Barony Place I/Barony Place II

The Summit HOA's Board of Directors usually meets one week before the Regular Monthly Board Meeting to plot (errr, plan) the next Board Meeting. Lately, they've been meeting more often, without mention to the Members. The October 7th Board meeting is the last Regular Meeting before the November 4th Annual Meeting of Voting Members (AMVM) and the Board's Annual Meeting. The Organizational Meeting (election of officers) should be that same date. They will have their hands full tonight. Will they discuss - dropping the illegal* lawsuit against Gus Philpott (me)? the illegal disbursements of HOA funds to the lawyers for the illegal lawsuit? sanctions of Board President Danny Trapp for starting the lawsuit in violation of the CC&Rs (Art. XIII, §10 Litigation) and without the approval of the Board of Directors? a preview of the Proposed 2026 Budget? the status of the transition in management from CAMS to Town & Country? the whereabouts of the 2024 Annual Audit? the wherea...

When Town & Country Management Company assumes the role of HOA management company on October 1, it must understand that it was contracted by, and is paid for by,  the Association . Its allegiance and responsibility must first be to the Association . What do I mean by this? In past years numerous Boards, which have revolving membership of directors elected every two years, have failed to comply with many Sections of the CC&Rs, By-Laws, and published Guides (such as the PRM).  It may be that CAMS objected strenuously to the directors in private. If they did, their objections never reached the Members. The ultimate responsibility for decisions lay with the Board of Directors; the BOD told CAMS what to do. The Board of Directors will tell Town & Country what to do. How will the on-site property manager, who is employed by Town & Country, respond or react, if he is told to do something that is not right or if he is told not to do something that is ri...

When the HOA filed its lawsuit against Gus Philpott (me) on December 30, 2024, there was a " VERIFIED COMPAINT " [ sic ] signed by Board President Danny Trapp attached to it. It has every appearance of an Affidavit, and it closes with "FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT". (I laughed out loud. Where are we? Merry, olde England?) Danny Trapp, after being duly sworn, deposed that "he is the President of the Board of The Summit Community Association, Inc., that he is authorized to execute this Verification..." To me, the oath sworn before the Notary Public is not clear. Was Danny swearing to the truthfulness of his statements, or was he merely swearing that he was Danny Trapp who was signing the VERIFIED COMPAINT [sic]? And yes, the typo is in the original, as filed by the big downtown law firm representing the HOA. For me there are two huge problems. First, Danny swore that "he is the President of the Board ..."  In November 2023 Danny was "elected...

How many old cell phones do you have, just sitting around your house because you don't know how to get rid of them safely? I have four. The HOA's Youth Committee is collecting old cell phones and will be donating them. The phones will go to the Richland County Sheriff's Department, where somebody, who knows what he is doing, will "wipe" them. "Wipe" means to clear all the personal data off the phone. Then the phones will be given away and can only be used to call 911. I am not going to take my phones to the office and leave them. It would be too easy for sticky fingers to grab them. I am unwilling to risk that someone might access whatever data is left on the old phones. Contact a member of the Youth Committee and donate your phone(s) directly. Let me hasten to say that I trust Teresa But who else could have access to the phones left at the office?

When Town & Country takes over on October 1, 2025, what will happen to all those years of emails sent to and from CAMS' email addresses for Teresa and other CAMS office employees. What happened to the hundreds (thousands?) of emails to/from Justin Martin, George Reynolds, Vernell Butler, and other former board members? The new email address for the HOA's office is Summithelpdesk@tcgrd.com Now would be the perfect time to task the new management company with developing the HOA's own server. The HOA already has a seldom-used email address of HOA@summithomeowners.com   Officers and Directors should have official email addresses for HOA use. They should not use their personal email addresses. Employers of Town & Country in the HOA's office and directors and officers of the HOA should use the HOA's domain, which would allow preservation of all official emails. Clear rules would have to be established for regular use of the official domain and specific rules about...

