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Aloha Liliuokalani Gardens Owners,                      April 18, 2019

 

It's another beautiful day here on Oahu!  Hawaiiana has sent out a packet for the upcoming May 9th Annual Meeting which many of the on-site owners have already received.  For the owners residing out of state and internationally, the packet is on its way and should arrive by the end of this week or sometime next week.

 

Attached are the notice and letters from Steven Vannatta, our new President and from us, COLGW (Concerned Owners of Liliuokalani Gardens at Waikiki) volunteer group.  Special thanks to all of our volunteers and for allowing us to use your names!

 

It is crucial that our board stays intact and is re-elected as they continue to work hard and finalize the important objectives.  We are getting inquiries from some owners asking how to complete the proxy form.  Here are the instructions:

 

1) Please check the first box, "The Board as a whole to be voted on the basis of the preference of a majority of the Directors present at the meeting."   

Print your name, sign and date. 

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2) PLEASE SEND THE COMPLETED PROXY TO HAWAIIANA (by mail, fax or email to florencel@hmcmgt.com ) and EMAIL US A COPY at SaveLiLiNow@gmail.com.  A good photo or PDF will be great!  This way we can accurately track for our records and cross check with Hawaiiana to protect your vote.  (In the past, there were some cases when the proxies sent directly from owners to Hawaiiana were lost in the mail and not acknowledged.)  We will ensure your vote will count! 

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Checking the first box "The Board as a whole..." may be the simplest and best option, but if you wish to personally designate Steven Vannatta or John Franklin as your Proxy holder you may do so by checking the 3rd box and writing in one of their names.  They will ensure your vote will go to the current board.

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Please feel free to contact us with any questions.  We will send you any updates as they become available!

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Mahalo & have a wonderful day,

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John and Kazuko Franklin on behalf of COLGW Volunteer Group

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Aloha Liliuokalani Gardens Owners:                              January 19, 2019

 

Our group of more than 170 of your fellow owners has successfully petitioned our LG board of directors for a special meeting to recall and replace the current board, with a more responsive one that will repeal the nearly $11M assessment and work to prudently evaluate and manage our very special property.  The special meeting is now scheduled for 5:30PM, February 13th 2019 at our LG pool pavilion.

 

WE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT BY RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY TO US VIA EMAIL, FAX, OR PAPER MAIL BY THE END OF THIS JANUARY, SO THAT WE MAY EFFECTIVELY PREPARE FOR THE MEETING.  YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THE BOARD VOTED LAST NOVEMBER 2018 TO SPEND NEARLY $11M IN 2019 ON PROJECTS AROUND OUR PROPERTY.  IN ORDER TO FUND THIS UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF SPENDING, THEY HAVE REQUIRED EVERY OWNER TO PAY FOR THIS ASSESSMENT IN 2019, AS FOLLOWS:

Studio: $16,527 – $17,531

One Bedrooms: $26,471 – $34,680

 

Two bedrooms: $48,358 - $50,530

 

PH: $68,454 - $79,294

 

Since the board of directors has the power (as specified in our by-laws) to assess and foreclose on our units, we ask that you please join us to recall the current board and elect a new board who is more responsive to owners’ concerns and will refurbish and maintain our buildings in a more responsible and inclusive manner.

 

Here are some important facts:

 

  • The assessment is meant to complete $10.7M of work in one year, which - if even possible - would create a major disruption on our property. This is a highly unusual and disturbing move on their part.

  • The board used only one reserve study to come up with their special assessment and did not determine actual conditions requiring all this work.The board specifically requested that replacement of our vertical sewer pipes be included in the reserve study, even though there have been no major issues with them in the past. This item alone added $5.2 million to the assessment.

  • The budget be changed to reflect a more

  • NO ALTERNATIVES for maintenance or refurbishment work were offered which might have reduced their assessment.

  • The board has not acted in a very respectful manner - they did not actively seek input from owners or inform us regarding the scope, or any viable alternative to, their proposed projects. For example: their letter of 8/30/2018 presented only two options - 1) Obtain an AOAO bank loan, or 2) Require that all owners pay for the assessment in 2019 - and demanded a reply by 10/1/2018 (Such short notice made it nearly impossible for a majority of owners to review the matter, vote, and return their letters within that time-frame.)  The board has been unwilling to discuss with us, even after we submitted our 1st petition.  

  • When some owners questioned what will happen to those on a fixed income who are unable to come up with their portion of the large assessment, the board’s answer was basically, "Too bad."  They display absolutely no concern for possible foreclosed owners or the costs of legal fees incurred by the AOAO (ie, the spending of our association’s reserve funds in foreclosures).

  • The board has a fiduciary duty to maintain our property and its value, and to do this efficiently and at a reasonable cost.  Unfortunately, it appears we can’t truly trust the current board of directors to do so.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO.

