Preakness Dr Homeowners Association

[John Montreal]

As of January 1, 2008, the Preakness Dr HOA is contracting with Emiroglu Management for HOA services. Previously, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to NOT renew with MTM Management Associates of Damascus, Maryland. The decision was based inpart on vague contract, failing to report on common area, and cost.

[Preakness Dr owner]

This guy Montreal is a real off the wall nut. He and his little committee cited my house for a tear in the front screen. You had to be face to face with the screen to even see it. No wonder MTM quit, this guy has no life.

[Budsman Terrace Rez]

Whoever it was that left this post should know that problems arose in our HOA long ago due to one of our neighbors and past president's, John Devine, who signed contracts with MTM Management and led the unfair enforcement of HOA violations. All you have to do is look to see that current board members Jeff Klansek and Lillian Dangerfield both have code violations that are far worse (broken/smashed garage door, trailers on property). Devine even granted an easement to a Non-HOA property that is now causing flooding of HOA properties!

[John Montreal]

The Preakness Dr author, if legitimate, should know that I have been against code enforcement because it has been applied inconsistently and unfairly. This was one reason why I voted against MTM Management's contract. Michael Potter had been sending out violation notices to residents without the full board knowledge. He refused to give me a full accounting of what he was doing. I previously had supported, last summer, a community wide walk around to document code violations. However, this was with the understanding that residents would be given a year to repair or fix, and that the rules would be applied fairly, and also that all board members and officials had to be role models and not have violations themselves. This last part has not be lived up to by my fellow board members. I would urge anyone in the Preakness Dr HOA that feels they have been treated unfairly or without regard to the HOA codes, to file a complaint with the Montgomery County Commission on Common Ownership. also check the Maryland Homeowners Association for resources at www.marylandhomeownersassociation.info
This org acts as an advocate for individual homeowners and I am a member of its board of directors. Please feel free to write me with any other Preakness Dr HOA issues at [e-mail] I can provide board minutes and other documentation to prove my points listed herein.

[Cheryl]

John Montreal wrote:

As of January 1, 2008, the Preakness Dr HOA is contracting with Emiroglu Management for HOA services. Previously, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to NOT renew with MTM Management Associates of Damascus, Maryland. The decision was based inpart on vague contract, failing to report on common area, and cost.

I'm having problems with MTM and the HOA where I live. I spoke with Mr. Mike Potter and he did not want to hear what I had to say. He had to do all the talking. My niece and friends were at the play ground and some other kids also. Two ladies came over to them and told them that they have called the police on them and they did not belong there. The ladies also told them it seems like them would break the items there. My niece and her friends are black and the other kids where white, they did to say to the other groups of kids, all of them are teenagers. My niece and her friends sat there and waited for the police no showed up. My niece and friends was standing aroung. The another lady came to the playground and told them that they did not live in the community she never seen them before. My niece come to my house everyday after school. The ladies asked them for there name, address, but they did not state they are on the HOA. I called and spoke with two of the ladies and Mike Potter. I was told that they can question any child at anytime without a parent being around, get the child name, address and phone number. I told them they did not have to right to question a child without getting a parent/guardian. Again, Mike Potter stated they have to right to question any child that do live in the community. I asked all of them how do they know who every child in the community. I told them the Baltimore Colts moved out in the medium of the night, so how do you know everyone in the community. Again, we can question, anyone at anytime. At one point Mike Potter asked me what unit I lived in, I told him and he stated that I did not belong there, I been living with my boyfriend for over 14 years. I told them don't threaten my niece and her friends again with the police, Mike Potter and one of the ladies told me, they have the right to threaten anyone with the police. Then I received calls at 1:30am in the morning after this conversation with one of the ladies. I told Mike Potter about that he said you don't know if it was her, I told him I never one a call like this before. He told me to file a complaint, I asked him what for and told him he was not going to do anything about this. I feel that Mike Potter and HOA members are acting like vigilant. No one should threaten anyone with the police or ask underage child for their address and phone numbers, they should have asked for the parents phone numbers.

I would like to know if the HOA members and Mike Potter was unfair?

Please help understand about strangers questioning underage children without contacting a parent/guarding.

[Budsman Terrace Rez]

Mike Potter does not have the type of personality that would win him any customer service awards. Neither does his wife for that matter. He bullied residents in Preakness HOA and would not account for HOA records or funds he collected as HOA fees when the community asked for an accounting. Many of my neighbors believe he has not been declaring his income properly and should be reported to the IRS. Other HOAs have complained about his use of endless contract terms and of his being in violation of professional ethics. With Potter, everything is a legality and he often uses fraudulent claims to harass those that oppose him by getting them summoned before county courts. He represents the worst of the worst. You have to use creative tactics to push back against a bully that has the advantage of using other peoples money to pay for attorneys.

