W-D CEO PETER LYNCH

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (Winn-Dixie) currently operates 484 stores in five southeastern states (Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi) including the grocery warehouse stores operating under the SaveRite banner since 2002, which are being converted to Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. While all of the company’s stores offer grocery, meat, seafood, produce, deli, bakery, floral, health & beauty and other general merchandise items, the corporate network includes 401 pharmacies, 80 liquor stores and five fuel centers.

WINN-DIXIE RINGS OPENING BELL AT NASDAQ

Under intense competitive pressure from rivals including Wal-Mart and Publix Super Markets, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection on February 21, 2005. To stem the flow of red ink, Chairman, President, and CEO Peter Lynch – snatched from Albertson’s in 2004 – retrenched Winn-Dixie by exiting noncore markets and selling retail and manufacturing assets, including more than 500 supermarkets. It emerged from the bankruptcy reorganization on November 21, 2006 with $725 million in exit financing as a new company with a new Board of Directors. Number 324 in the Fortune 500 and no longer traded as “WIN” on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the restructured company resurfaced on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol “WINN”.

Its status as a neighborhood institution engenders both concern and curiosity. Having survived a diatribe of rumored health code violations, a reorganizational bankruptcy and a battalion of light-fingered local customers, the Galt Ocean Mile Winn-Dixie has recently made some improvements that should enhance its credibility with local patrons as well as the community at large. Some of the store’s Managers recently addressed questions originally posed by local residents to their Advisory Board representatives.

Community concerns fall into three title issues; shopping carts, health standards and product lines. Shopping carts have historically been a double edged sword. Residents who wheeled their groceries from the store to their kitchens before depositing the cart in the adjacent hallway created problems for the store, their associations and the community. Associations do not have extra personnel available to return the carts. Some implemented rules requiring anyone who wheels one in to subsequently wheel it out. Unfortunately, this often resulted in carts accumulating on the sidewalk in front of the building. Other Associations prohibited the carts from their premises - requiring residents to transfer their packages from the Winn-Dixie cart to an association cart upon entering the building. These carts also wound up on the sidewalk.

The dilemma this created for Winn-Dixie was far worse. At any given time, a sizable number of carts were unavailable to shoppers. To compensate for these cart-jackings, a former store Director made arrangements with former landlord Danebelt Management to collect the carts from the street as well as those strewn about the adjacent 2-block long commercial parking lot. When the underlying real estate was acquired first by Woolbright Development of Boca Raton and then by Palm Beach Gardens-based Kitson & Partners, the store was forced to recruit additional staff to retrieve the carts. Since their property’s 45.7% vacancy rate forced Kitson into a $59.2 million refinancing this past March, good will tenant perks are not in the cards. The cart inventory required to adequately service customers had to be significantly expanded to offset those stranded “off-property”. Unlike the $60 to $80 plastic carts commonly used by associations, replacing the pirated steel carts cost the store about $200 apiece. Adding to the store’s headache is a thriving black market for these items. Where do you think the carts sold in flea markets, swap shops and online auction sites come from?

Galt Mile pedestrians objected to the carts cluttering their sidewalks, associations didn’t want them inside their premises and the City could pop out a containment ordinance on short order. Winn-Dixie grew increasingly frustrated by their constant battle to retrieve or replace carts taken off property. Despite the prospect of alienating customers, management nervously conceived a deterrent. With the support of the neighborhood association, they posted signs warning that anyone responsible for removing the carts from their property would be prosecuted. While the threat of jail time and a sizable fine had some impact, it didn’t stem the casual thievery. One flustered shift Manager said, “Many customers who complain about the lack of carts roll their groceries down the block without a thought. Strangely enough, some of them even accuse us of being negligent for not actively prosecuting scofflaws.”

W-D CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN JACKSONVILLE

In 2006, former Store Director Timothy Haas said that the company was preparing to affix devices to the carts that would incapacitate them once outside a designated perimeter. When a defined catchment area is penetrated, one or more wheels on the cart would cease to turn, immobilizing the cart. Having proven very effective in their Jacksonville stores and other outlets, Mr. Haas asserted that the immobilization devices would soon protect carts at the Galt Mile store.

