Things are progressing nicely at the nearly 1,000-unit Success Village co-op whose residents agonized while the former leadership failed to address the dysfunction of no heat and hot water.
Success Village residents report heat and hot water is now activated with plans underway to build a modern boiler system to avoid another disaster
Attorney Barry Knott, assigned to take control of the mess by Superior Court Judge Dale Radcliffe, issued his first report to the court that included this passage about fees paid to lawyers under the regime of Success board leader Ty Bird.
Over the following days the Receiver requested from Attorney Crosland a copy of his retainer letter with SVA and accounting of all funds paid to him and Attorney Dennis Bradley. The Receiver has yet to receive a satisfactory response to this request.
Knott also issued to the court a bill for services during the two months since his appointment, roughly $125,000, a fraction of what was paid out to lawyers and consultants under the old leadership, according to court testimony.
Read Knott’s report here
Success Village has not grown in size during the time Receiver Knott was assigned duties by Judge Radcliffe. It continues to include residents of Bridgeport and Stratford of fewer than 1,000 units. But according to this timely release, heat and hot water, health related issues of major concern that brought Success Village to the CT Post front page on many days of 2024, no longer cause immediate concern for most residents. GOOD NEWS!!!
Receiver Knott has made his first report within the 60 day timetable he set out. Lots of information that begin to flesh out a story of “money” not going where residents intended/expected it to go on their behalf. Evidence of resistance from banks to address initial requests, and currently, requests to legal advisors Crosland and Bradley, for reports on funding and purpose, shows the public how difficult it is to discover basic info, even with Court authority.
Little insight into the failure of the elected board, potentially from absent agendas, meetings, or minutes is referenced. Some residents representing others, faced legal process and expense themselves, during the past three years. Future trust of representative bodies must have support including official elections and publicized procedure in order to have “sustainable self-governance” become a reality.
I strongly suggest that “governance expertise” will inform the Receiver, each municipality and the State Legislature (which presently sets out statutory authority and guidance for condominiums and co-ops) to untangle the aggressive resistance to Board issues by Management leadership and the trail of fiscal corrupt practices. Will you stay tuned for the next chapter in this major land use drama? Time will tell.
I hear you John, but the heat is back on. Isn’t that the “Big Bang” the reality of this saga?
With regards to its residents, everything else is quantum mechanics, background radiation in the reality of their existence residing in Success Village. 🙂
It would be unfair to depart without taking you up on your invitation, Hot Chocolate sounds cosmic. 🙂
Port’s Holiday Tree Lighting Nov. 30, McLevy Green. Be there or be round, repulsive in a circular motion. Or not.
Though like Jake’s and Tyson’s fight there are stipulations, no politicing, we can only talk about physcising. 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJOTlE1K90k
P.S what do you think was going through Tyson’s mind at this moment in time?
Shit paycheck 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ipfku1Au7jM
This sums this fight up.
Jake’s best, punch, knock-out punch’
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_h08u_As5hc
Tyson got hit by it, thta kinda shocked Tyson. Yet Tyson countered with a left to gain control to get his bearing. IMO
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T9qh1wzZl9w
The question is, I can’t see Tyson training to such a degree just to through a Youtuber influencer, turn boxer.
I wonder if Tyson is going to try to make a real comeback? jS 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1989206261552685
Fight nice people. I’m out of here. 🙂
the prophet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Dwq6eh2xA
The BOD and their lawyers can’t prepare a simple report detailing their official cash outlays for the Receiver?!
And will their stone-walling tactics be tolerated indefinitely by the Receiver as the long-term oversight options of the Success Co-op remain in Limbo, even as spending needs — including debt issues — remain unresolved?
Is the remaining, deactivated BOD going to be held accountable for their violations of fiduciary and governance responsibility or will the fate of Success Village need to be considered without a detailed analysis of how things were brought to this state of failure, with the residents left “holding the bag” for the criminality and incompetence that requires a “receiver” to keep the minimum basics happening on a day to day basis — rendering the value of Success home ownership a liability rather than serious asset?!
I truly feel sorry for the innocent residents of Success Village. They have heat for the time being, but no sense of justice for their suffering of past months nor any assurances of a sound plan — based on analysis of how their organization failed them — to take them into a future as homeowners with a sense of security in their homes/investment…. (And they have the added expense, for an indefinite amount of time, of a receiver performing the tasks that a volunteer BOD would normally perform for their organization.)
RT sees no problems going forward at Success Village, and will be at the lighting ceremony sipping hot chocolate. Then he closes his usual multiple of messages with Tyson fight comments, quantum physics observations, and notions that he is “out of here”.
