Robert Sher's Self-promoting Propaganda Letter

And so, that fantasies continue.....

In our last response to one of Robert Sher's letters, we introduced Cedar Run homeowners to  something we're calling 'Sher Fantasies'.  These are statements made by Robert Sher that are deceptive, misleading, or just pure lies.  We then gave a brief explanation of the truth.  We received some great feedback, so we've provided our analysis of this current 'newsletter' in a similar fashion.

Sher's November letter is packed full of his 'fantasies' as always.  Many of them were already addressed in our post on November 11th.  Perhaps Sher feels that if he keeps repeating the same lies, that everyone will start to believe him.

But we did notice an interesting shift in this most recent newsletter.  Sher still blames any and all problems on Alma, the former board, phase boards, etc.....the usual propaganda.  However we can see that he is now trying to give himself a new image as our guardian angel, who swooped down from heaven to rescue Cedar Run.  His selfless acts of kindness and philanthropy have since  made Cedar Run such a great place!!  We're all much happier now than we were two years ago...right??  WRONG!!

Sher Fantasy #1
Former Board left Sher with an empty bank account, and tried to secure a loan
LIE - See our previous rebuttal (fantasy #5).  There were no efforts by the prior board to take out a loan.  Sher claims that they were pursuing a loan for $110,000.  In fact $110,000 was the cash balance in the previous board's bank account before Sher closed it. He got the dollar amount right, but it's an asset, not a liability as Sher alleges.

Sher Fantasy #2
Sher will recover money from former board
MISLEADING - Sher mentions this in passing, but the devil is in the details.  The Sher group filed suit against ten former Master Board directors and Alma last summer.  They alleged mismanagement, corruption, breach of fiduciary duty, and multiple other counts.  Anne Shaw was naturally selected to argue this case (gotta keep it in the Shaw family), and our insurance company covered the cost to defend the accused individuals and Alma.  On June 25th, 2013, all counts were thrown out due to lack of evidence.  But that wasn't enough for Robert Sher to realize he has no case because he recently re-filed an amended complaint to keep this futile effort alive.....How much homeowner money must he spend before he finally accepts defeat??

Sher Fantasy #3
Alma Wasted money by repaving streets
MISLEADING - While it may be a matter of opinion whether the streets needed repaving (and most homeowners agree that they did), Sher leaves out the fact that crumbling concrete curbs, manhole covers, and driveways were also repaved/replaced.  If you'd like to see the difference between a repaved street (which will last many years if maintained properly) and Robert Sher's patchwork, take a walk down some of the repaved courts and compare them to Locust and Spruce....then decide which seems like the wiser repair.

Sher Fantasy #4
Coach lights are the phase's responsibility
MISLEADING - It certainly could be argued that the garage coach lights, being attached to the building, are your phase's responsibility. Yet the master board has serviced them for years.  Prior to Sher's takeover, this was budgeted for every year.  We can all remember that the lights were well-maintained at that time.  When Sher's group took over, they inherited the old board's budget and responsibilities.  As for the light bulbs, they were promising to take care of them for several months, but making excuses for why they hadn't made progress....they claimed the bulbs were ordered and they are waiting for delivery, accused one homeowner of essentially hijacking the delivery, claimed that volunteer bulb-changers were being stalked.....anything to avoid taking care of the issue.  Now this has been 'punted' on to the phases, just like the insurance.  Once again, Robert Sher claims to have cut your costs, but he is really just making you pay from a different pocket, and he is NOT passing any savings onto you.

