Chaos at Chautauqua Lodge

I am one of 60 condo unit owners at Chautauqua Lodge in Long Beach. We purchased our unit in 2019. Owners are allowed to stay at their units 21 days each month. The rest of the time the units are rented and the proceeds are used to cover administrative and maintenance expenses. At the time we thought this was a really good deal. The HOA dues were $250 a month for each unit back then. Now it is $343 a month.

Fast forward to 2021: The City of Long Beach condemned the condos due to unsafe conditions in March. All owners paid assessment fees of over $6,300. The entire condo complex was inhabitable until Memorial Day. Unbeknownst to a majority of owners, the current board signed a management contract with Chester Tarbucco in April. The terms of the contract much later shared with us benefit only Chester financially.

An owner who requested financial records was repeatedly denied. Frustrated, this owner filed a lawsuit against the board HOA. This lawsuit is in mediation (I am not sure). The HOA lawyer Joseph Vance who was formerly working towards mediation has now been replaced by another lawyer. Since the HOA hired this lawyer, we (the owners) will bear the costs of legal fees.

Earlier this month, we received a video of how to send HOA payments to Foray Business Group in Vancouver, Wash. I am certain this is not a free bookkeeping service. Why go all the way to Vancouver? There are CPAs in Raymond, Long Beach, or Ocean Park that are not as fancy as Foray. We have been sending HOA payments directly to the P.O. Box address for Chautauqua Lodge. I will continue to do so.

Speaking of changes, the lodge is now called Chautauqua Resort & Conference Center. The future of Chautauqua Lodge remains uncertain with the board members refusing to all resign. This board does not consider all the owners and makes faulty decisions affecting all of us. Other owners are thinking of filing lawsuits as well.

Nelia E. Woods

Raymond