On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Town & Country Management Company takes over as the management company for The Summit's HOA. The very first questions they should answer are, "What will you do when you observe a violation of the CC&Rs, By-Laws, or any published Guide of the HOA by the Board or by any Director or Officer?" "Will you insist on doing what is right all the time?" "Will you refuse to do what is wrong?" "If you are told to do something that is not right, or not to do something that is right, what will you do?" Town & Country's contract is with the Association. It is not with the Board or with any officer or director.

  "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Does this apply today to The Summit's HOA? Right now, evil is triumphing. The Voting Members represent the Members - the homeowners - YOU. Voting Members now know that the HOA has filed an illegal lawsuit against a resident. Why is it illegal? The lawsuit is illegal because it was filed  in the name of the HOA , but without the approval of the Board of Directors. The HOA is prohibited in the CC&Rs (Art. XIII, §10) without prior approval of 75% of the Voting Members. Voting Members were never asked to approve, and they never did approve. The Board never voted in a Regular Board Meeting to approve the lawsuit. The Board never authorized Danny Trapp to file the lawsuit. The HOA is paying a big Columbia law firm to handle the lawsuit. These payments are illegal disbursements of HOA funds , because the Board never approved the lawsuit. Danny Trapp knew, or should ...

The Financial Overview Report for August 2025 has been posted to the HOA's website.  If you like numbers, it makes for "interesting" reading.  For example, on Page 4 - Manager Notes - is listed Contract Summary. The new contract with Town & Country Management Company is not there . But, in the Minutes for the September 2, 2025 Board Meeting, the Contracts Committee reported that a contract was signed with Town & Country in August. The Board of Directors never discussed the bids that the HOA received for the 2026 year. The Board never discussed the services and bid amounts of any bidders. The Board never voted to award the contract to Town & Country. The Board never revealed Town & Country's bid amount. A reading of the September Minutes reveals that a contract WAS signed in August. Who signed the contract? What's the secret?

The HOA has a debit card. Who has it, and who is entitled to use it? Who knows? The monthly Financial Operating Statement of the HOA shows the balance in the debit card's account (Line 1006) on the last day of the month. What it does not show is the activity in the account. How many charges are made in a month? What is the total amount of charges? How much money is transferred into the debit card account, and from what other account? Who uses the card? Here's what the balance in the account looks like for the end of each month in 2025 (so far): $1,359.85 January $1,109.22 February $1,032.40 March $1,028.69 April $2,091.48 May $   846.89 June $1,669.02 July $2,115.39 August Why did the balance go up $1,000 in May? Why did it go down $1,250 in June? Why did it go up $800 in July? Why did it go up $450 in August?

The HOA's Balance Sheet for August 31, 2025 ought to give any decent CPA heart-burn! The HOA has Cash & Cash Equivalent funds of $805,277.71. Line 1001 - FCB/CIT Operating $431,376.01. Is this in a checking account? $400,000+ in a checking account? What does "200k" mean? Line 1002 - FCB/CIT Debit Card $2115.39. Who has access to the debit card? Where is it kept? Under lock-and-key? Or in someone's wallet? Who reconciles the use of the debit card? Line 1057 - First Community Bank $65,417.02. What does "..55%" mean? Why is any money sitting at one-half of 1%. Why isn't it earning 4-5%? $65,000 @ 0.55% = $357.50 interest in one year $65,000 @ 4.00% = $2,600 interest in one year Is someone asleep at the switch?

The August 31, 2025 financials have been posted on the HOA's website. Accounts Receivable dropped 8.7%. $645,169.84 as of July 31, 2025 $588,984.71 as of August 31, 2025 $  56,182.13 The Board and the Treasurer should have been aware of this by the Board Meeting on September 2nd. Were they? What is the reason for the reduction? Did the HOA collect $56,182.13 from delinquent homeowners? Or did the Board write-off bad debt in August that hasn't been announced yet? Either way, the homeowners should be informed.

