On December 9, 2019 the Board put out the following statement:
Report by POA Board
Regarding Election of New Directors
Late last Friday afternoon, a Property Owner expressed to the POA concern that one of the candidates for the POA Board of Directors did not meet the eligibility requirements to run for a Board seat. At the Annual Meeting Saturday morning, the attending Property Owners were informed there was insufficient time to investigate the allegation and, until that work was completed, the election results would be withheld. The Board believes that this review and preparing a course of action for proceeding should be deliberate, thoughtful and thorough and will begin early the week of December 9.
This newspaper has been contacted by multiple sources with more information regarding the specific issues. We are told that the “eligibility requirement” not met, was that one of the candidates was NOT technically a property owner, as defined by the Declarations and Covenants (See Article 1; Section 1 (i)), which defines a property owner as:
“Owner” shall mean and refer to the Owner as shown by the real estate records in the Off ice of the Clerk of the Superior Court for Dawson and/or Pickens Counties, Georgia
This newspaper reviewed the public records, and it appears that Meg Rooney is the only Candidate that is not legally the owner of record of her property. In this case, her name is not on the property record, which is under her husband only. Community rumour is that Meg Rooney is indeed the affected candidate, and our research confirms the likelihood.
It is believed that this information was deliberately withheld by a third party(s) until the vote had finalized in order to not allow this to be corrected in time, and force a redo.
Perhaps this was a calculated protest due to the fact that so many people were disenfranchised of their Vote due to the POA Board improperly declaring ineligible anyone who hadn’t paid their October Bill by October 31.
323 Properties representing an estimated 570 Votes – were DENIED THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE in this election! The POA Board improperly applied a 30 days past Billing Date rule – when it should be 60 days according to our Covenants and By-Laws. So yes, combine this with a sneaky $25 Assessment Raise, and a proposed $5,000 Sales Tax on Property Sales – and you can bet that the Indians of Big Canoe are on the warpath! Or are they?
Just 2 weeks ago property owners were threatening investigations, legal actions etc. Now people seem to have forgotten the magnitude of what has happened here – placated once again by promises of the Board that all is well, and it is being looked into, trust us. Such is the attention span of Property Owners in Big Canoe.
This newspaper has heard that the Board is having one, or more, legal firms put together a legal opinion on whether the candidate is indeed ineligible. One would hope that they are also reviewing the actual Voter Ineligibility Guidelines as well (30 days versus 60 days past Billing Date to establish voter ineligibility) – and if they are NOT, then property owners should take this opportunity, this second chance, to voice their concerns and demand that a legal opinion be received in that regard as well!
PS…. It seems like only yesterday that the POA Board was launching a self-righteous public temper tantrum against this Newspaper. Just saying…. throwing rocks, glass houses – never a good mix.
– david / publisher
Focus On Big Canoe, GA
www.BigCanoe.org
tips: themtnsvoice@aol.com
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