SBC Video from Concerned Owner. Construction and Assessment Update

Special Thanks go out to the resident who's video is posted above. I hope more people begin to speak-out. Send your comments or video to southbayclub@gmail.com and I will post it to this blog.

Please embed this video to your own blog or website (embed link included within video), or forward a link to this blog to other SBC owners who would like to understand some of the events that have driven us into this mess, and the people who seem to be involved in undermining the building.

I would like to change the tone of this blog and write about the more positive things that are being done around the building, the progress that has been made and plans for the future – but that can wait for another time. First, I must address the video that has been circulating the building, by a fearless resident (posted above).

I want to commend this owner for having the courage of putting a real name on his message to the community. Everyone else uses a fake name, either to make earonious and slanderous statements such as Carlos Vicaria, who uses the "Larry Beacon-2" account, and other residents who mask their identities to protect themselves from retribution. This portrayal of events that have occurred in recent years is absolutely 100% correct. I have actually written about most of these things myself in the past (see old blog postings).

The people who have been the most actively involved with imposing this $8,000,000 special assessment, and who have caused us to be stuck in a new multi-million dollar construction project are below:

Mark Saracino is the one who started this whole catastrophe. He encouraged his friends and co-conspirators on the penthouse level, and elsewhere in the building, to be part of his scam to bilk the SBC out of special assessment work and kickbacks, for projects that they would demand needed to be included within the scope of the 40-year recertification – while collecting free impact resistant windows for themselves and the rest of the penthouse owners. He either convinced them to be part of his scam or they just believed his spin on how we should re-develop the SBC. Mark inherited his property from his father. He is a shoe salesman and has no sophistication in construction or much of anything else. He does not live in the building, although he keeps his boat at our boat dock illegally by stating that his girlfriend lives in the apartment with him. Mark lives in Coconut Grove with his boyfriend – many people around the building know this to be a fact. A board member from last years board of directors was dating the “tenant” that mark claimed was his girlfriend. This is just one of many frauds and scams Mr. Saracino had perpetrated against the SBC. He also refuses to pay the required $500 tenant fee and he is in violation of having a boat at our boat dock while not residing at our property. We have 33 residents who are currently on the waiting list for a boat slip and some individuals are flaunting our condo rules for their own selfish endeavors.

Mark Saracino has been pushing vigorously for new penthouse windows and expensive, unneeded building repairs. Mark hired our previous building maintenance manager who happened to also be his boat captain. They conspired together to steal from the SBC. Richard said that he was not hired to fix anything but only to get bids from other contractors. All of those “other” contractors seemed to be his friends or people he had relationships with. They never got the required 3 bid minimums that are required by our condo docs. Richard also was found breaking into residents’ apartments with the keys that residents left in the office, and using their kitchens to cook meals while they were away, and who knows what else – Mark Saracino, Carlos Vicaria and Eileen Frasier were all friends of his and refused to fire him. I might go into all of the sabotage that they were responsible for, but that will keep dragging the tone of this post down – and I would really like to lighten it up, soon.

Carlos Vicaria was the board president last year. He put himself on the board when there was an opening – he was never voted onto the board by our association members, and he is actually not even legally allowed to live in our building. He has been the attack dog and front man for Mark Saracino, along with his live-in boyfriend Marcelo Caturla (who is a flight attendant with AA). You will notice these names from an ealier posting about his arrests for theft and multiple sex crimes. Mr. Vicaria was arrested in 2001 for Lewd and lascivious battery and indecent exposure. There are many lurid rumors about what he did but the fact remains that he was arrested for these sex crimes, he paid a fine for committing these crimes, he entered a plea bargain with the state to allow him to reduce his felony charge to a lesser charge, which at that time, allowed him to not be required to be registered in the sexual offenders database. The laws have since been tightened and he would currently only be allowed to live under the Julia Tuttle Bridge if he committed those same crimes today, but because of his legal and illegal maneuvering, we are stuck with him misdirecting our finances and who knows what else he is doing behind closed doors - while perched above our pool deck.

