Park History
The land where Seminole Estates is located was owned and developed by Charles Merrill of Aloha Land and Cattle Company. The first homes were placed in the summer of 1977. By 1980 the first phase of the development was completed, which included the clubhouse and swimming pool. In 1992, the last space was taken. The site preparation fee was $4,000.
On April 19, 1978 the Seminole Mobile Estates Homeowners Association (SMEHA) adopted by-laws. The dues were $6.00. The park residents also formed an OSTA chapter. The RV storage area was fenced and a dump station was added. The monthly parking fee was $7.50.
In 1980 Seminole was an adult park with a lower age limit of 16. Age limits were eventually raised and in 1994 HUD documentation was submitted and the park qualified as a 55+ park. The speed limit was 10 MPH.
In 1983 Aloha Land and Cattle sold the park to an investment group headed by Boyce Jones of Equity Concepts, located in California. Before the park was sold, the Bingo equipment and sign had been purchased.
In 1984 a contest was held to name the homeowner association newsletter. The winning entry was Tee Pee Topics. By 1988 the publishers (volunteers) of Tee Pee Topics included a monthly calendar with all park events listed.
Office hours for the park manager's office were set in 1992. The manager is not in the office eight hours per day. The next year a Neighborhood Watch was formed. Sound deadening boards were installed in the clubhouse along with new drapes, a larger kitchen sink, and better circuit breakers in the kitchen area.
In 1994 a pager was obtained to give residents an after hours contact for fire, flood and electrical emergencies. Park policies were reviewed and the RASE (Residents Association of Seminole Estates) board worked with Mr. Jones and developed long-term leases.
The organization became known as SERA (Seminole Estates Residents Association) in 1995 when SMEHA, the social organization, and RASE, the homeowners organization, merged.
Color sections have existed since 1997. The park was divided into sections to enhance communications between residents, board and management. The sections are Blue, Orange, Brown, Pink, Green, Yellow, and Purple.
During the next six years there were more improvements made to the park. Floodlights were added at the clubhouse to illuminate the parking area in 1999. The park rules regarding pets were modified in 2000 to allow two pets. The clubhouse floor was refinished in 2001 and a new roof was installed on the clubhouse and card room building. The inside lights of the clubhouse were upgraded in 2003 and in 2004 a big-screen TV was presented to the residents by Management. The entire clubhouse received a major update in 2014 as the kitchen now has new countertops, cupboard and appliances. The bathrooms were also updated.
In 2005 Boyce Jones closed Equity Concepts and the park owners hired Newport Pacific of California as property managers. Commonwealth Real Estate Services took over management of the park in September 2011. New pavers were installed at the entrance in 2017.
In 2010 the streets were repaved. Slurry is added whenever necessary.
In September 2011 Commonwealth Real Estate Services took over management of the park.
After reviewing old minutes, Association newsletters and Manager newsletters, other general information has been discovered. When the park was developed there was a "No Parking on the street AT ANY TIME" policy. If there was not enough room for visitors to park in the driveway of the home, cars had to be parked at the clubhouse area. A past Association President arranged a series of meetings between himself, management and the Fire Marshall. These meetings resulted in a walk through and the identification of the marked parking places throughout the park that are available for use during the day. Overnight street parking is not allowed in order to maintain proper fire lanes. (Note: In the fall of 2000 a tour of other manufactured home parks in the area verifies that the other parks still maintain a "No Parking on the Street" policy). The original park speed limit was raised from 10 MPH to 15 MPH. There are a total of 211 homes in the park.
Copied from Residents' Handbook as revised July 2018