Barony Place I/Barony Place II

Why hasn't the 2023 Forensic External Audit been released to the Members of the Association? Or the 2023 Forensic Internal Audit? At the May 7, 2024 Board Meeting a Motion was made to retain Becca Brendle, CPA, to conduct the external audit. The forensic external audit for 2023 is separate from the Association's Annual Audit, which Brendle also conducts. The Motion was tabled. On June 18, 2024 the Board approved retaining Brendle to conduct the forensic external audit for $3,500. Tanisha Holmes voted Nay.  At the August 13, 2024 Board Meeting the Contracts Committee reported that a Letter of Engagement for Brendle had been signed. (Also for Leticia Crapps, for the forensic internal audit.) The Minutes of the October 1, 2024 state that Brendle had completed the audit and would present it to the Board later in that month. The Minutes also state that Brendle would be at the "next" Board meeting to go over it with everyone. The November 12, 2024 Board Meeting came and we...

The Summit's HOA has been disbursing HOA funds illegally. Should criminal charges be filed? Who is responsible? Who should be charged with financial crimes? The HOA has made payments to the law firm of Turner Padget in connection with a lawsuit filed on December 30, 2024, against Gus Philpott (me). Turner Padget has submitted invoices to the HOA for legal fees. How much of the $14,324.69 (Line 6500 in the 6/30/2025 financial statement) spent in the first six months of 2025 was for legal fees connected to the unauthorized lawsuit? One of more persons associated with the Association, whether a committee member, officer, director, or employee of CAMS approved the invoices for payment. CAMS has issued payments. Who could be charged? The President of the Board, Danny Trapp. The Treasurers of the HOA, LaToya Adams (Treasurer, Nov. 2024 - May 2025); William Hill (July 1, 2025 to present). Did other officers have knowledge of the illegal payments? Tanisha Holmes, VP? Ciara Bates (Nov. 2024...

When a board member quits before the end of his elected term, should somebody find out why? Who is the "somebody" who should find out? The Voting Members should be organized and every year they should elect a Leadership Team. As it is now, nobody leads and so nothing gets done in-between Annual Meetings in November. The Annual Meeting conducts no business other than election of three-four board members. In May 2025 Ciara Bates quit after only six months on the board. Why? Greg Thomas quit in November 2023, right after he was re-elected. Why? Vernell Butler quit right after the November 2023 board meeting, even though his term (2022-2024) had one more year to run. The reason he quit was clear. The Board did not re-elect him as Treasurer, and he quit the Board, which ended his term as Treasurer.  In February 2023 Vicki McCarthy quit after only three months on the Board, after she was elected to the Board on November 1, 2022. Why? If the Board doesn't determine why a board m...

There has been a revolving door (or game of musical chairs) for the HOA's Newsletter Committee.  The latest version of that door/game on the HOA's website is this: Newsletter Mission: Teresa Rigon, (Chair), and Tim Kudlock. How did Teresa become the Chair of the Newsletter Committee? Does anyone recall a Motion at a Board Meeting or a vote? There is no mention in Minutes of Board Meetings of such a Motion or vote. And what is the Mission of the Newsletter Committee? For several years I have suggested to the Board that this Committee should be chaired by a Board member or a Member (homeowner). I didn't believe that the HOA was well-served by having a CAMS office employee as the Chair (or Editor of The Summit Scoop). Both The Scoop and the HOA's website need major upgrades or refreshes. These are low priority for the current Board. Previous chairs of the Newsletter Committee have been short-time CAMS employee, such as Jenn Woodley (who had excellent writing and business s...

Earlier this week I sent an email to the "Voting Members" for whom I had email addresses. I urged them to actually represent their homeowners and stand up to the Board about the unauthorized lawsuit it started in December (which is prohibited by the CC&Rs) and the illegal disbursement of HOA funds for legal fees associated with that lawsuit. The Board had never approved the lawsuit by vote in an open Board Meeting (and couldn't do so, even if they tried). I didn't ask them to stand up for me. I want them to stand up for their homeowners - for the people they represent! One of the recipients, a "Voting Member", replied, in part, "...  (the HOA's Neighborhood Committee) represents the homeowners within The Summit." That is absolutely UNTRUE .  It is the local Neighborhood Committee for each of the 28 neighborhoods (communities) in The Summit that represents its neighborhood! And the chairman of that local neighborhood committee, who is called...

Today the office sent out this email: "This is a reminder that the use of ATVs, golf carts, mini-bikes, and other similar vehicles is strictly prohibited within the Summit Association.   "For additional information regarding golf cart use, please refer to Richland County’s guidelines and regulations.   "We appreciate your cooperation in following the HOA’s policies to help maintain a safe and orderly community." The first thing I wondered was, "What Section in the By-Laws or the PRM applies to that?" Does this apply to trails and parks (Common Property)? Is the HOA attempting to say that this applies to the streets in The Summit? How about on sidewalks? If anyone knows where such a provision is found in the Governing Documents, will you please let me know? In the grand scheme of what's important in The Summit, is this of high-enough importance to rile homeowners up?