Barony Place I/Barony Place II

  Here's the third island in Barony Place II. This one is between 32-34 Barony Place Circle. Bushes and trees were damaged during the ice storm. Isn't this ugly? Homeowners in Barony Place II contribute $23,460 to the HOA every year. That's $510 for each of the 46 homes on Barony Place Circle. (In the 2022 Budget $230,570 goes for Salaries; the HOA has NO employees. You might want to ask Treasurer Vernell Butler about that.) Shouldn't this have been restored to the expected level of maintenance by now? Why hasn't it? Because the HOA office staff does not keep a close eye on it or take the initiative in managing the restoration. And the Board certainly doesn't drive through? So who does? What can you do? Make your voices heard. Contact your Neighborhood Representative. Better yet, join with her and become an Alternate on the Barony Place (I & II) Neighborhood Committee.  It may be of interest to you to learn that improvements on the three islands are NOT  sch

  Here's how to get around the HOA's limit on the number of pets you can have in your home in The Summit. Who wants to be first?

                                                      (Between 14-16 Barony Place Circle) Homeowners in Barony Place II contribute $23,460 to the HOA every year. That's $510 for each of the 46 homes on Barony Place Circle. For that grand sum of money, should homeowners be receiving more in terms of maintenance of the three islands within the neighborhood? It's not like the HOA will have to expend funds from Reserves. Why aren't these islands maintained to an Expert appearance? What can you do? Make your voices heard. Contact your Neighborhood Representative. Better yet, join with her and become an Alternate on the Barony Place (I & II) Neighborhood Committee.  It may be of interest to you to learn that improvements on the three islands are NOT scheduled on the master plan at the office. Why not?  Without a Plan, without a deadline, nothing happens. That's why they look the way they do. Show up at the July 12th board meeting. 6:30PM at the Brookland Baptist Church No

Is the HOA Board of Directors afraid to tell CAMS what to do? And afraid to call them on it, if they don't do what they are told to do? The HOA pays CAMS somewhere north of $200,000/year to manage the HOA.  Let's start with the Crime Reports from the Richland County Sheriff's Department. The page on the HOA website where you can read the monthly Crime Report is found by clicking on "Public Service Announcements" on the HOA's website . The last report published on the website is for December  2020 .  Several times in the past year-and-a-half I have suggested to the office that an up-to-date Report should be posted on the HOA website. The Safety Committee wasn't able to persuade RCSD to resume providing them. I tried and failed, even after making a personal visit to RCSD to request it be sent to the office and to the Safety Committee.  The Minutes of the June 9, 2022 HOA Board Meeting state that the RCSD Crime Report will be posted on the website.  Before th

                                                     Between 44-46 Barony Place Circle   How long should homeowners tolerate the low level of maintenance given to common areas in Barony Place II? Earlier this year there was an ice storm that damaged trees and bushes in Barony Place II and in many other areas of The Summit. Why hasn't the HOA restored the areas of damage? The HOA is sitting on about $2,000,000 in cash and reserves. Collecting $510/year from EACH of 46 homeowners in Barony Place II produces $23,460/year to the HOA. More than enough to restore the three islands in Barony Place II without invading reserves. Should all 46 homeowners start calling the HOA office every day or so and emailing the seven board members to get their attention? The office will tell you, "Submt a Projects request". Wrong answer. Don't fall for it. Tha damage on the three islands should have already been fixed. Why hasn't it been? And why isn't the grass lush and green? Why

The entrance wall to Pepper Knoll STILL has not been repaired. How many weeks ago was it hit? Today I noticed that yellow tape has been strung. But why hasn't work begun yet? My first article and picture were on May 2, nearly two months ago. The next article was on May 19, and the next was on June 9. This is June 25. Homeowners ought to be demanding that Board of Directors climb all over CAMS about the delay. The annual budget for the HOA is over $1,300,000, and the HOA is sitting on about $2,000,000 in operating funds and reserves. So it isn't like there is no money for repairs. Is it incompetence? Disinterest? Unwillingness to oversee?  The Board should direct CAMS to have a plan in place, so that repairs start promptly. Site clean-up should happen within days after the damage was done. Take pictures. File the claim with the insurance company. Clean it up. There is no reason to wait for the money from the person who caused the damage. The Summit is supposed to be a First Clas

Does anyone know what this solar panel is for? It's on the median on Summit Parkway, just off Clemson Road. Did the HOA it installed? Richland County Roads & Drainage? S.C. DOT?

