Barony Place I/Barony Place II

The Board of Directors met on April 1st, and the February 2025 Monthly Financial Report was available at the meeting. The Financial Report has been published every month on the HOA's website, until this month . As of today, April 29, 2025 (1:30PM) the monthly Report still has not been published on the website. Has anyone else noticed that it is not there? Does anyone wonder why it's not there? The next monthly board meeting is Tuesday, May 6, 6:30PM, at the Brookland Baptist Church Northeast (not at "Brookland Baptist Church", as published monthly in the Summit Scoops). The Notices and the Agenda should state the correct location of the meetings. The Board and the office know it's wrong in The Summit Scoop and on the Agendas.  If anyone else suggested that they should correct it, they probably would. Why didn't they fix it more than a year ago, when I pointed out the error? If you think the office should publish the February 2025 Financial Operating Results, ...

If you will be going to the May 6th Board of Directors meeting, be sure to keep the April 10th email from the office in mind. Ask who made that decision, if there was no Board vote at the April 1st meeting (which there wasn't).      "Effective immediately a current Summit ID, is required to attend the board meetings and they will be checked prior to entering. Also, please note that the board meeting is open to Summit HOA Homeowners only. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we try to make our meetings more efficient." Go by the office and have your Summit ID issued or updated, if necessary. Will there be a bottleneck at the door into the meeting room? Will Board members be at the door to check your Summit ID and pleasantly greet and welcome you to the meeting? (Yeah, sure they will...) Will there be multiple sign-in sheets or just one, forcing everyone to queue up and wait impatiently for those in line ahead of them to figure out the form and sign it? If yo...

This question should have a simple Yes or No answer. "Are you allowed to park in the streets in The Summit?" This is what started the feud between the HOA and me (Gus Philpott) about 4-5 years ago. Then-President Justin Martin refused to tell me where in the CC&Rs or By-Laws parking on streets is prohibited. As I recall, he told me that he didn't have to "prove" anything to me. The current Chair of the Safety Committee emailed me on November 12, 2024 writing, in part, "We are not allowed to parked in the streets." I asked why not. Twice. He has never answered.  I, a resident, temporarily can no longer ask the board or the office whether parking on the streets is prohibited. But you, a Homeowner, can. And you should. The streets are owned by and maintained by Richland County. The HOA's CC&Rs and By-Laws do not apply to the public roadways. What will happen if you email the office (c/o trigon@camsmgt.com or jwoodley@camsmgt.com ) and ask Pre...

According to the Minutes of the April 1, 2025 BOD meeting,  "Homeowners Concerns: "Danny Trapp stated that he has responded to email questions sent to the office and has to meet directly with the homeowners. Reminder to send all questions to the office: Trigon@camsmgt.com or Jwoodley@camsmgt.com " Does Danny really "have to" meet the homeowners. More importantly, will he do so? And will he inform all homeowners what those meetings were about?  Does the HOA publish Members' questions sent to the office and Danny's replies? That should be a section on the HOA's website. How many questions were sent to the office? What questions were asked? What were Danny's answers? A good place for it would be the Message Board, at the bottom of the homepage, with sufficient notice to Members in The Summit Scoop or by blast email to inform readers where to look. When did the Board  decide to eliminate homeowner participation from monthly BOD meetings? It didn...

  Isn't it the responsibility of the Board of Directors to protect the assets of the HOA and to enforce Covenant violations against the Association? If you did not correct a violation of the Covenants for four years, what do you think would happen? Four years ago this month (April 2021), I informed the HOA that a private fence had been erected across Common Property behind 204 Barony Place Drive, blocking access to Common Property. Periodically, I reminded the Covenants Committee and the Board that no action had been taken.  FOUR YEARS is too long for the HOA to take to resolve this infringement on the Common Properties. If the Covenants Committee determined that a violation (a private fence blocking access to Common Property) existed, it should have made a recommendation to the Board of Directors at an open, public, monthly Board meeting for the improper portion of the fence to be removed. It should have asked the Board to make a decision to remove that portion of the f...

For the good of the HOA, should Danny Trapp resign immediately as President and from the Board of Directors? If he doesn't, should the Board of Directors hold a vote to remove him? If the Board won't remove him as President, should the Voting Members convene a Special-Called Meeting to vote on his removal from the Board? Is Danny serving on the Board and as President in the best interests of the Association and its 2,480 Members? Look at some of Danny's actions: Started an unauthorized lawsuit against Gus Philpott without the approval of the Voting Members (CC&Rs, Art. XIII, §10) and without approval of the Board of Directors. No record exists in the Minutes of any approval by the Board. Abruptly adjourned the April 1, 2025 Board meeting without a vote of the Board. Upon information and belief, Danny has unilaterally appointed himself as the only director who can contact the HOA's attorney. Is believed to have led a denial of a dues increase at the October 2024 pre-...