Additionally, and as part of his punishment, Carlos was required to go through a Sexual Offenders Rehabilitation Program. He then snuck into our building, knowing that he was surpassing the legal requirements at the SBC that all residents pay a fee, and get a criminal background check done – primarily so we don’t have pedophiles living amongst us. I hope the community takes this matter as seriously as it is. Mr. Vicaria works at ABC channel 10 news and he is responsible for giving tours of the studio to elementary age school children and other groups of kids. Hello people - this is a sex offender!

Carlos Vicaria has been pushing vigorously for his new penthouse windows and expensive, unneeded building repairs – he lives in PH-43.

Lori Rand likes to think of herself as a real estate aficionado, but the sad reality is that she had absolutely no idea what she was doing when she leveraged the purchase of a few properties, at the very hight of the real estate bubble. She paid the highest per sq. ft. price ever paid at the SBC, and only got a street view. Her apartment was dated and needed a lot of repairs, including the repair of her improperly installed windows (now she wants new, free windows from your pocket).

Her value has dropped by about 70% of what she paid for it. She has bankrupted the few other properties she has invested in with her friends in homestead as well as help bankrupt those who invested with her.

Ask her to show her credit report and proof of her real estate prowess – she is a verifiable liar and cheat. This can be proven if she wants to debate the issue.

Lori Rand has been pushing vigorously for her new penthouse windows and expensive, unneeded building repairs – she lives in PH-34.

Christine Florez also seems to be a front person for Mark Saracino. She’s not too bright and has probably been fooled into believing the lies these penthouse group members have given her about the so-called “needed” building repairs. I don’t think she is as corrupt as the others – just uneducated and uninformed about anything practical. She has been one of the loudest obstacles in getting any of the current boards projects complete (including replanting the “green carpet” planter area, that she tried to stop). She is one of the reasons that the streaming web meetings are needed, so everyone can see how these people disrupt the meetings while trying to keep the building under constant construction, and more and more assessments. She has been the main person who has been lobbying around the building to stop the improvements and webcasts. This feature costs almost nothing to implement – we just need a few inexpensive upgrades to our wifi network so we have a more powerful free internet connection around the lobby and pool deck (and to some lucky apartment owners who are in range for the free wifi). Why would she be such a vocal opponent of something that is obviously so beneficial to the community – so the “group” can keep everyone in the dark – like they did last year when they told the manager to NOT produce the meting minutes that the owners were clamoring for during the assessments.

Christine Florez has been pushing vigorously for new penthouse windows and expensive, unneeded building repairs – her apartment is not known, but she lives with her mother - and she also has a criminal background of arrests, such as assault - what a nice group of people these are. She now claims to be a "changed" person.

Robert Macky has been getting clean in Miami for the last several years, while trying to sober-up from a severe addiction to cocaine and other drugs. He is living in his parents apartment with no job and few prospects for future employment. He is a young kid who applied for the board position as a joke, and was surprised when he actually got enough votes to win – no surprise, his mother-in-law is Liz from the front desk. She lobbied very hard for him to get the required votes. Many of you owners have been contacted by her regarding her push for her son-in laws friends to re-acquire board positions that they were removed from last year. Mr. Macky resigned from the board this year after it had been proven that he was stealing supplies from our building and using them on other illegal construction handyman jobs he was doing around the beach and within our building. Liz played interference while he was ransacking all of our storage rooms. He was the only person in the entire building, at one point, who had the key to every lock.

It is also widely known that Mr. Mackey is in a sham marriage so he can acquire his green card and citizenship, through an illegal marriage. He is currently being investigated in Florida and New York for submitting fraudulent marriage documents and there is also a current criminal investigation against him for New York Welfare fraud, where he was illegally collecting unemployment and other government subsidized hand-outs for indigent and needy New Yorkers. Mr. Mackey used his mother-in-law as a tool to help him steal from the SBC and also “get even” with co-workers who she had issues with. Ask any of our staff about the harassment they received from Robert Mackey and Liz, when they were in control. He has now been circulating fraudulent information around the building in blue folders that he is sneaking under peoples doors in the middle of the night – to try to manipulate the elections – again.

