If you’re new to the Village or simply want to revisit key resident topics, attending a new resident orientation in the Laguna Woods Village Community Center board room is a great way to get informed. New resident orientations for Third and United mutual are held monthly in the Community Center board room. The Community Center is located at 24351 El Toro Road.

Find the 2026 schedule and RSVP here.

Information shared during the Third and United new resident orientations is different. Please RSVP for the correct event.

What Mutual Do I Live In?

Members of Third Mutual own condos. Manor numbers are 961-969, 2109-2120, 2126-2129, 2131-2136, 2166-2182, 2192-2208 or 2221-5598.

Members of United Mutual own co-ops. Manor numbers are 1-960, 2001-2108, 2121-2125, 2130, 2137-2165, 2183-2191 or 2209-2220.

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Staying in the know regarding your housing mutual and GRF is as easy as attending an open board or committee meeting. All residents may attend open board meetings, and members (owners) may take advantage of the open forum session to express concerns or share feedback.

To view the upcoming meeting schedule, check out the “Village Meeting Calendar” feature at the end of every edition of “What’s Up in the Village.” Click on the PDF link to view or download it for easy access. Or visit lagunawoodsvillage.com > Calendars > All Boards & Committees Calendar.

GRF, United and Third monthly open board meetings are also uploaded to the Village YouTube channel for residents to watch at their convenience.

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If you pay your assessment through your bank’s bill pay program, please be sure the payment amount reflects the 2026 assessment fee. If you need to set up a new bill pay entry for 2026, remember to delete the 2025 payment entry so the incorrect amount is not sent. 

Assessment Payments Using Coupons

If you have not yet received your 2026 coupon book, please email AR@vmsinc.org to check whether it was returned by the postal service. In your email, include your name, phone number and manor number. You will be contacted if the booklet was returned, or replacement coupons will be prepared for you.

If you do not yet have your 2026 coupons, you may either bring a check to the Community Center or mail a check to Laguna Woods Village, Manor Payments, P. O. Box 2220, Laguna Hills, CA 92654. Be sure to write your manor number on the memo line. Do not mail a check to the Los Angeles lockbox without a coupon.

You can find your current assessment amount by viewing the January 2026 charge in your resident portal.

Please note that coupons from 2025 or any year prior are no longer valid and should not be mailed to the Los Angeles lockbox address. Payments submitted with outdated coupons will be delayed or rejected.

Once you receive your coupon book or replacement coupons, you may resume mailing your check and coupon to the Los Angeles lockbox address.

Assessment Payments Using the Resident Portal

Assessment payments may also be made through the resident portal using a credit card. A 3.5% service fee will be added to the amount due.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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On the night of December 15, Orange County Fire Authority responded to a fire inside the woodshop at Clubhouse 4. The incident was discovered after water was observed flowing from the room, indicating activation of the sprinkler system.

As a result, both fire and water damage occurred in the woodshop and the adjacent jewelry studio. A claim has been submitted to GRF’s property insurance provider, and an adjuster has visited the site to assess the damage.

The jewelry studio is currently operational but will need to close again briefly to complete minor repairs. Demolition and cleanup of the woodshop are scheduled to be completed during the first week of January.

Once cleanup is complete, an inspection with the vendor will be scheduled and a scope of work with cost estimates will be developed.

At this time, the majority of the woodshop is expected to be operational by mid to late January.

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As winter turns toward spring, coyote sightings are once again on the rise across Southern California. Wildlife agencies say the seasonal increase is expected and shared by communities throughout the region.

Coyote breeding season typically runs from late January through March. During this time, adult coyotes travel greater distances in search of mates and food, which often brings them into closer contact with residential neighborhoods.

Huntington Beach, Other Communities, Offer Context

In Huntington Beach, heightened awareness of coyotes is not new. A widely reported coyote attack on a toddler near the Huntington Beach Pier in April 2022 intensified public concern and led the city to adopt a formal Coyote Management Plan later that year.

The plan emphasizes coexistence rather than eradication, reflecting guidance used throughout California.

Huntington Beach isn’t alone. Buena Park, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, the City of Yorba Linda and more all employ coyote management plans, which follow California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Coyotes’ Role in the Ecosystem

Coyotes are native to California and play an important ecological role, particularly in controlling rodent populations.

