Category Archives: BOD Fiduciary Duties

Meet the B Team.

The governing body of Indian Hammock (IH) is the Board of Directors (BOD). 
Every type and size of government must be watched by the governed.

Barbara Roberts
– 2025 BOD (IH Government) President.
Barbara’s governing style: “The new board can do whatever they decide.”
(Declared on 2025-02-15 Saturday morning Hunting Committee Meeting.)

Carla Sapp – 2025 BOD (IH Government) First Vice President. 
Carla’s governing style: “Go ahead and sue us; we are insured.”
(Declared on 2025-02-15 Saturday morning Hunting Committee Meeting.)
Carla’s known conflict of interests:
Carla’s husband, Ron Sapp. – Indian Hammock’s property manager.
Carla’s brother, Danny Brewer. – Indian Hammock’s Maintenance Contractor.

The B Team’s controlled BOD – 2025 first three months report.

  • Lost the long-standing services of IH’s trusted treasurer, Corey Miller.
  • Complaints about Forced resignation/dismissal of IH manager Matt Dorriety.
  • The Quail Barn Special Members Meeting fiasco.
  • Complaints about concealing, deceiving, and lack of transparency.
  • Complaints about self-serving and conflict of interests.
  • Complaints about violating Florida statute 720.
  • A “painful to watch” Search Committee Zoom meeting.
  • Ignore requests to put the online voting on BOD’s Agenda.
  • Complaints about secret BOD meetings and destroying incriminating documents.

Anyone observing the situation should recognize the damage done to the Club’s reputation. Enlighten yourself, please follow the links:

The Quail Barn War
The Quail Barn War – Comments
Matthew Rector reporting BOD violations
March 10 Ad Hoc Search Committee Zoom Meeting
March 10 Ad Hoc Search Committee Zoom Meeting – Comments
Mike Dixon reporting BOD violations and the destruction of incriminating records.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome and needed.

Adding Online Voting.

Florida statute 720 gives the BOD the power to add online voting.
It does not require members to vote by 2/3 (200 votes).
It does not require any special member meeting to vote on.
The BOD can add it to the agenda and vote on it in a regular board meeting.

In the last members meeting, the 2024 BOD unnecessarily motioned to amend the Deed of Restrictions to add Online Voting, a mission impossible since it requires 200 votes.

The established quorum was 247 votes.
150 (61%) voted YES for adding Online Voting, while 97 (39%) voted NO.

I call on the 2025 BOD to include a motion to add online voting to the agenda for their next meeting.

If you agree, please get in touch with the board’s members and help me with this task.

Matthew Rector Lot 256 complaint – Indian Hammock BOD violations.

This is a complaint submitted under Article XIII, Section 2 of the Indian Hammock Declaration of Restrictions. I expect to receive a written response within 30 days of the date of this letter in accordance with the Declaration of Restrictions.

Dear Barbara Roberts,

     I heard that the “Special Members Meeting” was cancelled by the BOD:

  1. Please identify the time, date and attending BOD Members when they met to vote on this cancellation.

       2. Please provide when and where notification of this meeting was posted on the website as required by FS720303 (4) OFFICIAL RECORDS (m), and how it complied with FS720.303 (2) BOARD MEETINGS (a) (b) and (c) 1

       3. I am hereby officially requesting the minutes of that meeting as per FS720.3032 (3) MINUTES.  As per FS720.303 (5) (a) I will expect to receive these documents within 10 days.

  While on the subject, please provide the same information for the BOD meeting that occurred with a Burn Boss in the outback immediately after the last BOD meeting at the lodge. That burn meeting was conducting Hammock business, had witnesses including law enforcement, and was NOT disclosed at the BOD meeting held earlier. As you are well aware, per FS720.202 (2) BOARD MEETINGS  (a) A meeting of the board of directors of an association occurs whenever a quorum of the board gathers to conduct association business.

