Barony Place I/Barony Place II

RCSD has furnished the full Crime Report (almost) for March, April, May, and June for The Summit. It took five weeks to get a replacement of the incomplete report that first was published on the HOA's website. That report was four pages (out of nine). You will be able to view the wide variety of crimes happening in our neighborhood. That report, dated 6/7/2022, contained only the even-numbered pages of a 9-page report. I asked where the other five pages were. When there was no response from the office, I contacted RCSD. Far too many people at RCSD had to be involved, and the report, dated today (7/28/2022), was just emailed to me. I have forwarded it to the HOA office. You will be able to examine the 11-page Crime Report (3/14/2022 - 7/1/2022) on the Summit HOA's website by going to the homepage and clicking on Neighborhood News. That is, if and when they publish it. What should have happened? When the office was first informed that it had published an incomplete report, the HO...

The next board meeting of the HOA will be Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at 6:30PM. Location? Brookland Baptist Church Northeast, 1203 Summit Parkway. The board does not publish an agenda, but it's time for the new Auditor to present her report for the Calendar Year 2021.  Be prepared to ask questions.  For example, you might ask "Why does the 2022 Budget provide $230,570 for Salaries, when the HOA has no employees?"  You might ask, "Why does the Board allow a non-homeowner to serve on the board and as an officer?" And "Why hasn't the Board declared the board seat of the late George Reynolds, who died in April 2021, vacant and appointed his successor?" Arrive early for a good seat. In front is best, if you want to hear. If you can't hear everything that is said, speak up. Ask the board members and the speakers to raise their soft, low, Southern voices so that all can hear. If you are a homeowner, you are entitled to attend. And without that silly ...

I moved to The Summit early in 2018 and soon began attending Safety Committee meetings and board meetings. As a resident I was interested in becoming part of the community. And I began reading the By-Laws and CC&Rs. Years ago in Denver I was Treasurer of a HOA. I noticed that the By-Laws were not being followed. I started this blog on July 14, 2020, and it was about November 2020 when I received a couple of nastygrams from Justin and George. They kicked me off the HOA website (where the By-Laws can be viewed) and banned me from board meetings. The non-compliance continues, but it doesn't seem to matter very much to most of the homeowners, who probably aren't even aware of it.  The homeowners should really be concerned, because it's possible there isn't even a legitimate board of directors. What does that really mean? If the Neighborhoods don't have annual meetings and annual elections of the Neighborhood Committees, from which the Voting Member is selected, then...

The July 2022 Summit Scoop has finally been placed on the HOA's website, where it can be viewed by residents and homeowners who are not registered on the website. Find it from the homepage. Go to www.summithomeowners.com   Scroll down to Neighborhood News and click. You'll see the link. The July Scoop was emailed to homeowners who are registered on the HOA website on July 6 and was quickly placed on the secure portion of the website, which requires logging in. If you are a homeowner and want the Scoop emailed to you each month, be sure to register on the HOA website (as distinct from the CAMS website). Just giving your email address to the office is not sufficient. When I first moved to The Summit early in 2018, I registered on the website. No problem. Then, when Justin and George decided I was asking too many pointed questions about non-compliance with the By-Laws, they kicked me off the HOA website and told me not to attend monthly board meetings.  I may be the only non-home...

  Drive by the entrance to Pepper Knoll. Do you wonder, as I do, what, exactly, is taking so long to complete repairs to that wall? The wall was damaged sometime before May 2, 2022. That's 2½ MONTHS ago.  By now, the office should know exactly what to do when a a brick wall is damaged by an auto or a truck. They've got experience. But are they learning from the past crashes? The board shouldn't even be involved. That's why the HOA hires a property manager. By this time, there should be exact procedures to follow. You just open the book and follow them! But, when the office doesn't get to work immediately and see that the site is restored, then the Board needs to get involved. Who on the board would become the Responsible Party? Would that be Auby Dellinger, who is the chair of the Projects Committee? Three other board members are on that Committee (Game, Martin, Thomas).  Aren't any of them paying attention to that wall?

