By Rusty Bradshaw
By
Rusty Bradshaw
Independent Newsmedia
The “travelers” are back in Sun City, according to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, and residents are encouraged to be cautious.
Jim Keinath and Al Hoppy of the Sun City Softball Club accept a certificate from Pam Schwartz, Sun City Home Owners Association board president, recognizing the club’s efforts in SCHOA’s cleanup programs.
The “travelers” is a group of men and women who go door-to-door telling homeowners they noticed some work needed to be done on the property and offer to do the work for a set price. Some residents end up being scammed, according to Tom Wilson, Sun City Home Owners Association general manager.
“A lot of times the homeowners end up with nothing after giving the money,” he said. “And most times there was nothing wrong with the property in the first place.”
Some residents who fall victim to this type of scam do so because they cannot afford major, or even minor, cleanup or repairs on their property.
“A lot of our residents are on fixed incomes, including Social Security, which isn’t enough if that is their only source of income,” Mr. Wilson said.
An alternative for these homeowners is SCHOA’s Residential Assistance and Maintenance Program. RAMP was started in 2012 to help homeowners who were financially or physically unable to take care of issues on their properties. SCHOA officials have a pool of about 50 volunteers they can call upon to do the necessary work on a property at no cost.
One of those groups is the Sun City Senior Softball Club. During the past four years, the club has been supporting Sun City residents through the RAMP and Community Intervention Program, another SCHOA effort to keep properties in good shape.
According to softball team representatives, several years ago they noticed SCHOA staff and volunteers were cleaning community properties and asked if they could assist. Player Jim Keinath said team members are healthy men and women eager to support their community by reaching out to assist when they are able.
“We want to do what we can,” Mr. Keinath said March 28 while accepting a certificate of appreciation from SCHOA.
Tom Wilson
The most recent RAMP project saw players Mr. Keinath, Steve Ibey, Dennis Christ, John Utke, Lynn McAdam, Al Coppy, Bob Holland and Nick Owens available for work.
Softball players are not the only volunteers that assist the program, according to Mr. Wilson. Parks and Sons provides trash containers for the cleanups, real estate agents formed a group to help on one project as did Wells Fargo employees. A church group also painted a woman’s house as part of the program, he added.
The CIP was the first of SCHOA’s programs to form, shortly before RAMP in 2012. Its focus is properties that are abandoned or vacant. Work done through the CIP is billed to the owner and a lien placed on the property, according to Mr. Wilson.
However, RAMP projects are done at no charge to the homeowner. RAMP efforts are dependent on donations. Residents have provided financial contributions and vendors have also donated their time and efforts, according to Mr. Wilson.
“RAMP started just to take care of exterior cleanups,” Mr. Wilson said. “But we would get a call from time to time for some small interior projects and we did those.”
When RAMP funds are low, SCHOA officials find vendors to do the work at low or no cost. Once a few of these projects were done, word spread among vendors and now they request to be involved in projects, Mr. Wilson explained.
In the 2015-16 SCHOA fiscal year (Nov. 1-Oct. 31), there were 70 RAMP projects and 47 through CIP. The 2014-15 fiscal year numbers were nearly identical, according to Mr. Wilson. So far in the 2016-17 fiscal year, there have been seven RAMP programs and 11 through CIP. The program numbers are expected to increase rapidly.
“At this time of the year, particularly with the recent rains, vegetation grows very quickly and properties become overgrown as well as unsightly,” said Carole Studdard, SCHOA marketing coordinator.
RAMP does have restrictions on which homeowners can receive its services, based on income, according to Ms. Studdard.
“If an applicant meets the requirements, SCHOA will go to their homes and help with exterior maintenance and clean up,” according to a statement about the program on the SCHOA website, www.suncityhoa.org. “Note, however, that a person who is over extended financially due to excessive frivolous credit card debt or an overly extravagant lifestyle will most likely not qualify.”
Residents who believe they qualify, or who would like to refer a neighbor to the program, are urged to call SCHOA at 623-974-4718.
Those who want to volunteer to work on future projects are also encouraged to call SCHOA.