“Rodents make up a majority of their diet,” the city’s plan states. “In the process, they control the population sizes of these animals, many of which are considered pests to humans.”

Understanding Real Risks

Officials also acknowledge that urban coyotes can pose risks. Small pets and, in rare cases, young children may be vulnerable. Coyotes are often drawn into neighborhoods by human activity, including unsecured trash, fallen fruit, compost and outdoor pet food.

Reducing Attractants Around Homes

To make neighborhoods less inviting to coyotes, officials recommend trimming dense vegetation that may provide shelter, promptly removing fallen fruit and vegetables, securing trash cans and keeping garbage inside a garage or enclosed area until pickup day.

Protecting Pets

Pet safety remains a key focus of seasonal advisories. Residents are urged not to leave small dogs unattended outdoors and to keep dogs on leashes no longer than six feet.

Cats and small dogs should be kept primarily indoors or closely supervised when outside. Officials also caution against feeding feral cats, noting that outdoor food sources can attract coyotes into residential areas.

Not Unique to One Community

Wildlife experts stress that management plan guidance mirrors best practices used across Southern California, particularly in communities near large open-space preserves. That includes Laguna Woods Village, which borders the expansive Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and surrounding protected lands. These areas are home to a wide range of native wildlife, making seasonal coyote activity a routine part of life at the urban-wildland interface.

A Predictable Seasonal Pattern

Local officials and wildlife agencies emphasize that increased sightings do not signal a growing threat but rather a predictable seasonal pattern. Communities throughout Orange County and beyond are encouraged to follow the same core principles: eliminate attractants, supervise pets and understand coyote behavior.

More information, including detailed checklists on making properties less attractive to coyotes, is available through Huntington Beach’s Coyote Management Plan and similar resources. Residents can search “coyote management resources” for additional guidance.

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Californians now have a powerful new way to reduce unwanted emails, texts and scam calls. A new state-run platform allows residents to request the deletion of their personal data from more than 500 registered data brokers with a single, free submission.

The new tool, known as the Delete Requests and Opt-Out Platform, or DROP, is the first of its kind in the nation and is designed to give consumers more direct control over how their personal information is collected, sold and shared.

How DROP Works

DROP puts into action the Delete Act, a law passed by the California Legislature in 2023. Through the platform, residents can submit one request that is sent to every registered data broker operating in the state.

With a DROP request, consumers can ask data brokers to delete personal information they hold and limit the sale of that information going forward. The platform is free and accessible online.

A First-in-the-Nation Approach

California is the first government anywhere in the world to offer a centralized data deletion request system of this scale. It is also one of only four states, along with Oregon, Texas and Vermont, that require data brokers to register with the state.

What Data Brokers Must Do

Under the Delete Act, data brokers are required to register annually with the state and comply with deletion requests submitted through DROP. They must also disclose the types of data they collect and share and undergo audits to confirm compliance.

Companies that fail to follow the law may face administrative penalties and fines.

Learn more about data brokers.

What Happens After You Submit a Request

Beginning August 1, 2026, data brokers will have 45 days to process deletion requests submitted through DROP. Consumers can check the status of their request through the platform to see whether their data has been deleted.

Users can add additional personal information to their request at any time. New submissions may take up to 90 days to process. The DROP website also provides educational resources about data brokers and consumer privacy rights.

Get started and submit your request at the DROP website.

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The United Laguna Woods Mutual Board of Directors invites United residents to its next monthly town hall on Friday, January 9, at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center/Clubhouse 3, Room 2 (23822 Avenida Sevilla).

Disclaimer: The majority of United Laguna Woods’ Board of Directors may be present at the town hall meeting to facilitate discussion and dialogue among the United Laguna Woods’ membership. The Board of Directors hereby provide notice of the town hall meeting as an open meeting of the Board of Directors under Civ. Code § 4920(a) given a majority or more of the directors may be present at the same time. No United Laguna Woods business will be acted on during the town hall meeting, and the purpose of the town hall meeting is to discuss items relating to United Laguna Woods raised by its members attending the town hall meeting. Therefore, the notice of the town hall meeting set forth will constitute the agenda for the open board meeting in compliance with Civ. Code § 4920(d).

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