Robert - you have stolen enough from the SBC and caused too much havoc in our building.

Please just go away.

This is your motley crue of board "has-beens" and "wan-a-bees". Hopefully the new 2011 board remains on task and does not get sidetracked by these few greedy, stupid and corrupt people.

There are other co-conspirators but they have mainly gone away – or are laying in wait. I will expose the impediments any of these people cause our communities progress, going forward.

Regards

South Bay Club Predator Alert

Wow! I just received this. Please forward.

- SBC Sexual Predator Alert -

South Bay Club residents BEWARE. Carlos Vicaria (PH43) is a Convicted Sexual Predator – and he is living within our building, without having ever been registered - or screened!

Carlos Vicaria was convicted of Lewd & Lascivious Battery and Indecent Exposure in 2001 – A FELONY in Florida (and Theft / Larceny, in 1988).

He plead guilty to Sexual Battery on a Male, Minor Child and entered a Sex Offenders Rehabilitation Program. He has not registered as a Sexual Offender in FL, as mandated by law.

He is living in the apartment of his long-term, live-in boyfriend, Marcelo Caturla.

I demand that the South Bay Club management make sure that he is registered, as appropriate by law, and inquire with the city managers office and police department to see if he is allowed to live in the City of Miami Beach, especially, the South Bay Club.

I have nieces, nephews and grandchildren that visit me here and I don’t feel comfortable knowing that he is leering at them from the pool deck, and from his balcony.

My understanding is that sexual offenders are only allowed to live under the Julia Tuttle Bridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Tuttle_Causeway_sex_offender_colony

Why is he living within OUR Home? We shouldn’t have to worry about what he’s going to do next. I call for the eviction of Carlos Vicaria from the South Bay Club – Immediately!

Please contact the management office (or City of Miami Beach) to declare your support for his removal and demand that some action is taken – and forward this email to other SBC residents you know, for the welfare of our community.

Jeff Swanson

South Bay Club Resident

SBC Office Phone: 305-672-3548

SBC E-Mail: Board@southbayclub.com

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40019415/Carlos-2

http://www.scribd.com/Carlos-1/d/40019907

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40019215/Sexual-Offender-Alert

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LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS BATTERY - A person who:

(a) Engages in sexual activity with a person 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age; or

(b) Encourages, forces, or entices any person less than 16 years of age to engage in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, prostitution, or any other act involving sexual activity.

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From the WPLG, ABC 10 web-site (his employer).

6. WPLG-TV is proud to offer tours of our studios to schools and civic organizations. Tours are given by Mayte Padron and Carlos Vicaria. The tour groups are given an overview of the Local 10 daily news operation, visit the studio, production areas, newsroom, news set, weather center, and editing areas. Groups have the opportunity to watch the live, locally produced news broadcast and all tours are followed by a Question and Answer session.

South Bay Club update

Fellow South Bay Club owners,

This is an update of what has been going on at the South Bay Club since last month. A lot has been uncovered by the new board. I will explain some of what has occurred. There is much more to add but I will save those details for future blogs postings.

To start: Our manager Norman and our “facility manager” Richard have been let go. These two individuals are either completely incompetent or criminally culpable for some of the atrocities that have occurred recently at the SBC.

Richard: Richard should have been fired last year by the previous board. He was caught breaking in to a resident’s apartment (with the key that was left in the office by the owner for emergencies) and cooking himself a meal in their kitchen - without permission. He should have been fired immediately, but he was saved from termination from his friends on the board – most notably Mark Saracino. (PH-04 and PH-08) who hired Richard and brought him into the South Bay Club – I believe to perpetrate a scam against the residents of the SBC that would have cost us millions in a massive special assessment that does not appear to be needed to nearly the extent that these individuals where telling us (stay tuned for those details).

Richard said that he was hired to get bids and find contractors for work that needs to be done around our building. Doesn’t that seem strange that we hire a guy to get bids for us? He was not capable of completing the simplest of handyman tasks, in house. You will all be outraged when I detail for you the level of incompetence (or fraud).

