jen.don your response was selective."and I don't connect with Vision in any way either" was also written.
Retirement Villages as a concept are absolutely great.BUT there are those who operate them as such and those who operate them as purely a money making exercise. The latter are to be avoided if you want to retain financial security over the years of your residence. I don't think that you have practical experience of living in a Retirement Village so your comments are idealistic rather than realistic so should be read in that context. Just like a sales brochure!

Firstly, thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. It's very informative and has been most helpful in confirming my thoughts on this matter.
Yes, Jenny - I'd be first to agree that the Vision Villages appear to be 'The Best' in almost every respect and value your comments, knowledge and experience in this field very much (your 07 June'09 #12 post is excellent) ..... I'm just jealous of all those fortunate folk who can afford to be part of them - lol. Only wish the prospects for me being part of this sort of lifestyle were able to be more than just a dream.

I don't wish to get into an emotional debate with you either Caroob, as objectieve comments are way more valuable, but may I ask, "Have You any 'personal' / 'practical' living in a retirement village experience?.
It appears that in her defence, that Jenny's experience is as close to the Vision and other situations as one could get by 'dealing with' and assisting those who have pursued this lifestyle change and referred other on, etc, etc.... .
Smiles-R-Free

No no no. I don't want to be safe. I would sooner have a mud floor and a raupo thatched roof living on the West Coast then to spend my final precious days in the warm balmy fog of a retirement home.

HI I am sure living in a retirment settlement is a better way for us to live as we get older. Many of the old "Resthome " wards are now so hard to get into as they are used mostly for people who are at hospital level care. I feel there is a great need for a much less expensive choice of this type of living. I think the "Gottage" style of dwelling on a peice of land that is leased or bought but within a complex that is only about 12 to 14 small affordable dwellings. each with their own little plot. There would always need to be one caregiver available along with co-ordinator but this would be run by a group including the residents. They should own and sell their own place but tenants should be approved by the group running this which are residents and caregiver and co-orinator. I have lived in this type of complex and find it great for socialising and for other to look after those not so well occasionaly . Affordable is the word as there is a huge gap now in care giving and the villages and alternatives available to the little more able elderly people. If there is anyone out there with business nosh and a bit of backing would love to talk to you re these ideas as I know that they would work and we could live more happily as we get older I have worked in many Homes that are for care and they only show this on paper in reality it is always only the dollars they worry about believe me. Also we would not be taken for a ride financially as these retirment villages do.
At present we all live in something similar and all help with the upkeep and maintanance which keeps everyone a little busy and healthier and happier you find everyone has some skills or other that are used.

Readers of this discussion may also be interested in the the discussion here on GrownUps with regard to; Stonehaven Retirement Village !

testing in here to see if my comment works .cheers pearly

The Stonehaven Retirement Village saga is precisely my concern when I initiated this discussion
Hustler

Hi Tom and thank you for your consideration with regards to the issues at Stonehaven Retirement Village.

I wish to bring to your attention the situation that currently exists at Stonehaven Retirement Village Maungakaramea.
Please therefore find below a brief summery of the situation and the distressing effect it is having on residents past and present.

Minutes, AGM 31st October 2011.
Judith Turner asked why the, "Licence to Occupy" units appeared on the Financial Statement reports in favour of the Village ?
Sandy Brown responded, be it right or wrong, it would be appropriate in this current financial year because a number of residents wanted to claim ownership of their homes ????
Sandy Brown further argued that they do not own their own home ????

Derick Thomas stated he was threatened by the Trust with termination if he doesn't pay yet another substantial increase in the Service Fees.
Brett Price answered, "if the increases in Service Fees are not paid you will be terminated !"
There was an outcry from Jude Turner stating it was bullying and intimidation of the very worst kind !
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It is very true to say that there have been a number of very frightened and extremely distraught residents whom have effectively abandoned their homes !

