By Stephen Rust, August 22, 2019
What happened at the BOD Meeting
Facts
1. Yesterday I spoke at the Board meeting during the time slot allowed villagers to voice their concerns.
2. This is encouraged in our governance documents.
3. Different views are also encouraged.
4. I did not go over my allowed time of 3 minutes.
5. I stated at the beginning that I hated no one.
6. I stated that what I was about to say was my opinion and it was my time to speak.
7. I broke no laws. What I stated at the board meeting, I could have stated to our President or anyone else. Nothing illegal.
8. As far as I know, I went against none of our governing documents.
9. I posed no threat to anyone and did not speak at a time other than what was allowed.
10. I have the right to free speech and said nothing out of the realm of what is allowed by free speech.
11. If any law was broken, it was on the part of Cindi Erickson who tried to take away my right of free speech.
12. Cindi Erickson did this before at a “Let’s Talk” forum when Tormey Campagna wanted to speak and she would not allow it.
13. This is evidence of a very controlling chairperson that is trying to take away villagers rights of free speech and take away what our governance documents guarantee us, that being the property owners voice will be represented.
Please see below the recording and transcript of the statement I made at the board meeting where there was an effort to silence me.
Stephen Rust’s statement at the Board Meeting
Transcript
“I hope that the grievance filed against two directors has opened villagers eyes to the truth. I hope that some media represented have the courage to publish the truth. That truth being that our CEO and some past and present board members are on a mission to control the village and refusing to hear from the villagers. We have a very controlling CEO and a board chairperson right in line with the CEO and a board chairperson who openly states that she does not represent the property owners but rather the corporation. We the members are the corporation.
We now have further evidence of their desire to control by the fact our CEO has filed a grievance against two directors because they dare to have a different view. This is encouraged in our governance documents. These board members were duly elected by the villagers to represent us and there is no reason there should be an effort to remove them. This action by our CEO and supporting board members demands that villagers rise up and use whatever means necessary, legally, to remove our CEO and those board members in support of her and give the property owners a voice. We are the ones that pay for the operations of the village.
Before I made this speech, I stated openly to the board that I have no hatred and that this is my opinion and my time to speak. I spoke at the correct time and did not exceed my time limit. Cindi Erickson, in my opinion, infringed on my right of free speech as she has done to others that dared disagree with her.
What happened after the Board Meeting
Facts
1. August 20, I had a Nextdoor account.
2. August 21, I spoke at the board meeting.
3. August 21 about 2:00 p.m. I had a Nextdoor account.
4. August 21 at 3:00 my Nextdoor account was closed.
5. I received no notification from Nextdoor.
6. My last post on Nextdoor was on August 17.
7. That last post broke no Nextdoor guidelines. The post was because of a Village Voice article about being positive. Summary of my Nextdoor post:
Consider the positives of America is a great country, that you have nice things, that you have a new car, that the village is a great place to live and ignore the negative that America has enemies, that if you don’t lock you house there are thieves, that you must have oil changes and maintenance and ignore the negatives of the village and your asking for trouble (nothing in this post to break Nextdoor guidelines).
8. I think you can from this understand I did nothing to cause my account to be closed.
9. Nextdoor corporate does not monitor millions of post.
10. Someone in my neighborhood closed my account or got Nextdoor to close it for no valid reason.
Speculation:
Since there was no valid reason for my account to be closed and corporate would not on their own close it, my belief is that a very controlling CEO (maybe others backing her) pulled the strings and had leads (many of whom are CEO supporters) get my account closed because of my speech at the board meeting.
I have stated facts and opinion of what happened. Please put this info out to villagers.
by Stephen Rust
Note from Cheryl: This article is based on Stephen Rust’s experience yesterday and is his evaluation of what transpired.
Additional note: (August 25, 2019) When a mistake has been made, it should be corrected. Stephen Rust has updated me and he was kicked off of Nextdoor for the reason that he went on a rant and was shaming Cindi Erickson and Lesley Nalley. He understands now the reason why he was kicked off. At the time I posted this article, I was not aware of that. This is what Stephen posted on his Facebook page: ” I guess I’m an ND has been. I went on a rant a said our CEO and board members were a shame to the village. ND corporate told me that was against guidelines and that I had already been warned. I’m still sure our CEO pulled strings because that rant was after I found out about the grievance.”
