GAS BILL ANOMALIES Edit page

Gas Bill Discrepancies:

We have discovered a significant issue: payments for gas were being deducted automatically from the Estates ll bank for roughly 6 years, leading to discrepancies that went unnoticed until November 30,2021 when Mike Friedlander identified a $50,841.57 withdrawal. Following this discovery it is believed the matter did not progress further and was effectively overlooked, with no reports or follow-ups made.

Phone calls with National Grid revealed from April 16, 2021, to February 22, 2022, Estates ll incurred approximately $25,000 in expenses for gas services. To ensure transparency and accountability, we must retrieve all bills and transaction records from 2016 onwards. Our current estimates suggest yearly expenses should be around $3,300 to $4,000. Urgent investigation is needed to identify those involved and clarify the missing funds. The statements from National Grid can be found in pdf format on the Gas Activity Page.

Here is a limited summary of the payments made for gas services as National Grid will not provide us with anymore statements without a subpoena.

Payment  Summary Chart

Subject: Review of Billing Practices and Discrepancies

Previous Billing Policy:

Before TCM's involvement, all bills were routed to the in house manager for approval. The process involved the manager obtaining authorization from the treasurer and at least one executive board member before any payments were made. Once approved, the manager generated the checks, which required two signatures: one from the treasurer and the other from either the Vice President or the President.  Payments were correct and made on time. 

Current TCM Billing Policy:

The National Grid Account for Estates ll was put on Auto Pay. The bills do not go to Bellmore, they come to the club house for review.  TCM then proceeds to make the payments from Bellmore. 

Financial Summary:

From April 2021 to January 2022, excluding the bill for $44,441.36 on February 25, 2022, and including the credited amount of $50,841.57, we effectively paid approximately $25,000 for nine months of gas service.

However, the board's instruction to investigate high charges following the significant $50,000 withdrawal did not result in any actionable steps. This raises further concerns about payments made in April, May, June, and July of 2021, which totaled $9,466.97, as well as the singular payment of $9,533.79 on August 19, 2021.

Next Steps:

We strongly recommend conducting a comprehensive review of all bills and payments dating back to the end of 2016 through March 2021.

Summary:

- Total Payments from 4-16-21 to 2-22-22: Approximately $25,000

- Further investigation is needed for high charges after the $50,000 payment.

- Important to review bills from 2016 through March 2021.

- Current expected bills: $3,300 to $4,000 per year.

- Concern about potentially missing $150,000 from Estates ll.