Transparency & Truth

Transparency isn’t just a word — it’s the foundation of trust. For too long, homeowners in Chatfield Bluffs have been left to interpret fragments of information, while the full picture of important issues and decisions has remained out of reach.

This new community site was created to change that. From this day forward, every homeowner will have access to accurate, complete, and timely information about what the HOA Board is doing, why decisions are made, and how community funds are spent.

Our goal is not to divide — it’s to clarify. True transparency isn’t about taking sides; it’s about ensuring that every resident can see and understand the facts for themselves.

When “Transparency” Becomes a Talking Point

The current Board describes itself as “the most transparent in the community’s history.” But transparency can’t be self-proclaimed — it must be demonstrated.

Homeowners have repeatedly asked for access to reports, contracts, and spending records, only to be met with delayed responses or denials. Meeting minutes have been summarized in ways that omit key discussions or reshape context, and the HOA’s communication channels have increasingly been used to promote their narrative rather than an open exchange of information.

True transparency doesn’t fear questions. It welcomes them. It recognizes that homeowners are not outsiders — they are the HOA.

Wildlife Officer: What He Said vs. What They Reported

A clear example of how selective reporting distorts understanding came during a recent HOA meeting when a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer spoke about the dangers of rattlesnakes on the bluffs.

If you read the Board’s summary afterward, you would have come away believing that rattlesnakes are not an issue — that only three had "ever" been relocated.

However, what the officer actually explained was that he personally may have relocated about three, but that he is just one of many wildlife officers covering this region — and that other officers have relocated a significant number over the years. Many homeowners also kill or relocate rattlesnakes themselves when they stray from their nesting grounds. Collectively, there have been hundreds of rattlesnake encounters — a vast difference from the Board's claim.

Furthermore, the wildlife officer emphasized that our south-facing bluffs are well known among wildlife professionals as one of the most active rattlesnake nesting environments in Colorado. Because of the orientation and warmth, the bluffs allow snakes to remain active long after colder areas have gone dormant. In the officer's words, this terrain is a serious and ongoing hazard — one that requires awareness and caution from everyone living near it.

Yet that full warning never reached homeowners. The Board’s official recap removed critical safety testimony, reducing an expert’s serious warning to a sound bite that served to ignore risk rather than inform the community of the danger.

Legal Liability Created by the Board’s Concealment

The most alarming failure by the current Board is their purposeful concealment of a severe safety warning delivered directly to them by an official Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer. At that meeting, the officer explicitly warned the Board of the increased rattlesnake presence, the danger to residents, and the risks associated with opening access to the bluff. Every Board member was present. Not one relayed that warning to the community.

That act alone violates C.R.S. §38-33.3-303(2), which clearly states that HOA Board members lose their personal liability protection when their actions or omissions are wanton or willful. Knowingly withholding a critical State-issued safety warning meets this threshold. As a result:

• The Board members themselves lose statutory immunity under §38-33.3-303(2) due to willful concealment of a known danger.
• The HOA (the entire community) is now exposed to direct liability if a resident, child, or visitor is injured by a rattlesnake on or near Tract A.
• This exposure did not exist prior to the Board’s unauthorized decision to open access and conceal the warning.

Because the Board knowingly ignored and concealed a State wildlife warning, any resulting injury would be legally considered foreseeable — a key factor in determining negligence and damages in Colorado courts. This means the HOA, and therefore all 223 homeowners, would be held financially responsible.

What a Rattlesnake-Injury Lawsuit Would Mean for Homeowners

If someone were bitten today from the Board opening access — and especially after they concealed a documented State safety warning — any injured party could sue Chatfield Bluffs South HOA for negligence, premises liability, and failure to warn. Colorado juries and judges award significant damages for venomous snake-bite cases due to the extreme medical costs and long-term injuries.

Typical judgment ranges for rattlesnake-bite cases in Colorado:

• $150,000 – $300,000 for moderate envenomation (hospitalization, antivenom, tissue damage)
• $350,000 – $700,000 for severe cases (multiple surgeries, permanent impairment, nerve damage)
• $1,000,000+ for catastrophic cases (amputation, long-term disability, disfigurement, or if a child is injured)

These figures include medical bills ($100k+ is common for antivenom and ICU care), lost wages, long-term disability, and pain and suffering — all compensable damages under Colorado law.

If the HOA were sued and lost — which, given the Board’s willful concealment, is highly likely — the community would almost certainly face a Special Assessment to cover the judgment.

Financial impact on homeowners:

• $150,000 judgment → ~$673 per home
• $300,000 judgment → ~$1,345 per home
• $700,000 judgment → ~$3,139 per home
• $1,000,000+ judgment → $4,484+ per home

These assessments would be unavoidable — they are imposed equally on all homes when insurance denies a claim due to wanton or willful Board conduct, which insurers routinely reject.

In short: The Board’s willful concealment has created both personal legal exposure for themselves and significant financial liability for the entire community. This danger can only be closed by installing a new Board immediately, reversing the unauthorized access, disclosing the safety warning properly, and restoring compliance with both State law and the Original Development Plan.

Within days after this Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer provided professional testimony on the dangers of rattlesnakes along the bluffs, the picture to the right was taken — showing a deadly snake just inches from entering a home or possibly biting someone walking out their door without noticing the threat. Encounters like this are very common in our neighborhood, where the Board has purposely concealed the danger.

Recall the Current Board – What They’re Hiding

If you’ve reached this point on the site, you now understand issues the Board hoped homeowners would never uncover. For months, critical valuation impacts, legal warnings, and safety concerns were withheld from the community. The recall vote on November 20, 2025 is your opportunity to hold the current Board accountable and protect your investment by voting NO to retain them.

Their Agenda Supersedes Your Investment

This Board is not being compelled by any outside authority to stay in power. Their service is voluntary, and they could step aside at any time. Their claim that they “must” open access or face personal liability has been directly refuted by State Representative Tammy Story — the co-author of the very statute they cite. Yet despite receiving clarification, the Board continues to push forward, placing their own narratives above the financial, legal, and safety interests of 223 homeowners.

The Math Behind the Recall Vote

This recall is about restoring a Board that values transparency, legal compliance, and property valuations. A successful recall requires 67% of homeowners (150 votes). To retain control, the current Board needs only 33% (75 votes). This is why every single vote — and every single proxy — directly shifts the outcome.

Every Changed Proxy Matters

If you previously provided the Board with a proxy before knowing the facts, it is not too late to change your vote. Submitting a new proxy immediately revokes your old one without anyone knowing. And because the Board only needs 75 “yes” votes to survive the recall, every homeowner who switches a prior pro-Board proxy to a “NO” vote moves the entire community closer to a Board that will:

• Protect your home valuation first and foremost
• Follow state law rather than ignore legislative clarification
• Respect legally recorded development restrictions
• Prioritize safety over convenience
• Listen to homeowners instead of dismissing concerns

Need Help Changing Your Proxy?

If you wish to revoke a previous proxy and submit a new one, you may do so privately and easily. You can contact us directly, and we will send someone to your home to pick up your completed proxy revocation form discreetly and securely. We want to make sure every homeowner who wants their vote counted has the opportunity to be heard.

If you have a concern you wish to share, please email info@chatfieldvalues.com and we'll get it posted.