Instead, years passed without the required approval from corporate headquarters in Jacksonville. In the interim, the local store implemented a customer service based alternative. After loading the carts at checkout, they would accompany the customers’ groceries to their vehicles, unload and return the empty carts, along with others snagged in the parking lot. While it slowed the losses, carts continued to populate local sidewalks, association garages and the walk-in closets of Galt Mile kleptomaniacs.

KARRYN GLECKNER

Five years later – in the summer of 2011 – the Galt Ocean Mile Winn-Dixie installed “CartControl”, a shopping cart theft prevention system developed by Gatekeeper Systems. Based in Irvine, California, the company specializes in cart containment technology. According to Gatekeeper Systems’ marketing communications manager Karryn Gleckner, the average cost per store is $18,000. However, the actual cost ranges from $6,000 to $50,000 per location, depending on the size of the store’s parking lot and the number of carts integrated into the system.

To dampen confusion, store employees are proactively educating customers about how the new system works. An antenna encased in a 1/4-inch cable is embedded in the perimeter around the store’s parking field and entrance walkway. A transmitter in the store broadcasts a digitally encoded radio signal through the antenna. When the cart reaches the perimeter, a receiver in the cart picks up the dedicated radio frequency and triggers a lock affixed to one of the cart’s wheels. Using a hand held transmitter called a Cart Key, Front End Store Manager Araceli Serna demonstrated how an employee can release the locked wheel and return the cart to service.

GATEKEEPER CART KEY

At the Galt Mile store, the perimeter is marked by a yellow line that crosses the store’s entrance walkway and a sign on the adjacent wall warning shoppers not to take carts past the line. Grocery Manager Jean Cothière said “The cart doesn’t have to be in contact with the ground for the lock to work.” Even if lifted over the line, the wheel fitted with the locking device will still receive the signal and freeze within 2.2 seconds. The system draws on some of the technology used by the keyless entry systems recently installed by many local associations; only the radio signal is substantially stronger.

In hundreds of cities and counties across the country (including Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Miami-Dade County, Tampa and 18 other Florida jurisdictions), cart containment systems are required by ordinance. Carts located on Miami-Dade public property are impounded. If the owner fails to retrieve them with ten days, they are discarded. Incredibly, a customer caught wheeling a groceries-filled cart across the street without written permission from the store can do a year in the slammer (Sections 8A-76 and 8A-76.1.Shopping Carts – Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances).

MICROBIOLOGY PROFESSOR CHARLES GERBA

While OSHA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the EPA and the FDA enforce a broad range of regulations governing sanitary in-store conditions, once your food is placed in a cart or basket, you’re on your own. The store’s carts bounce around the parking lot, navigate local streets, sidewalks, association garages and when left in front of buildings – are often parked next to dumpsters filled with festering bacteria. Not surprisingly, local residents sent emails to GMCA officials inquiring about the sanitary condition of these carts. Their concerns proved neither unique nor unjustified. In a study conducted at the University of Arizona, handles from shopping carts sampled from four different states were examined for dangerous microorganisms. 61 of the 85 carts tested (72%) were rife with fecal bacteria. In another sample, half tested positive for Escherichia coli (E.Coli). An earlier study revealed that children riding in shopping carts were predisposed to bacterial infections from salmonella and campylobacter. University of Arizona microbiology professor and lead researcher Charles Gerba warned that if reusable shopping bags aren’t regularly washed, they become bacterial swamps. “It’s like wearing the same underwear every day,” said Gerba. Given their close proximity to much of the food we consume, health concerns about carts and other in-store equipment spread rapidly across the country, prompting large chains to implement grocery safety programs.

WINN-DIXIE MARKETING VP MARY KELLMANSON

In early spring, Winn-Dixie contracted with a Pompano Beach company called Green Secure Solutions to sanitize their carts. “This service protects our customers’ health by using an environmentally safe product that continues to kill bacteria and other microorganisms for six months between treatments,” said Winn-Dixie marketing VP Mary Kellmanson. The patent-pending process is applied like a car wash. Supermarket equipment handled by consumers such as shopping carts, hand baskets, handicap carts and food trays are passed through a high-temperature, pressurized shower and sterilized with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light. Once the carts are dry, technicians from the Pompano Beach company apply a water-based highly durable coating called MaxGreen Protection, which forms a covalent bond to equipment surfaces and remains effective for months.