    At the BOD meeting held at the lodge, I spoke before the BOD and officially notified them of the Rule Violation committed by one of the Hunt Committee Co-Chairs. The Hunt Committee Co-Chair admitted his violation freely while speaking about this matter to the BOD. Please disclose what steps have been taken so far regarding that rule violation, and if as stated in the Meeting one or more Members of the BOD encouraged him to violate the IH rules in this matter. At that meeting, I also asked about the meeting that you, Albert Rossodivita, and Carla Sapp held with the Manager in his office. It seems you three IH officers apparently made him stay after normal working hours and had a meeting to inform him of new work requirements not stated on his original contract. He resigned shortly thereafter. Since such modifications of the Manager’s contract can only be a BOD decision, I request the same information referenced above regarding that meeting.

 Furthermore, I hereby request per the same information cited above regarding when the BOD met to appoint Ron Sapp, the Vice-President’s husband, as the new IH Manager. I question why that information has not been posted on the website as required. Additionally, as per HB1203 the following information should have already have been posted on the website regarding Association Managers:

·  Provide the members of the homeowners’ association the following information, post the information on the homeowner association’s website or application as required by section 720.303(4)(b), Florida Statutes, and update the information within 14 business days of any changes:

  • Name and contact information for each community association manager or representative assigned to the homeowners’ association.
  • Hours of availability.
  • Summary of the duties performed by the community association manager or representative.

        ·  Provide a copy of the contract between the community association manager or firm and the homeowners’ association to any member upon request. The contract must be included with the homeowners’ association’s official records.

    Finally, yesterday you fired the current Manager Matt Doherty, who gave a 60 day notice as per his contract, five weeks before he was scheduled to leave. You took his access card, keys and had Ron Sapp drive him home, seemingly in an attempt to humiliate him. I challenge your authority to do so, as that is necessarily a BOD decision. I find it to be a despicable act by you and anyone else involved. I demand you provide when that BOD meeting occurred. I am hereby officially requesting the minutes of that meeting as per FS720 as cited previously, and have that information posted on the website. The entire Membership needs to be informed of your actions, and how each and every BOD Member voted. You swore an oath to uphold our rules and Florida statues, as did every other BOD member. Violations of the Statutes in FS720 are criminal, and I believe they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To whit:

FS720.3033 (5)(d) Any director or member of the board or association or a community association manager who knowingly, willfully, and repeatedly violates paragraph (a), with the intent of causing harm to the association or one or more of its members, commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “repeatedly” means two or more violations within a 12-month period.

FS720.3033 (5)(f) Any person who willfully and knowingly refuses to release or otherwise produce association records with the intent to avoid or escape detection, arrest, trial, or punishment for the commission of a crime, or to assist another person with such avoidance or escape, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

   It is very unfortunate that it seems the current BOD has been acting in a manner inconsistent with the intent of our documents, Florida Law, and the best interest of the Community. I personally consider your actions regarding our Manager Matt Doherty, including his firing yesterday, to be absolutely and completely unconscionable. By all appearances, you have acted in a grossly negligent manner on multiple occasions. It seems you have not considered the ramifications of your actions, and their negative effect on all Members of the Club and the Indian Hammock Community. 

Sincerely,
Matthew Rector
Lot 256

The Good, The Bad, and the UGLY

I love Western movies. One of my favorites is The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
Like most of you, I did not pay attention to who was on the board of directors for years.
I came to Indian Hammock to enjoy the best place to call home, relax, and not get involved in local politics. I have great neighbors, and I thought nothing could go wrong.
In 2019, I discovered that many things could go wrong when people become board members and have the power to enforce their agendas on others.

Few board members will try to control themselves, but they will not be perfect – Those are the Good.
Most will enforce their agendas, “doing it for the community” – Those are the Bad.
Very few will deceive, lie, and do bad things to win and control – Those are the Ugly.

This grading system is comparative. Good can be distant from Perfect, and Ugly doesn’t necessarily warrant banishment from Indian Hammock.

