Barony Place I/Barony Place II

The October 2025 monthly expenses of the HOA (titled "Budget Comparison Detail -Board") was included in the hand-out at the November 18, 2025 Board Meeting. It had a category that does not appear in previous monthly reports. The new category was Transportation Expenses . The category lists expenses for "Auto - Repairs" and "Auto - Taxes & Licenses". What "Auto" does the HOA own?

W ill the Board Treasurer report at the February 3rd Board Meeting on the following reports that are late being made available to the membership on the HOA's website? the 2024 Annual Audit* the 2023 forensic internal audit** the 2023 forensic external audit** the Financial Operating Results for  September 2025 the Financial Operating Results for  October 2025 the Financial Operating Results for Novem ber 2025 the Financial Operating Results for Dec ember 2025 The 2024 Annual Audit should be published with past years' audits on the HOA's website. When did the HOA receive it and why hasn't it been published? The 2023 forensic internal and external audits should be published there, too. When were they received? The Minutes of the October 7, 2025 Board Meeting were distributed at the November 18, 2025 Board Meeting. One entry reads, "Association Audit (L. Douglas Johnson CPA) $7,039 - Approved" Was that for the 2024 Annual Audit? Where did Mr. Johnson come from?...

After months of writing about how William Hill and Noel Weatherbee were improperly appointed as directors on July 1, 2025, I learned today that they actually had been appointed in a Special Board Meeting prior to the July 1, 2025 Regular Board Meeting. What had caused me to believe that they had been improperly appointed? The Minutes of the July 1, 2025 Regular Board Meeting read, in part, " The new Board members were introduced: William Hill, Treasurer and Noel Weatherbee, Secretary. " ( Emphasis in the original. ) I had been told that Danny had referred to an "executive session" being held before the Regular Board Meeting. Appointments cannot be made and elections (of officers) cannot be conducted in "executive sessions". Plus, the "executive session" before the Regular Board Meeting on July 1, 2025 had not qualified as an Executive Session. The Special Board Meeting had never been announced to the membership of the Association. No Notice was g...

On January 10, 2026 I published a photo of the brick-wall damage on Summit Parkway west of the Middle School. The article and the photo are here . Driving by yesterday, I noticed that no repair work has started. This section is in the Procedures Reference Manual: Art. II, §5  Repair Common Area Damage Immediately : "To insure that Common Areas are kept in good condition, the Board of Directors adopted an operating policy to initiate repairs to damaged Common Areas immediately, documenting said repairs with itemized costs for submission for repayment or required repairs/replacement (approved 8/3/2004)   Section 5 is a Resolution passed 21½ years ago. Does anyone on the Board or the management company know about this? The first question should be, "Is that wall Common Property or the property of the homeowner on Ricemill Ferry Drive?" Second question - if it's on Common Property: "What is the HOA's understanding of immediately "? Regardless of ownership a...

Back on October 10, 2025 I wrote about a rumor circulating that William Hill had submitted his letter of resignation from the Board of Directors. You can read that blogpost here . The Board didn't meet on November 12, but it did on November 18th, right after the Annual Meeting of Voting Members. The Voting Members did not re-elect Danny Trapp, so any plan to replace Hill with Vernell Butler collapsed. Butler was a candidate for the Board, and he was not elected. The Board did not address Hill's letter of resignation on November 18, December 2, or January 6.  The easiest way for the Board to address Hill's sitting at the front of the room in a Director's seat is to vote on a Motion to accept his letter of resignation on February 3. If it doesn't, then the Board should remove him by Motion and vote, because he has never been a legitimate member of the Board. He was improperly appointed on July 1st. I've written extensively about that previously. If you want to see...

When you have a question, an issue, or a complaint involving the CC&Rs, "who you gonna call?" No, not ghostbusters. Call your Voting Member. But does your Voting Member expect this type of call and know what to do? Are you familiar with the Section in the Procedures Reference Manual (PRM) about this?  First you might ask, "What's the PRM?" If you don't know, ask me or ask your Voting Member or the office. Here's the answer from Art. III, §P Residential Complaints , ¶1 General  (Page 32) in the PRM. a. When a resident has a concern or sees what he believes is a CC&R violation, the resident should discuss the concern with the neighborhood chair (voting member/representative). b. The neighborhood representative may address the concern with the violator or transmit the concern to the board of directors. c. The board of directors may designate the property manager and its onsite management staff to receive and address the CC&R complaints and conce...