Every month the Minutes of Regular Board Meetings are published on the HOA's website. You can find them by visiting https://summithomeowners.com Hover over RESIDENTS, then click on DOCUMENTS. Click on Board of Director's Minutes . Select the month you wish to view. The Minutes are supposed to be complete and correct. The Regular Board Meeting was April 1st. The Minutes were published on the website on April 16th . I didn't attend the April 1st meeting (thanks to a Court Order), but I've heard about it. I heard it described as disrespectful, chaotic, out-of-control, incomplete. Many homeowners showed up; many were first-timers. Many were heard to say they'd never be back. Anything about that in the Minutes? No. Anything about trampolines? No. Anything about the proposed Amendments to the CC&Rs and By-Laws? In the Covenants Committee report is "Pushing for the Governing Documents to be updated." * Anything about how (or if) the Neighborhood Committee is ...

Have you seen the ad on the internet for "HOA Officer's Duties Explained"? The ad is for information on www.HOALeader.com that is useful to new and existing board members of HOAs. Do you think any of the officers on the board of directors of The Summit's HOA has read any of the information? If they had, they might understand the importance - the requirement - of compliance with the CC&Rs, the By-Laws, and internal manuals explaining the duties, obligations, and responsibilities of a board of directors. The evidence of their understanding of compliance is clearly visible at monthly board meetings.  The cost? $119.00/year (for the Board, not per person). That's 5¢/house per year . How many on the board would say, "It's not worth it. It's too expensive"?

Is someone asleep at the switch? Danny Trapp, President? LaToya Adams, Treasurer? Tanisha Holmes, VP? The Board meeting was April 1, 2024. The Financial Operating Results for February were available at that meeting. In previous months they have been posted to the HOA's website on or before the BOD meeting. Why haven't the February Financial Operating Results been posted to the HOA's website? This is April 24th!!! Where can you view them? Go to https://summithomeowners.com Hover over RESIDENTS Click on DOCUMENTS Click on Financial Operating Results Click on February 2025 Be sure to read the "Variances" carefully. These are the Line Items that have been over-spent. And watch Line 6500 (Legal/Professional). This is where the payments for legal services will be revealed. Only $835 has been paid for legal services through Feb. 28, 2025. Is the HOA withholding payment of a $6,500 invoice?

When the Board of Directors holds a pre-board meeting or a Workshop, it can discuss plans, review documents, and set an agenda for the next board meetings, but it is not supposed to make decisions.  If it follows good policy and Robert's Rules of Order , it won't even decide how it will vote at a future open meeting. In other words, there won't be any agreement on how they will vote at an open meeting. But that isn't how this Board operates. It has a history of making decisions out-of-sight of Members, including Voting Members, who are the homeowners' legal representatives. The March 2025 Management Report, which is included with the April BOD Minutes, described just one type of decision which you'll miss, of course, if you don't read that Report, which most homeowners will not. See the entry on Page 4 of the Report for Office Phone and Internet. Teresa was "researching" a new provider for the office phones and the Magnolia Pool internet. She prese...

This is an Open Letter to Voting Members of The Summit's HOA. YOU are supposed to represent the homeowners in your neighborhoods. First of all, you should be legitimately- and duly-elected by a quorum of your homeowners. Are you? There is one way, and one way only, to become a Voting Member. You must be elected at a Neighborhood Meeting. Were you? If you "got signatures", you are not a legitimate Voting Member. If you have just stuck around for years without Annual Neighborhood Meetings,  you are not a legitimate Voting Member. If you inherited the role or moved up when your Neighborhood lost its Voting Member, you are not a legitimate Voting Member.  If you are not a legitimate Voting Member, you should be aware of the S.C. State law (§15-63-60) that applies to you. SECTION 15-63-60. Action against usurpers, for forfeiture of office or against persons acting as corporation. An action may be brought by the Attorney General in the name of the State upon his own infor...