People will transform, for 12 months, from GOOD to BAD and sometimes to UGLY.
The Good and the Bad: When they stop being board members, they “see the light” and sometimes apologize for their wrongdoings.
The UGLY may continue to lie and cheat.

For 12 months, the BAD and the UGLY will cause damage and suffering.
The GOOD will become BAD if it is found out that they don’t have the skills to manage and govern.

I have experienced seven boards of directors led by four Presidents.
Two of the presidents earned my grade of BAD.
One President can even be considered UGLY.
Only one President deserves the grade GOODDavid Bass.

As always, this is my opinion and grading. Other members may think differently.
It was painful to lose the service of the only Good President and Board of Directors we have had in the last seven years.

Don’t miss the action.
Click the following button on the top of this page under the search window.

2025 BOD Election – Rumors Campaign Part 4

Email received today from Barrie Whitehead.
Lot 247

Good morning Indian Hammock:

  Tomorrow is our election day. 

I never thought I would send a message like this, to defend myself for having friends, however here I am. 

  I am running for the 2025 Board of Directors.  I will be at the Annual Meeting Tomorrow.

It is known that a list of ‘Candidates to vote for’ and ‘ Candidates NOT to Vote for’.

  I have been added to the ‘Don’t vote for list’ by someone who has decided that because I have Friends who donated to the Quail Barn, I am not a good candidate.

I want to point out a few things that may have been left out of the information that was put out there.

I have been an active member since I moved here full time in 2017. 

I have always advocated for the best interest of the Hammock.

I have served as a Member of the BOD, in 3 prior years. 2 of which I was the Secretary.

I also got the Special Events Committee re- established; I chaired it for 4 years and co-chaired it for 2 more,

 I worked on the Rules Committee for 2 years revising our Book of Rules, 

Recently I Chaired the Ad Hoc 720 Committee to be sure we were in compliance with the changes in 720 (the state governing doc for our size of HOA).

 Co-Chaired and Chaired Equestrian Committee. 

Worked with several other Committees including Helping Build our Wonderful Deck at the Lodge.

Mainly I will address the issue of having friends that supported the Quail Barn. 

Yes, I do have Friends!

I also have friends who support the Stables, Equestrians, Pool, Tennis Court, Pickleball Court, Fitness Center, Archery, Horse Arena, Riding Trails, Fishing, Garden, Airport, Shooting Sports, the Lodge, Special Events and yes, Hunting.

Personally, I have donated to most of these causes over the years with my time and/or money . 

 It makes me wonder why I am called out on this ‘ Don’t Vote For list’. That implies I want to change our Beautiful Hammock into something else. 

Let me be clear; I love our Hammock; I don’t want it changed into something it was never intended to be! 

 The ‘meeting’ that was held under the guise of an ‘invitation ONLY Party’ has caused a lot of questions and additional confusion.

 Since the ‘Meeting’ I have been approached by several members who have asked me ‘Why do you want to change things?’ and ‘Why are you on this list?’

My answer is simple, I don’t want to Change things, and I was added to the list because the person or persons that created the ‘List’ added me because I have friends who donated and the ‘List’ creators have opinions they felt compelled to share.

Thank You for your time, see you tomorrow,
Barrie Whitehead Lot 247
— 

“For I know the plans I have for you…..” Jeremiah 29:11

Why am I running for the 2025 IH BOD?

From David Etzion Lot 246

I bought lot 246 in June 2017.
I did not pay much attention to the club documents and did not check or have any idea how the Club is operating.  
I built our new home in IH and moved Full-time in September 2018.

On December 15, 2019, during the club’s BOD meeting, the BOD stunned my wife Gloria and me, bringing Gloria to tears.  
Without following any procedures set up in the Club’s documents, without any notice or warning, the BOD announced that I had committed a violation, Issued a Fine on the spot, canceled my scheduled membership service for a second entrance, and disapproved a Building Application Packet that followed all requirements.

The following month was undeserved hell inflicted on my wife and me by the Club’s BOD. Hours of pleading, repleading, and arguing our case with the 2019 BOD led nowhere.

