I am writing in response to two letters in the April 29 FLS ["HOAs have too much power over homeowners" and "Lake of the Woods rules, policies too intrusive"].

As a member of Lake Land'Or Property Owners Association in Caroline County, I share the concerns of Robert Boone and Doug Chidlow.

However, we at Lake Land'Or have approached the problem in a different way. We, too, had what could be termed an emperor and a manager who at times seemed out of control.

Two years ago, many members of Lake Land'Or decided to change things. We elected a new and more responsive board. An investigation was started into the handling of the administrative part of the POA.

(The former manager has pled guilty to a felony, and the investigation continues.)

We have the lowest assessment by far of any HOA in Caroline County.

This past year, our finances came out more than a quarter of a million dollars ahead, so now we can do some long-needed maintenance on our facilities. All this has made Lake Land'Or what some have called a paradise.

We had problems, but we came together as a community to change a bad situation where people were being bullied, and it's now a truly great place to live.

This has been done through a combination of good management and community involvement. We are taking the lessons we learned to the county level. One of our directors has been elected to the county Board of Supervisors, and one to the School Board.

Change can be made to happen at any level, but especially at the local HOA level if you go to the meetings, vote, take part, and get involved. It works.

Steve Wilkinson

Caroline