[Bruce]

Mr Potter is completely unprofessional and does not behave like a property manager should. Everytime I speak to him on the phone he does not provide valid reasons for any of his explanations. The letters MTM sends out provide no explanatations except their decisions. Besides him, the website they provide does not even work. They are a shady business with questionable business practices that do not belong running people's communities.

[Tuckerman Walk HOA Dude]

Bruce, this dude is so stagnant and use to getting his way trodding over residents he makes Stalin look sick!

[Real Estate Real HOA]

In the latest twist of events in the Preakness Dr HOA, apparently three residents have filed complaints against its board for allegedly not supporting their governing documents. And the Board President, Lillian Dangerfield, of 24233 Preakness, had a friend and non-hoa member at a recent meeting who interrupted discussion and was said to talk over residents engaging the board on issues. Residents were said to strongly protest this adult male and non-hoa person's involvement in their community.
Many would call these type of tactics using discussion interuptors and outsiders as a form of bullying.
Dangerfield, a U.S. Office of Personnel Management employee, should not be allowing outsiders as she is by virtue of her office the chairperson of the meeting.

[Local Damascus]

Preakness Dr owner wrote:

This guy Montreal is a real off the wall nut. He and his little committee cited my house for a tear in the front screen. You had to be face to face with the screen to even see it. No wonder MTM quit, this guy has no life.

Anyone who wants to see the Peace Order filed on Montreal should just visit the Md Judicial site and see the complaint filed against him. After MTM resigned from managing Preakness they went with another company who subsequently resigned in less than 6 months after finding out what they got into. MTM did a great job until Montreal got involved and caused legal fees in the tune of $10,000. Quite a chap and he is now associated with the MDHOA group which is a group of mixed nts.

[Preakness Dr Neighbor]

The Preakness Dr HOA got rid of Potter and MTM Management, at least due to the lack of professionalism from the firm. In 2006, I believe Michael Potter had advised our board that they would win a legal battle that about issues (open meetings, access to business records)addressed by the Maryland HOA Act. Potter encouraged the board to use an associate of his (Attorney Jeff VanGrack). In the end, a new board, and the past President John F. Devine, a Lockheed Martin employee, voted to approve of a settlement agreement that was almost totally about honoring the Maryland open meetings requirements. It was something that a professional community manager could have helped the board avoid and point out the issues where the board was wrong. Potter had been involved with the Preakness Dr HOA for almost 10 years. Not one community resident spoke in his favor when the board met to vote to terminate his firm. The Maryland Homeowners Association is respected enough to receive hundreds of calls per year from suffering HOA/condo residents. They even get calls from Maryland State legislators for their advice on various issues affecting residents. Check them out at
http://www.marylandhomeownersassociation.info...

[Damascus HOA Member]

In 2006, our HOA Board researched the credentials used by Michael Potter and MTM Management Associates because of very poor
handling of our HOA services and for not communicating with us like you would expect a community management professional to. When we contacted the Community Association Institute, we found he was in violation of the CAI
code of ethics by using credentials that had not been current for a number of months. CAI had requested proof of the credentials Potter was using and twice during that year gave him notice to cease using them based upon
not being current and for not followint the CAI rules. This demonstrated to us that we need to take action to protect our own assests and interests. We did view this as a small incident, but an example of an organization and individual that was not abiding by professional community management principles.

You can find more about HOA management and consumer advocacy on the Maryland Homeowners Association website. This coming Maryland State Legislative year (2008-2009) should see more favorable legislation passed to protect
Condo and HOA community from poor professional managers and corrupt boards.
In some cases, Maryland Small Claims Courts are now hearing HOA resident
complaints.

In Hess v. The Tiers at Wheaton (Apr 23, 2008) heard before the Montomery
County Commission on Common Ownership, ruled the Association was in violation of its
obligations to maintain the common elements and ordered it to replace a wall within'
90 days. The cost to the Association is believed to be in excess of $50,000. Previously the Association failed to reply to the complaint or make any repairs (Vol 8, Issue 8, CCOC Communicator Summer 2008). Checkout www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccoc

[Germantown]

Looks like the Preakness Drive HOA can't manage to keep a professional agent since they are now self managed. Three companies now have resigned or like MTM chose not to renew a contract with this group for obvious reasons.