Do you ever look at the monthly financial statements of the HOA? If you do, all you are seeing is a snapshot.  What's important is to look at what is happening month-to-month? For that, you must set up your own accounting system. I have, and that may be one reason is that, twice, I was asked not to attend meetings of the Finance Committee. It seems to me they need all the help that they can get. They don't want it. Over the past years I suggested to past Treasurers the-late George Reynolds and the still-breathing Vernell Butler that "Percent-of-Change" columns would reveal Line Items that might need close attention. No help wanted from the peanut gallery. Not from residents. And especially not from Gus Philpott! Look at the Variances listed in the August 31, 2025 financials. Variances are over-spending. Pretty important; right? I don't know where the HOA is taking the money from, but as of August 2025 the HOA has over-spent its budget (Y-T-D) by $83,356.95. That T...

When the September 2, 2025 Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors was to convene at 6:30PM, Board President Danny Trapp was not present. His absence meant that a quorum (4) was not present . Present were directors Tanisha Holmes (VP), Brenda Bryant, and Linda Potter. Also present were Patricia Pollin, William Hill, and Noel Weatherbee. None is a legitimate member of the Board. In November 2023 Pollin was appointed to the Board, even those she was not eligible to be appointed. She was not a Member of the Association (name on the Deed) and was not the spouse of a Member. She has been allowed to sit on the Board for almost two years! On July 1, 2025 the Board held what they called an "executive session" before the Regular Board Meeting started at 6:30PM. That meeting was actually a pre-board meeting or workshop. It was not an official Executive Session. At that pre-board meeting (workshop) something took place. Who knows exactly what? When the Regular Board Meeting started, i...

Or did it? On September 5, 2025 the office emailed many Members of the HOA that " Your Association will transition to new management effective 9.30.25." The Contracts Committee reported at the September 2nd Board Meeting that "The Summit will be transitioning to a new management company on October 1." Which is correct? Who will be in charge on September 30? The Contracts Committee also reported that a contract with "Town & Country Management company" [ sic ] was signed in August. A review of the Minutes of the August 5, 2025 Board Meeting reveals no discussion of a new management contract or approval of Town & Country Management Company as the new management company for The Summit. Who signed the contract with Town & Country? Who authorized them to sign that contract? When did the Board consider the bids for the 2026 management contract? Why wasn't this done at an open, public, Regular Board Meeting? How did Town & Country compare with ...

In view of how the business affairs of The Summit's HOA have been conducted in the past few years, should directors of the HOA, upon election or appointment, be required to take an Oath of Office? The State Oath of Office could be modified to read as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am duly qualified for the office of Director and have been duly-elected by qualified, eligible voters (Voting Members), according to the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and the By-Laws of The Summit Community Association, Inc. "I swear (or affirm) that I shall exercise the duties of the office to which I have been elected (or appointed) and that I shall, to the best of my ability, discharge the duties thereof, and observe, comply with, preserve, and protect the Association, its CC&Rs, its By-Laws, and its published Guidelines." Upon assuming office after each election or appointment, a director will sign a sworn statement of the Oath of Office, whic...

The Minutes of the September 2, 2025 Board Meeting include a report by the then-chairperson of the HOA's Neighborhood Committee that "The committee met on August 16th on the litigation matter and voted to send a letter to Danny." First of all, I don't think it was the Neighborhood Committee that met on August 16th; I think it was a meeting of the Voting Members. The Neighborhood Committee would have nothing to do with the "litigation matter"; meaning the HOA's lawsuit against Gus Philpott (me). What did that letter say? Was it a friendly "You're doing a great job, Danny" letter or was it a letter critical of the litigation that had been filed by Danny in the name of the HOA?  Did the letter make some demands on Danny Trapp? If that letter really was sent by the Neighborhood Committee, then a copy of it should be included in the Minutes of the Committee's meeting. And those Minutes can be inspected by any Member of the HOA by going to th...

The Board of Directors of The Summit Community Association, Inc. (HOA) should have smart people on it who are capable of understanding the CC&Rs, By-Laws, PRM and other Guides, and who are willing to comply with them. Prove me wrong.