The March 2025 Management Report, included in the April BOD Minutes, includes an item that Teresa (CAMS Property Manager for the HOA) is contacting National Alert and Johnson Controls to bid on a security camera for the intersection of Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge Drive.  This is a waste of money and should be stopped in its tracks. This suggestion apparently came out of the Safety Committee, chaired by William Hill.  That corner has been the scene of occasional crashes, sometimes involving drunk drivers. After the last crash, the structure on the corner was removed. The insurance settlement far exceeded the loss. What is there now that needs protecting? Some grass? Flowers?  The likelihood that a camera will provide enough evidence (ex,, license plate) of any vehicle causing damage and fleeing is low. Money should not be spent on cameras and monitoring equipment for that location.  Tell the Board now what your opinion is, before they decide to waste your money on...

The Minutes of the April 1, 2025 Board of Directors Meeting include a Management Report for March 2025. Does anyone read this? An entry on Page 1 deservcs the attention of every cost-conscious homeowner. "No Solicitation Signs A quote for "Absolutely no peddling, soliciting, canvassing, or distribution of literature/flyers permitted" has been requested from Regal Prints. A quote for streetlight pole numbers has been requested from Regal Prints. A quote for "private property, no trespassing" signs have [ sic ] been requested from Regal Prints." The Association controls only Common Properties, on which no one lives. Can the Association post signs that control activity on property it does not own (the individual lots containing homes occupied by Members, renters, lessees? Should the HOA get a legal opinion before spending money to purchase or install these signs? Numbered signs for streetlight poles? Seriously? Why? How many poles are there?  First of all, th...

What would happen if there were 1,000 regular readers of this blog? What would happen if there were many homeowners (Members) who were concerned about the operations of your HOA? If 500 or 1,000 or 1,500 or 2,000 Members realized that they did NOT have legitimate representation in the Association, would they demand change and that the Boards of Directors comply with the Governing Documents? What are the Governing Documents? They are the Declaration of CC&Rs (Covenants), the By-Laws, and the Procedures Reference Manual (PRM). These are the Rules of the Road for the HOA.  This blog is the only accurate reporting of what is really happening. No one else is writing about the failures of the Boards of Directors to comply with the Governing Documents. Please spread the word through The Summit about this blog. How can you do that? Forward articles on this blog to your neighbors, friends, relatives by using the Share button at the top-right and lower-left of every article. Send this UR...

In the March 2025 Management Report, under Myrtle Pool Trees, the second bullet-point reads,  "The [ sic ] was approved at the February board meeting but has since been placed on hold by the board." First, what was approved in February? Secondly, when and how was it "placed on hold by the board"?  The only time it could have been placed on hold by the board was at the March 4th BOD meeting. If you examine the Minutes of that meeting, there is nothing to indicate a further decision on any item dealt with at the February BOD meeting.  So, exactly who told the office to hold off on a February decision?

A vote was taken at the April 1, 2024 Board of Directors meeting that was left out of the Minutes for that board meeting .  The Board voted to award the HOA management contract for 2026 to a different company. How does something like that get left out??? Is there any possibility that the note-taker for the meeting was directed to omit this from the Minutes? The topic of the vote should have been listed under New Business. This could be the second-largest financial expenditure of the HOA, exceeded only by the Landscaping Contract of $556,358, and the one that holds the HOA together. Some have estimated that the HOA pays CAMS over $500,000/year to manage the HOA. CAMS is contracted through December 31st. The company voted in is a small one- or two-person business here in Columbia that recently merged with (was sold to?) a North Carolina firm. The vote by the board was 4-3. Since the content of any discussion and the vote were omitted from the Minutes, it is not known at this tim...

The Board of Directors won't be asking you, but you can tell them! Do you agree with the emailed announcement that only homeowners can attend monthly Board meetings and that they must have a valid Summit ID to get in? I'm okay with a photo ID to enter the polling place on election day, but board meetings? But it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think. The Board isn't going to listen to you, the homeowner. Your voice is heard through the Voting Member of your neighborhood. Inform your Voting Member today (disregard for the time-being that he or she might not be legitimate; the Board doesn't care about that) and ask your Voting Member to attend the board meeting on May 6 and to address the Board in-person that night. Be sure to witness what happens. Will Danny Trapp shut down your Voting Member and tell him or her to email it to the office?