Would it help the leadership team of the Board of Directors (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer) to have an Executive Assistant? That person could serve as a "traffic cop" for the four officers and the other three directors by assisting them in carrying out their duties. Such assistance would reduce the workload on the officers of the HOA. All directors have their personal lives; many are employed. They should be directors , not managers or doers for Association business. They are the decision-makers (or should be). The Property Manager "could" be that person but likely does not have the time necessary, because the HOA's office is a two-person office.  Let's say a Member (homeowner) of the HOA has a question for the Board. The question could be emailed. Email is better than phoning. Less time is required to receive and handle the request. The Executive Assistant would screen the email and either answer it for the officer, sending a copy of the r...

Apparently, the January 6th Board of Directors meeting was a little "uncivil". I wasn't there, because the HOA's lawsuit against me hadn't yet been dismissed. It was dismissed on January 13. The last meeting I attended was on February 4, 2025 at the Church. I'll be at the February 3rd meeting at the North Springs Park Community Center. I hope you will be there, too. There is a new Board majority. They are good people who care about the HOA. They are the best majority in the eight years I've lived in The Summit. The Voting Members did a good job in November of electing four good people and not electing several others. I've been hearing that the other three directors on the Board aren't very happy. The truth is that they are now the minority of the seven-member Board. It could be that many votes by the Board will be 4-3. It shouldn't be split that way, because ALL Board Members should be working for the betterment of the HOA. Two of the three in ...

The 2024 Annual Audit is way overdue! And the 2023 forensic internal and external audits are also way over-due. Did the Board ever receive them? Why haven't they been published? How bad are they? Is the 2024 Annual Audit "qualified"? In other words, did the Auditor find some serious things wrong? The 2024 Annual Audit was due by May 1, 2025, according to the CC&Rs By-Laws (Art. III, §19(g)). This Section refers to an annual report that is to be prepared on an audited or reviewed basis by an independent public accountant. The 2023 forensic aud its were ordered on June 18, 2024.  Becca Brendle, CPA was to conduct a forensic external audit at the price of $3,500. Lettitia Craps (not CPA) was to conduct a forensic internal audit for $4,800.  The October 1, 2024 Minutes state in the Finance/Projects Report: "Becca Brendle has completed the external (forensic) audit." Who was to do the 2024 Annual Audit? I believe I read something about $7,000 being paid for t...

What should the Board of Directors of the HOA do about William Hill and Noel Weatherbee? Hill and Weatherbee are not legitimate directors and should not be on the Board. They should not be participating in decisions of the Board. Why not? On July 1, 2025 they were not appointed by vote of the Board in an open, Regular Board Meeting. The Minutes of the July 1, 2025 (Regular) Board Meeting state only: "The new board members were introduced: William Hill, Treasurer and Noel Weatherbee, Secretary." The Minutes do not state how they became board members or how they became officers. They were illegitimately appointed board members in a closed, private, pre-board meeting that Danny Trapp incorrected identified as an "executive session". Apparently, they were appointed or elected to officer positions in that closed meeting. There are requirements for an Executive Session that were not met. No vote in a Regular Board Meeting was taken to appoint them. No vote in a Regular Bo...

I was a student at Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, Iowa), when Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke there on October 15, 1962. You can read his speech  here .  Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. He died on April 4, 1968, 5½ years after this speech.  Every few years I re-read this speech. I was sitting in the front row in King Chapel*, on the left side facing the stage. The podium had been placed on the left side of the stage, as the audience faced it. I was seated about 25 feet from where he was speaking. In April 1968 I was living in a near-west suburb of Chicago, and my office was downtown in the Loop. The riots in Chicago were serious, and I was nearly caught in one after I left my office on a Monday evening. What has improved in race relations since then? Not much. Maybe nothing. Riots in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and throughout the country solve nothing. Now they are instigated on social media and well-funded organizations. * King Chapel was completed in 188...

