Pio Pico TT – More Issues; More Stress

The coronavirus statewide shutdown that Governor Newsome put into effect in California March 19 kept us from returning to Pio Pico as planned April 1. Miscommunication from the staff was an understatement. We were quite happy when the Preserve Manager, Phil, authorized those two months back to us since we were locked out when we should have been allowed to return to Pio the whole time. Ranger 1 – Lili, put us in the computer “on our lease site” till September 1 as Phil told her to do.

Since we thought everything was settled and that we’d be here at Pio on our lease till Sept 1, we cancelled the reservations we had for July and August over near Sedona. We are simply staying put. It will help to recoup the money we spent when we needed to stay in Arizona. Towards the end of June I tried to see Phil to make sure he remembers giving us the two months, and for him to be prepared for Dave to fight it. Unfortunately, he was never around or at least no one answered the office door. I went to the ranger station, but Lili told me not to worry because Phil was the one who approved it. I was concerned that as soon as Dave realized our lease was extended he’d be mad.

Well, the sales manager, Dave, did start causing waves, as I expected. He realized he can’t sell our lease site to someone new till Sept 1. I don’t trust him at all. He’ll say he’s “looking out for us”, but I know from lack of help from him with our power issues, that he is not there for us. He came to tell us that Phil can’t extend a lease contract and that we have to use our regular membership to stay in the park since our lease contract expired July 1. Although when I called Corporate back in May they told me that Corporate doesn’t have anything to do with leases, and that it is up to the individual Preserve Managers! I don’t care how they put us in the computer -whether our time here shows as an annual lease site, a monthly. Whatever makes them happy, but that Pio Pico honors Phils word for the two months owed to us due to their incompetence. Dave told me to go see Phil, so I went immediately, but with the same result. No answer. Therefore, I told Dave that if there is a problem Phil can come to us! I was done trying to track him down.

What’s the big deal about NOT just using our membership instead? Basically it is a lot more hassle with moving and would cost us money for the one week we have to be out between each 3-week reservations in the park. Plus if Pio shuts down again we may not be able to get back in.

Well, after not hearing anything from Phil all week, we assumed all was well. Wrong! (Yeah, I know what they say when you assume things!) I received an email from him today (7/11). It basically stated that he doesn’t know why we are still in the park! WTF??? It went on to say that we seem to think we are entitled to more time for a pedestal power issue from last year. No, that has nothing to do with the 2 month extension! He said he would give us till TOMORROW at 5 PM to leave! I replied to the email immediately that he seems to have forgotten one very important conversation where HE gave us back two months use of our lease! Needless to say we are NOT leaving tomorrow. The stress of this is becoming a bit too much for me on top of committing to our manufactured home and all the decisions that accompanied it and getting finances figured out.

On 7/13/20, Dave had a ranger deliver a hard copy of Phil’s email delivered to us at our site. I noticed that Phil had Cc’d the regional manager, Yas. Barry jokingly said, “Well, I guess we’ve been served.” I wasn’t planning to take this to the regional manage yet, but am OK with that, especially since it was Phil who brought her in on it now. I wrote to Yas, filling her in on the complete story. She responded tonight (July 13) and wants to schedule a day and time to talk on the phone. Not sure what to expect, but we have been totally upfront with everything, so we are thinking it is a positive step.

By the way–our Thousand Trails reservations online still show us confirmed on an annual site till Sept 1. We took a screen shot before it gets changed. This is not something we can just do on our own! Lili did it because Phil directed her to do so.

Today, July 14, we had a 30-minute telephone conversation with Yas. She asked several questions in follow-up to what I provided in my email. She plans to investigate things further. She was not happy that Dargie was involved in any way! I told Yas that our phone records show a total of 13 calls to Pio from the end of March to May 17. Yas was also not pleased to hear that Phil never returned any of my phone calls (3 while in AZ, and 1 just recently). She said “This whole thing has not been handled as it should have.” Yas reassured me that she was going to tell Phil to leave us alone the rest of this week, and that she would call me back on Friday to update me even if she didn’t have an answer worked out for us yet. Barry and I both felt heard, and were pleased she was looking into everything. I was quite impressed with her!

July 17, Yas called to update us. She was still researching. She told us to stay put and that she would let Phil (Pio’s manager) know that no one is to bother us. She will call me back middle of next week. Works for me. 🙂

July 22, Yas called back to say that she still doesn’t have an answer for us yet. She asked me where we were when Phil told me he’d give us back those two months and if anyone else other than Lili was there. No, it was just the three of us, and we were in the vicinity of the ranger station, but not at it. Not sure what the issue is but she hopes to have an answer by Friday. I told her it was fine, and that the longer it takes the more the issue is resolving itself. 🙂

Friday, July 24, Yas called today. She had an answer for us. She said that they are going to allow us to stay for the full two months of July and August! She thanked us for being so patient, and that she would send me an email confirming the extension of our lease so we would have it in writing if needed! Sweet!!! This lady has been the utmost professional from day one! Hearing the final OK resulted in an amazing release of stress immediately.
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Hi Nancy,
We are going to allow you to extend your annual lease for 2 months since you were not able to use your site during Covid. Since your lease expired on 7/1/20, your lease is now extended through 9/1/20. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks 

Yas Ghafouri

Regional Manager

We will have to leave for one week between using our lease and beginning a three-week membership stay. No problem! We’re thinking we will go check out Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee for a week. So relieved to have this issue closed!