Here is the line-up of the terms-of-office for the directors of the Summit HOA. The two-year terms are fixed in the By-Laws and cannot be altered without specific action first to amend the By-Laws. When George Reynolds died in April 2021, his office should have been declared Vacant, and the Board should have appointed a successor to serve the remainder of his term (to November 2022). It never has. When Paul Hill died in April 2022, the Board failed to declare the office Vacant but did appoint, according to Justin, Dennis Rybicki as Paul's successor. However, Justin Martin has said it's just until November 2022. That is incorrect. Three Directors have terms that expire in November 2022. Four Directors have terms that expire in November 2023. Vice-President, Auby Dellinger (Term expires Nov. 2022) Treasurer, Vernell Butler  (Term expires Nov. 2022) Director,    Vacancy      (Term expires Nov. 2022) - Undeclared Vacancy. emains unfilled. ( George Reynolds had been re-elected in N

The Minutes of the June 7, 2022 HOA board meeting report that ten (out of 28) Neighborhoods were represented by Voting Members and/or Alternates. That's an improvement. But still, Barony Place was not represented. If you are a homeowner in Barony Place, please consider offering up some time to help Voting Member Billie Jones. Contact her now. She will appreciate your offer. Barony Place now has NO Alternates. Read the Minutes on the HOA website . They are more descriptive than they have been in quite a while. Having said that, read down to Justin Martin's email about the appointment of a successor to the late Paul Hill. Justin's May 5, 2022 email to the board members demonstrates an ABSOLUTE VIOLATION of the By-Laws. This is just one more example of Justin's inability or unwillingness to comply with the By-Laws. On May 5, 2022 (two days after the May 3 board meeting was canceled and one day after a so-called executive session was held), Justin wrote that he had spoken w

  Take six minutes and watch this senior speech by Harvard University student Julie Hartman. Here is a young woman who gets it right.

 Not in The Summit Scoop, but on the HOA website. Pool season is here!  We would like to remind residents to be sure your Summit IDs are updated as they will be checked for entry into the pool areas.  Please note the following dates and times for pool openings and hours of operation:   Myrtle Pool  opens May 7th, and will be open daily from 10am - 9pm. Magnolia Pool  opens May 28th, and will be open daily from 10am - 9pm.

Is the Summit HOA about to buy and install cameras in some neighborhoods? If you want to know more about it, contact Justin Martin, President of the HOA. After Paul Hill died at the end of April, Justin assumed the control of the Safety Committee. His email address is  jdmartinscx@gmail.com or you can try using the webform on the HOA website's homepage at "CONTACT US". The next Safety Committee meeting will be ___?____ (Call the office; the Safety Committee is not shown on the calendar in the June Scoop or on the calendar published on the HOA website). Why isn't the Safety Committee on these two calendars? Has a thorough study been made of the effectiveness of cameras? Has a cost-benefit study been made? Has the Safety Committee (Martin, Barzey, Dellinger, Game, Heimlich, Kranz) discussed cameras and voted on any recommendation to be made to the board? Cameras are not in the 2022 Budget. Where will the money come from? Oh, wait; that's just how business ought to

Occasionally, HOA Treasurer Vernell Butler lets fly with a choice email.  Here's one he sent to me on Friday, June 10, 2022. "Gus you have continued to be a poor example of what a resident means. To be clear you are not  a resident of this community, rather a self motivated bad person.Everyone can see you for what you are, even the richland county school board that is why you continue to be unwelcome everywhere you go. You are not interested in anyone but yourself.  "Go away" First of all, Vernell seems to be struggling with the English language. Most people know what a resident is. Resident: " a person who resides in a place" Source: Dictionary.com The only problem with that definition in a popular online dictionary is that many of us learned that you don't use the word you are defining in the definition itself. If I cared about Vernell's opinion of me or anything else, I guess I'd be crushed. But I don't. Vernell obviously doesn't know

