Update on Management Changes
Hi Folks,
I’d like to take a moment to update you on the management situation and provide some background so you can understand the decisions that have been made and the reasons behind them.
-A Look Back-
When I was elected to the Board in 2022, our management company was Ability. Our assigned CAM, Allen, worked only six hours a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9–11 AM). During this time, our community faced legal action for failing to enforce owner compliance with maintenance and community rules. I received numerous complaints about Allen’s performance, and it became evident that little was being done correctly. Our common areas had been neglected, and we were paying vendors for work that wasn’t being completed.
I requested more CAM hours, recognizing that effective management isn’t possible in just six hours a week. Ability then assigned Susan, a 20-hour-per-week CAM, who was eager and willing to take on the challenge. While she was doing her best, she needed more hours, which wasn’t feasible due to her portfolio responsibilities with other communities.
Meanwhile, Ability lost its entire accounting department, and our financials were consistently delayed and riddled with errors. Given the inability to provide a full-time CAM and accurate, timely financials, the Board agreed it was time for a change.
-Transition to Allied-
After interviewing eight management companies and narrowing it down to three, the Board selected Allied. Allied promised a full-time, on-site CAM dedicated solely to our community. However, within a few months, we discovered that our CAM was still employed by her former community, which explained her frequent absences. Despite this deception, Allied chose to promote her rather than address the issue. This decision led the Board to lose trust in Allied, and the relationship was terminated after just 3 months.
-Resort’s Management-
The Board then turned to Astrid, one of the original CAM candidates Allied had presented. By that time, Astrid had joined Resort’s Management, so we ended up with Resort’s by default.
Unfortunately, Astrid’s interactions with homeowners became a source of major concern, and some Board meetings had to be adjourned due to elevated tensions. Despite being reminded that her top priority was compliance—especially given the lack of volunteer support—this aspect of her role was neglected.
In addition, Resort’s financial reporting was delayed and inaccurate. Multiple meetings with their team yielded no improvements—eventually, Resort’s terminated Astrid themselves. Given the continued lack of support and accuracy, the Board voted to pursue self-management.
-The Self-Management Experience-
We hired our first independent CAM who had years of experience at KW Management. She was scheduled to start on November 1st. She never showed up or contacted us. We restarted the interview process and hired Suzanne, formerly with Castle. She agreed to handle vendor oversight and compliance personally. She started in December, and things seemed to be progressing—until, on the evening of our annual meeting, she abruptly informed me of her resignation. She had accepted another position with a higher salary and support staff, which she found more appealing.
Around the same time, Marie—our long-time administrator—also gave her notice of retirement, effective March. This left me in a difficult situation, having lost our CAM, and our admin within a very short time, would leave no one to staff our office. Marie and I worked hard to find a replacement for her position. We hired Susan, our current admin.
We brought on Vangie in the CAM position, who had also been interviewed alongside Suzanne. Though not our top choice, we gave her a chance due to immediate need. Unfortunately, her employment had to be terminated for several reasons. When it became apparent that Vangie was not working out, I began the process of finding a replacement, which involved posting a job on Indeed and scheduling interviews with candidates. This is a very time-consuming process, but I was willing to do it until I received a letter from our bookkeeper saying that she was retiring. At this time, hiring a management company was the only option.
-Moving Forward-
I’ve come to learn that finding competent on-site CAMs in Naples is exceptionally challenging. There’s a limited employee pool, and management companies often poach CAMs from each other. I never anticipated having to step in and manage the daily operations myself, but that’s what the situation has demanded from me.
If we had been able to hire and retain the right CAM, self-management might have worked well. However, that was not the case. The Board held a meeting and unanimously agreed that hiring a management company was necessary.
-What’s Next-
The Board has voted to hire Newell Management Company, effective September 1, 2025.
While we aim to make this a smooth transition, some adjustments will be necessary. I ask for your patience and cooperation during this time.
I understand that change can be frustrating, but please know that our goal is to ensure this community is managed properly. As President, I take that responsibility seriously. Ignoring problems or tolerating underperformance is not an option when we are paying professionals to manage our property.
Thank you all in advance for your support and understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office or reach out to me directly.
Warm regards,
Nancy J. Perry
President
BLMA