On July 6th the July 2022 Summit Scoop was distributed electronically (emailed) to those Summit homeowners who are registered on the HOA's website at www.summithomeowners.com Others (homeowners who are not registered on the website and non-homeowner residents) will not receive a copy of The Scoop by email. Instead, they must manually go to the HOA's website and look under Neighborhood News. The July Scoop should have been posted there on July 6th. It wasn't.  Treasurer Vernell Butler frequently responds to me, when I write to the office. One of his messages recently was " Stop it Gus, they do not answer to you."  Another (on July 1, 2022) read: " Gus from this day forward do not reach out to the office staff or any board  member.You  [ sic ] will not be responded to. Concurrently, do not attempt to go to the office and seek any assistance, if you do the appropriate authorities will be dispatched. " * On July 8 I emailed a polite suggestion to the office...

This is the screenshot from May 2022 financials posted on the HOA's website. While it's hard to read here, you can see the original on the HOA's website. Go to RESIDENTS, DOCUMENTS, Financial Operating Results, May 2022 (June is not posted yet), scroll down to Page 2. You'll quickly see the extremely low interest rates posted for three accounts, and you'll see NO interest rates posted for six accounts.  Check out these interest rates available today:    https://www.nerdwallet.com/rates/banking/cd-accounts?deposit_minimum=100000&length_of_term=1080&min_ratings=4&trk_app=landing-page-client Why is the HOA throwing money away every month on interest rates of less than 1%? What should YOU do? Contact President Justin Martin and Treasurer Vernell Butler and demand to know why they aren't paying closer attention. Demand that they come up with a recommendation to the Board to obtain the highest-possible, safe return on cash money. Insist that they vote to a...

Did you receive your billing statement for the July 1, 2022 dues? Did you read it? Did you try to call CAMS? All payments are due on July 1st [ sic ], 2022 and considered late if received after 5:00 p.m. July 31st [ sic ], 2022." (Paragraph 1) Did you read any further? On July 17, 2022 my Gate Code at the Myrtle Pool did not work. The Code had been changed. When was it changed? In Paragraph 5 the letter reads, "Payments received after the due date are considered late and will be subject to association late fees and a $10 administration fee. I. Don't. Think. So. Re-read the first paragraph: "All payments ... are considered late if received after 5:00 p.m. July 31st [ sic ], 2022." I'll pay the dues in person today and get my Photo ID card updated. And I shall not be paying any late fees or administration fee. Try calling CAMS at the telephone number printed at the top of its letter: 888-898-4406. Why would a large HOA management company print a non-working te...

The RCSD Crime Report that was posted on the HOA website under Neighborhood New s has been removed. RCSD had provided a three-month report, but only four pages of the nine-page report were posted. Pages 2-4-6-8 were posted, but the footer for the first page read "Page 2 of 9". I asked where the other five pages were. How simple it would have been for the office just to obtain the full report and post it. But push came to shove. Ultimately, I filed a FOIA Request with RCSD and am awaiting the report. Now the four-page report is gone off the website. But the old December 2020 Report is still posted. To find it, scroll down on the homepage to Public Service Announcements. Click on that and then click for the RCSD Incident Report. Yes, you will see the December 2020 Report. The HOA used to receive these monthly. I was glad to see the report show up for March 14, 2022 to May 27, 2022. It should have been nine pages and probably starting March 1st.  If you think the website should...