Richard has been obstructing the new board and working to prevent them from making progress. There is too much to detail in one blog entry so I will itemize some of the alarming things that are being uncovered, in a future blog.

Richard could not produce bids for most of the recent work done at the SBC, nor ANY work for the current 40-year re-certification needs. The few bids he could provide were all from contractors that he recommended “from previous working relationships”. Never from an “outsider”. Most work had only the one bid, or none at all. He could not provide the board with three current bids for ANYTHING. The new board has asked for these bids and the status on projects since they were elected last Month. Many of these items have still not been provided. FYI: Richard was put “in place” at the South Bay Club by Mark Saracino. More details to follow.

Norman was also found to be grossly incompetent. I believe he is either the dumbest person in America or a crook. It has to be one or the other – when you understand the facts. The same goes for Richard, Mark Saracino. Greg Johnson, Eddie Martinez and Carlos / Marcello (PH-43). Aileen Frasier (723) bailed from the board when the heat started to get turned up on them by concerned owners - she is also culpable of either incomprehensible ignorance, theft. or gross negligence.

Aileen has been abusing her power on the board for way too long. I urge the board of directors to look into her private kayak room for her and her friends, while other unfortunate residents were forced to place their kayaks in empty parking spaces or anywhere else they can find. Alieen and her husband have a 1-1/2 year ongoing violation of our boat dock policy by not providing a boat for their reserved dock space for more than 60 days. They have not had a boat for over 1 ½ years – thereby denying the 30 other people who have been on the waiting list for a dock space, some for many years. The rules were written to prevent owners from locking-up dock spaces like they have done. Enough of the special treatment!

Mark Saracino does not live in the building; he inherited his properties from his father. I hope the new board looks into this and stops his abuse and the entitlements he gave himself while on the board. He has not paid the required $500 tenant deposit to the SBC even though he has both units rented. Other landlords are forced to pay this deposit – why does Mark not pay?

He also has his fathers boat at our dock, while he resides elsewhere, in apparent violation of our SBC dock lease – unless the previous board amended the longstanding requirement that the dock spaces are reserved for “in-house residents” to use and not by absent landlords. Lets stop these abuses of our rules and regulations by those who are in the position to enrich themselves, at our expense.

I will soon post some disturbing documents that I have uncovered about the massive unwarranted special assessment project that these individuals were trying to impose on YOU and ME. I write this blog because I am absolutely outraged about what I have found.

Please distribute this to any other concerned resident you know from the South Bay Club.

SBC UPDATE

This is a response to some of the distorted information that is being disseminated throughout the SBC by the Three Blind Mice (3BM), as referenced in the following blog posting: http://sbcoversight.blogspot.com/, as well as other co-conspirators such as Eileen Frasier and Lori Rand (PH34), who have been instrumental in many of the shenanigans some of these individuals have been engaged in.

Oversight Letter:

The “Oversight Blog / Letter” was intended to inform owners at the South Bay Club about some of the alarming things certain board members and their co-conspirators have been up to, in an attempt to have extensive construction work performed on the roof, penthouse apartments, and pool deck, among other areas. The necessity of these projects in questionable, and at the very least, an independent assessment of what work is really needed at the SBC and when it is needed, is warranted. Our previous engineer recommended, at a recent SBC board meeting, that we need NO additional construction work at this time, but the 3BM are intent on this new construction regardless of the consequences.

Already, there have been board members trying to pass 1-bid construction contracts to their friends – this can be verified through the recording of a board meeting from several months ago.

The 3BM board members (Carlos Vicaria, Mark Saracino, Greg Johnson), have conspired to keep the pool deck closed until they can pass this massive special assessment and begin work on their project to redevelop the South Bay Club. The reality is that any multi-million dollar special assessment imposed on building residents at this time will cause catastrophic devastation to the South Bay Club owners and put extreme pressure on an association that cannot even close our 40-year re-certification permit from over 3 years ago.