Today is the memorial service in Arizona for Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated at age 31 on September 10th. Please read this Opinion by former Secretary of Education William Bennett, who served under President Ronald Reagan. In it he wrote, "Charlie Kirk may have been the last American who genuinely believed you could change someone's mind with a good argument. Think about that. When was the last time you saw someone actually switch positions during a debate? When did you last witness someone say three of the most treasured words in the English language: 'I was wrong?'" In how many situations have you been afraid to speak out? Or to speak up? Do you worry about what people with think or say or do?  What if some called you a Nazi? Or a racist? Or a White Supremacist? Let's get this closer to home - right here in the HOA? What happens when you speak out against the Boards of Directors in recent years? Has any director on the board ever said, "I was wrong...

Last night about 10:20PM one of our neighbors in Barony Place II heard noise from his backyard. When he checked his security cameras, two persons were at a window in the back of his house. He immediately dialed 911 and then called me. Within minutes a RCSD deputy arrived. They may have come over the wall from Summit Parkway into his yard. This might be a good time to check the exterior of your property * - back door(s), windows, gate, backyard, wall. Do you keep your back door locked? Windows locked or, if open, blocked so that they cannot be raised enough that someone could enter? Gate locked? (Do you know where the key is?) Does your family have a safety plan, in the event a person actually enters your home? Do you know what to do? Does the whole family know what each family member will do? Do you have a "safe room"? (ok, as "safe" as possible in a home as constructed.) If you have firearms in the house, do you know where they are? Are they accessible? In the dark...

At 4:28PM the office sent out this email, " Dear Summit Parents,   "We ask that you please remind your children not to cut through homeowners’ yards or Summit-owned property on their way to and from school. While this may seem like a quicker route, it does create potential safety concerns. "For their protection, children should always remain on the sidewalks and designated walking paths. Cutting through yards or wooded areas could put them at risk, and it also raises concerns for homeowners, as entering private property is considered trespassing. "Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep all children in the community safe." It must have really been a slow Friday at the HOA office. Whose idea was this? Let's unpack this message.  First of all, whether some student, or anyone, cuts across a homeowner's yard is none of the HOA's business. The HOA is not the homeowner's nanny. It's a private issue between the homeowner and the trespasse...

Thanks to the Minutes of the Sept 2, 2025 Board Meeting, we now know that, for the f irst time in many years, the words "write off" have been mentioned at a BOD meeting. William Hill, recognized as a Director and as Treasurer even though he was not duly-appointed, wrote in the Finance Report, "Bad debt write off for $18,172.50, [ sic ] Linda Potter made a motion to approve, Pat Pollin seconded, and all approved." Is that debt on one property or several debts? The 7/31/2025 Financial Report shows $645,169.84 in Bad Debt (Line 1200, Accounts Receivable). Line 1300 (Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts ($299,167.13)) is an unreliable number, because it hasn't changed since March 2024. $18,172.50 is only 2.8% of the total bad debts of $645,169.84. The HOA would have benefitted from having a real Treasurer over the past 5-6 years.  At the end of the Minutes, "A list of previous homeowner accounts was presented to the board to write off as bad debts." Why wa...

When a HOA Board is stacked 5-2, how can the two minority directors be heard? While they might be out-voted, they need not be silent. And they cannot be silenced. Each director is equal in authority to every other director. No one director is more important than another. Each and every director has a fiduciary responsibility to the 2,480 Members of the Association. Their friendships are, and must be, a distant second to that responsibility. But there is a problem right now, because apparently Danny Trapp has told the Board that only Tanisha Holmes (VP) and he can contact the attorney. And that's a problem, because I believe some on the board do not know the whole story about the lawsuit against me and its cost. Every Board member is entitled to all the details. Has Danny told the lawyer that the CC&Rs prohibit the lawsuit against me? Has he told the lawyer that the Board never met the requirement in the CC&Rs of getting approval by 75% of the Voting Members? Has Danny told ...

