The Bayfield Marshal’s Office is investigating an alleged theft of what could be thousands of dollars from an account for the Clover Meadows subdivision homeowners association.
At an emergency HOA meeting Monday night, HOA members voted to remove all members of the board, replacing them with seven new members. Members approved opening a new bank account and getting a new post office box for the HOA, as well.
The previous bank account for the HOA was closed, Bayfield Deputy Rashaan Mitchell told more than 50 people gathered at the Pine River Library for the emergency meeting.
He said he cannot publicly identify anyone who had access to the account.
“It’s an ongoing investigation,” he said.
The suspect or suspects have not left the area, said Corp. Holly Cashwell, who also attended the meeting.
Each household in the HOA pays a $150 annual assessment for ditch water from the Schroeder ditch to use for watering yards. With 68 members of the HOA, the annual assessments brought in about $10,000 total.
The HOA needs to pay the Pine River Irrigation District, the Schroeder Ditch Co. and a contractor who came in and worked on the neighborhood water system, said an HOA member who has been working with other members to unravel what happened.
“It’s a total wreck,” one HOA member said.
The seven HOA members who agreed to serve on the board now must select officers and try to figure out who has paid this year’s assessment. The bills sent to each homeowner haven’t always been received or paid, several HOA members said.
It is likely there will be a special assessment this year to pay bills for the irrigation system, some of the newly elected board members said.
