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| Name: |
Lakelover(1)
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/17/2004 9:56:43 AM
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| Name: |
Lakelover(1)
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/17/2004 11:08:11 AM
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Guess I don't really know how this thing works, I meant to leave a message - so I'm replying to myself! My family and I lost our lake place of ~ 45 years, It was never actually ours - but in the old days the Russell Family made you feel like it was. Mom died, the last of her generation and, as the next generation, the offer I got to be able to keep the lease was way out of my world. Called "target" or "market" rent - I'm not sure. I must say I never thought it would happen. I spent a lot of childhood there, got married there, my grandparents and my parents ashes are "sprinkled" there. It just makes me sad. I remember when we used to just laugh at the those crazy folks who built those huge monstrosities out on the lake - places that seemed to remove the people inside from ever experiencing what I considered to be most valuable about lake living. The chance to shed your burdens; anonymity and renewal. Guess who's having the last laugh? Market rates for renters are through the roof and there is no end in sight. I looked out over the big water to the other side for years and watched in dismay as the night sky slowly filled with more and more lights along the far bank. Too many people with too much money and too little heart. I'll probably not come back for many years. I live on a small 80 acre lake here in Georgia, and although the vista is not as compelling and the sunsets not as breath-taking, at least I own it and it can't be taken away from me. The old man was a true philanthropist - one of the greats of his generation. He leased to my dad - a Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year (way back when) who played for "the Bear" and went to the Rose Bowl with him (they lost) and a decorated and beloved General in the USAF who fought in WWII (loved the P-51) and Korea (had to sit through long meetings where he couldn't pee or he'd "lose face"). The lease probably didn't even cover the taxes, but it was a big lake and old man Russell wanted to share his bounty. Our family knew years of good times there. I dream about the sunsets. Sunset cruises with a Scotch-on-the-Rocks. What is any better than that? We knew a lot of the people on the lake, but mostly went there to unwind and relax. Snugged in and only left to get food. Even spent a few New Year Eves there - with a full rock and roll band and no one around for miles - it was grand! This last little incident does not diminish how I feel about Lake Martin - it is intrinsically magical - regardless of the direction the management team at Russell ultimately decides to take it in. I wasn't ready to give it up, but my memories are still perfect. The world has surely been flipped on it's ear.
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| Name: |
Muddy Rudder
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/17/2004 11:39:06 AM
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Lakelover,
Really sorry to hear that. Sometimes we can't explain exactly why things happen the way they do. They can't take away your precious memories of fun and family! Hold them close and don't forget. Sounds like you are taking a healthy attitude and moving on with your head up. Hope you still have a great christmas.
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| Name: |
dogleg
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/18/2004 10:10:51 AM
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A Zen master, when asked if he saw the glass as half full or half empty, replied, "I see the glass as already broken."
I too have many great memories of the lake and my childhood there. We were fortunate to have bought our place from Alabama Power at a time before the prices went throught the roof, ( we certainly couldn't afford it today), but even so I feel that all of us old time lake bums are losing something.
When we first began coming to Lake Martin in 1961, folks drank water from the lake, could see the bottom clearly in 20 feet of water, built little four and five room cabins that seemed to sleep about 12 adults and 30 kids. We had no television, phone, city water, or garbage pickup. We had the time of our lives and when we were at the lake, the world truly narrowed to surrounding shoreline.
While the sense of loss emplied by this may be attributed to nostalgia and whining over passed youth, I think not entirely. The gentrification of the lake has for some time been a growing threat, not only to us old-fart lake bums, but to many of the very people who are responsible for that gentrification. We have had many attractive offers for our place on the lake. They would of course, bulldoze the house and build one not vastly different from their five bedroom three and a half bath residence near Atlanta or Birmingham. They would remove a bunch of trees, put in a landscaped turf lawn ont he lakeside, hire a lawn service to tend it (thereby fertilizing the algie in the lake and making it even more murky) and lose the very heart and soul that attracted them to the lake to start with.
How's at fer a first time post?
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/18/2004 4:23:01 PM
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This is old news, Al. Power let it be known that a large increase was coming at the next renewal. That is what the folks in Pleasure Point was rising cain about 5 years ago. It was about $80.00 a mo. then, now about $280.00. Will top out close to $400.00 in 2007.
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| Name: |
flabum
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| Subject: |
Hard to believe....
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Date:
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12/20/2004 7:02:37 AM
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you didnt know about this a long time ago..or did you just think it would continue on...did you investigate anything??