Sher Fantasy #5
Alma took away your shares in the Corporation
LIE - smoke and mirrors!  Nobody took away your shares of anything.  Each of the 408 homeowners owns one 'share' or piece of the Cedar Run Homeowners' Corporation (aka the master board).  If you own two units, you own two shares...period!  Robert Sher is referring to the fact that Cedar Run Homeowners' Corporation was 'involuntarily dissolved' in 1999.  'Dissolved' is a misleading term because the corporation never vanished or ceased to exist.  It was simply not properly registered or 'incorporated' with the Secretary of State.  This was easily fixable, as Robert Sher proved last year.  While the old board's attorney should have fixed this, it was not anything near the conspiracy that Robert Sher alleges it to be.  No shares were lost, taken, stolen, or eliminated. (more on this when we blog about the bylaws)

Sher Fantasy #6
Oversight Committee gives us Checks and Balances
LIE - This one is almost self-explanatory.....Miriam Webster's dictionary defines Checks & Balances as "A system in which the different parts of an organization (such as a government) have powers that affect and control the other parts so that no part can become too powerful."  Robert Sher expects us to think that his oversight committee gives us that?!?  The unchecked power wielded by the Sher/Shaw family via oversight committee is the exact reason we NEED Checks & Balances.  Sher's version of Checks & Balances means he controls every board decision, pays himself (and papa Jack) handsomely for part-time work, and does away with elections that could threaten his power.

Sher Fantasy #7
Oversight Committee became licensed only to allow them to manage Cedar Run
LIE - He tried to slip this one by us...to no avail.  Sher states, in passing, that the Oversight Committee (consisting of only him and Jack Shaw) attained a license to manage Cedar Run.  He then claims that this license was attained strictly for the purpose of managing Cedar Run. As always the devil is in the details and this one requires some explanation....

Robert Sher and Jack Shaw both have Community Association Manager licenses, which are required by law for property managers.  What Sher didn't tell you is that (#1) we, the homeowners paid for them to get this credential to the tune of $1438.07 (check # 1030, 9/27/12) and (#2) They immediately started marketing their property management services to other associations.

Shortly after taking control of Cedar Run, the Shaw Real Estate Group added a 'Property Management' section to their website, www.callmpa.com, which was 'under construction' at the time.  Within the next few months, their Property Management web page went live, boasting decades of experience and making very similar promises that the Sher/Shaw group made to Cedar Run homeowners in order to gain their vote.  So the bottom line is that Cedar Run Homeowner money was spent to give Robert Sher and Jack Shaw a professional license so we can hire them to manage us AND so they can expand their family business into property management.

Not happy about this??  Then you are encouraged to share your view with the State licensing authority.  Email us at restoreCR@gmail.com, and we will gladly walk you through the process.


stay tuned for more Sher Fantasies.....

Here we go again......

Today, Cedar Run homeowners received another propaganda letter from Robert Sher.  As usual, this letter is filled with deceptive statements.  This time, the shameless self-promotion of Robert Sher and Jack Shaw is more blatant than ever before.  If you believed half of what this letter claims, you'd think these two men were saints.  But in reality, we know their involvement in Cedar Run is purely out of self-interest.

Among other things, Sher also reveals the rollout of a somewhat extreme parking program (after doing nothing for a year), once again confirms that we can expect lousy snow removal service this winter, pledges to open the pool next year (we will believe it when we see it!), and blames any and all problems on everyone but himself.

We will provide our full rebuttal of this letter within the next few days, complete with another top ten list. Please stay tuned.

Meeting at Cedar Run Clubhouse at 8PM tonight!

Tonight, concerned homeowners will have another opportunity to show their opposition to Robert Sher's reign of terror and all the lost services, bullying, and assessment increases it has brought us.

Homeowners in Phases 2, 3, & 6 received a notice from Sher, placed behind their mailbox yesterday.  This note urged them to attend tonight's meeting to hear the 'truth' about the insurance costs and where your phase money is going.

Why did he choose to single out the above phases??  It's simple.....these are phases which he claims to already control and manage.  He and Jack Shaw even collecting management fees from the master board for supposedly managing these phases.  We've shown you check images to prove it.

But in reality, Sher does NOT control nor manage ANY of these phases.  He hasn't paid a single water bill or contracted any services.  He staged illegal meetings where he claims to have taken over these phases, but the courts have repeatedly ruled against his claim to have taken them over.

