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Guest Column: We Love Puerto Penasco But Our Community Is Running Into Troubles That Will Discourage Investment By More Americans Here
We love living in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). It is our home. We are committed to making this already wonderful place an even better destination for visitors, new residents and businesses.
The residents of our community, Las Conchas, are all-in when it comes to Puerto Penasco and encouraging other Americans, especially Arizonans, to move and invest here.
We are enthusiastic cheerleaders, including on social media, for the beautiful beaches and life on the Sea of Cortez. It gives us no greater pleasure than to promote our community and its ties with Arizona.
But our Las Conchas community has been having some unfortunate difficulties with the city government of Puerto Penasco including Mayor Kiko Munro. Las Conchas is the largest HOA in the area.
We are worried our situation will discourage others from investing, moving or visiting here. This is unfortunate considering this a time when the city and mayor presumably want to attract more economic development and tourism including making the city a homeport for international cruise ships.

Our troubles include harassment and intimidation by local governments officials as well as demolition of our security gate and entrance last year by municipal authorities. The gate has been there for 30 years and is important to our community’s security. Our residents’ property rights are being jeopardized, if not trampled, by the city.
Why the intimidation and adverse actions against residents who love and want to promote Puerto Penasco to others?
We are having a hard time figuring this out which is why we have been forced to press our cases in the Mexican courts.
Our community has alerted the city to illegal construction projects happening within the Las Conchas area. Unfortunately, the city has granted some permits that go against our HOA’s construction rules after reportedly receiving $5,000 ‘donations’ from other builders with designs on the area.
A large, beachfront construction project runs a foul of Mexico’s strong laws protecting beaches and related to sea wall construction. A female employee at our HOA who was checking on the property was harassed and threatened by workers at the construction site.
These are just a couple of the difficulties our community has been facing the past few years. We are hoping for better relationships in 2020.

The Las Conchas community includes 2,000 residents and 700 homes. Our residents could have lived in a lot of different places. We chose Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) for a reason. The community, the climate, the beaches and culture — the way of life — all called to us. It suits us. Recent headlines about Rocky Point have focused on killings and mass graves. That is not the community we know.
We very much want to be good neighbors and good partners with the city and state governments here in Puerto Penasco. We just want our relationships to be a positive and productive two-way street.
We want to work with Mayor Munro, the City Council and state of Sonora to make our community and our city an attractive destination. This is especially important considering other less positive images of Mexico for those considering investing, living or visiting here.
We want our relationship with the city to show the best of our wonderful community and help encourage more investments here — and not serve as a warning sign for others looking to move or invest in Puerto Penasco and Mexico.
Respectfully,
Phil Naylor, Bart Stockton, Kay Warren, Jim Curcio, and Ginger Beauchamp
 

Waiting

Junior Member
Your note said please read so I did. Wow, it appears the things described in the other thread/s about the gate demo are a bit more tactfully laid by your message. I too am very much interested in your area and further East. It does look like folks are purposefully breaking the HOA to develop in a way to serve there own interest.
 

CheddarBob

Well Known Member
Don’t bother turning to social media now. The time has long past. In doing so now you will just strain the relationship even worse. The use of Social media was brought to your attention long before the guard casita was torn down. You chose to stick your heads in the sand and asked all vecinos to do the same. I disagree with what your proposing. I think moving forward the HOA should start the process of providing proposals ( important issues only ) for all vecinos to review, comment and vote. Los Conchas HOA major decisions should not be left to 5 las Conchas board members. I for one have decided to refrain from paying my HOA dues until a certain group of people get their heads out of their backsides. 5 individuals don’t make the major decisions for 700.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Guest Column: We Love Puerto Penasco But Our Community Is Running Into Troubles That Will Discourage Investment By More Americans Here
We love living in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). It is our home. We are committed to making this already wonderful place an even better destination for visitors, new residents and businesses.
The residents of our community, Las Conchas, are all-in when it comes to Puerto Penasco and encouraging other Americans, especially Arizonans, to move and invest here.
We are enthusiastic cheerleaders, including on social media, for the beautiful beaches and life on the Sea of Cortez. It gives us no greater pleasure than to promote our community and its ties with Arizona.
But our Las Conchas community has been having some unfortunate difficulties with the city government of Puerto Penasco including Mayor Kiko Munro. Las Conchas is the largest HOA in the area.
We are worried our situation will discourage others from investing, moving or visiting here. This is unfortunate considering this a time when the city and mayor presumably want to attract more economic development and tourism including making the city a homeport for international cruise ships.

