Sunday, May 26, 2013

Homeowners Dues Illegally being collected by the Developer



The Homeowners Association in Lancaster Residences is handled by the developer, Property Company of Friends, Incorporated (Pro-Friends) and its HOA dues are being collected through its water utility Southlink Waterworks.  Is it legal for the developer to collect HOA dues from its own customers, the homeowners of Lancaster Residences? Let us check out point-by-point if this act is legal.




Paying for the homeowners association dues is legal and necessary. It is because the payment collected from the dues are to be used for the daily expenses used by the community for the street lights, garbage collection, security personnel and other regular maintenance of the said subdivision. And this is the reason why the homeowners have signed the the clause under the Contract to Sell of their units to religiously pay the homeowners association dues.

However, in Lancaster Residences, the Homeowners Association  is handled and put up by the employees of its developer, Property Company of Friends, Inc. (Pro-Friends). In fact, the five seats for the board of directors and trustees of Lancaster Estates Homeowners Association (LEHOA) are all occupied by employees of Profriends under its Estate and Asset Management Division.

Lancaster Residences homeowners are required to pay P300/month for those residing in Manor units while P220/month for those residing in Villas units.

The dues are collected monthly and is embedded together with the water bill. The water utility company in Lancaster Residences is provided by South Link Waterworks Incorporated which is a company owned by Ahnex Builders whose owner is one of the large stakeholder of Pro-Friends in the Lancaster Estates project to where Lancaster Residences is part of.

As the water service is one of the life-blood service of the community, all homeowners are required to pay for the water bill plus the homeowners association dues. A homeowner could not pay the water service if the homeowner does not choose to pay the homeowners association dues.

The video below was taken last December 2011 when homeowners were not allowed to pay for their water service at South Link Waterworks satellite office at Petron Gas station of Advincula Avenue near the Lancaster Residences entrance and caused a commotion.



One of the homeowners said, "Why would you not accept our water payment while this is South Link. You are a water service company and we are paying for the water bill and not the homeowners association dues."

The homeowner did make sense, however, South Link still insisted and did not accept the payment of the homeowners who decided to pay for the water bill only. Until today, this satellite office including the main office at Buhay na Tubig, does not accept water service payment if the HOA dues are not paid.

The majority, if not, all of the homeowners are against paying the homeowners association dues because the dues are too expensive in comparison with other larger subdivisions that have bigger lots and lesser units.

And so most homeowners who believe that the dues collected by LEHOA are illegal decided to find ways in paying the water bill only without the HOA dues. And this is possible by paying the water bill via a bank deposit at Metrobank Lotus Imus branch where South Link has an account.

The homeowners via a representation from the Lancaster ADHOC committee, now known as LRUOA have sent a letter to South Link via their attorney to stop collecting payment of the HOA dues via the water bill last mid-2012. However there was no response made and the collection of HOA dues via the water bill continued.

The picture below is the South Link Waterworks Water Bill that includes the homeowners association dues and the bank account where most homeowners deposit their payment.

Water bill which includes HOA dues before March 2013


Because many homeowners are already paying their bills via this route, LEHOA may no longer be reaching their quota for a homeowners association dues collection and so South Link have decided to cut-off the bills payment via their bank account starting March 2013. According to South Link, this was done for the "convenience" of the homeowners as they can pay their dues via specified bills payment centers at SM Anabu, FRC Mall SM Molino, and SM Bacoor. However through this payment route, the Bills Payment center does not accept payment if not the total amount is to be paid. Unfortunately, the total amount of the water bill from South Link Water Works includes the water service payment and the HOA dues. This actually made the payment less convenient to the homeowners as they need to go further to these bills payment centers. The nearest and most convenient way of paying for the water bill is via a bank deposit in Metrobank branches yet they decided to cut it off.

It may be a coincidence, but if it is not, then it may be a connivance between ProFriends and South Link to ensure that homeowners pay for the HOA dues.

Below is the latest water bill of South Link that removed the bank deposit option when paying for the water service.

