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FINALLY A DAY IN COURT


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Over the past few years there have been many posts relating to the law suits filed by Surepip.

Well the wait is finally over; On Wednesday January 26 the case is finally scheduled to be heard in Judge Tony Beaver’s courtroom.

Looking forward to attending this hearing, Good luck Surepip on the outcome.

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any news yet?

I agree. If surepip has been wronged, I certainly hope he will "be made whole". However, we are only getting ONE side of the story here on p.com. Last I heard, there are usually two sides to every

All I can say to the negative folks out there:   What if it had happened to you?   What if they took your land?   Would you just "let it go"?   I know that I wouldn't have been able to fight t

Not quite correct Whitey.

 

The Judge ruled, in our favor, the week of Thanksgiving that the BOC AND their attorney, Keith Wiener broke the Georgia Anti-Slap Statute. Thats O

 

Wiener appealed this ruling, and Judge Beavers denied his appeal.

 

We have a hearing Wednesday morning at 9:00am to determine how much of our legal fees going back to the summer of 2006 they have to reimburse us for.

 

They have spent over $1MILLION [Yes, $1,000,000+] in an effort to supress our right to petition the government through needless litigation.

 

After they pay us for our attorneys fees to date, then they can either choose to negotiate a settlement, or we proceed to the courtroom and let a jury decide what to award us.

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Good Luck Surepip, go get them us. I wish we could take that million out of their personal pockets.

 

Been downtown at the poultry show which officially starts tomorrow morning. First opening I will have missed since 1976.

 

For what it is worth, the judges ruling does state the BOC's fancy Atlanta attorney/law firm [Kieth Wiener at Holland & Knight] has to pay part of our fees. So it won't ALL be Paulding County money.

 

But hey, they have seen fit to pay Holland & Knight over $1million to keep us out of the courtroom, of which at least $150,000 came back to Paulding County elected officials or candidates which is documented on the State Ethics website, and/or in the records at the local Registrars office.

 

They have had a nice racket going to taking tax payer money, ....sending it to Holland & Knight, who then donates it to their PAC [H&K Citizens for Responsible Government] and then to other PACS or state reps/senators, who then donate the funds back to 4 of our 5 previous sitting commissioners, or our 2 reps, including the newly elected Paulette Braddock, both state senators, and or other PACS who sent the money back to local and other politicians.

 

You got to give them credit....it is a great scam.

 

The Paulding Taxpayers bankroll a substantial number of the state politicians.

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I am so lost. What lawsuit and when / what is this all about?

Long, long story girl. These lawsuits were filed against the BOC and the Developer, Micky Womble/Contour Development in Spring of 2006.

 

Your/our illustrious BOC has chosen to spend in excess of $1MILLION [yep, $1,000,000+] over the past 4+ years to defend the various county departments we have accused of misdoings, AND the developer.

 

Note, for what it is worth; we would have settled for far less than $1,000,000.

 

Instead, they have forced us to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars [our kids college funds, our retirement, etc.] to try to exercise our 1st amendment rights to seek redress from the government for what we feel is some gross wrong doings.

 

This includes changing buffer zoning stipulations awarded to us in the zoning meetings, and the county simply looking the other way while the developer TOOK 12-1/2 feet x 200+ feet of our front yard, which Ironically we are still pay property tax on. We actually have been paying tax on the entire new paved road in front of our house AND the first 7-1/2 feet of the front yards across the street.

 

For the past almost 5 years we have hung on fighting, selling off virtually everything we have to stay in the fight.

 

The judge finally issued a ruling the 3rd week of November stating the BOC and their attorney had broken a specific Georgia law, OCGA 9.11.11.1b, called the Antislap statute, and that the BOC and their attorney, Kieth Wiener from Holland & Knight have to pay us back for our legal expenses.

 

The hearing tomorrow is to determine how much they have to pay us.