GREEN SECURE SOLUTIONS STERILIZING WINN DIXIE CARTS

Registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use in food preparation areas, MaxGreen Protection eliminates and inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, fungus and microorganisms. Describing the process benefits, Green Secure Solutions’ CEO Max Ozgercin said “Our system is the most advanced and environmentally safe technology available. There is no harmful waste water or chemicals running through a parking lot or getting into a storm sewer. Everything is self-contained in our mobile units.” According to a Winn-Dixie store manager, carts and baskets at the Galt Mile store have already been sanitized and are scheduled for regular treatments.

It was a bit more difficult to accurately frame the third issue. After all, who can tell what supernatural force is responsible for the store being out of whatever anyone needs at the time that they need it? When asked how they determine which items to stock, the Manager explained that purchasing parameters are handled by Winn-Dixie corporate. They contract with an assortment of vendors and distributors, each of which provides a variety of products. When ordering stock satisfactory to its clientele, the local store is limited to contractually available products. What does this mean to us? If you’ve seen a product on the shelf, unless it’s been discontinued, you can get it. The store manager said, “If we run out of a product that we ordinarily carry, we can get it for you very quickly. If anyone wants something they don’t see, they can ask me or another manager about the item and we will order it. It will likely be here within a couple of days. If corporate has no relationship with the vendor, we can let you know.” He explained, “As a rule, if you’ve purchased it here before, we can get it for you.”

Some Galt Mile residents remember facing a crossroads a few decades back, at which time the neighborhood booted an opportunity to establish a Publix Supermarket at the present Winn-Dixie site. Dreaming instead about a rolling arboreal greenspace directly across the street, an extremely vocal minority of neighborhood residents nixed the project.

In 1987, a Fort Lauderdale developer planned an 118,000 sq. ft. commercial project on the northern end of the property bounded by State Road A1A and Galt Ocean Drive from 36^th Street to 40^th Street, the site currently occupied by the Galt Ocean Marketplace. Although the property was zoned for commercial development, Southern Centers Associates – who purchased the property from Coral Ridge Properties, Inc. for $4.37 million – sought neighborhood approval to build a supermarket and open-air promenade retail center.

PAST GMCA PRES. DICK TYMESON

While the Galt Mile Community Association was negotiating with the developer, a group of megalomaniacal yahoos decided that a supermarket would disturb their Karma. Claiming a fictitious right to decide what the developer must build, a group of owners headed by Barnett Daniels formed The Galt Owners Association Inc. and scammed neighbors into believing that noise and pollution from the supermarket would be intolerable. Praying on retiree fears, they raised $117,000 to finance a nuisance suit against Southern Centers.

GALT PROJECT ARCHITECT DEREK VANDER PLOEG

The event marked one of the few times the neighborhood association fell asleep at the wheel. The development included a Publix supermarket, a two-story, open-air shop & restaurant promenade and a three-story bank and office building. Fearful of alienating local residents, the developer or the cage-rattling demagogues at meetings organized by the developer to discuss the plans, then President Dick Tymeson of Galt Mile Community Association sat idly by as this small but vocal group commandeered the agenda and squelched a residential majority supportive of the project. When a Broward Circuit Court judge dismissed the lawsuit as capricious in 1988 and the Galt Owners Association delivered nothing for the hundred grand it soaked from unit owners, newly elected former GMCA President Robert Rozema negotiated an agreement with architect Derek Vander Ploeg that provided for underground parking and an underground delivery access from A1A, shielding Galt Ocean Drive from traffic and noise. Rozema also negotiated home delivery for disabled and elderly residents. Unfortunately, it was too late. The damage was done.

FORMER GMCA PRESIDENT ROBERT ROZEMA

After Publix decided to forego further abuse and bug out, no supermarket would even consider the project. Once the case against Southern Centers was tossed, the developer sued Galt Owners Association President Barnett Daniels and 3 others over the loss of Publix. GMCA’s past President Rozema expressed regret over Daniels’ quixotic belligerence and the loss of Publix, lamenting “It’s like winning the battle and losing the war. Publix is a pretty upscale supermarket and now a less formidable grocery store could take its place.” Years later, when the Galt Ocean Marketplace developer convinced Winn-Dixie to anchor the shopping center in 1992, the same miscreants who splashed the original project demanded that neighborhood officials crawl back to Publix and apologize to the chain’s Lakeland executives. Again during Winn-Dixie’s 2006 brush with bankruptcy, residents filled with regret at having chased off Publix entertained the prospect of luring the company back. Not a chance of a snowball in hell! With thriving outlets a mile north (at Sea Ranch Lakes) and a mile west (at Coral Ridge Mall), Publix expressed an unwavering disinterest in resurrecting a relationship.