How can these same individuals be trusted with such a huge construction project? Any redevelopment of the South Bay Club should be done with the participation of anyone who owns a unit at the SBC who wishes to participate, not just a few individuals who are trying to force this on us before their term on the board ends. These individuals (3BM) were not voted into office, but merely injected themselves into vacant board positions so that they could control our finances, impose assessments, and renovate their apartments at the expense of the rest of the association. At the very least, there should be some oversight over which penthouse apartments get fixed and to what extent they get fixed.

Develop a Plan First:

Doesn’t it make sense to create a design committee, develop a plan, hire an engineer, find a suitable contractor, bid the project, pass a special assessment, submit plans to the city for permitting and THEN close the pool and do the work? This is a two-year project, but yet, the 3BM tried to keep the pool and deck closed the entire time – and hit us with a huge special assessment right now, at a time when so many residents are struggling – it’s just wrong, there was absolutely no reason for it except as a way to force another project on the residents by a few individuals, as they push their own agenda at everyone’s expense.

They have no real plan but they are still moving forward with the special assessment. We can all thank a group of concerned owners for uncovering what was going on and fighting to re-open the pool and hold-off another special assessment until we have had a chance to get an impartial evaluation of what work is really needed at the South Bay Club and when it is needed.

Poor leadership:

The current board has paid for 3 separate engineering reports from separate engineering companies until they were able to get a report that included the roof, penthouse apartments and other areas they wish to renovate. The 3BM then directed our building attorney (Robert Blanch) to lobby the city to include these items in the 40-year re-certification, which we have been trying to finalize for the last three years.

It’s unconscionable that they would put pressure on the City of Miami Beach to mandate more construction work to be included within the scope of the 40-year recertification. Why not just get the work done outside of the 40-year certification if it needs to be done?

The 3BM had intended on replacing all of the penthouse apartment windows with new impact resistant windows at the expense of the entire association. They tried to get it included in the 40-year re-certification to “lock it in”, in the event that they were not elected to next years board of directors.

A group of owners actually blocked their attempt, which resulted in our buildings attorney (Robert Blanch), needing to write an opinion letter regarding his opinion on if the windows were the responsibility of the entire association or the penthouse owners themselves. The opinion letter stated that the windows were the responsibility of the individual unit owners - but ask yourself; why was the opinion letter needed, if the board had not intended on replacing the windows at the expense of ALL of the SBC owners? We will post the opinion letter to the oversight blog soon, or you can ask for a copy from the management office.

In addition, their plan is to re-claim the area on the pool deck that is currently being used as backyards to several ground level apartments. The owners of these apartments will fight this with all the resources they have. This will take years to litigate. Ask the office – this is the plan of these three individuals (3BM).

The 3BM and management have decided to cover the planters, by the interior lobby fence, with wood and Astroturf. This is very unsightly and reminiscent of a trailer park. The management was asked by many SBC owners to place dirt in the planters and a low ground cover of plants until anything was decided about replacing the entire pool deck.

We were told by the management office that any new potential construction of the deck would not include these planters, that were just fixed and poured with new concrete. There is absolutely no reason not to fill those planters with vegetation. It would have cost much less to get a truckload of dirt and some plants than to pay for the work crew for a week as they framed and covered the planters with plywood and green carpet. They also tried to kill all of the plants in the other planters (read the blog). http://sbcoversight.blogspot.com/

The management and 3BM blocked every attempt by a group of owners to re-open the pool. The owners were told that the pool was out of code and could not be reopened until we redesigned and installed a new pool and new pool deck. The owners had to call the city and health department themselves to find out what was really needed to open the pool and they were told the pool & deck could be opened. The SBC management was instructed by the 3BM to keep the pool closed - they never asked the city to open the pool or how to open it.

The owners found pool contractors and obtained the required 3 bids and then presented them to the office and then still had to fight with management to open the pool deck.

Why do we pay our manager $70,000 a year to fight us on these issues and to never have any answers or solutions only hindrances and roadblocks. Our management office also needs a to be a little more courteous to our residents.

