In 2021, when a slate of candidates led by Ty Bird was elected to the Success Village Board of Directors representing about 1,000 units and 2,000 residents split between Bridgeport and Stratford they promised to “lower common charges” and “fix the heating system.”
Three years later the board is dormant with the insidious promises inflaming a public health crises. The $500 per month common charges paid by co-op owners were not lowered and in fact were slated for an increase, the heating system was not fixed but worsened. Municipal property taxes and utilities, financed by common charges, were not paid, as required by leasehold agreement.
Recent court testimony, leading a state judge to place a receiver in charge of management of the nearly 80-year-old co-op, revealed the Success fund balance and operational accounts of a more than $3 million combined had evaporated since the promises made.
Bird admitted on the stand that he was unfamiliar with the co-op’s finances while making dubious cash withdrawals from bank accounts to pay co-op employees. Why were they paid in cash?
Claiming the co-op had loans to repay, it begs the question: why was it more important to shell out millions the past few years to lawyers and consultants than addressing the heat and hot water emergency caused by an archaic boiler system?
Bird has dug in on the judge’s order maintaining he did nothing wrong and has the capacity to resolve the issues, irrespective of the failed assurances. He even conducted a news conference Tuesday morning preaching the same yadda, yadda, yadda. He’s now on the outside, looking in, with a financial audit underway and local, state and federal investigators piecing together the money flow that failed the residents.
In time investigators will uncover where the money went and for what unsettling purpose.
Meanwhile receiver Barry Knott is working earnestly on a short-and-long-term solution to the antiquated boiler system as the cold weather season hits the co-op.
Each Building should install a new 200amp temporary service, just for electric space heaters, two heater per unit. They sell portable hot water heaters for camping (Amazon).
That would most likely be a liability issue if one of them caused a fire,a child gets burnt etc..
Looking forward to the findings of the forensic audit, obviously someone hid that $million in a bank in Milford,not even the board’s own lawyer( Bradley)new about it.
And now the sabotaging of the hot water boilers??There is only a couple people who 1.had keys to that room( even Barry didn’t receive a key to the room), & 2.someone knew exactly what to do to sabotage it.
Harvey your suggestion for the heat is?
Hi Jim,.. honestly I have no idea how to heat those units in a safe mannerother than the conventional way..Your idea makes the sense on the surface,but then think about the seniors,children,etc,etc,living there,having to deal with space heaters,it’s a recipe for disaster imo..
Harvey, The new heaters are safe to use around kids and pets and more efficient.
That would most likely be a liability issue if one of them caused a fire,a child gets burnt etc..
Looking forward to the findings of the forensic audit, obviously someone hid that $million in a bank in Milford,not even the board’s own lawyer( Bradley)new about it.
And now the sabotaging of the hot water boilers??There is only a couple people who 1.had keys to that room( even Barry didn’t receive a key to the room), & 2.someone knew exactly what to do to sabotage it.