[Everyone] Retaining wall failure

Sun Mar 29 23:55:27 UTC 2026

On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 6:40 PM R.C. Rodman <rcr1026 at gmail.com> wrote:

> We write to express our dismay over the manner in which the issue having
> to do with the retaining wall for units 400, 402, 404, and 406 is being
> handled.
>
> The work Ron has undertaken was in fact begun several days ago. Only today
> after Rosamond expressed concern about and a desire to access our
> downstairs has communication about this matter been initiated.
>
> We take issue not only with the way matter has been handled by Ron but
> also with Dave’s response.
>
And I take issue with the tone of your email Rosamond.  This was not a vast
conspiracy.  Ron had indeed mentioned the retaining wall at our previous
meeting.  Since then, the only additional information I received was what
Ron reported in his initial email.  And what, exactly, was wrong with the
way I handled this, Rosamond?  Please be specific. Perhaps asking some
questions first before sending an angry email would have been a more
appropriate response.

> First, respect, courtesy, and neighborliness should have prompted Ron to
> communicate with immediate neighbors and then also the whole
>
Like the respect and courtesy that you're showing in this email?  Would not
respect and courtesy entail asking questions before sending an email such
as this one?


> of the HOA about his observations and recommendations. There was no
> consultation, no communication—at least not with us—about the matter. The
> time to consult is at the beginning, not when one owner decides to proceed.
> If the Baggetts wish to undertake this work limited to their own property,
> they should communicate directly how it will affect the rest of us.
>
Again, please tell us exactly how this was handled incorrectly.  The
collapsing retaining wall threatened to damage Ron and Kathy's (the
Baggett's) HVAC unit, so Ron investigated the problem to determine if the
danger was imminent. He then reported his findings to his neighbors.  I see
nothing indicating that Ron made any repairs.  Ron then offered his
informed opinion on the retaining wall's issue, the likelihood of
additional retaining walls having the same issue, and possible solutions.
How, exactly, did Ron handle this incorrectly?


> Second, the HOA—the collective--should make the decision about what should
> be done and who should do it. Professionals—licensed and
>
Please point out where I or anyone else made a unilateral decision, or
where the HOA should not make the decision if the expenditure exceeds the
discretionary amount the Board is authorized to use, per the decision voted
on and approved by a majority of the residents?


> insured, etc—should be consulted and hired by the HOA to do the work. The
> possibility of problems arising from such work is high. We should make of
> the job a contractual arrangement, with all the usual expectations in re:
> due diligence, responsibilities, and liabilities.
>
Shouldn't the HOA make that decision? The by-laws do not require the HOA to
do that.  But if you wish to use that standard, has anyone verified that
Mr. Jimmy Ringer is licensed and insured?  Why are we allowing residents to
do landscaping when we should only use licensed and insured professionals
as you suggest?

> It makes little sense to have matter like this be done by one unit. There
> has been in our view too little collective planning at Chelsea Place.
>
Again, please explain where a single unit took any action to mitigate the
issue.  If Ron and Kathy were going to deal with this on their own, why did
Ron send that email instead of starting the work himself? If Ron has the
skill set to evaluate what is causing the retaining wall to fail, and he's
willing to do it, why shouldn't he conduct the initial investigation
instead of spending money on an outside company to evaluate it?  For that
matter, why do we ask our three attorney owners legal questions when none
of them are currently practicing?  Shouldn't we go directly to a law firm
to ask our questions?


> We still seem to think allowing any owner to go his or her own way is
> smart. It is not—not for an HOA. But if even CP can handle the
>
At the risk of repeating myself, please explain how you reached this
conclusion. In my 16 years of living here, any issue that concerns our
common areas has been discussed by all the owners (or their proxies) before
any decision was made.


> challenge of carpenter bees and a few other issues jointly we do not
> understand why a matter like the retaining wall would not also be
>
The HOA has never performed the carpenter bee treatment, occasional window
and skylight washing services, etc. A resident organized these; they kindly
thought of their neighbors, inquired about a bulk discount and then
notified us.  The HOA's only involvement was providing the email list for
discussion.

handled smartly and collectively and with professionals who are liable to
> us.
>
> We appreciate Ron’s notice of the problem. And we respect his taking
> initiative to address the problem (at least as it presses upon his home).
> But we find in this problem another instance of the failure of CP owners to
> operate by procedure and policy and normal courtesies.
>
I very strongly disagree with you. I believe Ron handled this
appropriately.  He saw a problem, used his expertise to determine its
cause, notified his fellow owners, and suggested solutions.  Where,
exactly, was the failure?

David


> Rosamond & Vincent
>
> On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 3:50 PM David Weiner via Everyone <
> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>
>> Ron,
>>
>> Thanks for the run down.  Considering what you’ve said about the one
>> wall, I’m surprised that it’s last this long.  I suspect that it dates from
>> the original construction, which puts it a little over 40 years old.
>>
>> If you’re willing to do the work, would you put together an estimate of
>> the cost of materials to rebuild/replace that retaining wall, and do it
>> correctly?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> > On Mar 29, 2026, at 15:44, Ronald Baggett via Everyone <
>> everyone at chelseaplacedecatur.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi Everyone,
>> > As we discussed previously at the HOA meeting the wood timber retaining
>> wall at the street facing corner of our building had started to fail.
>> After the last heavy rains the top of the wall had shifted about 3 inches
>> forward.
>> > As our HVAC unit was in the path of the wall should it fall forward, I
>> dug out behind the wall to see if it could be positioned back in place and
>> reinforced.   What I found was the wall had no drainage system as it should
>> have had to prevent water damage to the timbers.  There was also only one
>> token dead head support instead of the 3 or 4 a wall that size should
>> have.  The bottom two layers of the wall were water logged, rotted and not
>> usable.
>> > I have built many retaining walls and  expect it would take me 2-3
>> weeks to complete. Half of that time would be preparing the area and half
>> building the wall.
>> > A thin dry stack stone wall like Sara has beside her home would make
>> the most sense.  The cost is similar to the treated timbers or tacky cement
>> blocks the big box stores carry ( around $200 more). The big difference is
>> the dry stack wall is much more labor intensive.  With a proper drainage
>> and water mitigation system a dry stack wall will last indefinitely.
>> > I think a more important issue is if the other timber retaining walls
>> were installed the same way we can expect them to fail sooner than later.
>> With a proper drainage system you can get 50 or more years out of treated
>> timber retaining walls.  Without a drainage system you can see failure as
>> soon as 5 years.  After taking a closer look at the other retaining  walls
>> you can already see several areas where the walls have already failed and
>> are getting shoved out of position.  I know there are companies that repair
>> and restore timber retaining walls. I don’t know how the cost compares to
>> replacement or if these retaining walls can be saved with the way they were
>> originally installed.
>> > One step we can take to relieve pressure on the walls is run drainage
>> pipes from our downspouts over the top of the walls so that water has
>> somewhere to go other than behind the walls.
>> > Ron
>> >
>> >
>> > Sent from my iPhone
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
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>>
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