Given the current reality, directing our efforts towards improving the Winn-Dixie is our best option. A few years ago, reeling from corporate financing problems, the store appeared to be operating as if they were conducting a garage sale. Products were left in boxes strewn about the premises. Shelves were half empty and employees behaved as if they were impatiently awaiting severance checks. Since then, they have made a remarkable transformation.

WINN-DIXIE INSTALLS IBM SUREPOS 700 CHECKOUT SYSTEM SUREPOINT TOUCH DISPLAY AND SUREMARK IMPACT PRINTER

The store is better organized and corporate has made a palpable commitment to its modernization. Areas that appeared perpetually dirty have been cleaned up. After months of diligently teaching shoppers how to use newly installed self-service checkout technology, the aggravating checkout lines have all but disappeared. In August, Winn-Dixie purchased 6000 IBM SurePOS 700 systems w/software, SurePoint infrared touch displays and SureMark thermal impact printers to further enhance checkout in the 484 stores. Installation of the high-tech cart containment system is reasonably indicative of a corporate decision to stop treating the Galt Mile store like a red-headed stepchild. Winn-Dixie also exercised industry leadership by expeditiously committing to a “Green” cart cleanup solution. Since the issue concerning product lines is largely subjective, it may be some time before Winn-Dixie cobbles together a successful formula for ordering stock. On the bright side, one strategic objective of a recently initiated corporate program to “transform stores” is to better tailor each outlet to its surrounding neighborhood. Hopefully, that will include more closely matching available products to local consumer preferences.

For all of its historical bumps, the vast majority of Galt Mile residents appreciate the convenience of having the supermarket close at hand. Residents dissatisfied with Winn-Dixie’s product shortcomings simply make an occasional trip to the Publix or Whole Foods down the block! Corporate and on-site efforts to improve the store are convincing many previously alienated customers to return. If you haven’t shopped there for a while, you will likely be pleasantly surprised if you choose to give Winn-Dixie another shot. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even fix their product lines and save us those twice monthly trips to Publix.

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DOMENIC FARO

Two days earlier, Fort Lauderdale Real Estate proprietor and longtime Galt Mile resident Domenic Faro hosted a luncheon in his office (next to Dunkin Donuts) that doubled as an opportunity to distribute deposit boxes, flyers, posters and schedules for the food drive. The enthusiastic diners set an unprecedented collection goal - they hoped to exceed last year’s 20,000 points (the equivalent of 20,000 lbs. of food). This year, an agreement with Winn Dixie would add to the collection totals when grocery shoppers bought certain 2 for 1 specials.

SCOTT WOODBURN

On Thursday, March 17^th, Cooperative Feeding Program Executive Director Scott Woodburn released the 1^st half totals to sharpen the participating associations’ competitive spirit. The collection totals were lagging behind those of last year. Hoping to personalize the statistics, Woodburn named those captains whose associations were outpacing their previous year’s donations. They included Annemarie Adams (Edgewater Arms), Bonnie Levitt (Coral Ridge Towers Original), Charles Baldwin (Plaza South), Janet Bolt (Ocean Club), Marcy Kravit (The Galleon), Marcela Santiago (Playa del Sol), Lee Lowenthal (Ocean Summit), Ayasha Agarrat (Plaza East), Chuck Swinghammer (Caribé) and Rosie Bowers (Playa del Mar). As it was their first Food Drive, Woodburn honorably mentioned captain Lisa Edwards of Coral Ridge Tower North.

MARY SHORT

Despite the slowed collection momentum, Woodburn remained optimistic about the final statistics. He said “I would also note that last year the food drive effort was supported by a few very generous philanthropists who we hope will come back with others to support this very important effort.” He was referring to several Galt Mile civic sparkplugs like GMCA Advisory Board member Mary Short, whose cash donations in 2010 played a significant role in virtually doubling the 2009 totals. Factoring in those dream dollars buoyed Woodburn’s outlook.