Water bill which includes HOA dues after March 2013
It is also noted that HOA dues are tax-exempt while water bill payments are not. Combining them in to one bill would eventually tax South Link even more. I just couldn't comprehend why South Link is doing this. If they are indeed paying taxes, they are too generous to the government and even allowed themselves to be taxed for the HOA dues collected. :D

Additionally, South Link Waterworks is only giving a "Provisional Receipt" with an LEHOA header whenever they accept payments of monthly dues which is insufficient and illegal if not followed up with an "Official Receipt". In any sense, none of the Lancaster Residences homeowners have ever received an Official Receipt for this purpose.

As of June 2013, South Link has expectedly closed their Metrobank Account 039-3039-570310 so homeowners could no longer pay their water bill without paying their HOA dues.

When one of the homeowners asked if there are other bank accounts of South Link Waterworks Incorporated to which the homeowners can choose to pay the water service only, South Link Water Works responded again that they are just collecting agents for LEHOA thus they directed us to the Village Administrator which is a non-homeowner, and and employee of the real-estate developer, Property Company of Friends, Inc. (Pro-Friends). Hence, they would still not accept the water service payment if the Association Fee will not be paid.

One of the homeowners emailed South Link but was never responded.



Legal Implications

It is noted via Presidential Decree 957 that a Homeowners Association must not be handled by the developer. In this case, Pro-Friends. However, 100% of the Board of Directors of LEHOA are Pro-Friends employees. This makes LEHOA illegal under this decree.

It has also been said the the HOA dues must be collected separately and not by the developer. However, in Lancaster Residences and other Lancaster Estates project, the HOA dues is collected via the water bill from South Link Waterworks wherein the owner is a big stakeholder of the developer, Pro-Friends.

According to HLURB on the implementation of PD957 (reference link)

Can officers of a developer collect association dues or fees from homeowners for the maintenance and security of a subdivision? 
No, because association dues or fees for the maintenance and security of a subdivision can only be collected by a property organized Homeowners Association with the consent of a majority of the lot or unit buyers actually residing in the subdivision project (Sec. 27 of PD 957) 

When asked regarding the official response of Pro-Friends regarding this matter via its Estates and Asset Management Division CRD Head which happens to be one of the board of directors of LEHOA (By the way, this person is an employee of the developer and a non-homeowner of Lancaster Residences), his response was that the LEHOA by-laws allows it so.

When the homeowners were asked, the reason behind the reluctance of Lancaster Residences homeowners in paying the HOA dues is due to the fact that the dues were implemented without consultation and approval of the homeowners and was only the decision of the 5-member board of directors of LEHOA which are all employees of Pro-Friends. Add to this the absence of monthly financial reports from LEHOA which they do not provide even if it was asked by paying members.

It must be noted that any by-laws of a homeowners association must never go against the law that allowed its existence. And it seems, the by-laws created by LEHOA is in contradiction of the available laws for homeowners associations.

We have also discussed deeper the LEHOA by-laws that the developer is using to justify its handling of the homeowners association and compared it with the laws protecting a homeowners association. The article is LEHOA By-Laws and PD957 and RA9904.


51 comments:

  1. Update 06/25/2013
    For those who need to email Southlink Water Works for this purpose, they have a new "working" email address
    southlinkwaterworks@ahnexgroup.com

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  2. Update 06/27/2013
    Southlink Waterworks Incorporated has totally closed their Metrobank account 039-3039-570310 and therefore there are no more means for the homeowners to choose to pay for the water service only as Southlink forbids payment of their water service if the Homeowners Association Dues is not included. This article is updated for this purpose.

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  3. Idulog nyo na sa Imbestigador yan, malakas ang loob nila kapag walang media, deadma lang ang mga yan, ang dami ng problema kahit ng mga bagong homeowners na di pa nakakalipat sa Lancaster Estates. Deadma sila, Imbestigador katapat nyan.