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So....the truth about the insurance and money.

Money
If your unit is in Phase 2, 3, or 6, your phase assessments are sent directly to Itasca Bank (where your phase's account is located).  The money in the account is used to pay your phase's water bill (auto-debited every 2 months), the bank loan payment (auto-debited every month), Alma's management fees (which works out to be $4 per homeowner per month) insurance, and any other services needed on the buildings. Anything requiring a check must have a designated director of the phase board sign the check before the check is valid.

Insurance
As we have covered multiple times on this blog as far back as August....Sher's chose not to cover your phase, and therefore the expense was shifted to your phase association. This also raised the price of the insurance because it was no longer bundled with the other phases.  This was yet another tactic by Robert Sher to make you believe that your phase board and management are jacking up your assessments.

What we expect Sher to tell you
As you probably already expect, he will blame the assessment increase on everyone but himself.  He will blame Alma for the fact that our previous insurance company dropped us.  He will blame Alma for the fact that our previous Insurance Agency refuses to even deal with Sher.  Most of all, he will try and convince you that Alma and your phase board are illegally controlling your money.

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What is Sher's solution?
Give him control of your phase, and he will roll back that assessment increase (which he really can't). How does he plan to gain control?  He will likely ask you to sign an affidavit or statement claiming that your phase is being illegally controlled.  Using your statement as 'evidence' , he will then file yet ANOTHER LAWSUIT against Alma, which he is certain to LOSE (AGAIN!), paying Anne Shaw tens of thousands of dollars of your money for nothing.  All this is another effort for Sher to try and increase his salary with more of your money!

If it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is!!
We strongly urge you to think before signing anything that Robert Sher places in front of you.  The devil is in the details!!  In past attempts at phase takeovers, Sher puts in three 'figurehead' directors who sign all their rights over to him, permanently dissolve the phase's board of directors, put Barbara Shaw and Sue Koehl permanently in charge of your phase's money, and agree to permanently pay Sher/Shaw management fees.  None of these things are legal, and a court would definitely throw them out.  But if Sher ever did succeed in doing these things, the only way to call him out for his illegal activity would be to sue him in civil court.  How many Cedar Run homeowners could afford to fund a lawsuit???

Consider the Source!!
Robert Sher is a master at manipulating the facts.  He may appear to have a very plausible argument for why you should support him or sign something for him.  Consider all the promises he has made in the past that never came true!  Consider what a lousy job he has done with the Master Board and ask yourself if he deserves more control over Cedar Run.  Check out our "Remember when..." blog entry if you need a reminder.

We agree with Robert Sher that we need unity!!
What we don't agree with is his version of unity.....sign everything over to him and trust him to handle the rest.  Our version of unity - Remove Robert Sher from any Cedar Run management function and bring in a new board consisting of responsible, mature, critical-thinking, volunteer ADULTS with no conflicts of interest.  Then and only then can Cedar Run have unity.  Then and only then can this outrageous bank lawsuit end!!  Then and only then can the phases and master board have a harmonious relationship, unify the property under one management and solve problems together!!

If you believe in our version of unity, please email us at restoreCR@gmail.com to find out how you can help.  See everyone at the meeting!!

Remember When......

This is the premiere of a new running segment we are posting on this blog called 'Remember When'.  Here, we will recount an event, condition, or situation in the recent past and point out how things are now.  Most of the content was suggested to us by Cedar Run homeowners who emailed us, and we encourage all homeowners to continue sending us their ideas.

So here goes....

Remember When....
Robert Sher assured us he had no plans to manage or profit from Cedar Run??
In an effort to win votes, Sher sent out a letter in the Summer of 2012 which reusponded to accusations that his true motivation was to manage Cedar Run and profit from it.  He vehemently denied having any interest in doing so, and continued to claim that his motivation was to stand up for his fellow homeowners.  Within one month of taking over, Sher and Jack Shaw were on the payroll.  The rest it history.  Does anyone still believe he is in it for his fellow homeowners??

