Adding more color to last week’s Board meeting, here’s a follow-up to SPCA Treasurer Mary-Lynn Wrabel’s comments about my research as to how many units at Sutton Place are rented out. As you read it, you can see that the Board is completely blinded to reality by their hatred of me and my dedication to keeping the community advised as to what’s going on around here; they are simply too embarrassed that I keep calling them out. As I’ve stated before, if they continue to use their Board platform to unfairly attack me I shall return the serve.
Treasurer Mary-Lynn Wrabel – Clueless About Rental Units at SP and Why It’s Important
Let’s examine the complete naivete (because if I would have said “woeful ignorance” I’d probably be accused of harassment…*smile*) and lack of institutional knowledge of the rental unit issue here at SP by SP Treasurer Mary-Lynn Wrabel, a place our Treasurer has lived at since 2004 (according to the DC Recorder of Deeds website; creepy, huh?). It’s just the latest example of a Board member who is clueless but loves to pretend that they know what they’re talking about when it comes to criticizing me.
Here’s what MLW said at the last Board meeting:
“He [Ken] revealed in this email that he investigated every single townhouse in the community: who owned it, were they owner-occupants, were they renting out their house, did they have a DC lease [she meant DC One Family Rental License – Ken R] that authorized them to rent out their house, even looking at the price that some people have paid to purchase their homes…This is an investigation of every homeowner in the community and I was outraged when I saw that…This now affects every homeowner in the community and if I were not on the Board I would have raised this issue earlier. [What the hell does being on the Board have to do with you raising the issue? – Ken R] So people should be aware…he does his research and looks into other people’s lives and that’s creepy. That’s all I have to say.”
You find it “creepy,” huh? Well, Mary-Lynn, you’re going to look quite foolish in front of the community when you learn the facts. You do want to know the facts, don’t you? And they are as follows.
The issue of how many rental units we have at SP, and in particular whether that would affect people getting mortgages and related matters, such as the image the Board believes we should present to the outside world as a “high-end” community, has been in open debate for many years now. You would know that had you not been completely detached from this community for 20 years until you magically decided to run for the Board (in response to whose begging I wonder?) solely so that neither Maria Saavedra nor I would win a seat. So pathetic. In this regard, please, correct me if I am wrong and list all of the committees you have served on over your two decades here and the myriad other ways you have been actively involved here. I’ll wait.
And while the community is waiting, let’s look at the attached September 2019 Board meeting minutes – you can remember that far back, yes? – where you will see this on page 2:
“Management estimates that the current rental percentage for the community has exceeded 30%. Management therefore recommends working with the Board of Directors and legal counsel to develop methods to curb the number of rental units in the community. Mr. Ellington expressed ideas for decreasing the number of rental units within the Association; explained that existing rentals would be grandfathered until the end of their lease; and reminded everyone that establishing a maximum rental percentage would require approval from a minimum of two-thirds of the ownership. Following a discussion, Mr. Ellington indicated he will ask the Association’s attorney to draft a rental cap resolution for review by the Board of Directors.” [We never adopted any restriction because it would have been wildly unpopular with the community and virtually impossible to impose – Ken R]
Then let’s jump to June 11, 2021. (If I’m going too fast for you, please let me know.) Look at the attached email exchange I had with another long-time owner and former Board President, Colette Mehle. Funny thing about Colette: unlike the current Board, she learns the facts before she speaks.
On that same day I then had an email exchange with our then GM at the time, Nathalie Lawrence. Unlike the Theoharis and Comsource “pretend” GM’s we’ve had since, Nathalie also knew her facts and was very responsive to owners’ inquiries. She provided the attached Owner Occupancy Report showing 39 units were rentals. So if you can follow along with these big numbers, it shows that we had gone from a recollected estimate of 25 rentals to 39 rentals by June 2021. And how about them apples, but traditionally the office and Board actually kept track of such things.
Now let’s crawl (I know jumping is tough) to April 2023 where I asked neighbors to take an informal survey of the rental units they were aware of and to let me know of the results Many were kind enough to do so. I closed by saying the community needed to know the facts to make good decisions; a premise you clearly disagree with.
Last, September 2023, where I again discuss the issue, give the results of my “creepy” research derived from a public DC Government website to the Board and those in the community who like to hear from me, pleading with the Board to provide updated information to the community. Another big word for you: it’s called “transparency.”
So yes, this is harsh but you sure as hell had it coming. Try not to embarrass yourself at the next Board meeting. And to fellow Board members Lapetina and Harrison and Drucker, stop talking about alleged harassment and civil discourse (only an idiot would call looking at a government website “creepy”) when you always sit by and play the community for fools. It’s very tiring.
PS – A fellow owner and I had a tremendous laugh Friday afternoon when we were at the office to get our parking passes and Board President Lapetina approached the front door, saw me, and immediately turned around and left without entering. An unexpected opportunity to defuse things forfeited. I think from now on I’ll call her Captain Courageous; she of the “we’re always willing to talk” line. One wonders whether the great Professor Harrison, he who is always pontificating about diplomacy and the need for communication between adversaries, would have done the same. Such hypocrites.
