Felony Arrest

One nice thing about living in McNaughten Village is that we have a definite lack of crime (discounting the shoplifting thieves from Dollar General who cross the street to get picked up by their ride in our neighborhood, the boom cars that rattle our windows every weekday afternoon, and the occasional shooting). So, when one of my neighbors called me around 8:30 pm and asked why two Columbus Police Department squad cars were parked outside, I was a little surprised.

On Saturday, November 2^nd, 2024 around 8:30 PM we had two squad cars parked outside 1861 Misty Way. Ten minutes later we had a third, and five minutes after that we had a fourth. Four squad cars, and the CPD informed me that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. A few of the neighbors congregated outside and waited to see what might happen, and a fifth car pulled up. This was a plain clothes car with one detective in it. The cops rang the bell at address 1861 and gained entrance in short order. Eventually an SUV with a woman and a baby in it pulled up, then a short time later an arrest was made.

Christin L Hill of 1861 Misty Way was arrested on a felony, namely "STRANGULATION - SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM", committed on Thursday, October 31, 2024. The Ticket Number is 240818326A. 

You can read about it here using the case number or full name as search conditions: name Christin L Hill; case number 2024 CR A 018556.

Insofar as I know any of my neighbors, I'd say that all of them are generally nice, friendly  people. Most are retired, and the rest work hard for a living. I've never met Christin Hill, and I don't want to meet him; he's been arrested for strangling someone. Still, I'm glad to know where he lives, and my hope is that he doesn't come back.

Automatic Direct Debit - Who Benefits?

Like everyone else in McNaughten Village, I received this notice in an email from our property manager, PMI.  They claim that the U.S. Mail is experiencing slow service, which may cause your condo fee payment to be late.  PMI suggests that all residents set up automatic online payments, which allows PMI to withdrawn the condo fee from your bank account without any intervention or approval from you, the owner of the account.  What could be more convenient?

This is convenient for PMI.  Not so much for the resident.  Once a vendor takes money from your account with your permission, it's almost impossible to get it back.  Setting this up for an automatic deduction just adds to the risk.  What if, for instance, the vendor takes too much?  You, the account holder, are on the hook for that money.  What if there isn't enough money in the account?  Bounced check fees apply from both the bank and the vendor, and those fees will be automatically deducted from your account without your permission.

The safest way to pay your condo fees is by a paper check, mailed from the U.S. Post Office.  Make your payment well in advance, giving it fifteen business days to arrive at PMI and be processed.  You can easily keep track of your payment via the Internet, as virtually every bank and credit union has a web site that allows you to do this.

Next time you're at the Post Office, ask them if their distribution centers are experiencing significant delays.

Thank you for reading.

News Letter

Here is a copy of the McNaughten Village News Letter, along with a few clarifications.  Read and enjoy as it amuses you to do so.

Board Vacancies: Ex-President Bill Emery was fired by the McNaughten Village Board of Directors  (MVBOD) on October 16, 2023.  Ex-Treasurer Matt Little resigned January 1, 2024. According to the official declaration documents, the MVBOD must be made up of six directors who are willing and able to serve, and who attend the monthly meetings of the Board.  Right now we only have five, a situation that's existed since January 1, 2024.

A redacted version of the MVBOD monthly meeting minutes can be found on the PMI web site in the Documents section.

Paintball Drive-By

I got this news from Nextdoor, so normally I'd say take it with a grain of salt.  However, it seems that this is not an isolated event.

Over the past three weeks, teenagers have been shooting at people, cars, and children using paintball guns.  They started by shooting at children in the nearby park, and finished up at the corner of Gemstar Road and Arrowsmith Drive when a pedestrian returned fire with a nine millimeter pistol.

Having played paintball and been a referee, I can tell you that protective gear is worn at all times on the field, and there's a good reason for that.  Paintball pellets travel at 300 feet per second (fps) which translates into 204 mph.  Getting hit with a pellet at one hundred feet is painful.  Getting shot at 25 feet or less hurts.  Worse, if you're shot in the face you could lose an eye or have your hearing damaged.  You could also sustain a concussion.

The dye used in paintball pellets is permanent and will damage the finish on your car.  In theory it's water soluble, but in practice it's permanent.

To the best of my knowledge, the police aren't doing much about this latest trend.  For my part, I wouldn't go walking at night, and if you see something, say something.

Thanks for reading.

 

Treasurer Resigns

I was saddened to learn that as of January 1^st, 2024, board member and treasurer Matt Little chose to resign from the McNaughten Village Board of Directors.  Matt did an outstanding job as treasurer and his absence will be sorely missed.

This also leaves the board of directors short by one member, as the regulations clearly state that there must be six members on the board.  

Gutter Cleaning

It looks like we're in for five days of gutter maintenance.  I'm waiting to see where they dump the debris from the gutter.

Landscaping Needed

I discovered that someone either doesn't know how to drive, or is driving drunk.

Broken Bush

I don't think this can be repaired, so it should be removed and replaced with something else.

Violations and Maintenance

 There's a man living on Little Brook who continually parks his cars in the McNaughten Village parking lot.  I'm hoping PMI will have the violator towed.

Here is the car.

No Plates

This is a violation.  We the residents do not pay property taxes just so this man can park in our lot.