 

We need to recall the current board and elect a new board of directors who adhere to the COLGW mission statement, as found on our COLGW.ORG website.  The qualified candidates below have backgrounds and careers that include small business ownership, condominium and business board membership, preventative maintenance, and real estate management.  They are ready to work for all owners in the spirit of Aloha!

*STEVEN VANNATTA*    *SCOTT SWARTZ*  *MICHAEL POLESKY*   *VLADIMIR CRNJAK*    *NEIL BATES*

They WILL:

  • Immediately repeal the $10.7 Million Special Assessment

  • Replace the 2019 budget with a more appropriate one that meets legal requirements

  • PRUDENTLY & RESPONSIBLY evaluate and prioritize needed work and repairs

  • Obtain accurate and unbiased cost estimates for any necessary work

  • Make only the repairs, improvements and refurbishments truly needed

  • Do outreach with surveys to all owners and value the input received, always striving for open communications and transparency

  • Manage our expenditures carefully, and collect funds only as needed

 

We propose to do this without subjecting anyone to unnecessary financial burden or potential loss of their home.  It is all possible with your support!

 

HOW WILL WE DO THIS?

 

 

Please fill out the enclosed prepared proxy (click the pdf) with your Printed Name as shown on your deed(s), your Apartment # (please list all apartments you own), your Signature and the Date.

 

Michael Polesky is the designated proxy holder, and he will respectfully vote on your behalf for the above candidates

 

 

Please return your proxy by one of the following ways:

 

  • by Email (PDF attachment or a good photo).  Most recommended.

 

  • by Fax  1-866-253-8413

 

  • by mail:  P.O. Box 3135, Honolulu, HI 96802

            

We will turn in all the proxies together and obtain a receipt from Hawaiiana, to ensure their validity and acceptance by the property management company.

 

As an LG owner you have the power to make positive changes, so let’s work together for our condo community – please return your filled-out proxy to us NOW.

 

We have retained the most respected parliamentarian in Hawaii to guide us in this board recall and replacement process.   If you have any questions at all, please email us at: saveLiLinow@gmail.com - or call us at #808-202-0598.  We will be very happy to assist you regarding any aspect or detail of this complex situation.

 

Thank you so much for your time and support!

 

Respectfully,

 

Steven Vannatta, Scott Swartz, Michael Polesky, Neil Bates, Vladimir Crnjak and the rest of the COLGW Team

 

Please provide your contact information below so we can keep you informed. Mahalo!

Email:

Phone Number:

ASSOCIATION OF APARTMENT OWNERS OF LILIUOKALANI GARDENS AT WAIKIKI

MEETING PROXY

 

The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint:

 

             MICHAEL POLESKY                 

 

 

as the undersigned's attorney and agent, with full power of substitution, to act in the undersigned's name, place, and stead, and to vote as the undersigned's proxy at the Association Special Meeting to be held on February 13, 2019, and at any and all adjournments thereof, for the transaction of any and all business that may properly come before the meeting, including but not limited to the election or re-election of directors, according to the proportional interest in the common elements that the undersigned would be entitled to vote if then personally present, hereby revoking any proxy or proxies heretofore given, and ratifying and confirming all that said attorney and agent may do by virtue hereof.

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SIGNATURE(S) OF OWNER(S)

(REQUIRED BY LAW):_____________________________________________

 

 

                                                                                   

 

 

                                                                                   

 

DATE SIGNED: __________________________________________________                                                       

(REQUIRED BY LAW)

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Sign and print your name as it appears in the Association's records, and provide your apartment number(s) and the date. Persons signing in a representative capacity (personal representatives, executors, admini­strators, trustees, guardians, conservators, partners, members of a member-managed LLC, managers of a manager-managed LLC, and corporate officers) are to add their titles and, if requested, are to submit evidence of their authority to act in that capacity.

 

The appointed proxy may assign this proxy to another individual in the event the herein named proxy is unable to attend.  Any assignment of this proxy must be in writing, signed and dated by the assignor of this proxy.

 

This proxy is being solicited by your fellow owners, the Concerned Owners of Liliuokalani Gardens of Waikiki.

 

WE REQUEST you PLEASE SEND US THIS PROXY and don’t fill out any conflicting proxy.

 

We request you send it one of 3 ways:

 

(1) E-mail it to SaveLiLinow@Gmail.com

 

(2) Mail it to P.O. Box 3135, Honolulu, HI 96802; or

 

(3) Fax to (+1) 866-253-8413

 

 

Please return your proxy to us by January 25, 2019; to allow us to comply with the proxy deadline required by state law.

A Recent Letter from a Concerned Owner

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What is Trust?

 

Trust is a feeling of confidence that the people you are dealing with are reputable, honest, and acting in your best interest.  

 

Do you have trust in the board of directors and management at Liliuokalani Gardens?

When these people vote for a special assessment of eleven million dollars and don't even know the precise cost of repairs or replacement necessary on the property, can you be assured that they are competent and acting in your best interest?

 

When months go by and these people refuse to acknowledge that they have acted prematurely by calling for money they may not need, is that being trustworthy or even responsible?  