 

Then we start all over again to move into the courtroom and let a jury decide what we should be awarded for the damages, or they can agree to negotiate and work out a settlement with us, which they have refused to do for the past 4+ years. We have offered numerous times to sit down and at least try to work something out. But your/our elected officials have refused to do so.

 

Or, they can keep paying YOUR taxpayer money to Holland & Knight to keep on litigating, and Holland & Knight can keep donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to various Georgia political cronies and keep the cash cow alive and well.

 

Your hard earned tax dollars hard at work for the local politicians. They [just Paulding country politicians and candidates] have banked over $150,000 of Holland & Knight campaign donations since 2006 when we filed suit.

 

 

 

Nice system they have worked out, huh ?

 

ninja.gifdrinks.gifninja.gif

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Surepip, I hope the best for you... you fought the fight a lot of us would have liked to.... Things were done wrong during development in those days, the developers thought they had the rights of God.... and the county did nothing to say they were doing anything wrong.... creeks were ruined/ all over the county.... a developer pumped out a spring fed pond into a small creek behind our home, we had video, but no reslove... the development behind us god hope for some of the land owners... the homes were made on man made plots they moved dirt packed, moved dirt packed/ to make a home plot on land I never thought could be developed - but it was ok with the officials.... some day some of these home owners are gonn wake up to land settling and cracks in basements and slabs.... but the county said it was ok to build up a 75 foot slope, that runs on our land.... we had to accept defeat. I battled with zoning officials, all officials for a year or two... did no good... a few leland cypress got planted..I am glad that someone could battle the injustice and the poor overlook of the inspections.

We could not afford to go the route you did, I am glad you could and I pray that you win what is deserved...

This case should have been settled years ago... you knew while Sheridan was in it would continue, but now, it shold be settled. I praise you on all of us homeowners that could not do what you did and hope the best for your settlement....

I can remember when you posted the consessions you had gotten from the developer..... I was so jealous.... since I prostested this development to hell in back and recieved just a few leland cypress from an area they clear cut that they should not have.... I was not like by the zoning office..

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Good luck, Surepip! I'm glad things have gone in your favor and I wish you the very best. If there is anything I HATE, it is the "big guys" trying to use whatever means they can find to intimidate citizens....and very GOOD citizens in your case.

Go get 'em and Godspeed. I'm cheering and am in your corner.

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Surepip, I hope the best for you... you fought the fight a lot of us would have liked to.... Things were done wrong during development in those days, the developers thought they had the rights of God.... and the county did nothing to say they were doing anything wrong.... creeks were ruined/ all over the county.... a developer pumped out a spring fed pond into a small creek behind our home, we had video, but no reslove... the development behind us god hope for some of the land owners... the homes were made on man made plots they moved dirt packed, moved dirt packed/ to make a home plot on land I never thought could be developed - but it was ok with the officials.... some day some of these home owners are gonn wake up to land settling and cracks in basements and slabs.... but the county said it was ok to build up a 75 foot slope, that runs on our land.... we had to accept defeat. I battled with zoning officials, all officials for a year or two... did no good... a few leland cypress got planted..I am glad that someone could battle the injustice and the poor overlook of the inspections.

We could not afford to go the route you did, I am glad you could and I pray that you win what is deserved...

This case should have been settled years ago... you knew while Sheridan was in it would continue, but now, it shold be settled. I praise you on all of us homeowners that could not do what you did and hope the best for your settlement....

I can remember when you posted the consessions you had gotten from the developer..... I was so jealous.... since I prostested this development to hell in back and recieved just a few leland cypress from an area they clear cut that they should not have.... I was not like by the zoning office..

 

Holy cow. What subdivision is this one?

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I also wish you good luck in the matter. I'm sure just to have OVER will be a relief.

 

You all may know very well that Paulding County court did not do me any great favor. They gave "house arrest" to the neighbor that was convicted of shooting at me, my husband and another neighbor, from his house. The very house that he is now required to stay at. All within shooting distance of both families affected. Yeah ! Great punishment! It was quite a slap in the face to the 3 victims.