If you wonder about some of what happened at the April 1st Board meeting, you can read the Minutes of the meeting, which were posted today. But you won't see the audience participation and the bickering that took up much of the meeting. The Minutes include the Financial Operating Results for February 2025, which have not yet been separately posted. The Minutes also include the Manager's Report. Also included is the Violations Report, which itself makes for interesting reading. The Minutes are notated as "Corrected", and I had a good laugh when I read Item 5 in the Finance Committee's action: "McClerkin's electrical ass [ sic ] a 100 Amp Service at the column ..."  This made me wonder just how carefully the Minutes were read and "corrected". Motions were made and passed for $39,520 of various work around The Summit. I always wonder if the Finance Committee really knows which accounts those expenditures are to be charged to and if the money i...

Are you calling the HOA office (803-865-0609) to ask when they will publish the Financial Operating Report for February 2025? That Report was distributed at the April 1, 2025 board of directors meeting, and it should have been published on the HOA's website on April 2 (or before). Now, two weeks later, it still hasn't been published. Is it just an oversight? Or is there another reason for withholding it from the Members of the Association who were not at the meeting? Were there enough copies at the meeting for everyone to receive one? Not likely, since there was an overflow attendance. Where can you read the Report, once it is published? Go to https://summithomeowners.com Hover your mouse over RESIDENTS. Click on DOCUMENTS. Click on Financial Operating Results. Click on February 2025 . While you are on the phone with the office, ask why it wasn't published sooner. And, if it doesn't get published, you can file a written request with the office to inspect that Report (fr...

You may be aware that the HOA does not use the "Old Business" and "New Business" sections on the monthly agenda for Board meetings. This results in matters dying a quiet death. For example, considerable work has been done by the Covenants Committee on the CC&Rs and By-Laws to prepare amendments that would update these Governing Documents. At the February 2025 meeting, when the matter came up again , Committee chairman Jeff Lummel responded to the Board's comment that they hadn't received the proposed changes (which they had!). Jeff said he would provide another copy to them. There is no reason to think that he did not. The Minutes of the February 2025 BOD meeting read, in part, "Waiting on the document changes to be approved by board By-laws [ sic ] and CCR's [ sic ]." (verbatim). Does that sentence even make any sense? The Minutes of the March 2025 BOD meeting read, in part, "Homeowner ... asked the status of the update of the Bylaws ...

Did you miss the April 1st BOD meeting? Did you go but couldn't get into the meeting room? Did you leave early, out of frustration? Did you pick up a copy of the February 2025 Financial Operating Results before you left? If you didn't go but are interested in what happened, wouldn't you like to read a copy of the Minutes of that meeting? Do you think they should be posted on the HOA's website by now (two weeks after the meeting)? Would you like to read a "newspaper-type article" on the HOA's website, instead of the sterile Minutes that don't tell the whole story of board meetings? Would you like to receive an informative email from the HOA? After the shift in the composition and the dynamics of the Board in the November 2023, some thought the HOA would begin operating in a more-transparent mode. How has that worked out for you? There has been no "new look" or change in The Summit Scoop or the website. It's just more of the same. The opini...

I've heard that the April 1, 2025 Board of Directors meeting was a doozy. Overflow crowd. Standing room only. Raucous. Argumentative. And lacking any discussion of the trampoline issue that was the drawing card for the meeting. And abruptly adjourned after the last committee report. Without a vote by the board to adjourn. Did Danny just declare, "Meeting adjourned" and walk out? Correct me if I'm wrong about any of that.  Was the meeting really adjourned (without a vote of the Board)? Assuming the Minutes were prepared the next day (April 2), while they were still fresh in the mind of the notetaker, were they then distributed to Board members for review and correction? Are Board members given 3-4 days to respond? If they don't, does the office assume the Minutes are correct? And shouldn't the Minutes then be published on the HOA's website, so that all Members would have the opportunity to know what transpired at the meeting (and what didn't)? Today is ...

The category of "Voting Members" is, perhaps, the most important category of Members of The Summit's HOA. This is because the Voting Members legally represent the homeowners before the Board of Directors. The Voting Members represent you ! To be a legitimate Voting Member, s/he must be duly-elected in compliance with the By-Laws of the HOA. Currently, I believe that there is only one (1) Voting Member who was duly-elected and, therefore, legitimate. Four neighborhoods do not have any Voting Member at all (legitimate or illegitimate). That's 19.6% of the HOA. Is "illegitimate" the correct term for the person who claims to be a "Voting Member" but who was not duly-elected? Is there another term for that person? Pretender? Usurper? Imposter? Unofficial? Should a person who is unofficial or illegitimate be allowed to vote for candidates for the Board of Directors? Those persons are not eligible to vote. They were not duly-elected by your neighborhoods...

