Several residents stood by and did nothing to help.
Today’s blog shares with readers yet another not-so-isolated incident of HOA bullies.
Three young women, who were guests of a new resident of a Suttons Bay condo association, were violently assaulted last month by a condo board member and another resident. The incident happened around midnight when the women were using the hot tub at the Bayview Condominium.
According to reports, 68-year old board member Larry Dean ordered the three women and others to get out of the spa, apparently under the assumption that they were trespassing on private property. The others left the area, but the three women, who were guests of a condo resident, remained in the hot tub.
A short time later, Dean returned and, according to reports, yanked one of the young women out of the hot tub by her bikini straps so hard that they tore. The two other women tried to help their friend, but Dean later admitted he punched one of them in the mouth. The other two women also suffered minor injuries in the scuffle.
Also according to reports, several condo residents stood by and did nothing to stop Dean’s assault. In fact, one resident by the name of James Richards also swatted at the women when they asked for help.
Both Dean and Richards have been arrested and charged with misdemeanor crimes related to the assault.
See the links below for photos of injuries and cell phone video of the men charged with assault.
Two men charged in hot tub assault that left women with ripped bikini, bruises
By Tanda Gmiter tgmiter@mlive.com
LEELANAU COUNTY, MI – Two men have been charged with misdemeanor assault after police say three young women were physically attacked for being in a condo development’s hot tub.A police report showed the men mistakenly thought the women were trespassing, when they were actually there as guests of a resident.
The encounter early July 15 turned violent after a 68-year-old man tried to remove one of the three young women from the hot tub, yanking her bathing suit top so hard the strap broke, according to the police report. The two other women, who tried to help their friend, were punched in the mouth and kicked in the side, they told police.
Read more:
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/two_men_charged_in_hot_tub_ass.html
9&10 News
Victim Speaks Out After Suttons Bay Man Accused Of Assaulting 3 Women
Posted: Jul 17, 2017 10:21 PM EDT
Updated: Jul 18, 2017 12:55 AM EDT
By Whitney Amann, ReporterCONNECT
Victim Speaks Out After Suttons Bay Man Accused Of Assaulting 3 Women
02:13“You want to stop? Because I’m **** filming you. Well great. You ripped my bathing suit. Get away from us. Get away from us.”
It’s video you’ll only see on 9&10 News.
Sent to us from an alleged victim of an attack at a Leelanau County hot tub.
Police arrested a man on three counts of assault and battery at the Bayview condos.
The incident left three women injured and shaken up.
A resident’s daughter and her friends at the Bayview condos were assaulted over the weekend for an incident that happened at a hot tub.
“I don’t feel safe anymore,” said one of the victims. “Every time I see a man now I get a little bit on edge.”
Read more (Video):
Several important points for readers to consider:
In this particular case, condo residents, including a board member, jumped to the conclusion that the young women were trespassers, when they were guests of a resident that had a right to use the hot tub. Apparently the association has had a problem with non-residents and non-guests of residents using the hot tub. But did anyone ask the women if they were either new residents or guests before lashing out in anger, issuing commands to leave, and using physical force to remove three women from the hot tub? What we see here is clear example of lack of communication and an exaggerated sense of the need to exclude outsiders at all costs.
Even if the women were using the spa after posted hours or were creating a disturbance (and there is no proof that this was the case), and refused to leave the premises upon being asked to do so by the condo board member, the appropriate response would have been to contact local police to remove the women. But residents of private communities tend to believe that the police will not help them or will refuse to get involved in HOA disputes, so there is a tendency for some to take matters into their own hands, with unfortunate or disastrous results.
It has become all too common for people to stand by and watch bullying in progress, yet do nothing to stop the behavior or aid the victim. In an association-governed community, residents often report they are fearful of what their neighbors or their board members might do to them if they speak up, ask questions, or try to defend themselves or someone else.
In this case, bully behavior took the form of a physical attack. More commonly, bully behavior is exhibited as harassing residents with bogus or petty violation notices, imposing punitive fines and other penalties, sending threatening letters from the association lawyer, suing the homeowner or resident, and even going as far as kicking someone out of their home by way of eviction or foreclosure. The effects of litigation abuse and foreclosure can be particularly financially and emotionally devastating.
As updates become available, IAC will follow up on this story.
Really bad HOA board member…….hahahahahah
Diane McCormick
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