I sure hope the courts are more favorable to you, this time SP.

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Sorry, I am too angry to post much.

 

We spent 8 hours in court today to sit there and have the Holland & Knight Lawyers try to nit-pik every part of our attorneys bills for his work in our cases over the past 5 years.

 

They basically spent another $100,000 of your tax payer money to try to reduce the bills by $10,000.

 

And, they spent the day re-arguing and citing case law which has already been denied and squashed by the judge.

 

But at the end of the day, they got concessions for another 10 days to provide cases supporting their arguments, and then we will have to wait for another couple of months while the judge reviews it all.

 

But, they will be able to flush another $150,000 to $250,000 from the Paulding BOC to their Political Action Committees to various other PACs and candidates that can then send the money back to local Paulding politicians.

 

We have traced $300,000 from 2006 to now of which we can show $150,000 to Paulding politicans. How much more is out there ?

 

For those interested, Paulette Rakestraw Braddock even got $25,000+ the end of October/early November from State Reps and PACs you have never heard of who got more or equal to what they gave from Holland & Knight in the 30 to 90 days before hand.

 

Your tax payer money, to Holland & Knight, to their PAC, to various politicians and other PACS, to Paulette.

 

Nice scam isn't it ?

 

Our system is broken. And this is a classic case to show how broken it is.

 

The International Poultry Exposition opened this morning at the World Congress Center with 25,000 visitors, and for the first time since 1976 I had to sit and literally twiddle my thumbs sitting in a courtroom needlessly instead of greeting my customers from around the world at the congress center. And I left the Paulding County Courthouse with NOTHING, and knowing I have to sit and wait another 1, 2, 3 or 8 months waiting for a ruling on what we are to be paid.

 

Our legal system is broken, and I am beginning to think it is broken beyond repair. I hope I get to live long enough to be able to spend the money the BOC will have to pay us. It has been 4 years and 8 months since we entered suit, and it has been 8-1/2 years since this fiasco started. We have expended our kids college funds, our IRAs and 401ks, all our stocks, all of our savings, and have put ourselves in hock for everything we can. And to date we have nothing to show for all we have spent.

 

Is our legal system broken ? You tell me.

 

By the way, the Paulding County Tax Payer part of this fiasco is approaching $1,300,000. Just so they can protect one of their developer buddies who has paid nothing. His insurance company provided his legal defense.

 

We now have to wait while the opposition has 10 days to provide cited cases to support their position of why our attorney's fees are out of line, and then somewhere between 1 and 8 months, based on previous rulings, before we get a new ruling, based on the ruling we got November 18th from the oral arguments presented on March 17th 2010.

 

And the Good Old Boys of Paulding County continue to get their way.

 

Yeah, I am disgusted. Can you blame me ?

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Pip,

I feel ya....my subdivision has spent the last year in court fighting our developer who has clearly stolen our HOA money for the past 5 years and used it for his private gain. Well into the 6 figure range has been misused. He has spent 100K fighting us, and we have spent at least 50K. Our case was transferred to Cobb, but it just drags on and on and on. Good luck...

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GAH!!! This just hacks me right off every time I think of it!!! It's not even the point now whether you're right or wrong, SP, although for the record, I think you're clearly in the right. But they've now spent $1,300,000 of OUR MONEY fiddly-farting around??? OH, WHERE IS MY DUCT TAPE??? My head is truly about to explode. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR... :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2:

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Sorry, I am too angry to post much.

 

We spent 8 hours in court today to sit there and have the Holland & Knight Lawyers try to nit-pik every part of our attorneys bills for his work in our cases over the past 5 years.

 

They basically spent another $100,000 of your tax payer money to try to reduce the bills by $10,000.

 

And, they spent the day re-arguing and citing case law which has already been denied and squashed by the judge.