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  4. Aabot po tayo jan kung sakali. We will just try to use conventional channels first before going to the more radical way. Let us trust the institution first. Thanks, Anonymous for your input.

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    Replies
    1. Walang may tiwala sa institution nyo... we need maynilad or manila water to provide clean water nde ung naninilaw at maamoy na tubig ng southlink

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  5. Replies
    1. The homeowners have already escalated to various government agencies including DTI, HLURB, Civil Service Commission. We are still waiting for an update.

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    2. hi, any update on this? kasi kami di pa kami nakakalipat, pero sobrang singil na nila ng home owners due. mg 4 years na raw utang namin sa hoa fees.. ayos din sila, kapag tinanggap mo na ung susi khit di ka pa lumilipat, need mo na agad magbayad. eh no choice ka nman to accept the unit. wala na ata kaming tubig dun now.

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    3. No update yet. Last action of the developer is to foil another deception plot by staging an "election" this coming November. See http://shar.es/KLHap

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    4. why include Civil Service Commission? they are not government employees.

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  6. Same sa subdivision namin. Kapal mg mukha mg developer maningil ng hoa fees pero di naman sa hoa mismo napupunta sa opisina lang nila. Kesyo daw di pa daw natuturnover sa munisipyo. Tapos kahit pa street lights wala. Mga damo ang hahaba. Mga guards binabantayan lang mga papasok na materials ng papagawa mg bahay

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  7. Wala na pi ba update dito? Ganto din ginagawa samin. Kolekta ng fees sa kanila naman napupunta

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  8. ask ko lang po kung natuloy po ba na mag karoon ng additional penalty kapag hindi updated magbayad ng monthly fee sa hoa?

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  9. hi !! would like to know the process of installing water meter and how much it cost to install? i will be moving in nxtweek but wala pa din meter yung unit ko thanks ...

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  10. Hi, possible kaya magestablish ng matik na poso?

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  11. Hi, I have exactly the same problem. Ayaw tanggapin ng SouthLink ang payment ko unless i settle ko yung full amount ng HOA arrears. Nasa Carmona Estates kami. Nagreklamo ako sa Profriends pero hindi ko alam if may action silang gagawin. I know wala sa contract of service ito ng Southlink. Hindi sila dapat nagbibill ng kasama ang HOA. Sana kung may mga residents na may alam sa legality nito, matulungan ang ibang residenteng katulad ko na nahihirapan dahil sa HOA.

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    Replies
    1. Sasama kami tutulan natin yan dyan din kami nakatira sa carmona state

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  12. Same thing is happening in Carmona Estates..

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    Replies
    1. Kaylangan natin kumilos para mabago ang patakaran dyan sa carmona state..!!!

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  13. Till now ba ganyan sa lancaster? Naniningil monthly ng almost 3k? Omg kukuha paman din ako ng unit dyan! Guguluhan nako

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  14. Malamang kaya ganyan ginawa nila kasi maraming homeowners makakapal mukha ayaw magbayad ng HOA tapos gusto nila nasa gated village nakatira and well maintained subdivision. kung tutuusin ang liit ng HOA nila php300 ayaw magbayad.

    If you don't to pay HOA dues then don't buy house in a gated village or condominium.

    This is based on my experience sa village namin under Sta. Lucia kaya ang laki ng HOA namin dahil sa mga ayaw magbayad hays tao nga naman lulusot hanggang may paraan.

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    1. Actually TANGA yung mga nakabasa na ng blog na ito pero nagbabayad pa rin ng HOA dues sa kanila. Alam na nila na ang daming violation ng LEHOA sa batas ng homeowners association at di alam saan napupunta ang ibinayad kasi walang audited financial statement pero sige pa rin ang bayad.

