It’s Looking Like the Process Never Happened
Association Refuses to Explain Election “Fraud” Email
October 10, 2025
Association Denies Records Request After Committee Member Reveals Non-Involvement: After a formal legal request for documentation about the Sep 19th “fraud” email sent during active voting, the Association has refused to provide any records explaining who authorized the message or how the Election Committee was involved. Their response included a carefully worded statement about contacting Committee members in October, but conspicuously avoided confirming whether those members actually participated in the fraud investigation or authorized the original email.
Brought to you by Drew McManus, your neighbor in 7908.
We have an update to the situation developing around the email all 175 E Delaware Place owners received on Sep 19th with the subject line “Fraudulent Election-Related Activity.” The email claimed it came from the Election Committee, a trio of owners nominated by Board President Scott Timmerman, but owners have since discovered that wasn’t the case. One member confirmed they were never involved or notified about the issue at all (full details).
Act One
The Setup
Sep 19th. 175 E Delaware Pl owners get an email. Subject line: “Fraudulent Election-Related Activity.” It’s from the Election Committee. Except it isn’t.
The email says the Committee discovered fraud. The Committee investigated. The Committee decided to tell you about it. During active voting.
One problem: A Committee member, one of three, had no idea any of this happened. Never contacted. Never consulted. Never involved (full details).
Act Two
The Ask
So how did the process unfold? Simple question, right?
In order to find out, I filed a formal documents request on Sep 26, 2025 under the Chicago Condominium Ordinance and the Illinois Condominium Property Act. Show us the paperwork. Show us who wrote it, who approved it, who decided to use the Committee’s name. Show us the investigation that supposedly happened.
The request sought:
- All communications between the HOA attorney, management company, the three Election Committee members, and Board President Scott Timmerman concerning the alleged fraud and the Sep 19th email.
- Drafts of the Sep 19th communication, identifying who authored, edited, or approved the final version.
- Documentation of the investigation process and findings.
- Records of meetings or discussions where the Election Committee reviewed or determined the content.
Thirteen days later, here’s the response they provided:
“Following review and consultation with legal counsel, please be advised that none of the materials you requested will be provided.”
That’s it. That’s the answer. Full stop: no documents, no explanation, no accountability.
Drew McManus, Sep 26, 2025
Dear Mr. Sugar and Ms. Kobzarev,
I am writing regarding the September 19, 2025 email sent to all owners under the subject line “Fraudulent Election-Related Activity.” This message was distributed by the assistant property manager, Amina Tagani, using the sending address noreply@risebuildings.com, and presented itself as coming from the “175 E. Delaware Place HOA Elections Committee.”
The email stated:
“The Election Committee has been made aware of fraudulent activity…”
“The fraudulent letter includes a list of recommended candidates marked ‘SAMPLE BALLOT’…”
“The Election Committee expresses no preference for any candidates…”
It has since come to light that at least one Election Committee member was never contacted by the HOA attorney or management company, had no knowledge of the alleged fraud, did not participate in any meetings or deliberations on the subject, and made no determination regarding the content of that communication.
Because the integrity of our elections directly affects the credibility of the Association and the value of our homes, it is important to understand how this message was created and whose authority it relied on. As provided for under Section 13-72-080 of the Chicago Condominium Ordinance and, as applicable, Section 19 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act I request the following documents, preferably in electronic format (PDF or Excel, as applicable):
- All communications (emails, text messages, memos, meeting notes) between:
- the HOA attorney,
- the management company,
- the three Election Committee members, and
- Board President Scott Timmerman
…concerning the alleged “fraudulent letter” and the September 19 communication.
- Drafts of the September 19 communication, including records identifying who authored, edited, or approved the final version.
- Any guidance or direction provided by the HOA attorney regarding the alleged fraud before the September 19 communication was sent.
- Records of meetings or discussions in which the Election Committee was involved in reviewing or determining the content of the September 19 communication.
- Documentation of the process and findings regarding the alleged “fraudulent letter,” including:
- Copies of all versions of the letter(s) and envelopes reviewed,
- Confirmation of the total number of alleged fraudulent letters documented (e.g., one, multiple, or many),
- Any information establishing how the Election Committee or attorney determined the letter(s) to be fraudulent rather than an error originating with Board President Scott Timmerman (given that the letters contained the same copy and were processed by USPS within one hour of each other),
- Notes, minutes, or summaries of any questions asked, evidence reviewed, or conclusions reached in making this determination.