The 3BM and management also refused to reinstall the old fence that was removed for the planter refurbishing (in an attempt to keep the pool deck closed). The owners had to again find contractors, get bids and then prove to the management office (Norman) that we could still use our existing fence. We were previously told by the board and management that we needed to replace the entire fence in order to re-open the pool deck. This is another of the many lies that have been perpetrated against the SBC owners – these will be documented soon but the office has audio recording of the board meetings – I encourage all owners to get involved and do their own research.

Every owner would be enraged if they knew all the details of the current construction fiasco we are involved in. The construction companies know they are dealing with an unsophisticated and intellectually challenged group of individuals who are approving all of the change orders (3BM). This is the reason we have seen the bloated construction costs continue to soar out of control and we continue to live in this construction mess with no plan of attack or end in sight.

It is also important to note the our manager (Norman) has been told by the 3BM to not focus on updating the board meeting minutes, and that "it was not a priority". This is why the owners are finding it impossible to figure out what is going on. Any minutes that have been created in the past have been poorly written and absent of much of the content of the meetings - where is the transparency?

Pass this around to anyone you know who is an owner at the South Bay Club or e-mail sbcoversight@gmail.com if you wish to be placed on the distribution list and receive updates on what is happening and how we intend on improving the quality of life at the South Bay Club.

SBC Board Elections

Dear Fellow Neighbors:

Its election time again at the South Bay Club and everyone is wondering who to vote for. It is important to know some facts before you cast your vote. The following information is provided for your enlightenment by concerned SBC owners.

There are a few current board members who are reapplying for a position on the 2010 board who have been engaged in deceptive and underhanded schemes to keep the pool, the pool deck and other amenities we pay to use closed while quietly trying to figure a way to pass another massive special assessment for renovation work that was not required by the City as part of the 40 year certification.

These individuals have already begun on a project to impose a $3,000,000 + special assessment for various renovation projects, one of which is to replace all Penthouse windows, and one that will strip off the entire top level of the pool and deck, redo the planters, lighting, and fencing for an undisclosed length of time. [Estimate is approximately two years]. They have no plan, no clear idea of what is really necessary, nor any good reason to impose this upon our Association members at this time.

These 3 board members, who we will refer to as the ‘Three Blind Mice’ (3BM), include:

Carlos Vicaria, #15 on the ballot, (resides in PH 43), Mark Saracino, #13 on the ballot, (owns PH04 & PH08), and Greg Johnson, #6 on the ballot, (owns 9XX) and are all reapplying for a seat on the 2010 board.

In addition to these 3 candidates, Michael J. Chianese, # 4 on the ballot, who also owns an apartment on the PH level, and Marcelo Caturla, #3 on the ballot who owns PH 43 where Carlos Vicaria lives - both on the PH level. All these individuals are clearly intending to pass a hefty special assessment in 2010 that with the inclusion of penthouse level windows, benefits them immensely.

A vote for any of the above mentioned candidates [ballot #’s 3, 4, 6, 13, and 15] will ensure a $3 million+ Special Assessment in 2010.

Recently, while hiding the fact that the pool could have been reopened back in July, the 3 blind mice [Carlos, Mark and Greg] attempted to pass a motion to assign a $10,000 pool & pool deck design job to “a friend” of another current board member without first obtaining the required 3 bid minimum. This information is on record in our association’s meeting minutes. We only have the pool deck open today because a group of residents took it upon themselves to investigate the board’s actions and intervene. What was discovered is disturbing.

It is interesting to note that none of the 3 blind mice board members were voted into office; they merely occupied a vacant board position as they became available throughout the year. Clearly, their actions and intentions are not to help this building as a whole, but more to fulfill their own agendas.

The fact is that an additional major construction project is not necessary to complete our 40 year certification. This is according to multiple engineering reports, the 40 year certification engineer’s report filed with the city, as well as two separate engineer’s verbal recommendations given at recent association meetings. Even so, the 3BM have attempted to circumvent our bi-law’s strict procedures to pass special assessments by deceiving SBC association members and not disclosing the fact that the pool and deck construction phase was complete thereby allowing us to commence working towards reopening.