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    2. Hindi katuwiran na dahil kumuha ka ng bahay sa subdivision ay peperahan ka at ang gagamiting dahilan ay monthly dues. Maling-mali na developer ang may control sa pondo ng homeowners. Ayon sa batas, bawal maniningil ang developer for an allege community benefit gaya ng security, maintenance and others. Bakit, kasi lahat ng ito ay lehitimong expenses ng developer? Dahil ito ay kinakarga bilang cost ng unit at binabawi ng developer sa mga buyers kapag ibinenta, take note, at a profit pa! Isa pang rason, yang mga gastos ng developer ay legitimate allowable deductions ng developer sa kanilang Income Tax na ibinabawas sa revenues para mas lumiit ang babayarang tax dahil ang mga ito nga ay cost of the inventory. Revenues (selling price) less cost of inventory (lahat ng ginastos ng developer) = income. At ang tax na babayaran ay base sa INCOME. Ibig sabihin, sa nangyayaring ito, nakakapag claim ang developer ng legitimate expenses dahil may mga supporting documents na hawak at nakapangalan sa developer gaya ng bill ng kuryente, tubig, maintenance, security at kung ano-ano pa, pero sa totoo, imbes na expense ay pinagkakakitaan pa. Nangyayari ang mga ito dahil sa kulang sa kaalamanan ng mga homeowners. Hangga't hindi natuturn-over ang subdivision sa homeowners, walang dapat gastusin ang HOA. sa puntong ito, ang lehitimong gastos lang ng HOA ay yung professional fees na ibinabayad nila sa kanilang legal adviser, o abogado, accountant at mga tagalakad ng kanilang mga reklamo. Ang accountant at abogado nyo ang makatutulong sa inyo. Sa Bawat maling ikinikilos ng mga homeowners, mas lalong lumalakas ang loob ng developer kasi nakikita nila ang kahinaan ng biktima. Malinaw ang panlalamang ng developer pero dahil hindi matumbok ng mga homeowners ang gagawin, easy at relax lang sila. Walang masyadong mararating ang pagrereklamo sa ahensiya ng gobyerno, ang dapat gawin ay paghandaan ang paglantad nito sa media. Ang mga ahensiya ng gobyerno ay hindi maaasahang magtrabaho ng tapat hannga't walang matang nakatingin. I-consider nyo ang power ng "lagayan" kaya hannga't hindi naisisiwalat at walang nakatuon na mga mata, walang mangyayari. Dapat, ang mga kuntador ng tubig ng units na tinitirahan na ng unit buyers ay nasa lehitimong water concessionaire, pero bakit wala? Kasi nakikinabang ang developer sa consumption ng tubig ng mga unit owners, sa developer kasi nakapangalan ang bill ng tubig, kahit ang dapat lang na sakop nito ay yung mga ginagawa pa lamang. So, si developer mas malaki ang nai-claim na water expenses as part "kuno" ng cost of construction, when in fact, hindi siya cost of construction but off balance sheet revenues. Ibig sabihin, doble ang pakinabang ni developer, lumiliit na ang binabayarang tax, kumikita pa, at nakakapag tax-evade pa. Kung sama-sama nyong babawiin ang pondo ng HOA nyo sa developer, may legitimate expense ba? siguro wala, kasi wala naman yatang legitimate na kinontrata ang HOA nyo, walang disbursement voucher, check voucher, at cheke na magpapakita na may lehitimong bayarin at obligasyon ang inyong HOA. Para mas maayos nyong maprotektahan ang inyong interes bilang unit owners, sama-sama at tulong-tulong nyong aralin nyo at saliksikin ang mga importanteng issues, seek the professional advise of lawyers or accountant, mas sulit ang halagang ibinabayad nyo sa kanila dahil ang karunungang makukuha nyo ay magagamit nyo indefinitely in the future. Dapat rin ay aktibong partisipasyon ng bawat isa, hindi naman ibig sabihin ay kailangang maabala sa trabaho. Tingnan niyo kung ano ang papel na maaring gampanan ng bawat isa. Hindi makatutulong kung mag aabang at maghihintay lang, kung ang iba ay hindi makikialam sa mahahalang isyu, mahina ang magiging puwersa, lalabas na ok lng sa karamihan kahit may iregularidad at maling nangyayari, kawawa at mauuwi lang sa wala ang malasakit ng iba. Mas maganda kung habang patuloy kayong magbabayad ng monthly dues ay magiging aktibo kayo sa pagsasa-ayos ng pamamalakad.