"To our dear friends, we have come to the conclusion that we are no longer prepared to put up with the bullying, verbal abuse and the coercion to negate our rights.
We do not have sufficient precious time to waste in this way and we hope that you will understand".
Kindest regards,
Name withheld.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Far more disturbing is that some Trustees have now resorted to bullying and intimidation in order to achieve their own personal agenda with regard to the Village.
The Trust has in fact already, for alleged inappropriate behaviour, terminated the LTO of two residents and expelled them from the Village, furthermore the Trust is currently in the process of terminating the LTO of a third and possibly a forth resident.

At the 2011 Residents Christmas function, Stonehaven Retirement Village Trustee, Brett Price, having consumed a large quantity of alcohol had to be physically restrained from physically and verbally abusing a resident in his seventies, despite however Price
being restrained he continued to repeatedly threaten to break both the legs of the elderly resident.
Moments prior to this incident, Chairman of the Board of Stonehaven Trustees, Ross Woods, removed from Brett Price the remains of a bottle of Whiskey, presumably because of his unacceptable, drunken and obnoxious behaviour.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ross Woods,
Further to my Dispute Re, Stonehaven Retirement Village Trustee Graham Wright,
I am still not satisfied that the Trust is taking this seriously.
I felt threatened by his behaviour of the evening of the Christmas function and
question the judgement made by him to Intimidate myself and my Guest late at night.
Knocking loudly on my door at 10.15pm, Gramme was either drunk, on a substance or has a disposition of violent outbursts and leaves me to believe it was to create fear.
He managed to put fear into my female guest who was staying with me at this time and
this was born out by my guest.
He did not and has not apologised for the abuse which he reaped on me and the fear that my guest felt.
On that evening a number of the Trust had consumed a quantity of Alcohol to the effect that one Trustee was escorted out threatening an elderly resident, "I am going to break both of your legs!"
Since then this residents is to scarred to reside in the village and I have the same feeling that it is not a safe place to be if you "cross a Trust Member."
In the past 2 residents have been reprimanded for this and been instructed to leave the village.
I could easily have taken a different course of action which would have resulted in yet another violent incident involving a Trust Member who had similarly had to much to drink.
However I took a different course of action to spend as much time out of the Village as possible, I decided for Peace of Mind to stay elsewhere.
I do not wish to prolong this by the Trust using delaying tactics and costly avenues using Solicitors to play "their Games" The Trust does not pay directly the Solicitors fees, however as a resident I have an input into both.
I look forward to your proposal to meet Graham, and any one else he decides to bring.
I also reserve the right to continue this dispute if I am not satisfied with the outcome.
Stonehaven Resident.

From: Ross Woods rosswoods@xtra.co.nz
Cc: Phill Halse, Stonehaven Trustee and Deputy Mayor WDC.

Hi,
In discussions with Graham today, he has decided to do nothing at present regarding your complaint. I am happy if you want to take that up with him.
In Summary You won't be happy with the outcome to your complaint and after listening to all sides the decision at the last trust meeting still stands. I suggest you ake this up directly with Graham.
Ross Woods

Ross,
My original request for this meeting was to discuss my complaint regarding the actions of Stonehaven Retirement Village Trustee, Graham Wright.
It was at your suggestion that I meet Graham in an attempt to sort out this dispute, to which I agreed.
I understand from your response that Graham Wright has declined this and your position as the Trust is to take no further action.
I am therefore considering taking this complaint to the next level as the Complaint is based on a Trust Member abusing a resident.
This and another incident on the same evening involving Trust Member Brett Price is totally unacceptable behaviour especially in a Retirement Village and in your own admittance you had to remove a bottle of Whiskey from the Trust member Involved.
I await your reply.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stonehaven Trustees, Brett Price and Graham Wright are in fact related, they both appear to have inherited the same alcohol dependency problem and they both remain as Trustees of Stonehaven Retirement Village....despite their inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour ????

GrownUpsNZ 14 Mar 2012
Julian Assange

Hi Rex,
I am sorry to inform you that the problems at Stonehaven Retirement Village have not been sorted and since in fact the current Trustees have been operating the Village problems have increased.

