Tag Archives: Bob Barnett

FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS BUY AT VAN LOON – AT LEAST WE WON’T

As always – this Blog is the intellectual property of the owners of a condo in Van Loon since the buildings were built (2005 to 2007) and NOT the current Board of Directors (hereby BOD) who bought for pennies on the dollar.  Some of those BOD members, present and past, speak of Van Loon as if it was a dump until they bought here in 2011 to 2013 and began instituting new rules and making life difficult for original owners or “renters”.

Since the 2014 BOD election, member Brenda Hallihan seemed to have an obsession with reactivating the security cameras installed in 2012.   The cameras were originally aimed at the front entrance for vehicles and the gate into the pool area.   Several interesting emails were exchanged between BOD members regarding quotes and the cost, such as this one:

From: Rick Aliperti <[email protected]Date: March 30, 2014, 11:40:03 AM EDT

To: Brenda Hallihan <[email protected]>, Lucia Stiles <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Cameras

Brenda,

I only responded for the benefit of those who will challenge your efforts. 
Thanks and lets get this in motion.

Rick

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Cameras
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 02:53:02 +0000

Hi Rick
This was the only person recommended by the SPECO company who made the cameras. He has the hard drive out of the security system in Tampa
Regards
Brenda
From: Rick Aliperti
Sent: ‎Friday‎, ‎March‎ ‎28‎, ‎2014 ‎7‎:‎42‎ ‎PM
To: Brenda Hallihan, Catherine Hutton, DeCraene Bob & Pam, Weber Paul
Cc: Lucia Stiles

We definitely need to get this up and running.

Seems pricy but also looks like a good upgrade from what we have.  I think we should get a second quote just to confirm this price?


From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Subject: Fw: Cameras
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:46:05 +0000

Hello Everyone
I have just received this quote to get the security cameras up and running. We will have the money to get it fixed so I would like everyone to know the total coat to have the cameras functioning once again.
I also want you t know that the keys are now safely in the locked safe, which is bolted to the floor, in the clubhouse.
Regards
Brenda
NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER:  Brenda Hallihan wrote ALL 
BOD about the cameras;  Salesman Ricky responded to all as if he cared about doing the right thing then showed his true colors; In BOLD. He gave a crap response for “those who will challenge”.  This is one of many examples of how the BOD here began operating in 2013/14 and Thank You Jesus that he is gone!

In February 2016, we made a long Superbowl weekend visit and noted new cameras installed in the Clubhouse since our January visit. ????   Nothing was budgeted for these purchases in 2015 nor were they voted on by owners.  We were already disgusted by the Pool cameras and considering hiring an attorney along with several other owners.   We enjoyed an an evening of pool and pizza with one of our sons (Joe) and several other owners and were able to protect our privacy by closing a room divider. It is hard to imagine that BOD would want to sit in front of their computers or smart phones but we are pretty interesting apparently.

We returned in mid- March with our son Rob and his wife Brittany and made plans to meet neighbors again in the Clubhouse for pizza and pool.   We all noticed immediately, another new camera that had been installed directly over the pool table area since our last visit.  Jim mentioned that it was probably installed since  Pam and Brenda (at least) were not able to spy on us during our last visit. He was kidding.  But the installation?  Hmmm.  Curious, or disgusting?

When multiple cameras were installed in Sept/Oct 2015 and aimed at the pool steps, chairs, most of the Clubhouse interior and even the treadmills – we asked a friend who is a retired NYPD borough commander and Chief of Security at a resort on the Sanibel/Captiva Island: Does your resort aim its cameras at the pool? His response was that you never do that, people would be very bothered by it.  Women, children.  It would be considered perverted. Hmmm. We asked other friends and retired law enforcement for their opinions.  All the same.

In November 2015, we asked BOD member Bob Barnett, or Van Loon Bob per a sign in the Clubhouse stating owners could NOT use the wireless internet as it would interfere with the cameras: Who has access to the live feeds of the cameras?  BOD member Jack Canzano responded – Pam Decraene and I do.  Not true.

Nothing in the budget was included for cameras and in many cases, they are considered “Material Alterations” requiring a majority vote.  Surely owners should be told they are being watched – especially in their swimsuits.  (NO sign is posted at the pool nor did they tell people “We Are Watching You LIVE”.  The camera view can be zoomed in on anyone or any body part and they have the ability to make recordings which can be saved, watched repeatedly or uploaded to the internet as I have done here with 4.

During our March 2016 visit, we discussed the likelihood of being spied on by at least Pam Decraene and Brenda Hallihan.  30 to 35 chairs were set up for a scheduled BOD meeting the next morning.

2016 MAR 16 _Chairs

My daughter in law, Brittany had been to the condo several times in the past but had never seen the library. It isn’t that exciting and we read electronic books but we walked to see what was in there.  On the way out, I showed her the ridiculous number of cameras and then gave the 1 fingered salute along with some hand puppets, that I wouldn’t normally do.  It was meant to elicit a response from anyone who we assumed would be (a voyeur!) watching.

Within 10 minutes after the clips below, 2 persons came rushing in to the Clubhouse and ran down the hallway to the door seen on the right in Video one.  An office, commandeered by Pam Decraene in 2013 and a former owner/BOD president with Zero discussion with owners. Who needs to tell the little people anything! We are making this place better!  Haha. I went down the hall to see who came in and found them standing in the office, Brenda Hallihan and Pam, each holding 1 chair.  As if they ran in to add one more chair to the many that are pictured above! At 9:50 PM?  They could have said we were violating the Clubhouse closing time of 8:00 PM, established by Pam and a really, really bizarre woman who was 2013 president.  (Moved after she was not re-elected, Thank You Jesus!)  They couldn’t or didn’t as they have weekly card games and other gatherings that exceed that ridiculous curfew.  The woman who established it and then moved (former president) had been seen outside by our kids at 4 am, with her husband and dog; indicting that 8PM may have been their bedtime.  Many people work and live lives beyond 8PM.  (Back to Who Would Buy Here? )

The clips are boring but there is a very important point to posting them.  (The gestures were ONLY meant for if THEY were watching us. I am sorry that they proved us right)

So then what happened?  Lots….Unbelievable.  See the next post named: Brenda and Pam attack the Huttons.