I thought that the 2021 Audit might be presented at the July board meeting, but it wasn't.  Rumor has it that the HOA appointed a new auditor this year, replacing the auditor who had worked closely with the late George Reynolds, when he was Treasurer until his death in April 2021.  George served as Treasurer for a number of years. Paul Hill was appointed to succeed George and served through November, when Vernell Butler became Treasurer. So, in 2021 the HOA had three treasurers. I recommended a forensic audit, when Paul succeeded George. My belief is that, anytime a non-profit has the same treasurer for many years and a new treasurer is installed, it's beneficial to have the books reviewed in fine detail. This protects the organization and the incoming treasurer. Otherwise, the incoming treasurer becomes responsible for any mistakes in the past. So, where is the 2021 Audit? The HOA is on a Calendar Year basis. That is, the fiscal year ends December 31. The financial statements...

The CAT officer for the HOA gave a good report at the July 12th board meeting. No, he's not from Animal Control. "CAT" stands for Community Assistance Team. Deputy Jason Cuzzupe attends most HOA meetings. This month he spoke about the high number of thefts from automobiles. LOCK YOUR CARS, FOLKS. Thieves are stealing firearms and other valuable. Take your guns inside. If appropriate, store them safely.  He discussed the HOA pool problems and calls-for-service to RCSD. There may or may not be anything he can do, if he (or another deputy) is called to the pool. As a deputy, he enforces State laws and County ordinances. He does not, and cannot, enforce HOA rules. Deputy Cuzzupe informed the Board and the audience that there is no Fireworks ordinance in Richland County.  (After I read last week's HOA email to homeowners about the County's fireworks ordinance, I made some inquiries and learned there is none. I got huge pushback from Vernell Butler, who assured me that...

... the Forum. Does anyone remember that 1962 musical? (Not likely; many readers hadn't even been born yet.) I was thinking about that during Tuesday night's HOA Board meeting (July 12, 2022) at the Brookland Baptist Church Northeast. And thinking about the funny thing that happened on the way to the meeting. As I approached the door to the church building, another man, also arriving just before 6:30PM, called out to me, "You aren't coming in!" Rather sternly, I might add. I asked him what he was talking about (as if I didn't know), and he repeated it, moving between the door and me and blocking my path. I told him I didn't even know who he was and had never met him, and he replied, "You know who I am." (Gee, where have I heard that before?) He was Vernell Butler, board member and Treasurer of the HOA, and self-appointed guardian of the HOA. (NOTE: he is merely one of seven board members.) I followed him into the hallway and he stopped at the ent...

Occasionally, there will be new "news" on the HOA website's section called Neighborhood News. One problem is, that the website is allowed to go stale. So, check it out today: Go to www.summithomeowners.com  and scroll down on the homepage a little. Click on Neighborhood News. The most important item - the first item - is where you can pay your dues online. (No comment) Next is where you can read The Summit Scoop. The current copy is supposed to be there for unregistered homeowners, non-homeowner residents, and the rest of the world to read. The July 2022 Scoop was emailed to homeowners who are registered on the website on July 6. As of today, July 11, the July issue still has not been posted on the homepage (although it can be read inside the restricted website (Resident/Documents/The Monthly Scoop)). I'm especially amused by the website tab "RESIDENTS", since the board now distinguishes between Homeowners and Residents, treating residents as second-class ci...

Every one of the 28 Neighborhoods in The Summit is to have one Voting Member and two Alternates. These three homeowners in each Neighborhood serve for one year, until the next annual Neighborhood Meeting. Then the three-member Neighborhood Committee is elected again by the homeowners, and one becomes the Voting Member. The Voting Member has important responsibilities to his Neighborhood, and these duties are listed on the HOA website. On the homepage, under Neighborhood News, scroll down. Many (most) Neighborhoods have not been holding the annual Neighborhood Meeting that is required in the By-Laws. The Board is responsible for guiding the Voting Members. How is it doing? The term of a Voting Member or Alternate is not perpetual. It's not a lifetime appointment, like an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. It's for one year. Many Neighborhoods do not have two Alternates. Some Neighborhoods don't have any Alternates. At least one Neighborhood has no Voting Member and no Al...

