Cudjoe Gardens Property Owners Assn., Inc.

Association Activities

Aug 27, 2001

Steve Vukelic Joins CGPOA Board
Last June, Steve Vukelic was selected to fill the unexpired term of Nick Johns, who moved to the Orlando area. Steve and Mary Ann, his wife of 12 years, moved here in 1995 from Buffalo, N.Y.
He worked for Anheuser-Busch for several years, and owned a beer distributorship in the Buffalo area. He studied at West Point and Syracuse University.
He is a diver and is particularly concerned with the local environment.
Don't Park Here
Several vehicles have recently been parked in vacant lots mowed by the Cudjoe Gardens lot maintenance service. These obstructions, including boats on trailers, empty boat trailers, cars and trucks, prevent Tom Farrell from properly mowing these properties.
Please help us all out by parking away from these maintained areas.
Weed Trap Between Colson and Sawyer Drives
Weeds tend to gather at the dead-end canal between Colson and Sawyer Drives. They eventually settle at the bottom and rot. This results in a highly undesirable odor.
To correct the problem, Ron Anderson placed a weed trap across the canal sometime before 1992. Following a resident?’s inquiry, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection decided it has no objection to the use and maintenance of this weed gate.
Mr. Anderson is not averse to relocating the trap at the entrance of the canal, where it would benefit the entire length of the canal, provided he has the support of the property owners along the sides of the canal. A permit may be required, however, if the trap is moved.
Volunteers Needed
Landscaping, social, and communications activities in the Gardens need your help.
Many residents have contributed to the physical appearance of the Gardens. Only a few of these contributions are: planting trees along Drost Drive, plantings along the entrance of Sawyer Drive, construction of the entrance sign on Drost Drive, moving the bulletin board, plantings near the signs, cutting down palms infected with lethal yellowing, trimming hedges.
Barbecues and other social activities need help welcoming new arrivals, preparing the site, obtaining food and beverages, cooking, cleaning up afterwards, distributing flyers, and so on.
The newsletter, directory, bulletin board, and web site all require copy writing, editing, graphics, production, soliciting advertising, and distribution.
If you have an interest in any of these activities, please contact any officer or director of the Association. But this is not necessary. Some activities have been carried out without any Association involvement. The important thing is that they get done.
Your neighbors may not all thank you personally, but we appreciate the results of your efforts.
Setback Case Update
In the hearing reported in our last newsletter, Association attorney Warren D. Tochterman accused defendants' attorney Francis H. Muldoon, Jr. of perpetrating a fraud upon the 16th Circuit Court.
These charges were documented in a motion filed on May 4, 2001. Muldoon claimed that 38 setback violations had been permitted so that the Association could not enforce these restrictions. He achieved this number by counting 19 items twice. Indeed one structure on 5th Ave. was counted four times. His claim also included two vacant lots and two non-existent addresses. The Association admitted only one violation, which was not permitted, and developer Vincent Drost took action to block a later sale of the property.
Muldoon failed to respond to these statements, but listed 19 additional properties in order to reach the magic number of 38. He also relied on J. Scott Haskell's claim that 20 properties were in violation of the deed restrictions in 1987. By double-counting once again, Muldoon asserted that more than 60 violations existed.
Judge Richard Payne then ordered Muldoon to show cause why he should not be found guilty of direct criminal contempt of court. He recognized that Muldoon falsely claimed that the Association conceded the 38 setback violations, but apparently did not realize that only 14 structures were involved. He also noted that Muldoon's family had property in the Gardens and therefore he might not properly represent the interests of his clients.
Judge Payne also rescinded his three orders based on the false claim.
Meanwhile, Muldoon's associate, Charles M. Milligan asked to be removed from the case.