June 21, 2011

Dear Smugglers’ Homeowner: 

The Executive Committee of OACS and our members wish to respond to the SNHA letter of June 10, 2011.

The letter was written in the same “low road” style as has most of their communications over the last few years.  By attacking our hard work and OACS’s legitimacy they hope you do not notice that SNHA dues are now $750 and they have done little to help promote our rentals and protect our property values.

Other than spending your money in their unsuccessful legal efforts, where has their voice been in coming to a respectful dialog with Smugg’s management to move the resort to a better footing that would in turn protect our investments?

We believe that SNHA gave up any meaningful gains in their contract negotiations to pursue a confrontational approach through litigation.  We have documented much of this in earlier mailings and if you like we can supply copies.  (To get a copy of our earlier mailings please send a request by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will send you a PDF copy.)  However we believe to continue to dwell on SNHA failure of leadership is nonproductive. 

OACS, on the other hand, has negotiated in good faith with the resort contracts that offer you meaningful improvements over the current SNHA contracts. 

Most significant is a guarantee of a rental program for up to 30 years.  The guarantee passes to a new resort owner if the village is sold or changes hands. The homeowner can opt-out of the contract but the village cannot. We are hard pressed to see the downside of the OACS contract when compared to the current SNHA negotiated contract that offers you basically a one year deal.

The three contracts we negotiated with the village represent a unified cost effective way for homeowners and their regimes to interact with the village and receive the services they need to maintain their homes.

We urge you to actually read the contracts that were sent out and not rely on Smugglers’, the SNHA’s or our opinion.  You made a good decision when you purchased your home at Smuggs and we trust you to understand the advantages of the OACS negotiated contracts.

OACS is a member supported organization.  Members pay dues of $275 per year.  Our authority to negotiate comes from our membership.  The village recognizes that with our significant membership OACS is a legitimate homeowner representative organization.

So ask yourself if you think the SNHA has given you value for the $750 dues you pay them?  If you can’t answer yes to that question then perhaps it is time to join OACS, an organization that wants to move the village forward and to enhance all of our property values; an organization that can represent your interest and also have a constructive and respectful dialog with the village.

We understand that SNHA has scheduled their meeting on July 2^nd at the same time as our previously announced meeting.  If you want to most likely hear what you have heard before, that is their allegations of how the village is exploiting you and their speculation of whom and what is OACS, then perhaps their meeting is for you.  If on the other hand you would like to hear directly from OACS about our fresh, cost effective and successful approach in dealing with Smuggs management and about the advantages of the three new OACS negotiated contracts then we urge you to attend the OACS meeting July 2^nd.  The meeting will be in the Lower Meeting House, 9am, light breakfast served at 8:30am.

Les Zellan, Interim President

David Kenley, Executive Director

OACS Executive Committee

Maureen DiPasquale

Lorrie Korn

Jan Loeber

Robin Milstein

NOTE: If you are a Regime Director or just an interested owner we will have a more detailed meeting on the Property Management contract at 11am following our general meeting.