Remember When....
Robert Sher promised the same level of service for half the assessment cost??
Sher sent a postcard just a few days before the August, 2012 special election.  On it he made the above promise, followed by the instruction to 'Sign your proxy to Robert Sher'.  We got a $10 reduction in our assessment (recently trumped by an increase of more than double that for insurance).  As for the level of services.....Is there a single homeowner that really believes we are getting the same level of services that we did before Sher came along?

Remember When....
Robert Sher told us he would turn Cedar Run's ponds into parking lots and soccer fields??
He claimed that the ponds were unnecessary, and he even showed us a copy of a letter he wrote to the Village of Wheeling, claiming that he plans to fill and eliminate the ponds.  He apparently wasn't aware that they are needed for storm water retention...which would explain why we are not playing soccer or parking our cars on them now.

Remember When....
Snow was removed from all roads, driveways, and walkways in Cedar Run promptly after a snowstorm??
If you've lived in Cedar Run for more than two years, you'll remember the 'Good old days' when we could take snow removal for granted.  We could also count on the roads & walkways being de-iced (aka salted) during freezing temperatures.  When large icicles would form, we could also count on them being cut down before they presented a real danger.  Last winter, two pickup trucks made up our entire snow removal fleet.  Driveways were rarely cleared, walkways almost never.  Nothing was done if there was less than two inches of snow.  The roads may have been salted once or twice all winter, driveways & walkways NEVER (we were told to be 'good neighbors' and salt them ourselves...at our own expense).

Remember When....
Anne Shaw solicited homeowners for 'Slip & Fall' cases against Cedar Run??
In spring of 2012, the Sher/Shaw group sent out an invitation to homeowners, offering a free consultation with Anne Shaw for 'Slip & Fall' and other personal injury cases against the association (master board) at that time.  Now they are falsely claiming that the association is no longer liable for any injuries on the property.

Remember When....
Robert Sher said he had an innovative solution to Cedar Run's parking problems?
We don't (and never will) park on the ponds. We had a short-lived parking program that did nothing to encourage homeowners to park off-street, required a new pass each month, charged parking fees for the first time in Cedar Run history, and contained empty threats (as we now know) to boot, tow and hold our cars for ransom.  Today, the 'No Parking' signs are a mere suggestion.  Dumpsters are often blocked.  Emergency vehicles can't fit through any of the courts, and we have nobody we can call if another car is blocking our garage or driveway. While some homeowners may be content with this situation, they won't be happy when the village decides to start ticketing heavily (which they have threatened in the past).

AND for our favorite......

Remember When....
Robert Sher said that he would make the loans go away?
Robert Sher stated from day one that the construction loans taken by the phases were illegal.  He told us to pay all of our assessment to the Master Board, including the phase portion.  He even flatly stated (in writing) that he would withhold this money to obstruct the phases from making their loan payments.  He told us he could challenge the loans with a lawsuit and have them dissolved by the courts.  How's that plan working for us??  We'll tell you how.....Robert Sher's obstruction of the loan payments caused both banks (Barrington and Itasca) to file suit.  This was almost one year ago, and Sher's board is still in contempt of court.  Why is this important to you?? Because every time there is a court appearance, five different law firms incur legal fees: one for each bank, one for the master board (Anne Shaw), one for the Alma managed phases, and one for the APM, managed phases.  ALL THESE LEGAL BILLS ARE PAID WITH HOMEOWNER FUNDS!!!! By law, the banks have the right to collect their legal costs from us if they have to sue to enforce the loans.  Phase loans have grown by tens of thousands of dollars to cover the banks' legal fees....and the lawsuit isn't over yet!  So instead of making the loans go away as promised, your neighbor, your friend, your advocate, Mr. Robert Sher has made the loans bigger.

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Feel free to post your own 'Remember when' story in the comments section of this blog or email them along with your suggestions, comments, or questions at restoreCR@gmail.com.