SCOTT WOODBURN & DOMENIC FARO TOAST LAST YEAR'S TROPHY WINNER EDGEWATER ARMS

On March 25^th, while announcing the Food Drive’s final week, Woodburn released details for the Victory Celebration, an annual event organized to recognize the association that racked up the most points. To level the playing field for smaller associations, a second award recognizes the most points per unit. An association earns one point for each pound of food and/or each dollar collected. This year, proprietors Kevin Songer and Randy Liebig of the St Lawrence Gallery agreed to host the celebration at the popular storefront shop and gallery at 3556 N Ocean Boulevard. In a special request, Woodburn asked association captains to prompt their boards to appoint designates who would attend the April 12^th event and receive their respective certificates of appreciation.

He notified participants that the final pickup would take place on March 31^st beginning at 9 AM. Collections would start at Hermitage II, proceed north to Caribé and then jump to the Coral Ridge Towers Complex. During the 10 minutes planned at each stop, donors could ask for their final collection totals, although the official stats would be reserved for the April 12^th Victory Celebration.

The final totals knocked the participating associations for a loop. The 8089 lbs. of food collected by Galt Mile associations was abetted by cash donations amounting to $17,634, yielding an unprecedented 25,723 points. The new record was accompanied by a new grand champion. After a three year lock as runaway winner of both “total points” and “points per unit”, Edgewater Arms ceded recognition for total Points to Galt Ocean Club with 6,096 total points, although Edgewater Arms’ 69 points per unit was good enough to retain their championship in that category. Following the Victory Celebration festivities, Scott Woodburn reviewed the 2011 Galt Food Drive results in two documents he sent by email, a letter entitled, “2011 Final News” and an Excel spreadsheet compilation of the final statistical summary - “2011 Final Results”. See below for the content of these final correspondences:

The Cooperative Feeding Program is headquartered at NW 33^rd Terrace in Fort Lauderdale (on the N. W. corner of Broward Blvd. and NW 33^rd Terrace). Call them at (954) 792-2328, fax them at (954) 792-9982 or click here to send an email. Office and Emergency Pantry hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 4 PM. The Community Kitchen serves from 9 AM through 11 AM, Monday through Saturday and Sundays from 11 AM through 12:30 PM.

SCOTT WOODBURN & DOMENIC FARO TOAST LAST YEAR'S TROPHY WINNER EDGEWATER ARMS

February 14, 2011 - On February 4^th, Cooperative Feeding Program (CFP) Executive Director Scott Woodburn notified the Galt Mile Community Association about plans for the annual Galt Mile Food Drive. While the message could be timely posted on the Galt Mile web site, it missed the February edition of the Galt Mile News by 4 days. Woodburn represents Broward County’s lead agency for the provision of services to the hungry and homeless. For 25 years, the Cooperative Feeding Program has provided counseling and support to help economically besieged families out of the throes of difficult times. This is the 5^th annual Galt Mile Food Drive since Woodburn teamed with Fort Lauderdale Real Estate proprietor Domenic Faro (a past president of the Cooperative Feeding Program) and Marc Hamelsky in 2007 and convinced the neighborhood association to sponsor a friendly contribution competition among its member associations.

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH

A forerunner to the Cooperative Feeding Program was launched in 1982 when Pastor Luther Anderson of the First Lutheran Church in downtown Fort Lauderdale turned donations from Church members into a small pantry with food for the needy. The neighbors took umbrage when homeless and hungry people pleading for something to eat filled the street. As the service strained to keep pace with ever expanding demand, it underwent several relocations and corporate adaptations. Its initial 1987 501(c)(3) certification as the not-for-profit “Lutheran Cooperative Feeding Program of Fort Lauderdale, Inc.” was restructured by 1991 as the 501(c)(3) Nondenominational “Cooperative Feeding Program”, passing both control and outreach from Lutherans to anyone in need. Relocated to the Salvation Army's 1445 West Broward Boulevard headquarters, its nondenominational service mission enabled the organization's eligibility for FEMA resources.

From the humble beginnings of distributing a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the homeless, to today’s provision of 1.2 million meals a year, the agency’s dramatic development has reflected both the growing numbers and the growing needs of the poor in our community. The CFP has entered into formal collaborative service agreements with about 100 agencies, entitling them to prescreen clients for emergency services. In addition to hot meals, the program's beneficiaries recieve counseling and classes in life skills as well as access to job training, health clinics, haircuts, pharmaceuticals, etc. Rents were paid and move-in costs were provided to help families facing the tragic national disgrace of homelessness.

