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Article Courtesy of The NWF Daily News
By Sheri Kotzum
Published December 23, 2018
DESTIN — The Holiday Isle Improvement Association is being sued by more than
30 current and former residents of Holiday Isle.
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In the lawsuit filed Dec. 4, the association as a whole
is being sued for breach of contract while eight board members are being
sued for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties.
Roderic Cascio, Scott Fischer, David Schuessler, Rick Chappell, Suzann
Cieutat, Darryl Shelton, Guy Tadlock and Keith Hinrichs are the board
members named in the suit.
The case cites instances of discrimination, record irregularities,
pornography, disparate treatment, misapplication of funds and illegal
behavior by the association and its officers.
The plaintiffs seek damages of more than $15,000, with the final amount to
be determined at the trial.
The improvement association declined to comment Tuesday morning, stating
they had not been served the suit. |
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The Holiday Isle Improvement Association is being
sued by over 30 current and former residents of Holiday Isle.
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Telephone calls to Matthews & Jones, the Destin law firm
representing the plaintiffs, seeking comment were not immediately returned.
According to the complaint, since at least 2016 the association had failed
to maintain accurate meeting minutes. The lawsuit alleges that the minutes
were compiled by various people to reflect what the board preferred rather
than what actually happened at the meetings.
The lawsuit also states that Tadlock and Shelton allegedly directed the
association’s staff and employees to destroy evidence and records, and that
Tadlock asked employees to destroy voice recordings of meetings in which
board members used expletives and discussed support for Fischer’s campaign
for mayor.
Other complaints leveled against the Holiday Isle Improvement Association
are:
• The board allegedly has held meetings without proper notice and denied
access to members of the association.
• Not providing agendas in advance.
• Shelton is accused of telling a female employee that they were going to
watch lesbian porn together in the association’s office.
• The board is accused of planning and intentionally fining and penalizing
short-term rental properties. Various officers are accused of trespassing on
properties where weddings were scheduled and confronting key wedding
personnel. Some board members have “reduced brides to tears hours before
events,” according to the lawsuit.
• Tadlock is singled out for allegedly stating the goal of changing the
protective covenants and restrictions was to get rid of rentals to people of
color. The lawsuit also states Tadlock supposedly told a member that the
rules only applied to the people the association did not like.
The association also has been accused of claiming that it has not changed
its governing documents and engaging in campaigning activities to promote or
oppose candidates for public office.
Earlier this year, The Destin Log reported that the association was issuing
citations to residents who posted signs in their yard in support of Gary
Jarvis’ campaign for mayor. Jarvis was running against former mayor and
association Director Scott Fischer.
Multiple residents who posted signage supporting Fischer did not receive
citations.
Signage rules for Holiday Isle state that only “For Rent” or “For Sale”
signs shorter than 4 feet tall and 2 feet square are allowed in any given
area.
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