  Stop by the HOA office and check out the new map. All of the Neighborhoods in The Summit are shown in color, and you can find your house in your neighborhood. (Apologies for reflection from the glass) Also, notice all the neighborhoods adjacent to The Summit HOA that are not part of The Summit HOA. You may be as surprised as I was. A similar, but smaller, map was shown to those who attended the June board meeting.  Mounted in the lower right corner is this plaque: The HOA recognizes and thanks Edward Vraniak. How many homes are there in the HOA? 2,480? (Angela); 2,800? (Vernell);  2,600? (today, the office). Based on estimated revenues from dues in the 2022 Budget, there should be 2,475 homes ($1,262,250/$510).

Next time you are at the pool by the office, be sure to notice the new box on the hall wall with the defibrillator in it.  When I first heard that a committee was considerating the purchase of two AEDs, I submitted some questions. I wondered who would be trained in the correct use of the AEDs. And I suggested that the board discuss liability questions with the HOA's attorney and its insurance carrier. Having now seen the box and where it is mounted, more questions came to mind. Who is trained to use it correctly? Who has the key to the box? Who else knows where the key is?  Is the key available at all hours the pool is open or the office or conference room is in use? What keeps a thief from making off with the $1,300 AED? Is the Pool Monitor a lifeguard, or is he just the doorman? What are the instructions or warnings about using it on a wet body or while standing in water? - a natural condition on a swimming pool deck. What are the liability factors? Both for using it and for not

  Are these sign worth the money? The Summit HOA is considering the purchase of two of them. They'll have to get County permission to erect them on Summit Parkway, but the HOA will pay for them, not the County. The reason they work on Trenholm Road in Forest Acres and Arcadia Lakes that there are police officers who write a lot of tickets there. Drivers know to obey the posted speed limit. How would they work on Summit Parkway?, As a former police officer and deputy sheriff with motorcycle patrol experience, let me tell you why I think speeders WILL NOT slow down on Summit Parkway. There is virtually no speed limit enforcement by Richland County Sheriff's Department or the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Yes, occasionally we'll see deputies on the Parkway. And maybe even RCSD's special Traffic Unit. But they have hundreds of miles of roadway to patrol. We get some of their time; not a lot. As soon as they leave, speeds go right back up. The HOA is considering the purchas

On May 2 and May 19 I wrote articles about the damaged brick wall at the entrance on Summit Parkway to Pepper Knoll. The wall was damaged sometime prior to May 2. Driving by today, I wondered again why repair work hasn't started. The damaged site has not been cleaned up, no warning tape is there to keep kids from climbing on the debris, and nothing was said at the HOA meeting on Tuesday night. The HOA office should have, by now, a playbook of procedures for brick wall damage. Past locations of damage in Summit Parkway are just north of Summit Ridge Drive, the wall on Clemson Road, and the intersection of Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge Drive that included the pergola. Why isn't the board of directors bearing down on the office to do its job?

The HOA held an-inperson board meeting last night at the Brookland Baptist Northeast Church. Six board members were present (Mary Ann Game was absent) and two CAMS employees aingttended. Several Voting Members were present, along with homeowners, bring the total to about 25. The church has a Mask requirement, and masks were available to those who hadn't brought them. All but two in the audience wore masks, and one board member wore his. All the usual topics came up; speeders, parkway lighting, landscaping, entrance appearance (front (Clemson Road) vs. back (Hard Scrabble Road).  I may have been the only one who had trouble hearing. Probably too many days at the pistol range and too many miles on the motorcycle, but new Board Member Dennis Rybicki spoke up so that all could hear. It's those low, soft, quiet, genteel voices that are hard to hear. Two new complaints surfaced. Even though the pools haven't been open long, there are problems with the pool monitors, who apparentl

The Barony Place Neighborhood (Barony Place I & II) should have a three-member Neighborhood Committee, on which the Voting Member and two Alternates serve for a year. Right now the only member is Barony Place I homeowner Billie Jones, who has lived in The Summit since 1999. Billie and I had a nice conversation yesterday, and I offered to help identify two homeowners to serve with her on the Committee as Alternates. We discussed the landscaping, especially the three islands located on Barony Place Circle. Billie said she has been trying for three years to get two trees replaced at the entrance off Summit Parkway, but the Projects Committee and the Board have not been willing to act.  Later in the day I looked at the April 30, 2022 Financial Statements for the HOA. CAMS reports that the HOA has $707.392.86.in Operating Funds and $1,253,897.04 in Reserves. That's $1,961,290. Accounts Receivables total $406.450.78 and estimated uncollectables of $354,175.51. So money is NOT the pro

