CJ Cook and The Harvest Creek HOA Financial Oversight Committee

It has been 221 days since CJ Cook agreed to send out the Harvest Creek HOA 2023 End-of-Year Financials to all Harvest Creek Homeowners.

It has 214 days since a Financial Oversight Committee charter was sent to CJ Cook at his request.

It has been 193 days since CJ Cook stated he would vote to form the Financial Oversight Committee the first time.

It has been 68 days since CJ Cook stated he would form the Financial Committee for the second time.

NO FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN CREATED.

WHY?

Here are the details of the proposed Harvest Creek HOA Financial Oversight Committee.

January 29th, 2024 - CJ Cook reaches out to several Harvest Creek homeowners asking to discuss the HOA at a closed meeting on February 8th, 2024.

February 8, 2024 - A small group of invited homeowners meet with CJ Cook and James Connolly at CJ’s law office conference room. Homeowners demand more transparency, a full audit of financials, a review of and bid of contracts. After being asked, CJ Cook and James Connolly openly admit that they have no idea where the Harvest Creek Bank Accounts are. A homeowner repeatedly asked what checks and balances CJ Cook and James Connolly would put in place immediately to protect Harvest Creek funds. They refused to answer. Another homeowner wanted to know why the Board wasn’t running the HOA by reviewing invoices on a monthly basis, voting to approve payment of invoices, denying payment of invoices, and monitoring the bank accounts to take the payment of those invoices. CJ Cook said that they had more important things to do like ask the attorney how best to run meetings and operations. CJ Cook frequently stated in this meeting that he is “too busy” and “doesn’t have to be here.” When asked why he was here if he was too busy and didn’t have to be here, CJ Cook refused to answer. CJ Cook then told homeowners to create a Financial Oversight Committee Charter and Bylaw Committee Charter and if the homeowners could produce the charter within 7 days, the Board would vote to approve the charters at the next board meeting in March. In exchange for the charters, CJ Cook and James Connolly committed to sending out the 2023 Q3 financials, the 2023 Q4 Financials, and the end of the year financial statement to all homeowners. Some homeowners felt that this was a delaying tactic, but gave CJ Cook and James Connolly the benefit of the doubt that CJ and James would follow through on their end of the agreement.

February 15, 2024 - The Homeowners send the Financial Oversight Committee Charter and Bylaws Committee Charter to CJ Cook and James Connolly precisely 7 days after requested and in compliance with CJ Cook and James Connolly’s deadline for review and vote at the next board meeting in March. 

March 7, 2024 - The Harvest Creek Board of Directors meeting occurs with CJ Cook, James Connolley, Barbara Pastine, and Lindsey Frietas present. The official Board Meeting minutes show that further discussion of the committees and charters is needed despite the fact CJ and James affirmed that they would vote on committees at this board meeting. The Board has now had the Financial Oversight Committee and Bylaw Committee charters for 22 days.

March 20, 2024 - A small group of invited homeowners meet with CJ Cook at his law office conference room.  The homeowners ask about the ratification of the Financial Oversight Committee Charter and the Bylaw Committee Charter. CJ Cook admits that they really have not reviewed them and had a few questions. Homeowners answered all of CJ Cook’s questions regarding the charters and then asked when they could expect the Board to vote on them. CJ Cook stated that it was not going to be until November 2024 when the Board would consider the charters. 

When once again asked by homeowners about the large number of financial discrepancies found in the Saddle Peak Properties produced P&Ls, CJ Cook stated that he would not look back at previous financial statements. When asked why, CJ Cook stated that he wanted to look forward. Every homeowner in the room argued that the Board should be auditing past financials and not just moving forward. 

This prompted the question again of what checks and balances CJ Cook had put in place to protect Harvest Creek funds. CJ Cook refused to answer again.  CJ Cook then asked the homeowner’s present to put together the three most pressing financial questions they had and CJ Cook stated that he would personally look into them.

When asked when the next meeting between homeowners and the Board would be, CJ Cook stated that he would not be scheduling another meeting with homeowners. The homeowners pressed several times asking to schedule another meeting. CJ Cook refused because he is “too busy.”

April 10th, 2024 - The homeowners sent CJ Cook, James Connolley, and Barbara Pastine three serious financial questions for the Board.

CJ Cook then emails Barbara Pastine and James Connolley letting them know that he will explain the three financial questions to them shortly after suggesting that the other Board Members were unaware of CJ’s request to homeowners regarding financials.

