The Process Is The Problem
HOA Election Fraud Allegations Raise More Questions Than They Answer
October 5, 2025
On Sep 19, 2025, an official email, sent while owners were actively voting, claimed the 175 E. Delaware Place HOA Election Committee had discovered alleged fraudulent activity. Shortly afterward, one of the three committee members confirmed they were never contacted by the Association’s attorney or property manager and they knew nothing about the investigation or the communication. This raises questions of misuse regarding Election Committee’s name and when combined with the Association’s refusal to provide legally required documentation about the process to authorize the message has caused a fundamental crisis in HOA election transparency.
Brought to you by Drew McManus, your neighbor in 7908.
The Big Question
Who Authorized This Email?
On Sep 19, 2025, every owner at 175 E Delaware Pl received an email through the management company’s email system with the subject line “Fraudulent Election-Related Activity.” The email was distributed by the assistant property manager and presented itself as coming from the “175 E. Delaware Place HOA Election Committee” (read a copy of the email).
The message made specific claims about the election:
- Owners had allegedly received two different letters by US Postal Service from Board President Scott Timmerman concerning the upcoming election, offering conflicting candidate recommendations.
- The email alleged that one of these letters was “fraudulent” and unauthorized by Mr. Timmerman.
- The email stated plainly: “The Election Committee has been made aware of fraudulent activity.”
The Authority Vanished
Not All Committee Members Were Involved
Six days later during the “Meet The Candidate” event on Sep 25, 2025, the authority claimed by the message has been called into question following what may be best defined as a shocking discovery:
- During the “Meet The Candidates” owners asked one of the three Election Committee members about the alleged fraud investigation.
- In the presence of those owners and Timmerman, the Committee member confirmed they had no knowledge of the investigation or the alleged fraudulent email.
- The member stated they had not been contacted by the Association’s attorney or the management company, they did not participate in any meeting or discussion about fraudulent letters and they never made any decision to notify owners about alleged fraud.
If one third of the three person Committee was never informed and never involved, this raises several critical questions:
- Who actually conducted this investigation?
- Did any Election Committee members actually participate in the process?
- Who made the determination that criminal fraud had occurred rather than any other equally reasonable explanations (more on that below)?
Show Your Work
The Investigation That Doesn’t Add Up
The sources suggest the communication should have been labeled as “supposed fraud” or “alleged fraud,” as only agencies like the US Postal Service (USPS) are typically authorized to perform investigations into mail criminality. The email supposedly authorized by the Election Committee appeared to jump immediately to the conclusion of “fraudulent activity.”
The reality is there is a notable lack of evidence supporting the claim of external fraud:
- The Sep 19 email provided no documentation of any investigation or explanation of what evidence was reviewed before concluding that fraud had occurred.
- The email noted that the two alleged letters were both sent by Timmerman but a review of the postmarks confirms they were processed by the USPS within one hour of each other and the letter copy was identical. This detail was omitted in the Sep 19 email to owners.
This timing suggests any number of possibilities:
- Human Error: Board President Scott Timmerman simply made an error and mixed in test and final versions of his letter.
- Fraud: the message could have been sent with the intent to mislead owners.
- A Strategic Opportunity: it could have been sent by one of Timmerman’s supporters (with or without his knowledge) to provide the pretense necessary to send the Sept 19 email, allowing the situation to be framed as a “crisis” to notify owners and garner sympathy for Timmerman.
A Process Defined By Holes
The Silence Is Deafening
The integrity of an HOA’s election rests on trust. Unfortunately, the Association’s lack of response to a formal legal request for documentation concerning this matter has further eroded confidence.
On Sep 26, 2025, I submitted a formal request under the rights provided by both the Chicago Condominium Ordinance and the Illinois Condominium Property Act. As of the time this article was published, this request has been ignored.
No acknowledgement or reply has been received even though it’s been confirmed the the emails have been received and opened.
The request sought essential documents, including:
- All communications (emails, text messages, 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 Sep 19 communication.
- Drafts of the Sep 19 email, identifying who authored, edited, or approved the final version.
- Documentation of the process and findings regarding the alleged fraudulent letter.
- Records of meetings or discussions in which the Election Committee was involved in reviewing or determining the content of the Sep 19 communication.
1) Misrepresentation of Authority: an official Election Committee decision was used on a communication that directly influenced votes, and we know at least one member never authorized it. Owners were given misleading and incomplete information; how would you define that as anything but a betrayal of the basic contract of trust.
2) A deliberate choice to withhold information: the authors believe would be damaging to if seen by the owners. Either the documents are missing because they never followed proper process, or the documents are deliberately concealed because they contain disclosures the authors absolutely do not want us to see.
Owners were given misleading and incomplete information; how would you define that as anything but a betrayal of the basic contract of trust.
What other conclusions can you see?
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.
Demand A Clean Election
The Best Path Forward
It’s understandable to see how the Sep 19 email broke the trust required for a fair election. Owners who received that email and voted based on what they believed was official Election Committee guidance cannot unring that bell.
The contamination of the process is too severe. Anything less than a complete restart leaves owners voting in an election they cannot trust.
If you believe this election process has been compromised and owners deserve transparency and a fair restart, send the message below to the Property Manager and Board President Scott Timmerman.
Be respectful, concise, and clear in articulating the negative impact it has had on you and your fellow homeowners. You are welcome to use the example language as-is, but feel free to personalize the example message before you send.