Minn Daly
08/22/2019 — 4:20 pm
Thank You Cheryl for posting! Thank you Steve Rust for speaking out on behalf of HSV members who think actions of this BOD/CEO are outrageous, not lawful, & they certainly do not have the majority of HSV members values in mind. They react for a CEO an it should be the CEO reporting to BOD! Mr. Rust we support you! We are not in a socialist society, this is the USA! Mr. Rust followed the rules, did not deserve the actions that the BOD chair/BOD/CEO imposed on him! I am certain that the respected police chief & 4 staff members in attendance was needed to perform the daily jobs throughout HSV, rather than trying to eject members who are in their right to speak. Respectfully, Minn Daly
Mary Odom
08/22/2019 — 4:28 pm
Thank you Steve for your speech at the BOD meeting. Sooo many of us believe the way you do and are so ready to get rid of the useless BOD members and CEO.
Vicki Husted
08/22/2019 — 4:44 pm
I agree 100% with the comments of Minn Daly and Mary Odom. What is happening with this Chairman, the old guard Board Members and the CEO is outrageous and tragic. They are negatively affecting people’s lives in so many different ways. I pray to God that He will stop them before their damage is irreversible.
HSVP C
08/22/2019 — 7:13 pm
I have permission to repost this: “Disrupting a public meeting is against the law. On Aug 21, 2019 Mr. Stephen Rust, an HSV property owner in good standing, registered to speak during the scheduled public comments segment of the HSV Board of Directors meeting. Mr. Rust sat quietly and attentively throughout the meeting. He approached the podium when invited by the HSV BOD Chairperson. Mr. Rust did not speak longer than the allowed period. You see in the video the entire content of his speech and his time at the podium. The voice that you hear from off-camera is the HSV BOD Chairperson trying to stop Mr. Rust from speaking. The HSVPD officers who approached Mr. Rust did so at the direction of the HSV CEO. I commend the HSVPD officers who appropriately assessed the situation and elected not to touch Mr. Rust. I witnessed this personally from an angle across the room. I’ll let the viewer be the judge. I’m interested to read your opinions and comments. Thanks. Fred Hale”
George Sorrell
08/22/2019 — 9:15 pm
We have criminals running the Village. The police should not have even approached the podium which was a clear indication they intended to disrupt his speech. The police should held in violation of civil rights.
Civil and political rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one’s ability to participate in the civil and political life of the society and state without discrimination or repression.
Wikipedia
Anonymous
08/22/2019 — 7:43 pm
Stephen, THANK YOU!!!!!
Linda Anderson
08/22/2019 — 8:00 pm
STEVE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE TO STAND FOR THE BOD’S BEST.
This meeting was packed with unhappy property owners who heard the outrageous report that our CEO was on a rampage to take out 2 of the 3 new Board Members without justification. At a huge expense, another law firm was hired to clean house of anyone that does not vote in lock step or simply does not agree in all financial matters. The BOD/CEO knew that they had to divert attention away from the power play to remove Diana Podawiltz and Dick Garrison so on to the discussion of the Balboa Golf Course $4.6 Mil Plus CMP Project ( without the money to pay for it ). When you stepped to the podium to show support for these Directors, you faced the BOD’s bully tactics spear headed by Chair Cindi Erickson to place 2 policemen beside you in an effort to remove you during your speech. An unbelievable attempt to stop opinions, freedom of speech, or any understanding of POA decisions. The fangs of corruption were glaring before everyone. Your valued experience as a minister was true and committed to faith that property owners will also stand in the best interests of HSV against this attempt to undermine and destroy HSV.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:10 pm
Well stated, as usual, Linda.
Mel King
08/22/2019 — 8:57 pm
Please place your name on the next BOD election ballot sir! You are exactly who we need to accompany Dick and Diane !
Thank you so much!
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:11 pm
Well stated, as usual, Linda.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:28 pm
Agree!!!!!!
Nancy Burleson
08/22/2019 — 9:08 pm
That was a brave and honest speech, and you speak for so many of us. The Board Chair certainly showed her heavy hand in speaking over you and trying to silence you. Thank you for standing up and speaking the truth!
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:30 pm
It truly was & demonstrates just how much we need Steve on the BOD.
Sam Taylor
08/22/2019 — 9:38 pm
Thank you Steve for standing up to the tyranny of our present administration and expressing what so many of us believe.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:34 pm
Amen!
Elizabeth Berry
08/22/2019 — 10:11 pm
I appreciate the speech you gave at the board meeting. I agree whole heartedly with everything you said. I and many others shouted out”let him speak”. I believe stronger and legal actions are needed. We should start a campaign to garner funds to hire a lawyer to represent the people of the village. It is possible and necessary. Thank you Steve.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:37 pm
It’s a shame that it has come to this, but I think you are right.
Kirk Denger
08/22/2019 — 11:21 pm
All members wishing to cast your vote to remove unlawful Board Directors will be meeting at the DeSoto club Monday, August 26, evening at 5:30. Invite all who are concerned with our current management.