On January 19, 2020, the newly elected BOD reversed the ruling of the 2019 BOD, acknowledging that it was wrong and not in compliance with the Declaration of Restrictions or the By-Laws.

I realized the damage and abuse any BOD can bring to the property owner.

I made it my mission in IH to protect property owners from abuse by members of the board of directors.

In January 2020, I started a website, Indian Hammock Owners’ Voice, and a Facebook group, Indian Hammock Owners’ Rights.
For over four years, I have been a crusader against BOD violation of property owner rights.

I am fully transparent and say what I think. What I stand for is published on my website and the Facebook group page. Some members love it, and some hate it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

If elected to the board, my Goal will be to protect the property owners’ rights to sole responsibility and control over their 299 Lots.
We bought all of these lots from the club, and these 299 lots can only be restricted by Federal regulations, Florida State Regulations, Okeechobee Regulations, and the IH Declaration of Restrictions.

My second goal will be to promote ways for individuals to use their lots and for the Club to utilize common ground to increase sustainability in Indian Hammock.

My third goal is to convince the BOD members to follow “Live and Let Live,” not just say it. This golden rule governs everyone and requires a lot of tolerance.

I am not a Hunter; I don’t hunt or shoot birds, but I will support the hunter’s community in improving their facilities as long as they finance such improvements.
I regretfully don’t own a horse and don’t ride, but I will support the equestrian community in improving their facilities as long as they finance such improvements.
Members with conflicting interests must compromise on using and developing the Club’s common ground and facilities.

In short, MY AGENDA:
Property Owners’ rights
Sustainability
Live and Let Live

Respectfully
David Etzion
Lot 246

Response to IH BOD proposed version of the “Book of Rules.”

2020-10-19
Dear Board of Directors (BOD)
The following is my response to your latest proposed version of the “Book of Rules.”

Page 4.
General Rules:
1.1. You don’t have the “exclusive responsibility and authority in the management and maintenance” of my lot 246, which is part of “the property.”
I have such responsibility and authority.

1.2. You are missing the main point; this is the place to make a statement:
No rule shall apply if it contradicts or violates the Declaration of Restrictions.

1.6.10 “Rules and regulations adopted by the Board” does not regulate activities on my lot 246. Only the Declaration of Restrictions and the By-Laws do.

Page 7
7.3 Unattended Status:
7.3.1.3 Total nonsense. You can’t block my access to my Lot 246; I am entitled to free access 24 hours, seven days a week each day of the year.

Page 8
8. Driving Privileges.
Driving is Owner’s Right, subject to Florida Laws.
No BOD can take away my right, and replace it with a “privilege”, to drive from the gate to my lot 246.

Page 11
Property Use:
11.1 This is an admission and announcement by the BOD that they will continue to ignore and violate the Declaration of Restrictions when the BOD allows itself to do so.

The BODs are “struggling” to justify that in contradiction to currently existing rule 27, they violated the Declaration of Restrictions and entered into a contract for picking palmetto berries; they have done it in 2019 and again in 2020.

Adding the words “for the financial benefits of the club” has no meaning or weight, BOD, you govern within the power limitations instated by the Declaration of Restrictions, or you are a renegade BOD fabricating laws to amend the Declaration of Restriction without obtaining 2/3 of the owner votes.

11.2 The BOD states that the Declaration of Restrictions forbids Berries Picking but makes a rule that allows Berries Picking.

Page 11
13. Animal Restrictions
13.1 The BOD is adding a Restriction camouflaged as a Rule.
This Restriction can’t be enforced without amending the Declaration of Restrictions with the required 2/3 owners’ votes

Page 12
15.1.7 If the Tenant is not allowed to use Indian Hammock amenities (see page 13 paragraph 15.3.1), why should the owner also give away his right to use Indian Hammock amenities?

Page 14
Paragraph 16.
This issue is covered in The Declaration of Restrictions.
It should not be rewritten here.

David Etzion
Lot 246

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