Will the Audit for 2021 be presented at the July 12, 2022 HOA board meeting? Since the board never issues an agenda with specific items, the only way to know is to attend the meeting. Homeowners and Voting Members should attend the July 12, 2022 board meeting at 6:30PM at Brookland Baptist Church Northeast, 1203 Summit Parkway. Print this post and take it with you. The HOA refuses to answer questions from me (I'm just a lowly resident), but they'd better not ignore you. There is a new auditor for the HOA. Of course, there is nothing in the Minutes of past monthly board meetings about her selection and hiring. Was there competition? Did the HOA issue a RFP? Did the Board consider more than one CPA? Who recommended her? (Yes, it is a she.) Will the new Auditor "qualify" the audit? Or will she bless the HOA with a clean bill-of-health? Will she question the discrepancy between Line Item 6005 (On-Site Maintenance ) on the Financial Statements and Line Item 6005 on the Bud...

Early in June the office posted a Crime Report from the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Finally. Until then the most recent Report was for December 2020 . In the past, a one-month Crime Report was three pages. The new report was only four pages (for a three-month period), and the printing date was 6/7/2022. The first date was March 14, 2022, and the last date was May 27, 2022. Again it was only four pages. For three months? What was wrong? The answer was in the footer. The footer on the first page read "Page 2 of 9". Bingo. The footers in the next three pages read "Page 4 of 9", Page 6 of 9" and Page 8 of 9". Five pages (1,3,5,7,9) were missing. It was apparently a two-sided report and somewhere between RCSD and the publication on the HOA's website, five sides went missing. After half a dozen emails and phone calls this week, it looks like a full report might be on the way. Keep an eye on the Neighborhood News section on the homepage of the w...

Did you get your July Summit Scoop? The office emailed the July 2022 Scoop to those homeowners who are registered on the website at www.summithomeowners.com    There are 2,480 homes in The Summit, and it's a secret how many homeowners have registered. My guess is "not many". I know some myself who have not registered, so they won't get the Scoop.  If you are not registered on the website, you will not receive a Scoop electronically from the office. Of course, that isn't what the message said in the May and June Scoops. That message directed readers to be sure their email address was on file with the office. The HOA refuses to allow me to register on the website. I'm pretty sure it was Justin's decision. He told me I could read it on the homepage of the website. And I could, if the office posted it there. Yesterday the office emailed the July Scoop to those who are registered  but, so far, no one in the office has loaded the July Scoop to the link under Nei...

Did you receive an email yesterday from the HOA office about a Richland County fireworks ordinance? Would it surprise you to learn that Richland County DOES NOT have a fireworks ordinance? It doesn't. On July 6, 2022, the office emailed homeowners (and residents?) the following message: "Good morning!  We would like to address the many complaints that we have received regarding fireworks in the neighborhoods.     "The Summit and its residents adhere to the Richland County Ordinance regarding fireworks, which reads: Fireworks shall only be allowed on Friday and Saturday between the hours of 8:00 p.m. 11:59 p.m. Provided, however, on the days of July 4 and December 31 only, noise from fireworks may extend until 1:00 a.m. of the next day. (de) This section shall be enforced by the county sheriff's department. *    [ emphasis in the original ]   "We ask that all residents abide by this ordinance, and to please exercise caution when shooting ...

How many houses in The Summit are occupied by the homeowner and how many are occupied by residents whose names are not on the Deed? According to the office, there are 2,480 homes in the Summit HOA. (According to Treasurer Vernell Butler (4/5/2022), there are 2,800 homes.) Let's go with 2,480. The office (CAMS) should know the number, from which the percentage of non-homeowner residents ("resident") can easily be calculated. Why is the answer important? Today, July 5, 2022, HOA President Justin Martin emailed me and stated, in part, " Unless you've become a  home owner , you have no  Home Owners Association business  [ sic ] conduct, and you will be refused service. " Did he mean that every non-homeowner resident will be refused service by the HOA?  If a sprinkler head is stuck on and gallons of water are being wasted by-the-minute, will the office refuse to accept the service call from a resident? If a resident wishes to use one of the pools, will he be tur...