Did the HOA put out a RFP for management bids?  Who wrote the RFP? How many were sent out? How many bidders were there? Who received the bids? Were they held unopened  until the Bid Opening Date? Were they opened by the Contracts Committee? How many bidders were there?  Were any bidders interviewed? Did one large management company fly representatives into Columbia twice to meet with the Board of Directors to present and discuss its services? Did Danny attend both of those meetings?  Did Danny attend either of those meetings? Shouldn't the President of the Board of Directors have been at both of those meetings? Was he? Had Danny already decided which company he wanted? Regardless of services and price? Did the chairperson of the Contracts Committee, Director Brenda Bryant, present the bids at the September 2nd Regular Monthly Meeting of the Board?  Did the Contracts Committee make a recommendation?  How did the Board choose Town & Country, a Greenwood, ...

The Indigo Springs neighborhood (141 homes) hasn't had a Voting Member since Eric Tilley gave up the spot. The position has been vacant since December 2022. That's more than 2½ years! The 141 homeowners have had no representation since then. Why did the HOA's Neighborhood Committee allow that condition to exist and continue so long? The Minutes for the September 2nd Board Meeting indicate that "Angelo from Indigo Springs is in the process of obtaining the necessary signatures to be the voting member." Yes, you read that correctly. Angelo is in the process. No last name.  Didn't the chairperson, Reginald Mack, know Angelo's last name? Why didn't the Scoop's editor uncover it before publishing the September Scoop? I met Angelo at a couple of Board Meetings prior to March 2024. He will be an excellent voting member. I believe he will want the HOA to comply with the CC&Rs and By-Laws.

In the September 2025 Summit Scoop Board President Danny Trapp reported,  "The Modification Committee is one of the most important committees that preserves the integrity of the community and the value of our homes. Please follow the modification process when making changes." While it is one of several important committees, is it really one of the "most important"? I guess it depends on how it is run. Is it run with a feather or with a hammer? Many homeowners don't understand the purpose of the Modifications Committee. They don't read the Governing Documents (CC&Rs, By-Laws, published Guides, including the PRM and the Committee's own Guide) before they purchase their home or before they commence a project involving the exterior of their home. In the Summit's HOA, the Modifications Committee is chaired by Tanisha Holmes (Board VP), and committee members are William Hill (currently listed as Director and Board Treasurer) and Stan Haines. It should ...

Did you read the September 2025 Summit Scoop? It was emailed to you, and it is posted on the HOA's website. The fourth paragraph in the President's Report reads,  "The board is in the process of completing the installation of security cameras in areas identified as being problematic. The Sheriff’s Department can also access these cameras in cases of emergencies. These cameras are state of the art and will record incidents day or night. Thanks to Mr. Hill who headed this project." Well, first of all, it is not "the board" that is in the process of installing security cameras. All it did was approve a motion on July 1, 2025 to spend $31,479 on cameras for Indigo, Birch, and Willow Parks, and Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge (Drive).  Why are cameras being installed on Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge Drive? Those are public roadways, owned by and maintained by Richland County. The HOA has absolutely no jurisdiction over those roadways. What is the purpose of tho...

Is it really the HOA that is suing Gus? Or is it somebody who filed the lawsuit in the name of the HOA - but  WITHOUT the approval of the Board of Directors? In order for a lawsuit to be started by the HOA, wouldn't the Board of Directors (BOD) have had to approve it? The Minutes of Board Meetings indicate that they never did. [Edit 9/17/25. Actually, it's not exactly correct that the Minutes indicate that the Board never did approve the lawsuit. There is no mention of the lawsuit in any set of Minutes of Regular Board Meeting. No mention at all. What I should have written was, "The Minutes of Board Meetings make no mention whatsoever of any discussion or vote by the Board to approve a lawsuit against Philpott."] In this case, the BOD would have needed the approval of 75% of the Voting Members. It never even asked for their approval. Danny Trapp's name was on the Affidavit that accompanied the papers for the original filing. Was Danny the one who kicked off the w...

