What is Happening
in Landscape?
There is considerable
activity in the Landscape Division and much of it currently stems from
some arrangements between PCM and/or GRF and outside contractors for us
(you and me). It concerns contracts whereby we will grow trees for outside
users. How much money are we talking about? Approximately $500,000.
Naturally, the information
on this is skimpy since PCM/GRF have not made it generally known to the
owners, in fact, at the GRF Landscape Committee Meeting where this surfaced,
it seems that only Directors Kravitz and Heller were aware of the contract
and even the GRF President, G. Portlock, was unaware of it.
In an effort to better
understand what the contract consists of, or, how the money from our assessments
is being spent, several residents have requested information on parts
of these transactions and the following e-mail thread will give some idea
on how difficult it is to obtain meaningful answers to questions that
are brought up, including, "Who we are doing business with.".
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From: Michael W. Curtis (concerned
resident)
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 11:41 AM
To: Kurt Rahn (PCM Director of Landscape)
Subject: Ray Chaiken - Is this the person in the article I passed to you
the other day?
Hi Kurt. Just a question regarding your presentation the other day ...
In your presentation at the GRF Landscape Meeting, I believe you said
we were first contacted, back in 2002, by a horticulturist from New Zealand
wanting to try and grow several types of plants or trees, I believe 25
in all, Later, you said we made an agreement with this same person for
us to grow the oak trees. You also said the current agreement is with
"Ray Chaiken".
With the information above, I went up to the 3rd floor, to our computer
lab, and "Googled" his name. The only person in the whole World
that Google listed was a nursery owner from New Zealand! His name is shown
in "Horticulture Week" for October 11, 2005. Here's the link
...
http://www.hortweek.co.uk/news_story.cfm?ID=1634
(<---- click on this link to see who
Mr Ray Chaiken is)
I printed out the article and later gave it to you as a note, asking if
this was the same person.
Is this the same person we are currently dealing with? Please let me know
just as soon as possible.
My kindest regards,
Mike Curtis
(949) 837-5421
-----------------------------------------------------
From: Kurt Rahn, (PCM Director of Landscape)
To: Mike Curtis (concerned resident)
Mike, sorry to take so long … it’s been busy. As far as I
know this is the same person.
Kurt
-----------------------------------------------------
From: Michael W. Curtis (concerned resident)
To; Kurt Rahn (PCM Director of Landscape)
Thanks Kurt.
MC/
49-837-5421
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From: Larry Dersch (another concerned resident)
To: Michael W. Curtis (concerned resident)
Well why are we doing business with this deadbeat. It's the housing mutuals
that will absorb the losses since we have a blank check contract. I looked
at the link on Chaiken wow it stinks! Didn't any staff attend the residents
"Fraudfest".
-----------------------------------------------------
To: Noel Hatch, (GRF Board
Member)
From: Michael W. Curtis (concerned
resident)
When does the phrase "Fraudfest" end, and "Breach
of Fiduciary Responsibility" begin? What is your action plan for
investigation of this matter and clear things up? Are you the guy in charge
or not? If not, who is the GRF Board member we should be dealing with?
It has been over three weeks since I first telephoned your home, spoke
with your wife, and requested you return my call regarding this. While
I know you were out of town for a portion of the time, you have failed
to return my calls and emails, failed to attend the committee meeting
the other day, and have been silent on all of this "deal" and
the fact that our nursery inventory is not on the books. I am looking
forward to hearing from you - especially before this Tuesday's GRF Board
Meeting.
Again, as I said in another recent email to you; I believe you should
request that Janet Price have full credit and criminal checks done on
this guy before we continue with any further contract activities. All
of this should be open to the community.
Regards,
Mike
(949) 837-5421
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