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  15. Ganyan din po sa subsivision apna nakunan ko. Pwede po ba akong tumanggi na magbayad ng HOA ganung dinedevelop pa lang ang subdivision, wala pa nga sa 5 ang occupants! Sinisingil kasi kmi ng one year advance payment in order to move in once dw po makuha ang susi atoumatic na.

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    Replies
    1. Hay naku ganyan din aa kin but as they said I have to pay it kahit hnd Ko pa natitirahan nuon. Now I'm 1 year living pero dami pa din problema

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  16. I need southlink email add... Plus complaining about nag bobodega beside my unit..
    Home owner Po Ng ss10 blk 1 lot 160
    I complain a lot about aa tabi Ng Bahay Ko na nagbobodega .
    1) it's exclusive sub that you don't have to let them bodega beside where is homeowners are.
    2) u can do that to the phase that not much homeowner lives yet!
    3) my boys playing styrofoam and of course kids but it's that have to be the right that security guards call my sister to tell clean my boys messed.
    4) what happen to my HOA pay monthly which is includ
    Swipper
    Guards
    Bin
    5) give us satisfaction as your client .

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  17. How many months na Kong nag cocomplain about this sa AV ung nag bobodega beside my house umuuhi sa pader.mga walang Tshirt maingay ung track specially 6am putang ina always been polite ang daming problema aa unit Ko till naubos na pasensya Ko pati ba naman outsider popoblemHin Ko pa ba do something namin hnd naririnig Ng admin ang reklamo Ko Margaret unit Ko at buwan buwan kinakaltasan nyo Ko Ng almost 41thpusand pesos as I'm paying inhouse.. Hnd Ko naman pinapaalis ilayo nyo da unit Ko dahil Kaya ako kumuha Ng house malayo aa
    Manila gusto Ng katahikam plus addition they make a lot of kalat front wag nyo hintayin na ireklamo Ko to sa tv dahil hnd barya ang pinag uusapan dito .. Once marinig Ko na piñatawag ulit kapatid at ipalinis ung kinalat Ng anak Ko hoys guys I pay HOA 650 monthly pero walang Ng swippes aa area namin mahiya naman Kau

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    Replies
    1. Madaming iniimpose sa homeowners yung basic responsibilities nila tulad ng ipalinis ang kalat sa mga bakanteng lote from the constructions wala. Grabe. Pre sales lang magaling and collection ng dues.

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  18. Hi anu po nangyari sa kaso na to? Ganyan din kc prob nmn kaso smin nung tym na naniningil sila ng monthly dues e wala pang HOA n nkatalga which means ung developer ang naniningil at hindi p complete ang facilities naniningil cla

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  19. mga gago talaga yang mga ganyang developer. mga mapagsamantala ang mga putang ina nila!. ipa T3 nyo na to. para mabulabog sila.

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  20. Hi, ask ko lang po kasi we are about to buy a unit sana here at Lancaster City kasi maganda yung mga unit na napresent sa amin. In fact we are about to pay the reservation and make downpayment after. Kaso before ko gawin yun, nag reresearch muna ako tungkol sa gagawin namin decision if it will be worth it na kumuha kami dto or wag na lang ituloy kasi puro negative pala ang feedback sa Developer na ito pati sa Lancaster. Gaano po b katagal iturn over ang unit kapag sinabi nilang 18months pa kapag full dp kn?