 

But at the end of the day, they got concessions for another 10 days to provide cases supporting their arguments, and then we will have to wait for another couple of months while the judge reviews it all.

 

But, they will be able to flush another $150,000 to $250,000 from the Paulding BOC to their Political Action Committees to various other PACs and candidates that can then send the money back to local Paulding politicians.

 

We have traced $300,000 from 2006 to now of which we can show $150,000 to Paulding politicans. How much more is out there ?

 

For those interested, Paulette Rakestraw Braddock even got $25,000+ the end of October/early November from State Reps and PACs you have never heard of who got more or equal to what they gave from Holland & Knight in the 30 to 90 days before hand.

 

Your tax payer money, to Holland & Knight, to their PAC, to various politicians and other PACS, to Paulette.

 

Nice scam isn't it ?

 

Our system is broken. And this is a classic case to show how broken it is.

 

The International Poultry Exposition opened this morning at the World Congress Center with 25,000 visitors, and for the first time since 1976 I had to sit and literally twiddle my thumbs sitting in a courtroom needlessly instead of greeting my customers from around the world at the congress center. And I left the Paulding County Courthouse with NOTHING, and knowing I have to sit and wait another 1, 2, 3 or 8 months waiting for a ruling on what we are to be paid.

 

Our legal system is broken, and I am beginning to think it is broken beyond repair. I hope I get to live long enough to be able to spend the money the BOC will have to pay us. It has been 4 years and 8 months since we entered suit, and it has been 8-1/2 years since this fiasco started. We have expended our kids college funds, our IRAs and 401ks, all our stocks, all of our savings, and have put ourselves in hock for everything we can. And to date we have nothing to show for all we have spent.

 

Is our legal system broken ? You tell me.

 

By the way, the Paulding County Tax Payer part of this fiasco is approaching $1,300,000. Just so they can protect one of their developer buddies who has paid nothing. His insurance company provided his legal defense.

 

We now have to wait while the opposition has 10 days to provide cited cases to support their position of why our attorney's fees are out of line, and then somewhere between 1 and 8 months, based on previous rulings, before we get a new ruling, based on the ruling we got November 18th from the oral arguments presented on March 17th 2010.

 

And the Good Old Boys of Paulding County continue to get their way.

 

Yeah, I am disgusted. Can you blame me ?

 

I don't understand. I hadn't heard anything much about this and just assumed it was a small time thing that would be settled and be over with. Is this for real? I mean, really? Are our former county leaders (and evidently some current ones too) THAT corrupt? Funneling money from the tax payer to their re-election campaigns and using a lawsuit as a means to fleece us and finance themselves is just DAMNED WRONG.

 

I'm not doubting what you're saying, but I just find it hard to believe the local Republican Party has not done something about this if it were true. Where has the local Republican Party been? Where has the Ethics Committee been? Why hasn't this been turned over to the DA or FBI for corruption charges?

 

Again, I'm not doubting you but I just find it really hard to believe our former commission and now elected representative (plus the local Republican Party) are corrupt to that extent.

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I don't understand. I hadn't heard anything much about this and just assumed it was a small time thing that would be settled and be over with. Is this for real? I mean, really? Are our former county leaders (and evidently some current ones too) THAT corrupt? Funneling money from the tax payer to their re-election campaigns and using a lawsuit as a means to fleece us and finance themselves is just DAMNED WRONG.

 

I'm not doubting what you're saying, but I just find it hard to believe the local Republican Party has not done something about this is it were true. Where has the local Republican Party been? Where has the Ethics Committee been? Why hasn't this been turned over to the DA or FBI for corruption charges?

 

Again, I'm not doubting you but I just find it really hard to believe our former commission and now elected representative (plus the local Republican Party) is corrupt to that extent.

Many of us wonder that....

 

Our local Republican Party is a part of that! Lots of "Good ol boys and girls"

 

The fact no one of the old board of commissioners has been investigated and sent to jail is truly a mystery to many!

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