Our troubles include harassment and intimidation by local governments officials as well as demolition of our security gate and entrance last year by municipal authorities. The gate has been there for 30 years and is important to our community’s security. Our residents’ property rights are being jeopardized, if not trampled, by the city.
Why the intimidation and adverse actions against residents who love and want to promote Puerto Penasco to others?
We are having a hard time figuring this out which is why we have been forced to press our cases in the Mexican courts.
Our community has alerted the city to illegal construction projects happening within the Las Conchas area. Unfortunately, the city has granted some permits that go against our HOA’s construction rules after reportedly receiving $5,000 ‘donations’ from other builders with designs on the area.
A large, beachfront construction project runs a foul of Mexico’s strong laws protecting beaches and related to sea wall construction. A female employee at our HOA who was checking on the property was harassed and threatened by workers at the construction site.
These are just a couple of the difficulties our community has been facing the past few years. We are hoping for better relationships in 2020.

The Las Conchas community includes 2,000 residents and 700 homes. Our residents could have lived in a lot of different places. We chose Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) for a reason. The community, the climate, the beaches and culture — the way of life — all called to us. It suits us. Recent headlines about Rocky Point have focused on killings and mass graves. That is not the community we know.
We very much want to be good neighbors and good partners with the city and state governments here in Puerto Penasco. We just want our relationships to be a positive and productive two-way street.
We want to work with Mayor Munro, the City Council and state of Sonora to make our community and our city an attractive destination. This is especially important considering other less positive images of Mexico for those considering investing, living or visiting here.
We want our relationship with the city to show the best of our wonderful community and help encourage more investments here — and not serve as a warning sign for others looking to move or invest in Puerto Penasco and Mexico.
Respectfully,
Phil Naylor, Bart Stockton, Kay Warren, Jim Curcio, and Ginger Beauchamp
Ever considered the mayor takes kick backs from the same people?
 

CheddarBob

Well Known Member
Ever considered the mayor takes kick backs from the same people?
MJ Las Conchas HOA is managed by Management Brown Management. Detailed expense reports are provided to members. Had you said they could be guilty of bargaining in bad faith I would agree or attempting to strong arm the Mayor. Now I have heard their going to go to Social Media to discredit the Mayor. Why now? What is the HOA and vecino owners going to benefit from putting the Mayor on blast. Time for Las Conchas board members to tuck their tales between their legs and start rebuilding a professional relationship with the city of PP. Retaining a high profile law firm for $12g a month isn’t the answer especially when the city is not recognizing the ruling of previous court cases in favour of Las Conchas HOA.
I have overheard our illustrious leader GB discussing HOA business over the phone with the city of Puerto Penasco and what I overheard was terribly unprofessional. Who sends out a letter regarding official business using the words like “Y’all”.
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
I do not have a dog in this fight but i have a big mouth.

I took a short drive down the beach for the first time in a long time. I was surprised to see guard gates and guard kiosks stopping vehicles at two HOA communities. The Mexican constitution guarantees equality for all, irrespective of nationality or residence.

Regarding the problems in Las Conchas, makes sense to me to seek allies and cast the discussion in terms of the benefits to the local residents of Penasco. Reality is that most local voting residents of Penasco do not see the HOA problem as a big deal. "My roof leaks and I cannot afford to fix it and you have a nice big house and are complaining about what ??"

La conchas provides considerable business and many jobs for Penasco residents on a regular basis. House cleaning, gardening, home repairs , home maintenance, etc. Supplies and equipment are needed on a regular basis for all these activities. Make a list. Those working people and businesses provide for their families at least in part with support from Las Conchas and are all potential allies.

With the current construction boom, there are more potential allies in all the construction and construction related businesses. The cement trucks are running regularly. Block, rebar, cement, sand, gravel, wire, doors, windows, AC units, etc. etc. Make a list of these suppliers. The additional business to suppliers requires additional local Penasco residents as employees. The new home being built all will require appliances and lighting. plumbing fixtures, etc. Virtually every home has tile floors, tile purchased in Penasco. The new homes will create more regular work for residents. Not to mention new Bank Trusts for the banks !!

Get the image of Las Conchas as a money machine spreading money into the community ! That's the story needed to be told.