NittyGritty
08/23/2019 — 12:16 am
Kirk, Many owners are not currently in the village.
Pete
08/23/2019 — 5:58 am
Where are they?
Thanks for letting us know.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:42 pm
Many lot owners live elsewhere in the country & only come on vacation to play golf & such. Others own rental property. Some live nearby & own lots only for the purpose of being able to use the amenities. Still others inherited property from their parents or grandparents & have no intentions of ever living here.
NittyGritty
08/23/2019 — 6:03 pm
They’re on top of Mount Everest…Go get ’em Pete!
Linda Pettyjohn
08/25/2019 — 10:09 am
Please advise how owners who can’t be at this meeting personally can participate. Can you set up a call in line?
Anonymous
08/23/2019 — 8:50 am
Kirk:
You may want to alert people to your meeting using other means.
Your post is buried here in a sea of other topics and very few people will notice it. I just happened to stumble upon it. Many others who may have genuine interest in your meeting may not get notified.
Just a suggestion.
See you Monday.
Kirk Denger
08/23/2019 — 10:21 pm
Alert members using any and all other means is a great suggestion, Thank You for your communications. Regular Member communication and personal interaction of collective minds is the timeliest method to show the will of the membership. Member votes may be Yea or Nay, we have no need for secrets. Looking forward to seeing you at the DeSoto Club. The bar is open till 7PM.
David Sintich
08/22/2019 — 11:40 pm
Steve spoke as many want to. The truth of what is going on and the overstepping arrogance of the chairperson and ceo again showed it’s ugly hand. He did in no way cause a problem or an attempt to speak in an orderly way. He spoke the truth and they did not want it to be spoken in front of the crowd. Many more should begin to speak up for the population.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:45 pm
Few of us have Steve’s courage which is why we NEED him on the BOD
Judy Weatherly
08/23/2019 — 5:17 am
Steve we are behind you. You said nothing out of line. Last time I checked I live in America with freedom of speech.
Thank you for standing up for all Villagers.
Mac
08/23/2019 — 5:56 am
Comments do nothing. Only action. We need 500 at the next meeting.
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:46 pm
Amen!!!!!!
Gary Godfrey
08/23/2019 — 7:48 am
All I can say is Unbelievable!
Lorri Street
08/23/2019 — 7:56 am
So let’s explore the topic of White Collar Crime…
Reportedly coined in 1939, the term white-collar crime is now synonymous with the full range of frauds committed by business and government professionals. These crimes are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and are not dependent on the application or threat of physical force or violence. The motivation behind these crimes is financial—to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage.
These are not victimless crimes. A single scam can destroy a company, devastate families by wiping out their life savings, or cost investors billions of dollars (or even all three). Today’s fraud schemes are more sophisticated than ever, and the FBI is dedicated to using its skills to track down the culprits and stop scams before they start.
The FBI’s white-collar crime work integrates the analysis of intelligence with its investigations of criminal activities such as public corruption, money laundering, corporate fraud, securities and commodities fraud, mortgage fraud, financial institution fraud, bank fraud and embezzlement, fraud against the government, election law violations, mass marketing fraud, and health care fraud. The FBI generally focuses on complex investigations—often with a nexus to organized crime activities—that are international, national, or regional in scope and where the FBI can bring to bear unique expertise or capabilities that increase the likelihood of successful investigations.
FBI special agents work closely with partner law enforcement and regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, among others, targeting sophisticated, multi-layered fraud cases that harm the economy.
Corporate fraud continues to be one of the FBI’s highest criminal priorities—in addition to causing significant financial losses to investors, corporate fraud has the potential to cause immeasurable damage to the U.S. economy and investor confidence. As the lead agency investigating corporate fraud, the Bureau focuses its efforts on cases that involve accounting schemes, self-dealing by corporate executives, and obstruction of justice.
The majority of corporate fraud cases pursued by the FBI involve accounting schemes designed to deceive investors, auditors, and analysts about the true financial condition of a corporation or business entity. Through the manipulation of financial data, the share price, or other valuation measurements of a corporation, financial performance may remain artificially inflated based on fictitious performance indicators provided to the investing public.
The FBI’s corporate fraud investigations primarily focus on the following activities:
Falsification of financial information
False accounting entries and/or misrepresentations of financial condition;
Fraudulent trades designed to inflate profits or hide losses; and
Illicit transactions designed to evade regulatory oversight.
Self-dealing by corporate insiders
Insider trading (trading based on material, non-public information)
Kickbacks
Misuse of corporate property for personal gain; and
Individual tax violations related to self-dealing.