Q. Who is in charge of the Voting Members? A. The homeowners in the neighborhood of each Voting Member. Q. Who is NOT in charge of the Voting Members? A. The following persons or officers are NOT in charge of Voting Members: 1. the Board President 2. any other officer on the Board 3. any director on the Board, whether an officer or not 4. the chairperson of the HOA's Neighborhood Committee 5. the HOA's Property Manager At the Annual Meeting of Voting Members each November, they would be wise to 1. elect a chairperson for the following 12 months 2. create a short list of duties of the chairperson, such as a. sending out Notices of meetings; b. calling Special Meetings, on his own or when requested by an agreed-upon minimum number of Voting Members; c. distributing Association information to all Voting Members without showing favoritism;  d. conducting meetings of the VMs in a fair and impartial manner; following Robert's Rules of Order e. recognizing that the chairperson has...

"Thank you to our neighbors who thought it not robbery to take the time out of their busy schedules to volunteer for service to the community.  Thanks for your support and encouragement." Those words were the final paragraph in the President's Report in the September 2025 edition of The Summit Scoop. Did you read them there? What do they mean? What does "robbery" mean? Is Danny Trapp thanking the Board members for their time? Or is he thanking committee members for their time? When a homeowner participates in an organization such a homeowners' association for his own home, is the word "robbery" even in the first thousand words he'd use to describe his involvement? Who says it is "support and encouragement"? Is Danny thanking them for supporting him or supporting the Association?  If he means "support", has he been listening at meetings? When homeowners or committee members ask questions about procedures and expenditures, the...

(Image: Courtesy Shutterstock Royalty-free) The Board of Directors (BOD) operates the HOA on your behalf. Do you attend Board Meetings? Have you observed the manner in which Board Meetings are conducted? Do all the Board members participate fully and equally in discussions? Do you believe the Board has integrity? Are HOA operations transparent? Does the Board inform Members of how many times they meet in a month and what they discuss in those other meetings?  What decisions are made in those other meetings that are outside your view? Is the Board receptive to questions from Members, and are questions answered? What happens after a Member asks a question at a Board meeting? Do you ever get an answer? When the Treasurer makes many motions to approve new, unbudgeted expenses, does he (or did she) explain where that money will come from? Are you aware that the budgeted (required) Contribution to Reserves dropped from $163,965 (2020) to $0 (2024) and is only $3,000 in 2025? Do you belie...

What would be the legal effect if I filed a lawsuit in your name, without your permission? Would the lawsuit be invalid or illegal? Suppose I went to a lawyer and told him that I was associated with you and told him to file a lawsuit.  Don't you think the lawyer would check with you before filing it? Let's say the lawyer did file the lawsuit and even went to court three times to prosecute "your" lawsuit. And he sent you bills. And somebody in your office paid the bills. And then the person whom "you" were suing found out that you had never approved the lawsuit. And that you had never authorized me to do so in your name . You'd be pretty mad; right? Would you be mad at me? Would you be mad at the lawyer? Would you be mad at the person in your office who paid the bills? What would you do about it? Would you be mad enough to sue the person who filed the lawsuit in your name ?

What happens on September 30th? According to an email from the office on September 5th, " Your Association will transition to new management effective 9.30.25." Does this mean that Town & Country will assume office duties on Tuesday, September 30, at 9:00AM?  Will CAMS be out the door on September 29 at 5:30PM? Will Teresa turn out the lights and leave the keys under the front mat? The Board may conduct its pre-board meeting (workshop) on September 29th, which is one week before the next Board Meeting on October 7.  What does the management contract with Town & Country look like? Who saw it before Danny Trapp, President, and Noel Weatherbee, Secretary, signed it? (Corporate contracts should be signed by the President and the Secretary; not by the President and Treasurer, as was done in many years prior to November 2023. Apparently, that was never questioned by board members.) Did all Board members see it? Did the Contracts Committee review it?  Did the Finance Com...