Scope of request: This request covers all devices and accounts used for Association business, including personal mobile phones and email accounts, as the Association permits the use of personal devices and accounts for official business.
Preservation of records: Please ensure that all responsive documents, drafts, and communications are preserved in full and not altered or deleted.
Timeline: Please confirm receipt of this request and provide a timeline for producing these records no later than 10 business days from today’s date, September 26, 2025.
This request is made in good faith to promote transparency, protect the credibility of our election process, and maintain the trust of all owners.
Drew McManus, Oct 1, 2025
Dear Mr. Sugar and Ms. Kobzarev,
I am writing to inquire about the status of my document request submitted on Friday, September 26, 2025. When can I expect to receive that information?
At the time this article was published, none of the parties addressed have responded.
Act Three
The Deflection
Here’s where it gets interesting.
After refusing to provide any documents, management added this sentence:
“Additionally, management has reached out to all three members of the Election Committee. Each member received and acknowledged receipt of my email.”
👆 Read that again.
They reached out to the Committee members. The members got an email. The members acknowledged it.
Notice what they didn’t say?
They didn’t say the members confirmed participating in the fraud investigation. They didn’t say the members authorized the Sep 19th email. They didn’t say the members even knew about it before it was sent.
They said: “We sent them an email in October. They got it.”
That’s not an answer. That’s a statement designed to sound like an answer hoping you’ll assume they’re talking about the fraud investigation process.
Is that how you would define transparency?
If the Committee members had confirmed they participated in the investigation, management would have said so. If the members had verified they authorized the Sep 19th email, that’s what the sentence would say…but it didn’t.
Amina Tagani, Ast. Community Association Manager, Oct 9, 2025
Dear Mr. McManus,
Following review and consultation with legal counsel, please be advised that none of the materials you requested will be provided. To the extent that any such materials exist, they are not subject to unit owner examination under the Illinois Condominium Property Act or the Association’s Declaration.
Additionally, management has reached out to all three members of the Election Committee. Each member received and acknowledged receipt of my email.
The Problem
If you’re going to use an official Election Committee’s authority to send every owner a message about alleged fraud in the middle of an election, you need to have your ducks in a row.
- You need meeting notes.
- Email chains.
- A paper trail showing the Committee actually made the decision you said they made.
And when an owner asks to see those records? You show them. Why? Because you claimed fraud.
Unless you can’t. Because they don’t exist. Because the process never happened the way you said it did.
Here’s the thing about transparency: It’s not complicated.
You either have the documents or you don’t. You either followed a traceable process or you didn’t.
And when you refuse to show your work, then tell us the Committee members “acknowledged receipt” of an email without saying what they acknowledged? That’s the tell. If the members had confirmed authorizing the Sep 19th message, that sentence would read very differently.
It isn’t difficult to see how an owner may interpret the refusal to provide documentation, combined with carefully worded non-answers:
- The documents don’t exist because proper process was never followed.
- The documents exist but contain information the Association doesn’t want owners to see.
Either way, owners were told the Election Committee made decisions they may not have made, during active voting, in an election that determines the future of our building.
Here’s What You Can Do
Only you get to decide if this is an acceptable response. Your voice matters in shaping the board’s future.
If this concerns you, if you cast your vote based on that email claiming fraud, don’t you think you deserve straight answers about who authorized an election email sent in the Committee’s name?
Fortunately, your vote isn’t locked in. You have options.
Option 1: Request a New Ballot
Contact Jeremiah Querubin, Condo CPA, Election Judge right away at:
- Phone: 630-832-2222 x125
- Email: jr@condocpa.com
They cannot deny your request and they must count your new ballot. The decision is yours.
Option 2: Demand Transparency
Email Board President Scott Timmerman directly and insist he instruct the Association’s legal counsel and management company to release the information requested about the alleged fraud.
He’s the only board member with this authority. The buck stops with him.
In the end, don’t let Weasel Worded responses determine the election.
The issue is as straightforward as it can be: when official HOA communications directly influence an election, owners have the right to know who authorized them and how decisions were made.
Their refusal to provide this information speaks volumes.