We Can Thank Robert Sher for Phase Asessment Increases

We've all noticed by now that our phase assessments have or soon will increase.  Phases now must budget about several times what they did last year to insure our buildings.  The Cedar Run Concerned Homeowners are outraged about these increases, and we believe all homeowners should know why this has happened.

In our blog entry from August 13, 2013 entitled The Truth About Our Insurance, we explain how Cedar Run has always been insured under one 'Umbrella Policy'  that includes the Master Board and all phases.  This insurance policy was paid from the Master Board portion of your assessment.  As of July of this year, Robert Sher has ended this. The Master Board stopped  paying for insurance for your building and the phases were left to find their own insurance.  Sher once again 'spins' this as a cost cutting measure.  As you can see by your phase's budget, it is NOT.

You can expect the next propaganda letter or speech from Robert Sher to blame these phase assessment increases on everyone but himself (Alma, APM, phase directors, the banks, Bloomberg, The Partridge Family.....etc).  The truth is that  Robert Sher had been planning this for months.  If you read the letters he sent out as far back as December 2012 (letters will be posted on this site soon), he repeatedly stated that the Master Board would no longer cover phase insurance. Around that time, he even (falsely) told some homeowners that their phase had already been dropped from the insurance policy.

We also pointed out in our August 13th blog entry that Sher even filed a lawsuit against the phases where he argued that the Master Board should not cover any phase's insurance.

Why is this important to you?  Two reasons...

First, the umbrella policy (all phases under one insurance policy) costs much less than separate policies for each phase.  Just like bundling your home, first car, second car, boat, etc. into one insurance policy, the umbrella policy saves a great deal of money....with 11 phases being bundled, the savings really stacked up.

Second, your Master Board, under Sher's direction, is still collecting money from you that should be paying your building's insurance.  This has been the case since July 2013.  Now that your phase has to cover these costs, you are being charged twice.

Do remember from his September letter that Sher bought a bare minimum insurance policy for the Master Board with NO LIABILITY COVERAGE!!

Once again, we have another example of Robert Sher claiming to save money, but really just passing the cost (now a higher cost) onto homeowners through their phase assessments. It's no wonder the Master Board has $300,000. Sher stopped providing services, but continues to collect money for those services. Is he giving himself a pay raise every time he 'saves us money' in such a way?

The $10 reduction that Sher gave us after taking control of Cedar Run should now be 5 times that to account for services he is NOT providing.

Another budget year is here. The Master Board should have made a budget to justify the assessments they are collecting. Do you think they will prepare a budget and deliver it to homeowners? If history is any indication, probably not.....

We'd love to hear feedback from homeowners.  Feel free to email us at restoreCR@gmail.com,

Our Response to Robert Sher's September letter

Robert Sher sent a letter to all Cedar Run homeowners in mid September, 2013.  In this letter, he attempts to justify (and practically boast about) his actions since taking power.

Most homeowners have grown tired of Robert Sher's deceptive ways of distorting the truth.  We have been flooded with emails from homeowners expressing their outrage at Sher's letter for attempting to 'spin' Cedar Run as being such a wonderful place under his management.

Robert Sher either believes we are gullible, or he is living in a fantasy world if he actually believes any of the outlandish statements he has written.  We've compiled a 'top ten'  list (in no specific order) of Robert Sher's "Fantasies" from the September letter followed by our explanation of the truth.

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Sher Fantasy #1
The August 14th meeting was a great success
LIE - An overwhelming majority of homeowners were there because they were outraged after learning that Sher, Shaw, and various directors were being paid with homeowner funds (something Sher refused to disclose).  At one point, Robert Sher even called the police, accusing homeowner of 'rioting' when they asked him difficult questions.  As always, the police arrived to find a room full of orderly homeowners and no riot.  If there was so much support for Sher at the August 14th meeting, why would he skip September and October's meetings and schedule the next one for November??