Operating solely on the funds and gifts generated by socially conscious individuals, businesses and organizations like the Galt Mile Community Association, the Cooperative Feeding Program doesn’t abide corporate conveniences. Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, rates the operational efficiency, administrative functionality and financial health of over 5,500 of America's largest charities. The Cooperative Feeding Program has earned the organization's highest "Four Star" rating. A remarkably pork-free 8.2% administrative overhead - audited - means resources are smoothly expedited from donors to hungry families.

6 TONS OF GALT MILE FOOD FILLS VAN

The Cooperative Feeding Program community kitchen serves between 400 - 600 meals per day. Open 7 days each week (Mon-Sat 9-11 AM and Sunday 11- 12 PM). As the economy increasingly victimizes families, lines at The CFP wind further down the sidewalk, often into the street. They provide about 50-60 showers a day to individuals and families who have lost their homes. They plan to build additional showers in order to reduce long waits of four to five hours for a shower. To save money on paper products and truncate potential shower accidents, they installed environmentally friendly Tornado Body Dryers. Typically, 6,000 - 8,000 lbs of food must be packaged into vans filled with 250 family food boxes that are distributed to hungry clients each and every day.

As in previous years, Galt Mile residents are called upon to rifle through their kitchens, bagging canned meats and fish, canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned meals, soups (canned and instant), peanut butter & jelly/jam, dried milk, pasta, rice, cereal and paper & plastic grocery bags. Baby food and baby formula (powdered or canned) and diapers of all sizes are needed to fill the repository bags. Galt Milers will also be asked to donate hygiene supplies such as small shampoos, conditioners, soap, toothbrushes, razors, and shaving cream to help those living on the edge. Checks payable to the Cooperative Feeding Program will also be accepted. Checks should be segregated until they are picked up, when the association Captain will disburse the collected checks. Each dollar converts to 1 pound of food - or one point - toward the Association's total.

DOMENIC FARO

SCOTT WOODBURN

Without changing its mission, format or commitment, the program donned a new face last year, and is now officially known as LifeNet4Families / The Cooperative Feeding Program. As is his annual habit, Woodburn attached the annual Food Drive announcement to an email. He opens by stating "Attached is our 2011 food drive news letter outlining this years effort. I ask that you take note of the dates and activities. I will be coming around with the 5k posters in the next week or so and would ask that you urge your condo residents to participate. Its our kick off event and look to get a good crowd out, With the amount of folks who like to walk in the morning, we should be able to get a good group out. Thanks." The joint message from Woodburn and Faro is as follows:

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community
ASSOCIATIONS INSTITUTE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA CHAPTER
ANNOUNCES THEIR ANNUAL

Community Association Trade Show & Exposition

Please join us for this free event featuring speakers recognized Statewide and over 70 exhibitors demonstrating goods and services for community associations.

There are Continuing Education Classes & Credits for Managers

• 9:30 – 11:30 am - Understanding Waterway Management (Presented by Allstate Resource Management, Inc.) - Understand stormwater system maintenance, mitigation and wetland preserves, lake management, aquatic weed and algae control. (2 credits)
• 1:00 – 3:00 pm - 2010 Legal Update (Lisa A. Magill, Esq. Becker & Poliakoff P.A. and Michael Bender, Esq., Kaye & Bender, P.L) - Overview of the laws passed during the 2009 Legislative Session & Preview of Bills Filed for Consideration in 2010. (2 credits)

Tournament Information

• 11:00 a.m. - Registration
• 12:00 Noon - Shotgun Start
• 4:30 p.m. - Tournament Awards Dinner & Raffles

• Golfers will have the opportunity to win raffles, door prizes and a Grand Prize in the Grand Raffle!
• Awesome hole-in-one contest prizes!
• Tournament is Best Ball Format!

Vehicle Dumped in Canal

August 8, 2010 - Florida has always been a fertile environment for motivated scam artists. Recently, the National Insurance Crime Bureau tagged the Sunshine State as the national leader in auto insurance fraud, a recession-driven scam wherein vehicle owners dump their cars into canals before shooting off loss/damage claims to understandably skeptical carriers. Although active throughout the year, the summer seems to hold special significance for Florida fraudsters. Several Galt Mile residents recently expressed concern about having been victimized by three of this year’s summer stings - two statewide and one national in scope.