May 1st, 2024 - 21 days after sending the financial questions to the Board, there is still no response. Homeowners reach out to the Board via email for an update on the financial questions. CJ Cook’s out of office response comes back and Barbara Pastine, James Connolley, and Alanah Griffith never reply.

May 29th, 2024 - The Board meets on May 29th. The Board meeting minutes show that the committees and charters are never mentioned. CJ Cook mentions the three financial questions to the Board. Committees and charters should have been part of Old Business Moving Forward in the agenda.

July 10, 2024 - It has been 146 days since CJ Cook has received the Financial Oversight and Bylaw Committee charters and 125 days since the Harvest Creek HOA Board Meeting where CJ Cook and James Connolley stated that they would vote to create the Financial Oversight and Bylaw Committees. It has been 91 days since CJ Cook, Barbara Pastine, and James Connolly received the three financial questions asked by homeowners.

CJ Cook speaks about the three financial questions brought forth to the board and states that he “cannot make heads or tails” of the financial statements after an hour and proposes creating a Financial Committee “if people have time.”  “We would all be better served to appoint a Financial Committee,” stated CJ Cook.  No answers are provided regarding the financial questions.

CJ Cook goes on to state that the Board will meet to form the Financial Oversight Committee, Governing Documents Committee, Property Manager Bid Committee, and Elections Committee and that those interested will come to the next board where the characters will be finalized “in the next month.” That would mean the charters would be finalized by August 9th, 2024.

July 29th, 2024 - A closed Board Meeting is held where Barbara Pastine resigns. CJ Cook and Hudson Hart agree to address adding a third board member should they not unanimously agree on something.

Despite stating that the committees and charters would be finalized within a month of July 10th, 2024, CJ Cook announces that he is unavailable for another month. Saddle Peak Properties is instructed to email and send physical letters to all Harvest Creek Homeowners notifying them of the next open board meeting and collecting names of homeowners who are interested in participating in the meetings. It has been confirmed that there are homeowners who did not receive the Saddle Peak Properties email and did not receive the physical letter. It is unconfirmed how many homeowners were not notified of the Board Meeting by Saddle Peak Properties.

September 4th, 2024 - ‘it has been 202 days since CJ Cook has received the FInancial Oversight Committee charter. It has been 181 days since CJ Cook stated he would vote to create the Financial Oversight Committee.

The Board hosts an open board meeting. CJ Cook states that “I am not going to vote to form the Financial Committee.” CJ Cook states that he does not want to serve on three committees. “I do not want to put any time and effort into a Financial or Governance committee when we really should be putting our time and effort into getting 30% of people to the annual meeting.”  Hudson is in favor of creating a Financial Committee. CJ Cook is refusing to vote on a FInancial Oversight Committee.  Homeowners point out that because Hudson and CJ are at an impasse regarding the Financial Committee, they must vote on a third board member to break the impasse. CJ states that they have to agree, putting them at another impasse.

CJ Cook states that the Financial Committee is “not a priority to me.” The homeowners present argue that the entire point of a committee is for the committee to do the hard work. The homeowners are volunteering their time to these committees and argue that to build trust, the Board must form the Financial Oversight Committee due to the large number of financial discrepancies that have been identified and the large number of homeowners who are concerned with the lack of transparency on the board. “ CJ Cook goes on to state that “I don’t want to spend time and energy on a Finance Committee.” CJ Cook and Hudson Hart agree to send an email via Saddle Peak Properties to the Harvest Creek Homeowners who indicated an interest in the Financial Oversight Committee to allow them to start discussing the Financial Oversight Committee. CJ Cook states “the action item is that Lindsey is going to email” to the Harvest Creek Homeowners. Lindsay Frietas states that the email will go out to homeowners. Hudson Hart states that he wants the email to go out so that in the next week CJ Cook and Hudson Hart can discuss the Financial Oversight Committee.

September 15, 2024 - Harvest Creek homeowners have yet to confirm that the Financial Oversight Committee email ever went out. 

It has been 221 days since CJ Cook agreed to send out the Harvest Creek HOA 2023 End-of-Year Financials to all Harvest Creek Homeowners.

It has 214 days since a Financial Oversight Committee charter was sent to CJ Cook at his request.

It has been 193 days since CJ Cook stated he would vote to form the Financial Oversight Committee the first time.

It has been 68 days since CJ Cook stated he would form the FInancial Committee for the second time.

NO FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN CREATED.

WHY?