The By-Laws of the HOA provide that every Neighborhood in The Summit should have a Neighborhood Meeting every year . Why is that? Because the election of the Neighborhood Committee and selection of the Voting Member is critically important. It is the Voting Member who represents your interests when the Board of Diretors acts. YOU don't vote for a Director. Your Voting Member does. The Voting Member should be informing homeowners about candidates for Directors every year and seeking input before casting votes on behalf of the homeowners. When was the last time you were asked for your choices? Must you attend the Neighborhood Meeting? The answer is No. Just like you don't have to go to the polls and vote in the Primary (June 14, 2022) or vote in the National Election on November 8, 2022. You don't have to vote, but you do have to live with the results of the election. Barony Place (the combination of Barony Place I and Barony Place II) contains 78 homes. A quroum for a Neighb

What is a "Neighborhood Meeting", and why is it important? The By-Laws of the HOA state that every Neighborhood is to have a Neighborhood Meeting annually. That's every year . (I know you know what "annually" means, but the Board must not.) The Summit's HOA is comprised of 28 Neighborhoods. Barony Place Neighborhood is Barony Place I and Barony Place II. There are 78 homes. Twenty-six homeowners (of the 78) constitute a quorum. There appears to be no prohibition against granting a proxy, if you cannot attend or don't wish to attend. The Board of Directors of the HOA has seven members. Four directors are elected in one year, and three are elected the next year. And it rotates like that, four and three. Or it is supposed to. You, the homeowners, do NOT elect the Directors of the Board. Directors are elected by Voting Members . Every Neighborhood has one (1) Voting Member. Barony Place has one Voting Member. How is the Voting Member selected? At the annual

It's time to begin thinking about the November election of HOA Directors. Three Directors are to be elected, according to the By-Laws. The terms of Auby Dellinger and Vernell Butler expire. The term of the late-George Reynolds is to be elected. It has remained vacant, because it was never declared Vacant or filled by appointment by the Board, as is required by the By-Laws. When Paul Hill died, his unexpired two-year term was promptly (and correctly) filled by appointment by the Board. Dennis Rybicki was appointed and will serve until November 2023. Paul had been re-elected to the Board in November 2021 for a two-year term. Dennis succeeded Paul and is to serve out Paul's term, which is now his term. You, as a homeowner, do not elect the Directors of the HOA. You elect your Voting Member, and that person votes for Directors. This is why it is so important to have legitimate Voting Members. Was Election FRAUD committed in November 2021? At the HOA Board level, I mean. There are s

If you are a homeowner or a resident in The Summit, did you receive your copy of the June Summit Scoop today (June 2)? No? If you didn't, you may not be registered on the HOA's website. The Scoop is distributed by e-blast to those who are registered. To register, go to www.summithomeowners.com At the top right, click on "Register". Fill in all the blanks, click that you are not a robot, and hit Submit. Expect a notification that your registration has been approved. Watch for it. 

Attn., ALL Homeowners , The June monthly meeting of the HOA Board of Directors is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, June 7, at 6:30PM. This will be an in-person meeting. [ Edited 6/2/2022 } The June 7 HOA board meeting will be held at the Brookland Baptist Northeast Church, 1203 Summit Parkway. As of June 1st, the location has not yet been announced. Call the office at 803.865.0609 . The phone is often answered by voicemail, so you might also want to email the office at trigon@camsmgt.com, aredfern@camsmgt.com, aadleman@camsmgt.com   One of the women should get back to you promptly. Show up in-person at the meeting.  The board previously announced that monthly meetings are closed to homeowners "unless invited". There is NO basis in the CC&Rs or By-Laws for prohibiting Homeowners from attending meetings. YOU are entitled to attend; it is your HOA. If the President or the Board persists in locking you, the homeowners, out of monthly meetings, I suggest you band together and