Every property owner in the State just had their pockets picked. Don’t worry; your money is still in your wallet... at least for a while. Here’s the deal. A Coral Ridge Towers (Original) resident who owns several Florida properties paid an early June insurance premium to Citizens Property Insurance Corp, the windstorm carrier for one of her properties. A month later, she was informed by Citizens that her check, along with thousands of others, is probably lining the pockets of some audacious thief operating out of Hialeah.

On June 24^th, this creative crook strolled into the Post Office and dropped off standard change-of-address forms for the Jacksonville Corporate Center offices of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and for a dedicated P.O. Box used by Florida’s “insurer of last resort”. Mr. Tricky Doggie requested that all correspondences be forwarded to an apartment in Hialeah. Fortunately, the reliably dysfunctional Postal Service screwed up the second change-of-address operation (targeting the company’s P.O. Box), so only 213,000 client mailings were diverted from the Citizens Jacksonville office at 6676 Corporate Center Parkway to the scammer’s Hialeah address.

Citizens Jacksonville Corporate Center offices

In a curious footnote to this misadventure, Citizens didn’t cancel the bogus change-of-address order until June 29^th. Although the mega-carrier ordinarily receives thousands of letters and packages every day, on Friday, June 25^th, the mail bag was empty. The corporate inbox remained vacant for five full days before some ambitious executive trainee decided that the absence of mail to headquarters was sufficiently troublesome to justify an official inquiry to the Post Office.

Company spokesperson Christine Turner Ashburn said “Citizens will credit customers for payment if their checks were cashed in the scam.” For customers who reacted quickly to early reports of the incident and called their banks to stop payment on their checks, the company assented to reimburse any related bank charges. The roughly 200,000 rerouted letters and packages contain premium payments ranging from a few $hundred to $thousands. If any of those premium checks mailed prior to June 28^th were yours, contact a dedicated toll-free Citizens hotline at 1-888-685-1555. When our neighbor in Coral Ridge Towers called the hotline, she was informed that investigators were trying to reconstitute payment records and a Citizens representative would get back to her. Her outstanding payment hadn’t been recorded.

Not to worry, Citizens will pick up the tab – that is to say – we will pick up the tab. The untold $millions bilked from Citizens will ultimately be billed to every insured property owner in Florida. It will be buried in the “Citizens Assessment” line item on every premium statement. Ashburn said that although the carrier is working with criminal investigators, USPS protocol includes no front end red flag capable of preventing this type of deception. Rather than suing the Post Office for this elephantine operational gaffe, the Citizens think tank opted to deploy a “hair of the dog” strategic response. They allocated $97,000 for a direct mailing to possible victims. Mildly amused by the ironic rewarding of the Post Office for enabling a thief to steal $millions from property owners statewide, Ashburn remarked “It’s almost comical.”

The real danger to Citizens policyholders whose checks were hijacked doesn’t end with a palliative reimbursement by the company. Since every hostage check provides a doorway to its issuer’s financial identity, a far greater threat is posed by the scam’s potential for identity theft. After cashing out, the scammers are likely to record tens of thousands of account numbers, bank routing numbers and any names and addresses linked to the accounts. The swindler(s) can either directly engage in a spending spree or sell the data using any number of private and public venues. Since many of these are available on the internet, the crook(s) can plausibly consummate these rip-offs from the kitchen table while still clad in pajamas. Given the prospective secondary shock waves facing their customers, Ashburn said “We’re going to send out direct letters to anyone who could have been sending us something. If one person’s identity gets taken because of this, we haven’t gone far enough.”

While conceding the danger, Ashburn skirted admitting to future liability for adverse financial consequences. Instead, she recommends that prospective victims protect themselves by contacting their financial institutions, credit card insurers and credit card bureaus to flag their suddenly vulnerable accounts. By alerting these agencies, victims stand a good chance of foiling future efforts to fraudulently open lines of credit using their identities. If you receive a congratulatory letter from the local BMW franchise for purchasing a new Z-4, it’s too late.

The second shell game - first reported by a Galt Mile vendor - is one of two scams referenced on the Florida Division of Corporations official website, www.sunbiz.org. Along with the usual junk that penetrated his internet security program’s email spam filter in early July, the local merchant received an email requesting a fee for complying with some official State corporate notice requirements. Experienced in wading through a daily complement of email hustles, he forwarded the phony phishing expedition to the neighborhood association and asked whether we were aware of similar flimflams. In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, account numbers, Social Security Numbers and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication – such as an email.

