David Berman in his 21 Aug. Anthem Journal article "Board President Squelches a Rumor ...And Starts a New One," suggests the possibility (a rumor) that the Association's forensics auditor hired to determine compliance with the revenue sharing provisions of the Trumpets lease with S&D Cafe V, LLC, has reached a snag. The snag appears related to the alleged failure of the lessee to provide all of the documents the auditor had requested in his efforts to make a determination of compliance.

While it would be nice to assume that this obstacle has presented us with a correctable glitch in the auditing process, we may not be that fortunate. At present, the auditor must rely on the good graces and the willingness of the lessee to cooperate. Absent complete and full cooperation by the lessee, the auditor may not be able to fulfill his assigned task of conducting his audit. A partial audit with incomplete documentation is, for all practical purposes, worthless. The auditor lacks subpoena powers.

If the auditor is unable to complete his task, we will not know whether the lessee has complied with the revenue sharing provisions of the lease. While the potential loss to the Association will be in the uncertainty of not knowing, the far greater loss will be in the trust between the parties that will be lost as a result. Without that level of mutual trust, it's difficult to imagine the conditions under which such a tenuous relationship will be able to operate, let alone will flourish.