I hired this attorney because my HOA refuses to allow members to review the HOA's records, which Ohio Revised Code and the HOA bylaws state I have a right to review.
I have been trying since 10/24/2017 to review the HOA's records, and this attorney has done nothing but relay messages to the HOA's... attorney, who he has stated is a good friend of his. There were numerous discrepancies in the information the HOA was providing and this attorney failed to identify these discrepancies or advocate for his client, which he was hired to do.
For example, after five months of email messages between myself, the HOA, its attorney, and my attorney, a meeting was scheduled during March 26, 2018 to view the records in the HOA's attorney's office. I could not be at the site at the scheduled time and requested a different time. I heard nothing from Ibold. When I asked Ibold "was an appointment ever set up with the HOA's attorney to view the documentation I have been requesting", Ibold responded "I called the HOA's attorney's office this morning. He says that he cannot get the records for you to inspect until sometime in April. Many of the records are at the Treasurer's home and she is in Florida until April. If, in fact, there are records in someone's home and that person is not going to be back from Florida until April, I don't think there is anything that can be done to get those records for you to review prior to her return in April." I replied back "I have a letter from the HOA stating they will be at a board meeting on February 26, 2018 (please see attached copy
of this letter). In addition, I have an email, from you, asking me if I wanted you to reach out to the HOA's attorney to set a date and time at his office prior to the February 2018 meeting to review the documentation (please see attached copy of that email)." I then asked Ibold "can you, or the HOA's attorney, please explain how the review of the documentation I have requested has gone from February 26, 2018 to "sometime" in April? Why was this not brought to my attention earlier?" Ibold's response was "the HOA's attorney said he would arrange a meeting for you to inspect the records in April."
I attended the February 26, 2018 HOA meeting and the HOA president stated the records are, and have always been, in the HOA's offices. When I asked Ibold to explain this discrepancy, he stated "I can not explain the discrepancy. I related to you what I was told. I have never seen any records of the association." When I asked Ibold how do I view the records, he then stated "schedule a day and time through the HOA's attorney."
As of today, 4/7/2018, the HOA's attorney has not responded to my request. Why would the HOA's attorney bother to respond to me directly? Why was I even paying Ibold? Why didn't Ibold catch these discrepancies and advocate for me, his client? This has been a waste of my time and money. I feel as though this attorney has a conflict of interest and really didn't want to help me in something that should have been simple to resolve. If this is the case, he should have informed me at our initial office visit and I could have hired a different attorney.