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| Name: |
Lakelover(1)
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/20/2004 10:04:16 AM
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Thanks for all the input. Makes me feel better. My mother was the matriarch and she really ran the show. I was told that I could inherit her lease by the powers that be. It never occurred to me that meant I would get first right of refusal as if I had never rented from them before. You would think after 45 years some sort of accommodation could be made. At least to honor the lease my mother had signed a month before, which went through July 2005 - she died in August. These new lease provisions were instituted July of this year and the new contract was sent out in May. Up until this year it was always Dec to Dec and we had never had anything in writing before this spring. One month didn't leave a lot of time to consider things. I guess I must seem terribly naive to a great many of you, but I wouldn't treat a dog that way. Our lease went from 200.00/mo to 250.00/mo to 625.00/mo and now to 1500/mo, all within 4 years. It was just too much to absorb - not to mention that there was a lot of maintenance that had been deferred as my parents generation got past their prime. The new rules state that any improvements are now considered to be gifts to the owners. When we upgraded to the larger house back in 1984 or 85 we had to "buy" from the leaving tenets the right to lease by giving them 18,000.00 for the dock and the flagstone patio. They were at least 15 years old. That was a lot of $ in those days, but we were thrilled to get the place at all. Renters felt as though it was in their best interest to make improvements (docks, boathouses, patios, HVAC, etc) since they would get the fair market value for them when they gave up their lease to the next guy (and enjoyed the improvements while they were there). The new rules specify that this is no longer the case. There was at least 15,000.00 (probably more like 20,000.00) worth of improvements we needed to make. My family and I were willing to make these improvements - even knowing that we would never recoup the cost; mostly sea wall and dock repairs. But even with that as incentive to keep us on - come up with some kind of graduated rent increase - or something, the management told me on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving that the new lease would be for 1,500.00/mo and it would start Jan 1. I guess I should be thankful that they just went ahead and gave me the final death blow. If I had made all the needed repairs (I had already gotten some local outfit to bid on the improvements) and then they had gone from the contracted 625.00/mo to the stunning 1,500.00/mo I would probably be mad along with sad. As it is, I just hate how the world has gotten - calculating and self-serving. They say "think globally and act locally" - because it's all so connected; golden rule and all that. Should have seen it coming. Yeah - the whole thing came as a total surprise. I would have liked one more summer though - just to say goodbye. I still can't believe it.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
Hard to believe....
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Date:
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12/20/2004 1:09:16 PM
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As I stated a long time ago, under a different Alias, when your AP Lease comes up fpr renewal get your billfold ready for a large increase. I would suggest that anyone with a lease , unload it as soon as possible.
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| Name: |
longtimelaker
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/20/2004 4:23:31 PM
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I believe this gentleman is referring to Russell Lands property. In either case (Ala. Power or Russell Lands), it ain't what it used to be. We have had our family cabin since 1959 and have seen all this develop over the years.
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| Name: |
longtimelaker
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| Subject: |
Hard to believe....
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Date:
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12/20/2004 4:27:05 PM
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See post above; again this person appers to be addressing Russell Lands property, not Ala. Power property.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
Hard to believe....
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Date:
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12/20/2004 5:05:21 PM
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Have not had any dealing with Russel Lands, have heard about all the perks given to employees over the years, it is over as with AL. Power. The Lease holder at Pleasure Point claimed that the renewal coming up in 2007 was going up 14 hundred percent, So they started to increase the lot rent to the subleasers in about 1999 to get ready for the renewal in 2007. Say the lot rent on100 lots @ 400.00 per mo.= 40,000,00 per mo. x 12 = 480,000.00. a year plus the boat houses & cabins & store, they have a gold mine there. Does AL. Power have the option not to renew ? Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
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| Name: |
4thelake
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| Subject: |
Lost our place
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Date:
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12/20/2004 8:37:05 PM
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Unbelievable.......My payment on my note on the home I owne on the lake isnt even that high,,,, and I have only owned it for 4 years.
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| Name: |
flabum
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| Subject: |
As the value
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Date:
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12/22/2004 6:34:57 AM
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of property rises...so does the cost of using it....I had an opportunity to get some Russell property back in the 80's and didnt cuz of the same stuff you have just said...you shd have known when they started to get rid of the folks over near the marina...your time was coming soon...your odl property will be SOLD..
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| Name: |
BiggerDog
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| Subject: |
Hard to believe....
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Date:
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12/28/2004 4:26:31 PM
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Stellar thought went into this very detailed analysis. JIM, do you charge a consulting fee for your invaluable advice?
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