Bogus Sunbiz Site

On July 10^th, the Florida Division of Corporations posted a warning on its website about two widely posted misleading emails. In one case, an entity masquerading as a “Compliance Services” arm of the official State agency is emailing Florida companies, requesting their annual minutes and a fee of $125. In fact, no state agency requires the filing of a company's annual minutes. In the second scenario, something called the “Florida Online Corporate Annual Report Filings” is also emailing businesses, inviting them to file their annual reports on that group’s website. The correspondence is designed to create the false impression that the company is engaging in an official state-sanctioned service effort.

While the first set of bozos is raking in $125 payments from clueless victims, they also stand to receive enough corporate data to initiate a credit scam. While the second suspect site lacked the panache of exacting a fee for inducing a corporate victim to self-compromise fiscal security, a quick trip to the perpetrator’s web site reveals an attempt to solicit data useful for corporate identity theft, personal data about any officers and/or directors and a shot at collecting $50 for a Certificate of Status ordinarily costing $5 or $8.75. To legally insulate themselves from actionable liability, the Division launched the Consumer Alert on the home page of their website. They repudiate claims outlined in the emails and deny any association with the two entities.

Attorney General Bill McCollum

The third gambit, embodied in an email sent directly to the neighborhood association, exemplified the State’s most prevalent of summer frauds, those exploiting the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In May, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum warned residents against paying a fee for processing loss or damage claims resulting from the Gulf oil spill. Since British Petroleum’s (BP) authorized third-party claims administrator, ESIS, is processing spill-related claims on BP’s dime, McCollum exhorted “Floridians need to be on the lookout for people posing as authorized adjusters and requesting fees for free claims services.”

In June, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an alert about “scam artists” using e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings and telephone calls to solicit money. The FTC reported receiving hundreds of complaints about scammers raising money for bogus environmental causes and fly-by-night charitable organizations or offering fraudulent remediation services. Others toured beachfront neighborhoods, offering to expedite loss claims for a fee or to help homeowners brazenly fabricate “airtight” damage claims. In the email sent to the neighborhood association, an outfit called Industrial Recovery offered a similar service for a fee. However, if requested account information was submitted, the fee would be waived. The snow job was immediately forwarded to McCollum’s office.

Job Scammer Tanya Callaway

In July, the Federal Trade Commission issued another consumer warning. Scammers had begun using fraudulent job ads to exploit the State’s huge pool of unemployed recession victims. Desperately needed jobs were offered in exchange for an up-front fee, usually for training or “certification”. In Atlanta, the police nailed owner Tanya Callaway of a temp company called Just Business. Callaway and partner Atlanta Police Officer Corey Hymes collected hundreds of $80 fees for jobs supposedly guaranteed by BP. The oil company never heard of Callaway or her employment business.

Closer to home, McCollum is prosecuting Able Body Labor, a Clearwater-based temporary staffing firm with 170 branches in 25 states. Another targeted company, Southern Cat of Lynn Haven, is a nondescript opportunistic enterprise cobbled together two years ago. When employment entails exposure to hazardous substances, the law requires that candidates undergo Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard training, otherwise known as HAZWOPER, prior to qualifying for certification. Although the two companies advertised the training as free, when applicants graduated, the companies demanded fat fees of up to $450 before releasing their certificates.

The reason why the Gulf oil spill scams have received such intensive focus from consumer protection agencies and law enforcement is largely a consequence of their nationwide impact. In one particularly egregious June event, nearly 800 members of the Yakama Nation tribe in Washington were offered $40-an-hour jobs clearing tar balls from Gulf beaches. To secure the jobs, they had to provide names, addresses, social security numbers and other data useful for identity theft. Many resigned their regular jobs in order to take advantage of the opportunity, only to learn they were defrauded.

If you’ve been targeted or victimized by any of the tricky hair balls that seem to flourish in Florida, let us know. Your identity will be fully protected. Last November, 3 Galt Mile residents reported falling prey to a fraudulent HUD website. When informed that a well known reporter from a reputable local newspaper read the article and requested introductions, the contributors refused, insisting on continued anonymity. They got it... and so will you! Prior to contacting us, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting ftc.gov or calling toll-free 877-FTC-HELP. Sharing your experience will help others find the courage to fight back.

Bogus FHA Website

Scams Galt Mile Residents

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