This information was purposely kept a secret. These amenities remained shut down for close to three months longer than necessary while they decided how to force this through – their answer; force the city to include it within the scope of the 40 year certification – and that is exactly what has happened.

The 2009 board sought additional engineering reports, one from Pistorini, to address towers, roof and PH level windows. (Yes, only one level’s windows). When they were put on notice by a group of residents who spoke to engineers, the city, and to the contractors, they found out what the 3 blind mice were hiding.

Caught red-handed being deceitful, they then proceeded to lobby the city to force Pistorini’s engineering report to be included within the scope of 40 year certification requirements. As mentioned, this report included replacing all penthouse windows [with new impact glass] at every Association member’s expense, even though our Association Bi-laws clearly state that windows [maintenance and replacement] are the sole responsibility of the unit owner.

How anyone who sits on the Board not know our bi-laws is questionable at best; clearly those who have PH units stand to benefit at everyone’s expense. Two board members, Carlos and Mark, own a total of 3 units on the PH level.

They are largely the culprits behind forcing the inclusion of the Pistorini engineering report to be completed as part of the 40 year certification requirements. Undoubtedly, their action suggests a ‘self-serving” tactic that strongly must be questioned. They further commissioned our Attorney, Robert Blanch, at an additional expense to our Association, to present the report to the city at a scheduled review in front of the Grand Master.

Both engineers had stated that we can wait at least 2-5 years before needing to address any additional major renovations to the pool deck area and roof.

This is not the time to commit our association and the many owners to a multi-million dollar special assessment for renovations that are not structural and that are contrary to the recommendations of our engineers. Adding such a huge assessment, and in this economy, will further devalue and strain the ongoing viability of the South Bay Club.

These individuals intended on passing the special assessment before the year ended. Several residents have blocked their attempt, through the election, but if the same board members are elected, they will surely pass the motion as soon as they have the chance.

SBC needs new board members in place who can finally get the 40-year certification permits closed and move us forward with a well designed and thought-out, long-term plan that imposes the minimum impact on SBC residents while providing the maximum benefits and in a timely manner.

We need to address all of the issues we know the building has, but in a prudent, well planned-out, and timely manner that allows residents to plan and save for any impending special assessment.

The 3BM members had intended on keeping the pool deck closed until the entire new renovation projects were designed, engineered, bid-out to contractors, funded, permitted, and constructed – this is an enormous project that will take years to complete, from start to finish. The 3BM are either too ignorant to understand this or too overzealous to be trusted as your fiduciary.

The 3BM were working with management to ensure the new renovation projects, along with a multi-million dollar assessment, get passed. They ordered our building manager to stop watering the front and deck planters so all of the plants would die, aiding their efforts in keeping our amenities shut down. Several owners badgered the manager until they relented and began watering the plants again.

In another attempts to keep the pool and deck closed, the 3BM instructed management not to move forward with opening and continuously presented a host of roadblocks; all of which were a non-issue. Thanks to several owners’ persistence, we are now able to once again enjoy this amenity for the holidays. THIS IS SOLELY DUE TO THE RESILIENCE OF OWNERS and in direct conflict with the 3BM and management.

It is outrageous that these 3 deceitful board members, Carlos, Mark and Greg, would decide among themselves to keep our amenities shut-down indefinitely, while requesting the city to impose additional construction work, as specified in the Pistorini engineer’s report, as part of completing our 40-year recertification.

The individuals who are responsible for these problems (and many more) and who are running for the boards are:

Carlos Vicaria. (PH43) – Ballot # 15

Marcelo Caturia (PH43 - Partner of Carlos) – Ballot #3

Mark Saracino (PH04) & (PH08) – Ballot # 13

Greg Johnson (9^th floor) – Ballot # 6

Michael J. Chianese (PH) – Ballot # 4

BE CAREFUL VOTING FOR THE THESE CANDIDATES

A vote for any of these individuals is a vote for a $3 million+ Special Assessment in 2010. This will happen immediately and with very little forethought.

Your Neighbors & Concerned SBC Residents