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Article Courtesy of Channel
13 ABC My Panhandle
By Heather Bazley
Published May 23, 2026
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HOLMES COUNTY – Chaim Rabinowitz bought a lot in Dror Acres in 2023, built a
house, and moved into it in 2024.
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The Jewish Homestead Style Community’s
developers, Wesley and Michelle Birch, reportedly bought 230
acres from the Holmes County Development Commission and
divided it into 24 lots.
The homeowners claim the plans were to include a synagogue
and other amenities.
“We’re trying to carve out a little piece of land that we
can be proud of, that we can raise our children on, that
they can grow up next door to other kids like them and build
something that has a long-standing legacy,” Rabinowitz said.
According to Rabinowitz, the county required the subdivision
to have a homeowners’ association.
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He
says the developers filled that role until enough lots were sold and the new
homeowners could elect their own board.
But by the time the homeowners took over, Rabinowitz claimed the records showed
the HOA was already in debt.
“Number one is that $54,000 was paid in by the owners, including the developers,
on their own personal lot as homeowners’ assessment dues. Now that $54,000 was
spent almost entirely over 90% on development of the whole development, which is
clearly not allowed by our governing documents, by law, et cetera,” Rabinowitz
said.
He says there hasn’t been any road maintenance, and the roads are difficult to
drive.
He also claims the developer hasn’t built any new houses, but has opened a
Jewish boarding school without informing homeowners.
“It’s a residential neighborhood, commercial operation, kids from out of out of
state. And there were serious questions of liability because, as far as we can
tell, the school is in a single-family residence based on the certificate of
occupancy that we pulled from the county. It does not meet health code and fire
code, and you know, Department of Education,” Rabinowitz said.
Chaim says someone has filed a civil theft demand for the $54,000 allegedly
misused.
He also claims that after the legal action was filed, someone moved assets into
various trusts, including one listing Holmes County Development Commission
Executive Director Joe Rone as a trustee.
“We realized that Joe Rone was the direct executive director of the Holmes
County Development Commission that has his signature on the deed selling this
whole development from the Holmes County Development Commission to the
developers, the Birches, with an interest-free loan. And he signed that deed,”
Rabinowitz said.
News13 reached out to the Holmes County Development Commission for comment, but
did not receive a response.
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