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Owners Protest At Builder's Event

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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

LIVE OAK PRESERVE - Armed with an air horn, posters and a long list of complaints, homeowners in Live Oak Preserve staged a rally while their builder was hosting a grand opening for its newest models Sunday.

Time and again, cars would pull up to the sales event, slow down long enough to read the placards, then turn around and leave the troubled New Tampa subdivision.

'Don't buy here!' homeowner Cindy DelVecchio shouted to the drivers. 'Come talk to us!'

The sales staff called the cops, but sheriff's deputies said the residents had a right to protest, as long as they stayed on the sidewalk and didn't impede traffic.

Some complained about broken gates and security guards sleeping on the job.

'I bought here because I thought I was getting in a safe, gated community,' homeowner Jose Cruz said.

Betsy Hubbard joined the protest after complaining for months that Live Oak wasn't providing the pest control services that homeowners pay for with their association dues. The community's master association board, which is composed of executives from Engle Homes, collects more than $200,000 a year in fees for pest control, but the association canceled the pest control contract.

'They said they're using the money for other community improvements,' Hubbard said. 'They could have just been forthright and told us there is no pest control and discounted our fees to reflect that.'

Several residents have filed complaints with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, alleging misuse of funds. Engle Homes, formerly Transeastern Homes, has promised residents it will audit the homeowners association's books to try to find out what happened to the money.

The developer also has asked LandArc, which took over managing the association in September, to hire a new security company.

Residents also want the builder to cancel its 10-year contract with Century Communications. The association collects $1.17 million a year from residents for cable and Internet services that are 'antiquated and unreliable,' said Iran Alicea, who has lived in Live Oak Preserve for 15 months. Century is owned by the same people who originally developed the community.

Alicea is one of hundreds of residents who pay extra for Verizon FiOS service. He held a sign that read: 'Engle or Transeastern - Same Empty Promises - Lots of Talk.'

'We're paying a lot of money for our association dues, and we have no say,' he complained.

Lauren Arcaro, Live Oak's sales director and a member of the master association board, would not comment about the demonstration or the company's efforts to address residents' concerns.

'I wish I could, but it's our company policy,' she said.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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