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  21. Hi peach anung phase sana kau magpapareserve ? Ngpareserve kase ako netong month na to sa phase 10 sophie unit sya

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  22. Hi peach anung phase sana kau magpapareserve ? Ngpareserve kase ako netong month na to sa phase 10 sophie unit sya

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  23. Hanggang ngayon ganito pa din ang situation dito sa Lancaster. Pay HOA fees sa Southlink, very slow response from admin. Pero yung mga officers ng LEHOA eh bumili na ng bahay dito. Kaya homeowner na sila. Wala pa kaming nareceive na election invite kahit minsan. May resulta na ba ang petition niyo?
    Maganda sana ang Lancaster. But mismanaged. Kaya sa halip na positive experience, pasakit muna. And wala kang maaasahang tulong sa admin. Mas masakit lang sa ulo. Walang kuwenta ang homeowners association dito. Lahat hawak pa ng developer.

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  24. association 1k monthly ayos talaga itong southlink na ito, dpat magkaisa tayu isumbong naten kay duterte, para matigil na itong pangganso ng mga tao na ito

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  25. They are collecting 500/month now for monthly dues. Too late for me to read this article as we have already bought a property.

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  26. Mgkano n ngyun ng association dues dito sa lancaster?

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  27. sana naman yong WATER BILL ng southlink e completo yong breakdown ng billing statement, kasi example samin wla nmang lick o anu pero tumaas ang bill namin ng 2,908 pesos + 800 association fee total of 3,708 pesos.
    hinihingan ko ng complete computation southlink hindidw nila ma e provide, depende dw ng accounting nila!

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  28. Hi! I just reserved a diana unit today in Lancaster. Hindi pa rin po ba nare-resolve ung issues about water and HOA?

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  29. Same parin, bawiin mo nalang reservation mo. Mga manlolokong agent

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  30. MAS MABUTI WAG NA TAYO TUMIRA SA SUBDIVISION KASI DI PROTEKTADO NG MGA POLITIKO ANG KARAPATAN NG HOME OWNERS PABOR LANG SILA SA MGA OLIGARCH AT MAYYAMAN NA NEGOSYANTE

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  31. What I don't understand is why nothing has happened up to now. 1k na mahigit ang Association Fees. Just now, during the ECQ, since wala sigurong masyadong nagbabayad ng dues, nagbawas sila ng security guards. LEHOA should be pro-home owner not on the side of the developers. Otherwise, para tayong tanga nito na sunod sunuran lang. We don't even get consulted when they create new rules. Akala yata nila kampo to and they control everything. Even the admins are useless. Lancaster New City is a beautiful place, but the LEHOA and the Village Admins are terrible. I hope someone somewhere puts a stop to this. Start kayo ulit ng campaign and I will help you get the numbers you need.

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  32. We've lived here for 5 years and we love our house. We know our rights and we don't contact the village admins as much as possible. LEHOA will try to impose their rules on the homeowners, but we push back. All in all, I don't regret buying a house here. But, things would have been easier if maayos and Homeowner's Association and Village Admins.

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  33. Pa TULFO na yan!! Mga Kurakot!!

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  34. worth it ba LNC? nag pa reserved pa naman ako ng unit. for DP na ako. dahil sa nabasa ko.. parang gusto ko mag back out! mygad!

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  35. Ano na pong update dito, sa lancaster ang MD ay 600 na po.

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  36. It's been 10yrs had past pero hanggang ngaun pinahihirqpqn pa rin ng Lehoa ang mga tao lalo na imbes na tubig na muna unahin kasi importante sa bawat bahay un wala man lang sila consideration. Nahatak na ang metro ko dahil ang laki din ng singil nila sa reconnection fee... this must stop di naman lahat ng tao kaya bayaran ang gusto nyo. Dapat to mapatulfo kasi sobra naman na to

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  37. 10yrs na lang lumipas bat naitigil ang perition ng HO na ilaban ang karapatan natin... Imbes na unahin ang bill sa AQUALINK kasi napaka importante ng tubig... napaka wise nyo sa pagpapahirap sa mga tao dapat nga talagang ipa tulfo to masyado ng mandarambong buti sana kung mahigpit ang security at maayos ang paglilinis ng daan at nahahakot lahat ng basura ang mga basurahan.. itayo uli ang protesta laban sa gantong sitwasyon.

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