Logan Co, IL. (ECWd) –
The Atlanta Public Library District held a Special Meeting in December 18, 2014, with the sole purpose of discussing the Union Hall project.
What really happened was not on the meeting agenda for a vote, but it happened anyway.
Imagine, selling a building and keeping the right to occupy it
The board of trustees voted to enter into a 20-year “INSTALLMENT CONTRACT TO PURCHASE” of 114 S.W. Archer Street – e.g., “Union Hall.”
According to the contract, the building owner was Saint Thomas Didymus Corporation, a Member of Teleologic Learning, L.L.C. – William M. Thomas was the president of the corporation.
The final purchase price was set at $200,000 with payments of $1,211.96 each month, at 4% simple interest for 20 years. The first payment was due on February 1, 2015.
Bill Thomas also inserted a self-serving provision under paragraph “H” giving him the right to remain in the building as a tenant, and that he was responsible for delivering the mortgage payment to Heartland Bank and Trust Company each month to pay his mortgage payments – presumably after the Library paid their installment contract payments.
One final “special provision” in paragraph 2.04 was that the contract “shall terminate after a default of the payment of any installment of principal of interest for sixty (60) days...” this provision is probably the most important and we will write about this provision in future articles as to the reasons this provision is important.
Thomas used his attorney for this contract, the Library did not use the services of an attorney (it will become apparent in later articles why this is important).
The next several publications will be a numbered series of articles designed to expose the Union Hall project from its inception to where it is today. It will be an eye-opening experience and answer questions like:
- Why is it our opinion that this 2014 contract invalid?
- Did the Library get the grant from the Secretary of State?
- Were there ever any payments made based on the 2014 contract?
- Are there grounds to allege grant fraud?
- Is William Thomas a walking, talking conflict of interest in the Union Hall Project?
- What is the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act and was it complied with at any time during the life of this project?
- Was the building purchased in 2015 by another party?
- Why were there lease payments made on the building and not specified in the previous contract?
- Why did the lease change again in December of 2016?
- Are any of the leases and contracts valid, and what can be done about all of this?
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2014 INSTALLMENT CONTRACT TO PURCHASE.
DEC 2014 agenda minutes.
4 Comments
Brenda Hawkins
Posted at 13:43h, 18 AugustI feel bad for the people of Atlanta that have been taken advantage of and have trusted who they thought were honest community minded individuals. I can say as someone not fromAtlanta and moved two years ago because of the back stabbing manipulating dishonesty I witnessed, I hope a few of these people have a fine as large as their bank accounts have grown at the expense of others and sit in a jail cell for the number of years they have served and created this fraudulent mess! Especially the master mind behind the whole mess that has filled his bank account under multiple names and businesses with money that belongs to honest hard working people unlike himself!
Sarah
Posted at 10:05h, 19 AugustOh really? How about doing a story on how much money Bill and his family has helped bring into Atlanta! Without the tourism money and development they have brought into Atlanta this would just be another small town nobody would know about. Bill and his family are some of the biggest hearted people I know! What makes me sick is the fact that this town should be standing behind him 100% Have you yourself ever say and talked with Bill? Have you seen the gleam in his eye or heard the excitement in his face when he talks about Atlanta, wether it’s about current Atlanta or the history of? Bill and his family love this town! You say you moved because of backstabbing etc.? That’s funny because I have never seen a town full of kinder people!
James J Pancrazio
Posted at 09:13h, 18 AugustIsn’t it illegal to hold an undeclared or declared interest in a property (even through a corporate shell) and serve on a public body that contracts with that interest? I seem to recall an article in ECW that focused on a roofing contractor that served on a board that contracted services with him.
jmkraft
Posted at 09:23h, 18 AugustYes it is. Very much so. There is so much going on with this Union Hall Project we are publishing it in a series.