Damascus HOA Member wrote:

In 2006, our HOA Board researched the credentials used by Michael Potter and MTM Management Associates because of very poor
handling of our HOA services and for not communicating with us like you would expect a community management professional to. When we contacted the Community Association Institute, we found he was in violation of the CAI
code of ethics by using credentials that had not been current for a number of months. CAI had requested proof of the credentials Potter was using and twice during that year gave him notice to cease using them based upon
not being current and for not followint the CAI rules. This demonstrated to us that we need to take action to protect our own assests and interests. We did view this as a small incident, but an example of an organization and individual that was not abiding by professional community management principles.
You can find more about HOA management and consumer advocacy on the Maryland Homeowners Association website. This coming Maryland State Legislative year (2008-2009) should see more favorable legislation passed to protect
Condo and HOA community from poor professional managers and corrupt boards.
In some cases, Maryland Small Claims Courts are now hearing HOA resident
complaints.
In Hess v. The Tiers at Wheaton (Apr 23, 2008) heard before the Montomery
County Commission on Common Ownership, ruled the Association was in violation of its
obligations to maintain the common elements and ordered it to replace a wall within'
90 days. The cost to the Association is believed to be in excess of $50,000. Previously the Association failed to reply to the complaint or make any repairs (Vol 8, Issue 8, CCOC Communicator Summer 2008). Checkout www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccoc

[MTM Consumer Review]

In one incident with Mary Potter, of MTM Management Associates, the Preakness Dr HOA President had asked Mary to spell his name correctly since she spelled it three different ways in one communication. Mary Potter responded, " You know, I don't have time for this childishness!"
When the Preakness Dr HOA Board voted to terminate MTM Management Associates, not even one resident came forward to speak positively about the firm. And this was after being the community manager for almost 10 years!
In one shared conversation, a former neighbor of Potter's commented that Potter made a police complaint against him over his cat straying into Potter's yard.
Anyhow, you can begin to understand how Potter operates and his people skills by these incidents. A number of HOA board members have been calling these past two years to share similar stories and to confirm they are shopping for another community manager to replace MTM. I've heard that Timberlawn South HOA is in the process of dumping MTM because of dissatisfaction with the service.

[ManagementConsul tant]

I had been informed that MTM Management Associates used a contract format with Preakness Dr HOA that included language where the management firm's rights would supersede the community's governing documents where they conflict.

This is totally unethical and non-professional from a "professional" community management point of view. And I would say that to have ratified such a contract without the HOA having an attorney to review the same is unconscionable.

No ethical community management firm would allow his potential client to sign such a contract without the proper legal reviews.

Everyday, many real estate agents that act professionally and ethically promote the buyers and sellers use an attorney to review their contract for the sale of real estate. This is not only prudent, but the best way to conduct business where you want REPEAT business!

[Timberlawn Rez]

Preakness Dr owner wrote:

This guy Montreal is a real off the wall nut. He and his little committee cited my house for a tear in the front screen. You had to be face to face with the screen to even see it. No wonder MTM quit, this guy has no life.

MTM gave Timberlawn the boot also - Preakness has now gone thru 3 management companies since MTM resigned. Some owners have moved in since July 2008 and have not paid their dues nor have been contacted by the HOA, definately an HOA going down the tubes due to a few misled kooks.

[Pottys Conscience]

Timberlawn Rez wrote:

<quoted text> MTM gave Timberlawn the boot also - Preakness has now gone thru 3 management companies since MTM resigned. Some owners have moved in since July 2008 and have not paid their dues nor have been contacted by the HOA, definately an HOA going down the tubes due to a few misled kooks.

MTM Management Associates and Michael Potter have now been put out by two large HOAs that had long time experience with the firm and its Principal.
This was no accident, but by careful deliberation of the community representatives and by comparing
MTM's and Potter's record with other firms. The choice was clear....choose someone else! Potter had been inviolation of CAI's ethical code for sometime and the word is spreading.
MTM's contracts have been very one-sidedly tipped in favor of protecting Potter from himself (err his poor customer service skills).
How many HOAs would sign a contract that includes language that the management firms contract would supersede the HOA By-laws and covenants? This is what we had with MTM and Potter. It was a nightmare.

[Timberlawn Rez]

It appears whom ever is writing these remarks about MTM is quite upset and may have a serious mental issue to waste so much time on a non existant issue.
It is too bad he can't focus on getting his own association on the right track. I heard Mr. M was even dismissed from his secretarial duties for P Dr. due to his emotional outbreaks. So sad.
He could be disturbed that he paid over $400,000 for a house now worth less than his mortgage.

[Neighb rez]

Does anybody make any payments to HOA since July 2008 when Emiroglu Mng resigned?

[DamascusCougars]

Some have sent in payments. Some haven't. Looks like the Board is trying to run the HOA without an election, budget meeting or vote on fiscal affairs. It's worse than with the MTM.