Douglas Kruschen for the Annandale Board of Directors

Experience. Integrity. Action. ✅

“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.” – Lt. Gen. David Morrison

🏡 Why Annandale Matters to Me

Annandale is unlike any other community in Agoura. Its architecture, location, urban forest, build quality, and amenities together create a value proposition that is difficult to replicate. This community is not just my home. It is part of my long-term investment portfolio. That means protecting the legal integrity, operational soundness, and fiscal accountability of the HOA is not just an interest. It is a commitment. I am unwilling to walk past the direction of Annandale, I am unwilling to accept the direction of Annandale, and you are invited to join me in changing its course.

📜 Acquiring title to a property in a common interest development like Annandale entitles each homeowner to more than just a piece of property. It entitles us to the full protections afforded by California’s Davis-Stirling Act, the Corporations Code governing nonprofit mutual benefit corporations, the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and the enforceability of equitable servitudes that govern common interest communities. These protections are not optional, theoretical, or subject to the personal opinions of board members and managers. They are binding, enforceable, and central to what every owner has the right to expect and demand. 💵 A portion of our nearly $480 per month dues pays for the privilege of those protections, and we are entitled to their full and consistent compliance and enforcement.

👤 Meet Douglas Kruschen

My wife and I made Annandale our home in 2015, just one week before the birth of our youngest child. Since then, we have built our lives here, raising two children and investing not just in real estate but in the community’s long-term viability and success.

🛠 I am 45 years old and bring nearly two decades of relevant experience to the table. Since 2008, I have worked professionally in property management, technology, and compliance development. My earlier career involved working for a quasi-governmental agency in the Bay Area, where I provided technical and regulatory support to ensure its statutory compliance. I hold a state Community Association Manager license and am invested in properties throughout the country. My professional life is built around effective property management. I apply those same principles to my volunteer work advocating for homeowners and mentoring board members navigating governance concerns. Currently, I am studying to pass the CMCA certification exam.

🧩 Many of you have benefited from the results of my work firsthand, whether it was the resolution of the Waste Management dispute, restoration of board elections, helping to get your claims promptly settled, or improvements in maintenance, safety, and security.

💪 I am just like you. I work smart and hard to support my family and give to others. No one handed me a fortune or gave me property. I am not propped up by family wealth or subsidized by someone else’s bank account. I earned my qualifications, built my experience, and have stood on my own two feet, even while managing disabilities. That independence matters, especially when making tough decisions that affect our community’s future. I don’t play favorites, I don’t mince words, and I don’t let leadership misconduct go unchallenged. Accountability starts on the inside.

📌 2025 Position Statement

As a homeowner, investor, and experienced community advocate, I maintain the following positions on key governance issues affecting Annandale in 2025:

💻 Zoom Board Meetings

I support legally compliant hybrid Board meetings that allow all members to attend and participate, whether they are at home, at work, or managing a disability. I personally donated computer and phone equipment to enable hybrid meetings.

💰 Special Assessments

I do not support imposing special assessments as a result of negligent budgeting and forecasting.

🧾 Collections

I support the legally compliant collection of delinquent assessments and the use of structured payment plans that protect both the Association and affected homeowners. Collections must be conducted in accordance with Civil Code sections 5660 through 5740, with fairness, transparency, and full procedural compliance. The use of unlawful or aggressive tactics creates unnecessary risk for the HOA and must be curtailed.

🧮 Transparency

I support full publication of monthly and annual financials in a format that is immediately accessible to all members. Owners should not be required to register for access or submit repeated requests in order to obtain what they are already entitled to under the law. Meeting minutes, contracts, vendor invoices, bank statements, and check copies are all subject to disclosure under Civil Code sections 5200 – 5210. No member should be forced to sue the Association in order to obtain the books and records.

I support the full and ongoing publication of maintenance tickets and repair statuses in a format that is immediately accessible to all members. These expenditures are funded by our collective dues; therefore, homeowners have a clear right to know how, where, and whether funds are being spent. It is unacceptable and negligent to leave security lighting unfixed for extended periods, to allow sprinklers to remain broken for weeks or even years, to fail to promptly replace stolen address plaques, to ignore leaks until water service must be shut off, to neglect pool maintenance to the point of Health Department closure, to poorly maintain trees until they fall and damage vehicles, and to support management that does not return phone calls in a timely manner if at all. Transparency and accountability are not optional. They are fundamental obligations of the Board and Management, and anything less represents a disregard for both fiduciary duty and community safety.

🔧 Vendor Selection

I support requiring that all HOA vendors hold valid licenses and carry liability insurance before being approved for work. The Association should not be paying for vendor insurance or licensing. Board members who authorize unlicensed or uninsured vendors breach their fiduciary duties under Corporations Code section 7231 and expose the Association to significant liability.

🏦 FHA & VA Financing Approvals

I support ensuring that the Association’s governance, operations, and financial practices meet all requirements necessary for FHA and VA loan approval. Maintaining these certifications increases the pool of eligible buyers, strengthens demand, and supports higher property values. Termination of our approval under the current leadership in 2024 needlessly restricts marketability and harms the long-term interests of every owner. Annandale’s inability to renew FHA approval rests squarely on the current leadership’s negligent decision to decrease monthly assessments (dues) beginning 1/1/2024 and cease the required 10% minimum reserves contribution.

🤝 Committee Involvement

I support the formal chartering and active use of committees to increase member involvement and ensure that homeowners have a greater voice in the maintenance and governance of their investment. Well-governed associations typically operate a landscape committee, communications committee, governance committee, finance committee, safety committee, and architectural committee. These committees improve oversight, enhance transparency, and often serve as a training ground for future Board members. As we have seen, Board members die, resign, or lose eligibility. Everyone should be pitching in. It takes a village and we are a village.

