deed Restrictions, including delivering updated copies to each home.  When homeowners closed on the purchase of their property, it automatically included agreeing to the Deed Restrictions for Indian Lakes Estates (ILE).  Last year when ILE homeowners received their Annual Notice of Assessment for 2018 from Meridian Township, we discovered that our property taxable values went up by 2.1% and the market value on most of our homes went down more than 5%, and in many instances almost 10%.  Although home values are in part driven by market conditions, the Board also realizes that the over-all condition of our neighborhood drives market value.  All things being equal, as inflation rises our home values should rise accordingly.  ILE homes did not.  Hence, the Board undertook this effort to re-acquaint homeowners with our deed restrictions as they are the rules and regulations pertaining to the use of land and the look of the neighborhood which ultimately impacts property values.  Our goal is to help all of us protect and maintain our property values.  The Board further believes that self-monitoring by each homeowner is the best approach for compliance; and although we have allowed for this, the Board collectively believes that as a neighborhood we still could be doing better.  Therefore, beginning this year, the Board will be reminding individual members when the need arises.  So, if you have not, please review your respective deed restrictions.  They can be found on our website at www.ileha.org or contact one of your Board representatives for a hard copy.  It is the Board’s experience that most compliance issues are related to the sections in the Deed Restrictions on Approval of Plans, Nuisances, Fences and Swimming Pools, and Appearance of Lots and Buildings.  Please help us protect our property values by complying with our Deed Restrictions.

Miscellaneous Reminders
Speed, speed, speed.  Please slow down when driving through the neighborhood, especially on Sequoia Trail.  The Board continually receives complaints about vehicles traveling too fast through ILE.  Our community police representative, Officer Metz, has been working with us to help keep speeds down.  Please remind drivers in your homes as well as contractors and visitors to slow down.  We seem to have more traffic than in years past and our children and walkers need to be safe.
Another area requiring attention - last fall some homeowners were having large amounts of leaves blown into the roadway and left there.  This practice makes a mess in the street (especially when followed by snow or rain) and unnaturally distributes leaves to your good neighbors.  Thank you.

Please send the info from this portion below with your Legal Fund remittance.  Thank You. _________________________________________________________________      
Mail to:  ILEHA Treasurer, 4805 Arapaho Trail, Okemos, Michigan 48864 (Make checks payable to ILEHA)
 Name:      _______________________________
Address:  ________________________________
Amount:  ________________________________