Here is a great HOA story. Watch this video on YouTube. The homeowner lived in a gated community and was the County Sheriff. His unmarked squad car got booted in his own driveway one night.  While The Summit is not a gated community, this story is an education in abuse. It happens because homeowners don't pay close enough attention to what is going on. If you think you should not have to prove you are a Homeowner by presenting a Summit ID card at board meetings, be sure to attend the May 6th board of directors meeting, 6:30PM, at the church. You are a Homeowner. Enter the meeting room peacefully and quietly, and sit down.  There may be deputies there to give the monthly law-enforcement report, but they are not there to enforce HOA rules. Having to be a Homeowner to attend is a HOA rule. Having to show your Summit ID Card is a HOA rule. Deputies will take no action, unless a crime occurs or is about to occur.  Don't cause a scene. Don't yell or shout. If one of the Board ...

As a homeowner in The Summit, you know that your dues have not gone up; right? But you also know that expenses have gone up; right? So, where did the HOA get that money to pay those increasing expenses? Should the Board know? Should the Finance Committee know? Should you know? Here's the answer. The Board got it out of your dues by quietly reducing the required contribution into Reserves (CC&Rs, Art. X, §6 Page 17) and spending that money on Operating Expenses. We all know what happens when you rob Peter to pay Paul. Why didn't they tell you??? Who have the past Treasurers been? George Reynolds, Jan 2016*-April 2021 (deceased) Paul Hill, May 2021-April 2022 (deceased) Vernell Butler, May 2022-November 2023 Linda Potter, November 2023-November 2024 LaToya Adams has been Treasurer since November 2024. Is she telling you? If the Treasurer doesn't tell you about the weakening financial position of the HOA, isn't it the responsibility of the HOA President to inform you?...

Is there interest in webinars about the Summit HOA's CC&Rs, By-Laws, PRM? Topics:  Neighborhood Meetings;  Legitimate Voting Members; Election of directors; Election of officers; Monthly meetings; Building a budget the right way; Adequacy of assessments; Transparency of operations; Communications and publicity; Homeowner participation; Understanding monthly financial statements; Minutes of board meetings; Minutes of pre-board and committee meetings. If you would like to know of webinar dates and content, message me on the Contact Form (upper left) with your email address and name. Your email address will NOT be publicized or used for any other purpose. "BCC" will be used in announcements. Open to homeowners and residents. Open to all interested persons, if space is available. Like to suggest a topic? Let me know via the Contact Form.

This article is about how to become a Voting Member in The Summit Community Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation in northeast Columbia, South Carolina, hereafter referred to as the "HOA".  This is the one and only way to become a legitimate Voting Member. Despite rumors to the contrary, it's not that hard. There are 28 Neighborhoods in the HOA. Homeowners do not elect directors to the Board of Directors of the HOA. Directors are elected by Voting Members. Each Neighborhood is to hold an Annual Neighborhood Meeting. To convene a Neighborhood Meeting, a quorum of homeowners in that neighborhood must be present, in-person or by proxy. A quorum is one-third of the property owners. Ex., Barony Place (I & II) has 78 properties. Its quorum is 26 (1/3 x 78). At the Neighborhood Meeting the homeowners elect a three-person [local] Neighborhood Committee. Then the Neighborhood Committee elects one of three as the committee chairman and Voting Member.  The Neighborhood Co...

Should the homeowners in The Summit's HOA re-claim control over the HOA? Right now an unofficial "Board of Directors" is running the show. The reason they are "unofficial" is that they were not duly-elected in compliance with the By-Laws. Shouldn't this be important? What is not getting done? The waterfalls at the Clemson Road entrance are still not working. Twenty-seven of the 28 Neighborhoods do not have legitimate Voting Members. There is a huge problem with deadbeats; i.e., homeowners who are not paying their dues on time. As of February 28, 2025 Accounts Receivable were $529,994.30 (Line 1200). The Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts is $299,167.13. This amount has not changed since April 30, 2024. Accounts Receivable have increased $150,263.90 (39.6%) from 4/30/24 to 2/28/25. And the 4/30/24 amount was after a write-off of $118,926.87 in April 2024 that was never discussed by the Board or voted on!!! Does any on the Board or any committee understand ...