📈 A Record of Proven Results

⚖️ 2019: Legal Reform and Board Revival

I successfully petitioned the court to lower the quorum requirement for electing directors in Annandale. This crucial step helped dissolve a decade-long zombie board and restored democratic governance to our community. The community litigation also contributed to a statewide change in HOA election law (AB-1458) realized in 2024, thanks to the efforts of state Assemblyman Tri Ta and the support of the legislature and the Governor.

♻️ 2022: Waste Management Lawsuit Victory

I secured a judgment against Waste Management, a byproduct of which affirmed our residents’ right to opt out of unnecessary valet trash services. This outcome saved homeowners money and increased consumer choice. Have you opted out yet? Are you getting your senior discount?

🛠 2020–2023: Service and Oversight

While serving on the Board between 2020 and 2023, I focused on stabilizing operations, rectifying long-standing legal deficiencies, and ensuring community welfare. Accomplishments of the Board during that time included:

🏊 Year-round efficient pool heating (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🚓 Contracting daily security patrols (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
💡 Quarterly safety lighting inspections (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🗓 Lawfully noticed monthly open Board meetings (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🔧 Major infrastructure maintenance and repair savings (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
⚖️ Preemptive legal conflict resolution (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
✅ FHA Certification (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
📈 Increasing property values (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
❌ Termination of Lordon Management for breach of contract (subsequently rehired under current leadership)
🐀 Commitment to “poison-free” community standards (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🚗 Efficient revenue-generating leased parking space program (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🔥 Continued fire lane and designated handicapped parking enforcement (subsequently terminated under current leadership)
🌐 Development and maintenance of an open and accessible HOA website (subsequently terminated under current leadership)

📜 2024: Election Challenge and Restoration of Order

In 2024, I obtained a court order invalidating a legally defective director election. Those who benefited from the improper process were judicially removed. Their refusal to honor the court’s ruling has resulted in substantial legal exposure for the HOA. The full consequences of their defiance will unfold for years to come.

⚖️ Current Litigation and Civil Rights Actions

As of October 1, 2025, I am actively engaged in multiple legal proceedings arising from persistent and systemic governance failures within the Annandale HOA. These are targeted legal interventions grounded in California HOA law, nonprofit corporate governance requirements, and both state and federal civil rights protections. They are intended to safeguard homeowners’ rights, enforce fiduciary responsibilities, and restore lawful administration to our community. The long-term stability of our property values, the soundness of our financial investment, and the integrity of our civil liberties depend on it.

Homeowners are entitled to governance that is lawful, transparent, and non-retaliatory. When those standards are violated, the consequences are serious: court orders, civil liability, loss of insurance coverage, and potential regulatory oversight may follow. I do not undertake litigation lightly. But I will not remain silent, nor will I subordinate myself to unlawful authority or surrender to intimidation. I will not stand by while Annandale is governed by individuals who violate court orders, circumvent election and assessment laws, obstruct access to records, retaliate against protected speech and participation, and expose this HOA to escalating legal and financial risk. Annandale claims to have spent $500,000 to defend itself, but has not been the prevailing party in any litigation. My lawyers are surgical experts in the HOA, corporate governance, and civil rights fields.

Most members would rather sell than engage with their HOA. That is understandable. But it is also how dysfunction persists. I am not one of the most. When it comes to protecting my investments, and by extension, yours, I will continue to act until governance in Annandale is brought back within the bounds of the law. Annandale is one of the most diverse communities in Agoura Hills. That diversity is a strength, but only if it is matched by leadership that respects the civil rights of every resident and member. No one, regardless of race, religion, disability, or background, should be subjected to harassment, retaliation, or exclusion. Every member is entitled to equal treatment, lawful governance, and access to participation without fear.

I have chosen to take a stand in court, not only for myself, but for the protection of the entire community and the potential for statewide benefit to be realized. And I will continue to do so whenever necessary, so that all members of Annandale can live with dignity, safety, and confidence in the rule of law. No member should live in fear of Annandale’s board spending our money to send malicious three-page letters containing false and misleading information about them. Their actions illustrate precisely why litigation is necessary to preserve our investments and why leadership change is vital. Their actions also highlight the responsibility of co-owners to remain vigilant and hold one another accountable. Under Annandale’s CC&Rs, liability is contractually imputed to all titled owners of individual units, including spouses and parents where applicable.

🚨 A Candid Warning About the Opposition

When you challenge the status quo, resistance is inevitable. The facts are clear. Individuals like Steve Gittleman and Victor Martinez have engaged in conduct ranging from defamation to racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric to obstruction of governance. This has exposed the HOA to costly litigation and reputational harm.

⚠️ There is no “common sense” in violating the law.
📪 There is no honor in mailing out offensive postcards.
🔍 There is no integrity in manipulating homeowners with falsehoods and fear tactics.
🔒 There is no accountability without lawful governance and transparent enforcement.

🌟 My Vision for Annandale

My 1-2-3 platform has always been grounded in these simple principles:

✅ Protect the HOA and you through strict legal compliance, accountability, and proactive governance.
🏗 Nurture the HOA and you by ensuring the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure and reserves.
🤝 Help the HOA and you by defending the rights and dignity of all residents, especially those in protected classes.

🙏 Thank You for Your Support

I am asking for your vote not just as a neighbor but as a proven leader with a track record of effective advocacy, operational reform, and community protection. With your support, I will continue to safeguard Annandale’s future from the inside. 🏘 This is for our families, for our property values, and for the rule of law. ⚖️