By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Here we go again. Another company managing multiple Association Governed neighborhoods is under investigation for embezzlement. So far, six associations have filed complaints against Diana Ellis Kelly of Kornerstone Community Management of Garner, North Carolina. So far, three have reported to WRAL missing funds from their accounts as follows:
- Greystone Crossing neighborhood in Garner $52,000
- Wellington neighborhood in Angier at least $9,000
- Hunter’s Mill community in Clayton $16,000
However, Kornerstone was managing about 20 communities in all before money – and Ellis – disappeared without a trace and without notice. Stay tuned for updates, because there will likely be more complaints filed.
Garner police investigate after HOAs say money missing (WRAL.com VIDEO included)
Police said Wednesday that they are investigating the possible embezzlement of tens of thousands of dollars from at least six homeowners associations in the Triangle.
Accounts for all six HOAs were, at some point, maintained by Kornerstone Community Management in Garner. Two of the HOAs have filed reports with Garner police, and four have filed complaints with the Consumer Protection Division of the state Attorney General’s Office.
Kornerstone provides management services to about two dozen HOAs in the Triangle. Its office was locked on Wednesday – the company is listed as “permanently closed” on Google – and president Diana Ellis Kelly didn’t return phone calls and emails seeking comment.
Read more at http://www.wral.com/garner-police-investigate-after-hoas-say-money-missing/15918046/#VTJXVrTyMfzICzIO.99
In case readers are wondering, Kornerstone Management is listed as a member of the North Carolina chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI), the trade group that calls reports of corruption, abuse, and overreach in Homeowners’, condominium, and cooperative associations “anecdotal” or “isolated incidents.”
See here:
Here’s a screenshot of Cornerstone Management’s scrubbed, mostly inactive website. This is the FAQ page — one of the questions asks: “What is CAI?”
In fact, Diana Ellis of Kornerstone is listed in this CAI publication as a FHA Certification Consultant (see pages 11 and 14)