  This is what the entrance to Barony Place II looks like on June 30, 2022. Pretty bare, isn't it? Remember that beautiful, mature tree that welcomed you home every day? This is that tree on October 25, 2021 Why hasn't the HOA restored the entrance and made it look like a respectable entrance to $10,000,000 worth of homes? Every year the homeowners in Barony Place II cough up $23,460 to the HOA. What are you getting for your money? You take care of your grass, sideway, driveway. Richland County takes care of the street. Be at the board meeting on July 12, 6:30PM, Brookland Baptist Church Northeast, and get some answers. Remember, talk without a deadline is only talk. You want Action. Demand that the Board order CAMS to get busy in Barony Place II.

Before every monthly board meeting, the HOA board holds a "pre-board" meeting. The board likes to refer to these as "executive sessions", so it can limit who attends. Usually, only the board members, the CAMS manager, and a few hand-picked committee people and others are the "chosen few".  An important question is: Are these really "executive sessions" or are they private, secret meetings by the people who run a South Carolina non-profit corporation with an annual budget of over $1,250,000 and that affects the property interests of 2,480 homeowners? More specifically, are these pre-board meetings "executive sessions" or not? If they are, then are they run according to the State rules (laws) for executive sessions? If they violate those rules regularly, are those meetings really NOT executive sessions? The HOA board cannot have it both ways. At least, it shouldn't be allowed to. If they are "executive sessions", as private ...

The HOA generally holds its board meetings on the first Tuesday of the month - unless it doesn't. When it doesn't, they are on the following Tuesday. Should they be changed, if the Tuesday itself is not a holiday? They should not.  If they are changed, it should be for a good reason and voted on by the board, not just announced as Justin's will. And the change should be publicized. Other organizations hold their regularly-scheduled meetings on the second Tuesday, such as the Richland 2 school board. At least, those meetings are recorded, so that an interested person can view them after they are held. But a  really  interested, community-minded person cannot attend both in-person. The HOA board meeting could certainly be held on the first Tuesday, July 5. Monday is the holiday. Tuesday is a regular work day. Of course, that would mean that the board President, Justin Martin, would have to tell CAMS to be ready on Tuesday. Not too hard to do. They just advance their prepara...

The HOA has finally published the recent crime report received from the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Unfortunately, it is incomplete. The good news? The December 2020 Crime Report is finally gone from the website. The bad news? The three-month Crime Report, covering the period March 14, 2022 to May 27, 2022, is five pages short. When this report was first received early in June, it included four pages. I thought that was unusual, because a normal one-month report (in the past) was usually three pages. Then I read the footer. On the first page, the footer read "Page 2 of 9". The next page was "Page 4 of 9". Then Page 6 and Page 8. Where were Pages 1, 3, 5, 7, 9? MIA.  On June 12 I emailed the office. No response. On June 21 I sent a second request to the office. No response. It's easy to see that pages are actually missing, because of the gaps in dates from one of the even-numbered pages to the next. Vernell Butler and Justin Martin are always tellin...

Here's an announcement that you'll probably miss. Where is it? On the HOA website, but not on the homepage. You have to click on Neighborhood News. The Summit Community Association Office will close at 3pm on Friday, July 1st.  The office will be closed Saturday, July 2nd and Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Does the HOA board approve CAMS holiday schedules? Or does CAMS create its schedule for its employees? The HOA office is adjacent to the Myrtle Pool. Usually it's open on Saturdays during the summer. Why should it closed this week-end? CAMS is a private business, not a government entity.  When the pool is open, is there any contingency that might require access to the office? Who has the key to the defibrillator cabinet? Is it even locked? Is the Pool Monitor trained in using the defibrillator? Should it be used on a wet body? On a wet deck? Is there an unintended shock concern if it is used in or near wet surfaces? Recently I was told that the Pool M...