Barony Place I/Barony Place II

At the May 5, 2026 the Board President, Brenda Bryant, announced a new Collection Policy of the HOA. WHAT IS IT? No details were given. WHEN WAS IT ADOPTED? No details were given.  The last Regular Board Meeting was March 3, 2026, so it was sometime between March 3 and May 5. This means it was done in a private, closed, secret, off-schedule board meeting (or board action, if the vote was by email). No Minutes were published! Is this how Members want important business of the HOA conducted? Why would the Board adopt a new Collection Policy? There are 564,833 reasons. The Balance Sheet of the March 31, 2026 Financial Operating Results was distributed at the May 5th Board Meeting. Accounts Receivable (Line 1205) reveals that $564,833.57 is owed to the Association.  My guess is that the bulk of that is unpaid dues. For years the monthly Financial Operating Results carried this message, " Collection activity is being conducted in accordance with Association policy. " For years I s...

Was it a shock to anyone else at the May 5, 2026 Board Meeting that the HOA has never conducted a formal Reserve Study? Do you know what a Reserve Study is? A formal Reserve Study analyzes the adequacy of Reserves. In other words, does the HOA have sufficient money set aside to meet future needs? In 2020 the Approved Budget included $163,965 for Reserves. Did that money actually make it into the Reserve Accounts? In the following years, the Budgets included smaller contributions to Reserves. 2021, $146,155 2022, $91,610 2023, $39,677 2024, $0 2025, $3,000 2026, $91,081* Did your dues go down? They certainly did not. The HOA collected your money and spent it on Operations. That was a bright-red flag that no Board President or Board Treasurer (or any Board member or your Property Management Company) told you about! Reserve Account balances have dropped. The Board should be worried about the cost of repairs to the Indigo dam. And other major repairs. What is likely to happen? Will there ...

In view of the Board's announcement on March 3, 2026 that it would meet bi-monthly and in view of decisions announced that were made between March 3 and May 5, should there be more transparency with the Members? The Board has obviously held meetings and made decisions in person or by email during the past two months.  No Board meetings (Regular or Special) were announced. No workshops were announced. No meetings with committees (ex. ad hoc Committee on Governing Documents (April 22)) were announced. The meeting with Voting Members on April 23 was not announced. When too much business is done behind closed doors, that does not bode well for the Members. The May 2026 online Calendar is still blank. Not even the May 5th Board Meeting is on it. Where and when are the Committee meetings? Homeowners, your voice has been silenced by the absence of legitimate, duly-elected Voting Members. Hold your Neighborhood Meeting. Elect your Neighborhood Committee. Elect your Voting Member. This is ...

During the Property Manager's Report at the May 5, 2026 Board Meeting, Julie mentioned "parking on the streets" at least three times. It was when she was talking about violation notices.  For five-six years I have claimed that the HOA has no authority whatsoever over parking in the streets. The streets are owned by Richland County. The CC&Rs apply to Common Property of the HOA. The publicly-owned streets are not part of the Common Property. When I asked Justin Martin, then-Board President, what section of the Governing Documents applied to street parking, he told me that he didn't have to prove anything to me. That response was one of the issues that resulted in this blog. In November 2024 William Hill, then-chairman of the HOA's Safety Committee, emailed me, "We are not allowed to park in the streets." I emailed him twice, asking what section of the Governing Documents prohibited parking on the streets. I know Hill has been busy, but he hasn't r...

During Tuesday night's Board Meeting (5/5/2026) a statement was made about an upcoming Referendum.  This Referendum will include the issues addressed in a Referendum that the previous Property Management company (CAMS) failed to record with Richland County, thus invalidating that Referendum and wasting the HOA's money and time. The new issues are not yet determined.  Who was the Board Secretary at that time? Wasn't it his responsibility to see that the Referendum was filed? The Board President, Brenda Bryant, stated that 75% of the homeowners must approve a Referendum. Did she mean that a Referendum effects a change in the CC&Rs? A ccording to the CC&Rs, Amendments to the Governing Documents must be approved by Voting Members representing 75% of the property owners. There are 2,480 property owners. See the CC&Rs, Art. XIII. §2, ¶2, which reads in part,  "Thereafter and otherwise, this Declaration may be amended only by the affirmative vote or written con...

Last night's BOD meeting was better, but any gain faded toward the end of the meeting. Rules for the meeting were announced. Then they weren't followed.  Follow Robert's Rules of Order When the Minutes were to be approved, it appeared that Director Tanisha Holmes had a question or objection. The Board President said her issue was tabled. Then the Board voted to approve the Minutes. What was her issue? The Board President never returned to Holmes' issue. The vote to approve the Minutes should have been delayed, pending resolution of Holmes' issue. Yet no one called a Point-of-Order. (So much for Robert's Rules of Order .) Mention that the audience will not ask questions during the committee reports. Questions can be asked during public participation. New Collection Policy A new Collection Policy was announced. It's about time. Accounts Receivable, as of 3/31/2026, are $564,833.57! What is the "new" policy and where can it be read? Nominating Committ...