Jordan Price Wall Gray Jones & Carlton, PLLC

**BEWARE** There are some incredibly unprofessional and unethical attorneys (Hope Carmichael and Catherine Bryant) in this firm who are paid by developers to pretend to represent HOAs and try to coerce actual residents to vote to give up their property rights and pay for developers’ fees disguising them as HOA fees. I’ve been in real estate for 20 years and have never come across such shady tactics violating NC attorneys ethics and code of conduct. If you are ever contacted by this group, do your research. DO NOT TRUST this firm.

Here are 10 things to which I can I can attest regarding Hope Derby Carmichael, a Partner in this firm: 1. She advised the Carolina Preserve HOA Board that they do not have a Duty to Maintain a Common Element drain that she knows was installed by the Developer "because the drain is not located within as easement," despite knowing that the HOA has a Duty to Maintain the drain which IS located within an easement, because the CP Declaration and Covenants grant an easement over all Common Element including the entire stormwater drainage system, of which the drain is an integral part. 2. She is aware that the CPHOA is using her incorrect advice to Breach their Duty per NC Law and the CP Governing Documents, and exposing the CPHOA to litigation and liability. 3. She is aware that a former Board member, who is not a licensed NC attorney, drafted a legal document "on behalf of the HOA," and instead of reporting said behavior to the NC Bar, stated that she "assisted" said Board member in the drafting of the document, which also appears to be improper per the Bar. 4. She threatened homeowners, who had not violated any HOA rules, with "nuisance," harassment," and even "law enforcement." 5. When the Community's former GM resigned after billing irregularities were discovered regarding an over-budget Pavilion, she did not request an independent investigation but instead advised the HOA Board to hire her firm to perform an "audit" report. Homeowners have not still recovered lost $ from this Management company. 6. She has served in Leadership positions with said Management Company for the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and appears to have a conflict of Interest in the "investigation" as a result. 7. Her firm, of which she is a Partner, applied for and accepted @$450,000 in PPP funds, claiming that they needed the money to pay salaries, though it appears that this attorney and her colleagues never stopped billing clients during the Pandemic. I did not personally hire this attorney, nor would I, but I have unfortunately experienced her actions as a homeowner in the Community, and my dues have paid her bills - of which 8. She refuses to disclose because she claims that bills are "attorney client privilege." 9. She refuses to disclose many other documents that homeowners expect to be able to review, per NC Law and Covenants. 10. Her actions have cost Associations a lot of money, while paying her, and her firm, well.

Do not work here!!! They won’t pay you for the PTO you have earned and accumulated over months if employment ends. They also treat you as guilty of things from the start instead of innocent until proven guilty.

Our HOA was charged for my calling to request copies of correspondence that the firm had with a prior Board Member. The HOA had been charged a large amount and the prior Board Member didn't share anything. I would not be angry about the charge if the correspondence had been sent. But I was charged for them to NOT give me the information that I requested. Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE! I'm afraid of how much I'll be charged to call to dispute the charges.

Hope Carmichael conducted our first virtual HOA meeting this week. She did an outstanding job. Our last in person meeting conducted by our HOA Board of Directors and was chaos, full of armchair legal experts with absolutely no order. She provided an easy to understand interpretation of the law and conducted the meeting according to Roberts Rules of Order and it ran amazingly smooth. Thanks again Hope for making a typically painful experience attending the HOA meetings actually enjoyable.