How might you actually accomplish such a task? I think anything you as an organization or more importantly as an individual, can do to illustrate the economic importance of the Las Conchas community to the residents and business folk of Penasco. Perhaps if HOA residents talk to people they hire to work or make purchases from and ask for help? Have 20,000 business cards printed with " This purchase was made by a homeowner of Las Conchas" or some similar message . No complaints about mistreatment. Pass them out when you spend money here at Oxxo, Pemex, Ley, Sams, Lucas Chicken, Numeros, Bryans Sports Bar, etc. etc.

I forgot to mention the Value Added Tax collected on all purchases. Be nice to give a card to the city when you pay your property tax !! 700 cards would make a nice stack !

Not an original idea. There was a town impacted by a military base and residents complained until they paid salaries in $2 bills. That got local attention.
 
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Roberto

Well Known Member
Here's another one. The city is issuing exceptions to the noise ordinance and HOA noise regulation for parties in Las Conchas.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
MJ Las Conchas HOA is managed by Management Brown Management. Detailed expense reports are provided to members. Had you said they could be guilty of bargaining in bad faith I would agree or attempting to strong arm the Mayor. Now I have heard their going to go to Social Media to discredit the Mayor. Why now? What is the HOA and vecino owners going to benefit from putting the Mayor on blast. Time for Las Conchas board members to tuck their tales between their legs and start rebuilding a professional relationship with the city of PP. Retaining a high profile law firm for $12g a month isn’t the answer especially when the city is not recognizing the ruling of previous court cases in favour of Las Conchas HOA.
I have overheard our illustrious leader GB discussing HOA business over the phone with the city of Puerto Penasco and what I overheard was terribly unprofessional. Who sends out a letter regarding official business using the words like “Y’all”.
No, you misunderstood what I was saying. I was saying, have you ever considered that the mayor takes kick backs from the same people that are violating, building illegally or against your bylaws? That's why they are not being held to account by the city and furthermore, why your HOA is not going to benefit in this situation. I guess what I'm asking is if you have considered the corruption avenue? Motive will tell you alot about social psychology.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
I do not have a dog in this fight but i have a big mouth.

I took a short drive down the beach for the first time in a long time. I was surprised to see guard gates and guard kiosks stopping vehicles at two HOA communities. The Mexican constitution guarantees equality for all, irrespective of nationality or residence.

Regarding the problems in Las Conchas, makes sense to me to seek allies and cast the discussion in terms of the benefits to the local residents of Penasco. Reality is that most local voting residents of Penasco do not see the HOA problem as a big deal. "My roof leaks and I cannot afford to fix it and you have a nice big house and are complaining about what ??"

La conchas provides considerable business and many jobs for Penasco residents on a regular basis. House cleaning, gardening, home repairs , home maintenance, etc. Supplies and equipment are needed on a regular basis for all these activities. Make a list. Those working people and businesses provide for their families at least in part with support from Las Conchas and are all potential allies.

With the current construction boom, there are more potential allies in all the construction and construction related businesses. The cement trucks are running regularly. Block, rebar, cement, sand, gravel, wire, doors, windows, AC units, etc. etc. Make a list of these suppliers.
The additional business to suppliers requires additional local Penasco residents as employees. The new home being built all will require appliances and lighting. plumbing fixtures, etc. Virtually every home has tile floors, tile purchased in Penasco. The new homes will create more regular work for residents. Not to mention new Bank Trusts for the banks !!

Get the image of Las Conchas as a money machine spreading money into the community ! That's the story needed to be told.

How might you actually accomplish such a task? I think anything you as an organization or more importantly as an individual, can do to illustrate the economic importance of the Las Conchas community to the residents and business folk of Penasco. Perhaps if HOA residents talk to people they hire to work or make purchases from and ask for help? Have 20,000 business cards printed with " This purchase was made by a homeowner of Las Conchas" or some similar message . No complaints about mistreatment. Pass them out when you spend money here at Oxxo, Pemex, Ley, Sams, Lucas Chicken, Numeros, Bryans Sports Bar, etc. etc.

I forgot to mention the Value Added Tax collected on all purchases. Be nice to give a card to the city when you pay your property tax !! 700 cards would make a nice stack !

Not an original idea. There was a town impacted by a military base and residents complained until they paid salaries in $2 bills. That got local attention.

For a long time I could never understand why you didn't have to stop or you couldn't enter Cholla Bay as a guest but they could stop you going into LC or refuse entry as a guest even though as you stated all coastline in Mexico is Federal land and access can not be denied. Essentially public land. Another reason I could never figure out how the resorts try to tell you that you can't use sections of beach if you're not staying in the resort.