I found this article about late Annual Audits of interest. The article refers to the 2024 Audit of a condo in the Chicago area. What does it have to do with The Summit's HOA? The Summit's HOA has never reported receipt of the 2024 Annual Audit, and it has never been published on the HOA's website. Where should it be? The HOA's website contains a spot for it. Hover over RESIDENTS; click on DOCUMENTS. Then click on Annual Audits, and select 2024. The problem? 2024 is not there. The article led off with " The fundamental importance of an audit rests on two pillars: that it is (1)  timely  and (2)  accurate ." In its second paragraph it referred to a "120-day window." The Summit's HOA documents contain that same 120-day window. The By-Laws (Art. III, §19(g)) read, in part:  " an annual report consisting of at least the following shall be distributed to all Members within one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of the fiscal year :  (1) ...

Now that new leadership (Pres., VP, Sec'y., Treas.) is in place for The Summit's HOA, who are the new committee chairpersons and who are the members of the committees? The Committees listing on the HOA's website (hover over RESIDENTS; click on DOCUMENTS) has not been updated yet. However, from Minutes of recent Board Meetings and the Summit Scoop, some changes have already been made. Activities Committee Chairperson: Sherri Lauver Members:  Contracts Committee Chairperson:  Members:  Covenants Committee Chairperson: Jamie Burke Members:  Finance Committee Chairperson:  Members:  Landscape Committee Chairperson:  Members:  Modifications Committee Chairperson:  Members:  Neighborhood Committee Chairperson:  Members:  Neighborhood Welcome  Committee * Chairperson:  Members:  Newsletter Committee Chairperson:  Members: Tim Kudlock Nominating Committee Chairperson:  Members:...

Late this past week the Minutes for three recent Board Meetings were posted. Minutes for the Board Meetings on November 18, December 2, and January 6 were posted on The Summit HOA website. To find these, go to www.summithomeowners.com ; then hover over RESIDENTS and click on DOCUMENTS; click on Board of Director's Minutes; click on the month/year to review. I read the January 6th Minutes first. After reading them, I thought, "These are the best Minutes I've read in eight years!" A few questions came to mind, and I'll be seeking information for clarification. The Minutes reflect the intention of the Board to inform Members and residents of what is going on in The Summit. The November 18th Minutes were informative but failed to mention the election of four directors at the Annual Meeting of Voting Members, which had been held just before the Board Meeting. The Minutes also failed to state which Board Members were present and which were absent. There was no mention a...

Last Tuesday (Jan. 13, 2026) an attorney for The Summit's HOA filed in the Richland County Court of Common Pleas to dismiss the case against Gus Philpott (me). This was accomplished by a filing of a Joint Stipulation which, as I understand it, eliminates any need for a hearing before a judge. Homeowners (Members of the Association) should appreciate this prompt action by the new majority of the Board of Directors: Brenda Bryant, President, Jeff Lummel, Vice President; Angelo Moore, Secretary; and Linda Potter, Treasurer. They have stopped a lawsuit that never should have been started and which cost the HOA a substantial sum in legal fees. The case was filed on December 30, 2024, at the direction of former Board President, Danny Trapp. It was filed in the name of The Summit Community Association, Inc., even though the Board of Directors had never voted to approve it. The Board actually could not have approved it, because of the CC&Rs (Art. XIII, Section 10 Litigation). The Assoc...

The Summit's HOA has a new Chairperson of the Activities Committee. The office sent out this message about tonight's meeting: Summit Activities Committee Meeting 📅 When: 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM 👉 Next meeting: Today – January 13, 2026 📍 Where: Summit Office, 305 Ridge Trail Drive 👥 Who: All Summit residents welcome! Have ideas? Love planning? Want to meet your neighbors? Join us for a fun and collaborative evening of discussion and planning for the 2026 Summit community activities! We’re hoping for a great mix of ages, interests, and backgrounds, because the best communities are built when everyone has a voice. Whether you’re bursting with ideas or just curious about getting more involved, we’d love to have you there. ✨ Share ideas ✨ Help plan events ✨ Connect with fellow neighbors Come be part of what makes the Summit such a great place to live—we can’t wait to see you! 😊 Need more information please reach out to the newly appointed Chairperson for the Activ...