Obstruction of justice designed to conceal any of the above-noted types of criminal conduct, particularly when the obstruction impedes the inquiries of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), other regulatory agencies, and/or law enforcement agencies.
Source: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/white-collar-crime
Lorri Street
WTP
Mary Szczepaniak
08/23/2019 — 1:53 pm
Have you made a complaint to the FBI?
Anonymous
08/23/2019 — 4:34 pm
Steve Rust is nothing more than a trouble maker.
He does it in not just his HSV obstructionist Behavior, but also does it in most other aspects of his life.
It is his character.
Guns N Rosaries
08/23/2019 — 7:05 pm
Can you please elaborate further on his “obstructionist behavior,” as I would greatly appreciate an itemized accounting, point by point, on his “character flaws.” If what you say is true, then you have done a great service to your community; but if what you say is false, you will be condemned by more than just the citizens of this community…….you will be condemned by God.
Fred Hale
08/23/2019 — 8:40 pm
It takes a special kind of coward to anonymously post an insult against a man who stood in public and spoke his piece.
Fred Hale
NittyGritty
08/24/2019 — 1:15 pm
Some may say the same of you and your tactic of character assassination. Try to focus on the issues at hand rather than your personal feelings regarding someone who is willing to politely stand up in public to speak for those of us who are fearful of such.
Gus Noble
08/23/2019 — 7:14 pm
Lesley (anonymous), that is a terrible thing for you to say! Steve, we have been kicked off Nextdoor too.
NittyGritty
08/24/2019 — 1:29 pm
Reviews of NextDoor say it is being run by a minority of bullies who flag comments simply because they do not agree with them. I never joined because I protect my privacy. I wonder if those of us with pre-existing active NextDoor accounts flag all the comments of Nalley & company, would their NextDoor accounts be closed as well?…
Anonymous
08/23/2019 — 10:40 pm
Mr., Mrs. Miss or Ms. Anonymous you may not know the half of it. I have more flaws than you even know. God says all our righteousnessess are as filthy rags. He also says there is none good and there is none righteous. He also says the heart desperately wicked and deceitful above all. I understand better than you do how many flaws I have. The one good thing is when I got born again as a 10 year old boy all my sins were forgiven.
Guns N Rosaries
08/25/2019 — 11:59 am
When you quoted Psalm 13 verse 3, you took it out of context completely. Go back and read Psalm 13 verses 1 & 2 first, and then come to the realization that you are quoting Scriptures that you do not understand.
And in regards to your sins being forgiven, apparently you forgot that a certain God-man gave the Apostles the ability to forgive sins in John 20 verse 22. And please, PLEASE, do not use the old “thou shalt not judge,” verse, as that is yet another verse that most people do not understand………JUDGE JUSTLY, with facts, evidence, testimony…….you know, the righteous judgment we use and utilize every day to discern right and wrong, good and evil, the criminal from the innocent.
Steve Rust
08/25/2019 — 10:07 pm
I’m sorry, I did not quote anything from Psalm 13:3 so I don’t know how to answer you.
Concerning my sin’s being forgiven, Romans 4:6-8 says blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
David describeth the blessedness of the man into whom God imputeth righteousness without works.
Steve Rust
08/24/2019 — 10:20 am
Gus, obviously the powers that be are trying to shut us down. Although we may owe Lesley Nalley and Cindi Erickson a thank you. Their strong arm tactics are turning more people against them and to the truth.
Anonymous
08/24/2019 — 4:08 pm
Steve,
Think you are correct. Wife and I were at the Let’s talk meeting this morning and it was interesting to say the least. I would say 90% were displaying their disfavor with this BOD and Nalley.
Anonymous
08/24/2019 — 1:42 pm
Board member Luehring ordered the camera shut off at today’s “Let’s Talk”. She did not like what the property owners were saying. The board should change the name to “Let the Board Talk”. It is sad how the board and the CEO treats property owners.
Carole Gugel
08/26/2019 — 12:25 pm
While I am uncomfortable that your Nextdoor account was deleted, I recently deactivated my ND account on purpose……. Consider yourself lucky as someone may have actually done you an unintended favor. Your thoughts are better served here on this website and in person before the BOD. Keep doing what you’re doing. You did nothing out of line and have the support from my family.
Hummingbird
08/27/2019 — 12:24 pm
Is this HSV or North Korea? Freedom of Speech is protected by our Constitution.
Perhaps we need to contact the ACLU since our civil rights are being violated. And yes, as stated, the FBI needs to take a look. A forensic accounting needs to be done on our behalf. National coverage of how property owners, many who are retired senior citizens, are having our civil rights violated and our monthly POA dues taken without any transparency and accountability. Send the video to news agencies. Someone will cover this.