In all of the CT Post coverage regarding Success Village, has Jeff Kohut seen much focus on anything beyond, lack of hot water access, heat in residential units, and defaults by residents in payment of property taxes, WPCA invoices, etc.?? After conversations with former elected officials of the last Board of Directors about two years ago, I discovered a glaring lack of governance process!! Or lack of reports of meetings called, then held, with agendas, and meeting minutes, and financial reports with motions to approve and questions presented or requests for authorizations!!
And at least one State Court judge heard of the failure much earlier than today. When his appointment changed, who followed up the case matter for owners??
Some rapid calculations have been offered about monthly unit charges of $500 or upwards of $550,000 to $600,000 per year remaining uncounted officially or unreported. Also reported were one or more insurance claims recoveries of significance in the hundreds of thousands perhaps. And finally, how did assets in millions on the last balance sheets for the Co-Op get spent, in an approved fashion??
Is anyone disturbed by the numbers of legal practitioners who are part of recent Success Village history, many of whom were not likely serving in a pro bono manner, and some of whom are silent when faced by Receiver requests for information? Respect or trust for “law and order” process?
For anyone who still disputes the expense of the appointment of a Receiver to be borne by Owners, how else would the hot water, the heat, and likely more LIGHT on the financial failures in recent years get turned on?? The residents may not be as “innocent” of responsibility for the mess, as they may be for failing to understand the responsibility of self-governance in operating a Board of Directors. What might State Law or added commentary from this Receiver inform us about “better oversight of such director bodies” at the local municipal level? Time will tell.
The failure of the Success Village Co-op organization is the equivalent (in State of Connecticut terms/context) of the failure of a small municipality. Where is the state with an exhaustive investigation of the circumstances and implications of this failure, and, more importantly, a long-term plan to restore viability to this community within the state’s largest, and arguably, most important municipality.
There are broad and deep implications for the city of Bridgeport and State of Connecticut related to the failure of the Success Village Co-op.
In the context of the above, we must realize that there are broad and deep political connections between the (FAILED) Success BOD and the City of Bridgeport and State of Connecticut. The lack of movement by the state concerning the BOD accountability for the Success tragedy is beginning look very suspicious — in terms of certain persons being protected from state and federal scrutiny for wrong-doing regarding abuse and neglect of fiduciary responsibility for the well-being of the co-op and its residents. What happened to the $millions(!) that were collected in common charges and for insurance claims in the absence of the spending of such on indicated needs of the co-op physical plant?!
Something — many things — don’t seem right about the way that the Success disaster is being investigated and ameliorated… (Not to diminish the extremely important accomplishment of getting heat and hot water restored for the residents!)
What is the long-term outlook for Success Village and its resident-owners and their essential investment?
John, since my living realm of existences does not reside at Success Village in this conscience reality and the quantum probability state, I was unaware of any entangled with that, which does. So, my only observation of any problem within Success Village was when it was projected in the news/rally in May of this year.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/success-village-bridgeport-rally-hot-water-boiler-19462200.php
Perhaps there’s a probability that a math equation would’ve given me a cognitive insight into any such problems.
To be fair, I do remember being alluded to issues at the residences. The democratic process can be messy at times, as you can see/observe, no?
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/School-board-member-arrested-at-Success-Village-13223448.php
Jesus, Geoff. 🙂
How about you try a new vibration wave?
Point that finger at something else. Though perhaps there’s a probability their finger is there in some quantum state. 🤣
#Stamford/Greenwich/Harford/ Gold Coast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEOtNCjO3t8
I feel like a Hawkman black hole being sucked in. 🙂
PS. There’s a probability Tyson not going to try to make a boxing comeback. 🤣
Peace out Port. I am out of here.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KF87XY6FsMg
“ Knott also issued to the court a bill for services during the two months since his appointment, roughly $125,000”
Barry charging roughly $15,000 a week for his services right now.Not cheap,but considering the hours & hours he and his staff must be putting in to straighten out years of corruption,the cost is reasonable..Do the math and that’s roughly $780.000 a year. I would imagine,once he gets things running smoothly,that $15,000 a week will drop significantly..
Heard Barry on Mellisa’s WICC show last week,he mentioned a lot of the tenants still have not resumed paying their common charges.They held it back because of the situation,supposedly holding it in escrow,Barry mentioned he thinks the problem now is,a lot of the tenants most likely spent the money instead of putting it in escrow.This is a developing situation that will be interesting to see how it pans out.