What does it mean "to incite" someone? Definitions include encourage or  stir  up (violent or  unlawful  behavior); urge  or  persuade  (someone) to act in a violent or unlawful way. In Danny Trapp's sworn Affidavit on December 30, 2024, which is part of the Motion of the HOA for a TRO against me, Trapp stated: "14. It is my observation that Mr. Philpott attempts to incite other residents and stir up dissent." Unfortunately, Danny Trapp did not show up for either the February 11, 2025 TRO hearing or the March 20, 2025 hearing, denying me the opportunity to confront my accuser. I'll get that opportunity in the future. 

Ian McVey, attorney for HOA What will it take to get the Board of Directors to comply with the CC&Rs, the By-Laws, and the PRM? It will take legal advice from the attorney for the Association. It will take 28 legitimate Voting Members, duly-elected in compliance with the By-Laws.  Twenty-seven Neighborhoods in The Summit are not represented by legitimate Voting Members. Barony Place is. Those homeowners should contact the Association's attorney, Ian McVey, at Turner Padget . He is the Association's attorney, and he is paid by the Association. He represents the 2,480 property owners. He does not represent the Board of Directors (BOD), and he does not represent Danny Trapp.  Attorney McVey should be telling the BOD, " You must comply with the By-laws , starting with helping all the neighborhoods to elect legitimate Voting Members!" Attorney McVey should be telling the Board that "getting signatures" is not a legitimate way to elect a Voting Member, nor wo...

The April BOD meeting was April 1st. Today is April 11th. Why isn't the February 2025 financial report online? Copies were available at the meeting. The financials should have been posted on the HOA's website on or before April 1st. As of April 11, 2025, 11:05AM, they have not been posted. These financials are for you , the Members. You should be examining them and emailing the office (hoa@summithomeowners.com) with your questions. And you should be receiving replies promptly with clear and complete answers. I'd say, "Ask your Voting Member, who represents you," except only one neighborhood in The Summit has a legitimate Voting Member; i.e., one who was duly-elected in compliance with the By-Laws. That's Barony Place. I would ask for you but, until the HOA's lawsuit against me is settled, I cannot communicate with the board members or the office, and I cannot attend Association meetings. That's actually no loss for me, because most of them never replie...

What could possibly be behind the announcement on April 10, 2025 that only Homeowners (Members) can attend Board meetings and that they must show their Summit ID cards to get in? Q. 1. Are too many Summit residents (non-homeowners) showing up? Q. 2. Are too many homeowners showing up who have not paid their dues? To help you with Q. 1, I offer statements from Danny Trapp's sworn Affidavit dated December 30, 2024, which is part of the Motion for TRO that the HOA filed in Common Pleas Court against me. Reminder: Danny Trapp did not show up in court on February 11th or March 20th, so I could not cross-examine him. In his Affidavit, Danny Trapp swore: 8. "Despite this (not being a property owner (added for clarity here )), he (Philpott) routinely appears at Association meetings." Every month The Summit Scoop carries this sentence on Page 2: " Board meetings are open to all Summit Residents. " 9. "He is the only [ emphasis added ]   non-property owner who atten...

Eleven months ago, on May 7, 2024, the Board of Directors approved forensic internal and external audits for 2023. The internal audit work went to Letitia Craps (not CPA) for $4,800. The external audit work went to Becca Brendle, CPA for $3,500.  Brendle also does the Annual Audit separately and for a separate fee.  Have these been completed and delivered to the Board? According to 2024 financial statements, neither has been paid for that work. Do you realize there has not been one word about the finished audits? These are separate from the Annual Audit. Right after George Reynolds died in April 2021, I suggested to the Board that a forensic audit should be conducted. I told them that every non-profit organization should conduct such an audit after a long-time treasurer dies in office.  As with many of my other business-oriented suggestions, the Board did not take any action on it.  I suggested it a year later, after Paul Hill died in office. I suggested it again aft...

699 BRC Why would the owner of a white Mercedes want to obstruct a view of his license plate? This plate, 699 BRC, is virtually invisible. Maybe so the driver could speed on Summit Parkway and not get reported to the State Police or RCSD? This is a violation that any deputy or trooper could use as probable cause for a traffic stop. But do they? Should they issue tickets, not just warnings? The driver/owner knows it's illegal to put a heavily-tinted cover over his license plate. Why not let him pay? Should I bother the State Police or RCSD with a FOIA request to learn how many tickets they have issued for an obstructed license plate? I won't, because it won't do any good.  Any good deputy, cop, or trooper knows that relatively-minor reasons for traffic stops often result in major arrests. A driver or passenger might have warrants, be unlicensed, without insurance, smoking the "wrong" substance, be drunk. A sharp-eyed law-enforcement officer can do a lot of good.