Dear Neighbors,

Recently I met with Pearl Spires of First Service about the petition that 95 units had signed (change.org/pickleball-impact). The petition has enough signatures to allow us to get it placed on the agenda, to have your voices heard according to Florida Statutes 720.303 3. (d). She told me their lawyer ridiculed our efforts.  Although I said they could verify the signatures with a simple email to the Members – it was “not their job” to do so. Instead they have proposed a standard that could make it much harder for us, as residents, to submit or support petitions. Between the leadership of Pearl of First Service Residential and the Associations attorney - a tactic of attempting to require the use of digital signature technology that most of us don’t have access to or know how to use is being employed to stymie petition rights in Aquarina.

How technical do we have to be? Indeed, if I'd handed her 95 physical signatures - how would those have been validated. Just to get an item on the agenda!

Let me go back in time. In October, Pearl sent me an email which states: "Documentation and Validation: The petition would need to be submitted to the Association in its official form including a description of the issue being petitioned, along with all signatures, names, and the member's unit address within Aquarina. The Association would then validate signatures and membership information for compliance, ensuring only one vote per unit (membership). Once the 20% threshold (81 units) is met, we can proceed with scheduling, notice and provide protocols for each member’s opportunity to speak at a meeting. We did this - and suddenly it isn't her job to validate the signatures. She asked. We provided. Then the goal posts were moved.

This change is not only unnecessary but also unfair—it makes participating in our HOA’s decision-making process more difficult and discourages many residents from having their voices heard.

Our community deserves a fair and accessible process for petitions, one that allows everyone to participate, regardless of their access to technology.

We are rallying our efforts using Adobe Signature technology in order to create legally auditable signatures for the petition in question: change.org/pickleball-impact

How You Can Help:

• Sign the Petition: Contact sally.lynn.macdonald@gmail.com to request a document to sign.
• Spread the Word: Share the original petition (change.org/pickleball-impact) and this message with your neighbors and friends in the community.
• Attend the Next HOA Meeting: Let’s show up in numbers to respectfully express our concerns during the open mic at the end of the Jan. 30th meeting. 

Together, we can ensure our community stays fair, inclusive, and representative of everyone. Let’s stand up for our rights and protect our ability to participate fully in decisions that affect us all.

Thank you for your support!

Sally Lynn MacDonald – 376 Aquarina Blvd.

Original petition and updates are located at http://change.org/pickleball-impact

In the very near future we will be organizing a new petition to challenge these restrictive tactics and ensure our HOA remains a place where every resident has an equal say. By signing one or both, you’ll help us send a clear message that we will not accept policies that limit our rights as homeowners.