From: Ross Woods
Cc: Phill Halse, Stonehaven Trustee and Deputy Mayor WDC.
Sent: Wed, 29 September, 2010 3:29:29 PM

It is the Trust who are the owners and operators of the village.
The council are not currently interested in owning or operating the Village.
Their imediate goal is that the village is managed sustainably and that debt is managed.
There is a moratorium on interest payments on the debt, while we sort out payment of that debt.
Payment of debt cannot come from ORAs/leases and as the other asset is the rental properties the logical option is to sell some of these as ORAs.
They are a different market than most of the 2 bedroom units but we wish to ensure that we do not flood the market and devalue properties that current ORAs like yourself wish to sell.

There is some nervousness out there amongst Tennants around this but the Trust and council do see a need for affordable rental housing as well.
The council are strongly supportive of the Village and Trust. To that effect the Trust Deed now has written into it that the council appoint 2 of the Trustees.
Ross Woods,
Chairman of the Board of Stonehaven Trustees.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
According to Stonehaven Trustee Brett Price at a meeting in December 2011, that "the debt" will have increased from the $900k when the current Trustees took office to a projected $1.8 million by this year, 2012.
Furthermore, at the time of writing none of the one bedroom Units have sold with up to six being unoccupied at any one time and at least four of the sixteen 2 bed units are unoccupied which equates to about 25% of all units at the Village being unoccupied resulting in a substantial loss of revenue.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ross,
Further to your statement on Thursday the 9th of December 2010 at a meeting arranged by yourself in order to address the Service Fee, an increase of 500% in five years, whereby you considered yourself to be the best possible person to operate Stonehaven Retirement Village and the reason the Village would not, in it's entirety be offered for sale to the likes of the Ryman Group or any other professional body.
Are you aware that the Ryman Group state that their base weekly fee has not increased to an existing resident in over 20 years and will never increase more than the rate of inflation?
Would you therefore retract your statement on the basis that it is inaccurate and misleading ?

From: Ross Woods
At no stage have I said that I am the best possible person to run the village. I would never be so pretentious to make that statement. I will not retract a statement that I have never made. I have no need.

Ross,
As Chairman, one would hope that you do indeed consider yourself to be
the best possible person to Operate the Village, if not, then please stand down and allow someone whom does and has the ability, to do so.
------------------------------------------------------
Ross Woods,
Thank you for your letter dated 20 December 2010.
I would be grateful to receive as soon as possible a copy of the new agreement to which refer.

From: Ross Woods
December 2010
We will have it out as soon as we can but may take a while. I would like to think that it is out by mid February.
Ross

Ross,
Further to your reply December 2010, it is now February 2012 is this the February you had in mind or is the New Contract taking a little longer than you intended ?

Any chance of a new Chairman and a Board of Trustees whom would uphold the existing agreement as opposed to introducing a new one ?
Thank you for your consideration,
Stonehaven Resident.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ross Woods
Sent: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 11:34 AM
Subject: Letter at Garage

Hi,
I have left a letter for you from the Trust at the garage.
Cheers
Ross

From: Resident.
Sent: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 12:40 p.m.
To: Ross Woods
Subject: Re: Letter at Garage

What garage ?

From: Ross Woods
Sent: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 12:42 PM
Subject: RE: Letter at Garage

Maungakaramea. As per counter mail that you normally collect there.
Ross

From: Resident
Sent: Tuesday, 20 December 2011 14:40 p.m.
To: Ross Woods
Subject: Re: Letter at Garage

I now understand you to mean the Maungakaramea Service Station, these are newly acquired communication skills or did you have them as a preschooler ?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The current Board of Trustees appear at the very least incompetent but far more disturbing is the arrogance and bully-boy tactics they now employ in extracting not only finance but indisputable ownership of the Units.

Minutes, AGM 31st October 2011.
Judith Turner asked why the, "Licence to Occupy" units appeared on the Financial Statement reports in favour of the Village ?
Sandy Brown responded, be it right or wrong, it would be appropriate in this current financial year because a number of residents wanted to claim ownership of their homes ????
Sandy Brown further argued that they do not own their own home ????