Sher Fantasy #2
Robert Sher encourages you to demand more cameras to make Cedar Run safer
MISLEADING - Robert Sher has disabled the Police link for the cameras we already have. Why would he want more cameras with NO link to the police, which he would centrally control?  To spy on you??

Sher Fansasy #3
Previous Master Board increases assessments every year for 14 years
LIE - Master board portion of assessment often did not increase.  Phase assessment increased more frequently due to increased water cost and other maintenance cost increases.  Within the past 5 years, foreclosures and delinquencies have led to higher assessments. Even so, not every phase assessment went up every year in the past 14 years as Robert Sher claims.

Sher Fansasy #4
Alma quit when the Sher group took over
LIE - Alma's attorney and the new board's attorney made an agreement to discontinue Alma's management, effective immediately.  Alma turned over all of its files relating to the Master Board, despite Robert Sher's accusation that they withheld records.

Sher Fansasy #5
Alma left the board with no money
LIE - There was close to $110,000 in the bank when the new board (Sher's board) took over.  This was even after a large payment was made to repave several streets, driveways, and curbs within Cedar Run.

Sher Fansasy #6
Alma signed their own checks
MISLEADING - Alma was one of three signatures on any check.  The other two signatures were elected directors.  Any check written without ALL THREE signatures could NOT be cashed.  Compared to Robert Sher's current board....Only two signatures are required, and one of them is his WIFE.

Sher Fantasy #7
The former board and Alma had no transparency
LIE - The former board had open meetings every month and conducted business on the presence of homeowners. There they presented a treasurer's report with financial information and all checks written.  When is the last time we saw a meeting like this from Robert Sher?  That's right....NEVER!  And by the way, what did it take to get Sher to FINALLY admit he is being paid??  A court order and a blog post!!  Is this his idea of transparency??
 
Sher Fantasy #8
Robert Sher is 'negotiating' the bank loans
LIE - We have been assured by multiple representatives of both Itasca and Barrington Banks that they are not and will not negotiate with Robert Sher.  In fact, Robert has no authority to discuss these loans with the banks because the loans are with the Phases and NOT the Master Board. We could easily write several blog entries alone about Robert Sher's lies about the loans....perhaps we will.

Sher Fantasy #9
Robert Sher saved us $30,000 in management fees
LIE - Robert Sher's management costs were $53,747.95 for only ten months of management, compared to Alma's fees of $42,840 for ten months.  Sher pays himself, Jack Shaw, Sue Koehl, the entire DeLeon family, and small amounts to other homeowners who support him.  This total does not include the utility bills he pays for certain homeowners.  Nor does it include any assessment fees that Sher is waiving or discounting for certain directors or homeowners.

Last, but not least......

Sher Fantasy #10 
Cedar Run is no longer liable for any injuries on the property 
OUTRAGEOUS LIE!!!!  - Robert Sher is saying that since he chose to drop the liability insurance for the Master Board, that the Master Board basically isn't liable for anything. By law, anyone hurt on Cedar Run property, resulting from improper maintenance for example, can sue and collect damages.  If this were to happen, HOMEOWNER FUNDS would be used to pay these damages instead of an insurance claim.  Cedar Run is now self-insured for liability.  This is foolish and very risky...especially for an association that doesn't properly shovel and salt its walkways...

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In addition to the issues in our Top Ten List, many homeowners that reached out to us were outraged that Sher would boast that the Master Board has $300,000 in the bank, but he refuses to open our pool or provide adequate services.  Instead, he pays himself and pours money into a clubhouse nobody can use.  We can also see from this letter that we can expect the same lousy snow removal service that we had last winter.

The bottom line....This September letter from Robert Sher is another example of how he is out of touch with the reality.  He still claims to do everything right, and when something goes wrong.....he blames it on someone else.


We welcome your questions, comments, concerns, and suggestions at restoreCR@gmail.com.  Thank you to all who have taken the time to write.