Fellow Owners,
I’ve lived in this community for 17 years. I’ve worked in global real estate development and construction for over two decades—partnering with institutional investors and managing billions in assets across four continents. I’ve spent hundreds of hours investigating serious financial misconduct in our building—not out of spite, but out of duty. My conclusions are based on documents, math, and facts. Not rumors.
I’m also a professional whistleblower. In 2014, while working for a major U.S. REIT in Singapore, I uncovered financial fraud and reported it. That case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. I don’t take on fights lightly. But when I do, I don’t back down—especially when the evidence is this clear.
When I returned from Singapore, I started asking questions about the $400,000 elevator special assessment. The response? Aggressive pushback—led by former board president Kate Goodman. You can see the video yourself.
I know elevators. The $400K assessment didn’t make sense. It looked like a $125K job. I raised concerns with attorney David Sugar of Saul Ewing, warning the conditions were ripe for embezzlement. He refused to engage. I was stonewalled at board meetings. No answers. No transparency.
It didn’t stop there. I’ve now reviewed the lobby redecoration costs. We were charged around $100 per square foot for stone tile that should have cost $15 per square foot. Painting the inside of each elevator cab? $3,300. The whole lobby job cost $230,000—but should’ve been closer to $60,000. Once again: no bids, no oversight.
This pattern goes back to 2020. That’s when Peter Keseric, as board president, fired our management company without a vote and unilaterally signed a contract with FCM, run by his friend Michael Rutkowski. The board never approved it. Yet FCM has handled all of our money for five years without a valid contract.
The board recently refused a forensic audit. They’ve refused to turn over records, despite clear legal obligations under Illinois law. And when I wouldn’t stop asking questions, they hit me with a frivolous lawsuit and $5,800 in fines.
They sued us over a leak—but never proved it was our fault. That’s because it wasn’t. The leak came from a cracked common-area waste pipe—outside our unit. And under Illinois law, common elements are the board’s responsibility.
They knew this. But instead of disclosing the source, they kept it hidden.
Why? Simple: to harass me into ending my investigation.
They told the court they'd drop the lawsuit in September. A month later, they reversed course—and said they’d sue us for Saul Ewing’s legal fees.
That’s illegal. Under our governing documents, the board can only recover legal fees from an owner if the owner violated the rules. We never did.
To keep the case alive, they changed tactics—claiming we blocked access for repairs. That’s a lie.
We allowed access over eight times—never once refused.
Yet Saul Ewing’s Liz Thompson has repeated this false claim over 50 times in court filings. No evidence. Just fiction. Is she that desperate for billable hours that she’s willing to violate her duty of candor to the court?
At this point, she's not just defending misconduct—she's part of the coverup.
This lawsuit has now cost the association over $40,000—your money—all to protect a few bad actors and silence a whistleblower.
The group responsible has circled the wagons—same backgrounds, same loyalties, same playbook. They're protecting each other using your money.
Here’s the good news: Our insurance policy will cover misappropriated funds—but only if we take action. We must remove FCM, elect at least one independent board member, and demand a forensic audit. If we do that, I believe we can recover up to $500,000—about $8,000 per unit.
I know it’s uncomfortable to face this. But ignoring it won’t make it go away. We’re not the first HOA to uncover corruption—and we won’t be the last. But we have a chance to stop it, clean it up, and come out stronger.
Please sign the petition. We need your voice to force the audit and protect our building.
Thanks for reading. More to come.
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