The mayor could still win both fights politically. His fight with the HOA doesn't necessarily take away from the jobs available or already established. Future prospects for job growth in the area maybe but most would be voting now on issues that effect their lives now. If Mexican earnings stay the same during this pissing match I doubt it would have any effect on voting. Simultaneously, the mayor depending on motive, why is he behaving the way he is, could also keep up with the pissing match. Is the pissing match out of spite, perceived disrespect, money motive driven?

Isn't there a lot of illicit money in construction?

What if person A is making more money for himself by going against the LC HOA and therefor the benefit to the people is irrelevant? Of course a sound political professional would never admit to this much. You could also flip this and person A could say this is to the benefit of the people, approving these construction projects regardless of the HOA bylaws. The gringos want to keep growth limited for themselves. You could easily flip this argument politically.

I never really though raising revenue in Mexico was the problem. The problem is where the money goes once it's collected. Wouldn't be the first time government money was appropriated and then subsequently disappeared.

The one point I agree with Roberto is that if this was a Mexican issue the mayor would have to respond accordingly to maintain his political relationship with the voter. As Berto said, you're in a pissing match with the mayor about white people laws and some of these people barely have a shelter to live in. Not really an issue for locals so no sympathy points there.

Main question again, what is the motive for the city to go against the LC HOA bylaws? Money talks and BS walks as they say.
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
Joe, years ago, before my Cholla time, there was a Check point going into Cholla. (in the 50's and 60's)
A guard would ask why you were going to Cholla, before allowing you to enter.

I think I was told, this was operated by the OBSC in Cholla and you might have needed permission to enter?

But the concrete Arch and building remains are on the old road into Cholla 1/2 mile north of the Condos road is where
the old check station was.
 

fatboyharley

Well Known Member
Don’t bother turning to social media now. The time has long past. In doing so now you will just strain the relationship even worse. The use of Social media was brought to your attention long before the guard casita was torn down. You chose to stick your heads in the sand and asked all vecinos to do the same. I disagree with what your proposing. I think moving forward the HOA should start the process of providing proposals ( important issues only ) for all vecinos to review, comment and vote. Los Conchas HOA major decisions should not be left to 5 las Conchas board members. I for one have decided to refrain from paying my HOA dues until a certain group of people get their heads out of their backsides. 5 individuals don’t make the major decisions for 700.
So your HOA also pays for the trash pick up so I guess we should miss your home. It pays for security guards so should somethng happen that directly or indirectly affects your home the guards should disregard you. You are only pnishing yourself by not paying. If you want to change, then run foroffice. Don't take the easy complainer way out and say you will not be paying.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Joe, years ago, before my Cholla time, there was a Check point going into Cholla. (in the 50's and 60's)
A guard would ask why you were going to Cholla, before allowing you to enter.

I think I was told, this was operated by the OBSC in Cholla and you might have needed permission to enter?

But the concrete Arch and building remains are on the old road into Cholla 1/2 mile north of the Condos road is where
the old check station was.
Never heard that. That's crazy
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
So your HOA also pays for the trash pick up so I guess we should miss your home. It pays for security guards so should somethng happen that directly or indirectly affects your home the guards should disregard you. You are only pnishing yourself by not paying. If you want to change, then run foroffice. Don't take the easy complainer way out and say you will not be paying.
There's un chinga mierda (a lot) of people in Cholla Bay not paying their HOA dues because they're pissed at the trash collection among other issues.
 

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
Don't have a dog in the fight but HOA's must be a pain in the ass. The condo complex I live in here in Phoenix, all private owned, HOA dues like $250/month from the owners and absolutely NOT ONE THING has been done maintenance wise here in the 6 years that I have lived here. I would kill myself if I owned here. I guess they can be good and bad but when they're bad and there's a problem THEY ARE THE WORST!!! Good luck to Las Conchas. I just think this may have been the wrong person to get into a pissing match with.
 

Kenny

Well Known Member
Don't have a dog in the fight but HOA's must be a pain in the ass. The condo complex I live in here in Phoenix, all private owned, HOA dues like $250/month from the owners and absolutely NOT ONE THING has been done maintenance wise here in the 6 years that I have lived here. I would kill myself if I owned here. I guess they can be good and bad but when they're bad and there's a problem THEY ARE THE WORST!!! Good luck to Las Conchas. I just think this may have been the wrong person to get into a pissing match with.
Ha, I remember the first time someone told me they had bought a "condo", and after I asked him what the hell is a condo, he hee-haws around and then told me it was really just an apartment. I thought he was nuts.
 
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