 

Now that they have "dug in their heels," demanding we take care of extremely expensive items immediately, can they be trusted to give us an accurate appraisal of deterioration when that evaluation should have been done BEFORE demanding a special assessment?  

 

This board and management company are now invested in their decisions.  An engineer has been hired to "check things out." Problem is, the engineer is hired AFTER the board determined they need the money and demanded you to give it to them. 

 

Can we put faith in their findings when they should have been hired BEFORE the assessment vote?  And how many engineers were contacted for bid?  

 

If the engineers are impartial and their report comes back saying no replacement is necessary for at least ten years, how will this board look for taking your money prematurely?  Will they be embarrassed?  Probably not, but they should be.  

 

Meanwhile, the damage has been done, to property values and to our trust in these people.  Regardless of findings, they acted prematurely.  

 

And if the engineer's report says the damage is terrible and failures are imminent, can we TRUST that report is accurate and untainted?  These people are too invested in a negative report for us to honestly know.  And the more they spend now, the more they can attempt to validate their position of forcing owners to pony up more money while they blame it on other people.  

 

To many of the owners at Liliuokalani Gardens, this board and management company cannot be trusted.

 

We need to take back our home.

CONCERNED OWNERS OF LILIUOKALANI GARDENS WAIKIKI

        (IN DEPTH $11,000,000 ASSESSMENT INFORMATION)

Past Letter to Owners from COLGW Petition is Finished Proxies Are Being Collected Now For Board to e Recalled

                                          

 

Dear Owner,

 

We represent a group of over 100 owners who are very concerned about recent decisions by the LG board of directors regarding our beloved property.  We feel their $11 million assessment, to owners for mostly unnecessary projects is unacceptable especially when giving only 30 days prior notice. We (COLGW.ORG) plan to stop & reverse this assessment and have consulted an attorney to ensure we follow the proper steps to accomplishing this goal. 

 

We need your support in this step by step process. First, we need you to sign the attached petition to hold a special meeting to replace all of the current board members with COLGW.ORG directors - who can then reverse this special assessment and pursue maintenance, repair and replacement solutions at a reasonable expense over a reasonable time period.

 

We are opposed to this assessment because:

  • The current plan for it to be spent in just one year 2019 - is a drastic over-reaction to the situation, vs a well thought out plan.

  • It will be impossible to accomplish all this proposed work in 2019.

  • The board’s assessment plan has and will negatively affect your LG property values.

  • Their decision is based on a new generalized Reserve Study vs actual needs of our specific property.

  • The board voted down any spending for engineering studies. 

  • The new Reserve Study contradicts 5 years of studies performed by the 2 previous management companies, neither of which showed such a level of spending or replacement now advised. 

  • The desire of most owners is not to have everything in the building brand new but rather to maintain equipment at a reasonable expense and repair and replace only as needed. 

  • In addition to not ordering prior engineering studies nor reviewing the history and condition of our particular components, it also appears that no alternative methods were considered for repairs and/or preventative maintenance.

 

Meanwhile, the board voted to spend money on items such as a Queen Liliuokalani birthday party ($1,500)

and 3 gas grills ($12,000).  They also allowed the new Resident Manger to spend over $60,000 to renovate his apartment and they dramatically increased the monthly payroll by adding 2 additional fulltime security guards, 1 full time manager’s secretary and1 full time gradner. 

 

We are NOT suggesting that work does not need to be done on the property.  Obviously, repairs and updates need to be done.  We are saying that drain pipes with a life expectancy of 50-75 years do NOT need to be replaced right now at a cost of $5 million.  Especially all at once. Many Oahu properties replace these pipes as needed, like DIAMOND HEAD VISTA across the street.  Also, the exterior paint is about 12 years old, and has not reached its expiration date of about twenty years.   We can raise monthly fees to cover needed repairs on such things as the trash chute and roof repairs ect.

 

We need your help to stop this!

 

Please sign the petition, printed on attached flyer, as the petition is needed to call a special meeting to recall the current board of directors. Please email or fax it back to us. (If you are not able to email or fax, then please mail it back. We need you to fill out the petition with your full name (as shown on your deed), signature, apartment number and date and then email or fax it back right away.   

 

Once we present the Petition for a Special Meeting to the board, Hawaiiana will send an official notice to all owners of the meeting date and time with a proxy.  At that time, we request that owners assign their proxy to us to allow us to vote on their behalf at the Special Meeting.  Our intent is to vote to replace the board at the Special Meeting and then to reverse their decision regarding the $11 Million ASSESSMENT for work in 2019. 

 

If you have questions or concerns, please contact us: Email: saveLILInow@gmail.com  Phone:808-778-3275

For more information and details about alternative solutions we are proposing, go to www.colgw.org AND PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST  We need your email or phone number, in order to contact you quickly during this step by step process, to remove the board and reverse their assessment. 

Mailing address: Concerned Owners PO Box 3135, Honolulu, Hi 96802

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