Derick Thomas stated he was threatened by the Trust with termination if he doesn't pay yet another substantial increase in the Service Fees.
Brett Price answered, "if the increases in Service Fees are not paid you will be terminated !"
There was an outcry from Jude Turner stating it was bullying and intimidation of the very worst kind !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is very true to say that there have been a number of very frightened and extremely distraught residents whom have effectively abandoned their homes !

"To our dear friends, we have come to the conclusion that we are no longer prepared to put up with the bullying, verbal abuse and the coercion to negate our rights.
We do not have sufficient precious time to waste in this way and we hope that you will understand".
Kindest regards,
Name withheld.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Far more disturbing is that some Trustees have now resorted to bullying and intimidation in order to achieve their own personal agenda with regard to the Village.
The Trust has in fact, for alleged inappropriate behaviour, terminated the LTO of two residents and expelled them from the Village. Furthermore the Trust is currently in the process of terminating the LTO of a third and possibly a forth resident.

At the 2011, Residents Christmas function, 55 year old Stonehaven Trustee Brett Price, having consumed a large quantity of alcohol had to be restrained from physically and verbally abusing a resident in his seventies, despite however Price being restrained he continued to repeatedly threaten to break both the legs of the elderly resident.
Moments prior to this incident, Chairman of the Board of Stonehaven Trustees, Ross Woods, removed from Brett Price what little remained of a previously full bottle of Whiskey......presumably because of his unacceptable, drunken and obnoxious behaviour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stonehaven Retirement Village Trustee Graham Wright is also accused of having consumed a large quantity of alcohol and abusing a resident after knocking loudly on his door at 10.15pm the same night.
According to the resident and his guest, Graham was either drunk, on a substance or has a disposition of violent outbursts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stonehaven Trustees, Brett Price and Graham Wright are in fact related, both appear to have inherited the same alcohol dependency problem and they both remain as Trustees of Stonehaven Retirement Village,
despite their inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour ????
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently Brett Price was visiting the local school when a class was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.
The teacher asked Mr Price if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy,' so the Trustee Mr Price asked the class for an example of a Tragedy.
A small boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing' in the paddock and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy."
"Incorrect," said Priceless, "that would be an accident !"
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everybody inside, that would be a tragedy !"
"I'm afraid knot !" explained Price, "that's what we would refer to as a great loss."
The room went silent, no other child volunteered as Priceless searched the room, "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy ?" he asked.
Finally, at the back of the room Wiremu raised his hand and said, "If a plane carrying you and your uncle Graeme Wright was struck by a friendly fire missile and you were both blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy !"
"Fantastic," exclaimed Priceless, and can you tell me why that would be a tragedy ?"
"Well," said Wiremu, "it has to be a tragedy, because it most certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it wouldn't be a fucking accident either !"
.....................................................................................................................

GrownUpsNZ 07 Apr 2012
Julian Assange

Hi Rex,
To date the Stonehaven Trust have, without payment, acquired ownership of eight of the sixteen two bedroom units that residents, independently of the Trust, either built themselves or purchased privately from the original owners.
It is also fair to say that in most cases these owners prior to the Trust have lost between $50,000 & $80,000 of their original investment.

In fairness however of the Trust, the Trust has in fact purchased from one resident his unit of which ownership of this unit is now rightfully that of the Trust.
More interesting however is that the Trust paid this particular resident $35,000 MORE than the valuation carried out by Telfer Young.
Even more interesting is that the resident in question whom received $35,000 more than the valuation of his unit was in fact also a Trustee of the Village !

If therefore you have a strong disposition for alcoholism, a penchant for breaking the legs of elderly people and a desire to maximise a financial investment, then it would appear that buying a unit at Stonehaven and becoming a Trustee of the Village is tailor made to you.

For more information,

"Brett Price tells it how it really is"...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3YRWhg4YaA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Good Luck.