  What is it about the brick walls of The Summit that hypnotizes a driver to the extent that they run off Summit Parkway and destroy a wall. This wall is west of Summit Parkway Middle School and is behind (approximately) 26 Ricemill Ferry Drive. Wouldn't it be nice if The Summit Scoop were more of a neighborhood newspaper and informed the 2,840 property owners and residents of "news" in the 28 neighborhoods? Do anyone know when this damage happened?

In the January 2026 Summit Scoop, just published today, an item on Page 2 attempts to explain street parking in The Summit. "Did You Know?  "Did you know that street parking is intended to be limited and temporary to help ensure clear access for emergency vehicles and neighborhood safety? The Association periodically conducts compliance reviews to address ongoing or recurring issues, while allowing reasonable flexibility for special occasions and holidays.  "This is according to the CCR's [ sic ], Article VII, Section 7.03." I have been asking for more than five years what section in the Governing Documents pertains to parking on the streets, and I immediately went to the CC&Rs. In the CC&Rs, Article VII  Condemnation has no Sections and does not pertain to parking. Article VII has three un-numbered paragraphs and no Section 7.03. Next stop was the By-Laws. There is no Article VII in the By-Laws. One more stop: the Procedures Reference Manual. There is ...

The Waverly Place neighborhood of The Summit was the location of two major fires last week. The house at 302 Glen Knoll Drive was destroyed, and the houses at 300 and 304 Glen Knoll suffered major damage. WLTX-TV, News19 , reported a fire in the 300 block of Glen Knoll Drive but did not give the address of the second fire. 302 Glen Knoll Drive The reporters weren't clear on the dates, because they reported in the newscast that the first fire was on "Tuesday" (Dec. 30) night on Glen Knoll Drive (300-302-304), but later in the newscast referred to New Year's Eve (Dec. 31).  These boxes were sitting on the curb in front of 302 Glen Knoll Drive this morning. The cause of the fire has not been announced. WLTX reported a second fire, on New Years Day, after 11:00PM. I don't know the address for that fire, but there is a photo of the house early in the newscast.

The January Board of Directors meeting will be held Tuesday, January 6, 2026, starting at 6:30PM at the North Springs Park Community Center, 1320 Clemson Road. I believe you can expect a completely different (and better) atmosphere at monthly board meetings, following the election last November 18 of four directors who are now the officers of the Board. These officers are Brenda Bryant, President; Jeff Lummel, Vice-President; Angelo Moore, Secretary; and Linda Potter, Treasurer. The Board and three other directors have their work cut out for them in 2026. I believe you'll see improved transparency, new committee chairpersons, and more opportunities for participation and contribution to the smoother operations and success of the HOA. Remember: The Summit's HOA is your HOA. I suspect the Board will provide guidance in the best way for you to communicate questions and problems.  There should no longer be a "Bermuda Triangle" into which questions disappear. If you ask a q...

Do you ever get confused about the pick-up day for recycling and trash, when there is a holiday during the week? Richland County has a good notification system, and it's free. You can receive an email and/or text message the day before by signing up for the notifications. Sign up for notifications and the app by clicking here . Enter your home address on that page. Follow the prompts to create a free reminder.  When you use the app, you can inspect the calendar for the upcoming pick-up dates. Pick-up is delayed one day, if a holiday (New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day) occurs on a weekday.

Yesterday the HOA's office sent out an email about street lighting on Summit Parkway. The message read, in part, "We want to inform you that there is currently an electrical emergency affecting the street lighting along Summit Parkway, resulting in the street lights being out until further notice. Crews have been notified, and repairs will take place as soon as possible. "We understand that this is occurring during the New Year holiday, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Please use extra caution when traveling through the area, especially during evening and nighttime hours, and remain alert while driving or walking near the outage zone." Anyone who has driven at night on Summit Parkway in the past few weeks (and months) has noticed a high number of street lights that are out. The lights are owned and maintained by The Summit's HOA. An online dictionary defines "emergency" as " a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasi...