Well here is something that needs to be looked at. Cmra did put their so called books on their website. So i started looking at them. Now Cmra had a BOD member who owned a track day organizations. Guess who did Friday practice? Yep his track day company. Now if you look at how many Friday practice brings in last yr after he closed his track day company down and Cmra took it over. Its quite the money maker for a Friday. So as Peyton has been saying. Things just dont add up and thanks to Cmra posting all this info anyone can have a look and with a calculator can see some issues of mismanagement and where and who should be profiting. Seems Cmra was not the whole time cause Friday trackday money went to a BOD member who had a for profit company that ran Friday practice. Steven
We had a guy do that to our Men's league. He funneled over 17k out of it over a couple years to fund a gambling habit. When he got outed, he fucked off to Australia, and has never really been home to man up for it. I think he lives in Germany now, not sure, don't care. He eventually paid the money back, but he lost a lot of friends over the deal. Me included. He's very lucky it was resolved without legal intervention. It happens, A LOT. It's easy for people to get comfortable spending other peoples money, and eventually the line between what's yours, and theirs gets blurry. People also get complacent and say things like "well they put up with running it, so they should get something". NO they're a fucking thief. If you think they should "get" something, set it up as a salary and do it right. Not just arbitrarily buying personal shit with a company card.
Just curious, but is the CMRA successful in running races / filling grids? Even with all this shit going on?
FWIW license apps and team registration is not a good indicator. I renew my license every year but have been racing another org 700 miles away. I see many do similar. Actual entries are what matter. Pray for dry weather this year. The club is gong to need it.
The problem with that analogy is that this isn’t a small, private business. This is a member owned club organized as a 501c7. Which means it’s a bunch or people who pool all of ther money together so they can race mortocycles. Instead of saying we want to race and everyone showing up with their portion of the costs for the weekend you organize as a non-profit hobby/club. You pool all of your money together in one bank account, put someone in charge of it and have everything handled in a central manner. The way the state and IRS see this it’s not a business it’s a bunch of people with a similar interest putting money together for a common hobby. This is why it’s not a tax deductible non-profit. If you all got together and pooled money for a BBQ that’s not a tax deductible cause. But you wouldn’t pay taxes on getting together for a cook off either which is why when you organize as a 501c7 to host a cook off for the subdivision every month you don’t pay taxes on the “revenue” from members. So when you understand how the CMRA is structured you begin to see why is not like a small business owner buying the family dinner or adding the kids cellphones to the company account.
But if everyone that went to the BBQ, ate some food, drank some beverages and generally had a good time... paid for the event willingly... why then would one feel the right or need to sue the organizers of the event? On the other hand, if the organization engaged in nontraditional business practices where individuals were profiting from a non profit organization, which I assume CMRA is claiming with its 501 c 7 designation, then it would seem the IRS would have an issue, not so much an individual. The only recourse for the individual is not to participate... which if enough people did, would lead to the current declaration of bankruptcy. The lawsuits while possibly misguided (in my ignorant interpretation) basically did draw attention to the issue, and like the OP said created an Are You Happy Now? situation. Interesting...
No, partnered up for a few races a year maybe??? Regardless it wouldn’t have worked, Mongo cannot hide pie expenses, that would stick out more than a trip to 6 flags
I’m not reading through this crap but has the club ever been audited by the IRS? That may or may not mean a lot though as you can easily state for example trip to 6 flags is entertainment. Fast food is a business meal. Etc.
I was only expounding on my previous post about how it was being run. Regardless of how many members CMRA has or how it's organized legally, it was still being run like it was a small "good ol boy" business.
If we agree that everyone chips in $20, you organize the event, provide each person $15 worth of food and entertainment, then keep $5 for yourself for doing the work, we're fine. If we agree to all of the above, but you only provide $12 worth of food and entertainment, then keep the extra $3 for yourself (while lying and hiding the info), then we have a problem.
What everyone is “ok with” does not matter in the least. If you defraud an organization that has tax exempt status you defraud every taxpayer. It’s a big deal. Every fraudulent swipe of the credit card or hand in the cookie jar is a FELONY. Looking at the records it’s pretty easy to see why the club didn’t want them available as required by law.
Ok ive been reading all this and some see it as it is and others seem to have an answer for how the BOD and the employees of this club are acting like they own the club. What im finding hard to understand is that some fine individuals who have been fighting for the truth have had their names drug down and lies have been spread about them. Peyton has taken the hardest hit and now the paperwork ive posted prove what he and us have been saying all along. Id have to say that Linz Leard has been personally hurt the most. Peyton understands what he got into and so did i. Linz has had his name smeared that he was fired as grid marshal after over 2 decades of service to club and when he sued the person who had fake photos sent out and made accusations. He resigned as a BOD and was never given access to any financials that he asked to see to help put the Peyton lawsuit to rest and prove Peyton right or wrong so it wouldn't hurt club anymore. The Club decided to hire her a lawyer to defend her in small claims court. Seriously? Small claims court! All paid for by the club members money. And its all in black and white. There is so much wrong with this clubs leadership that needs to be addressed. But instead of members making the BOD open the books and either providing Peyton wrong or right and then handling the outcome. They let BOD spent money to keep from showing the books. Now we see that all of a sudden they are not only going to show the books. They act they want people to see them. Bahhhahahhaha thats rich folks. Why now? Now they file for bankruptcy when if you actually read the papers they have money and assets that shows no need to do that. For 4 yrs ive taken the heat for keeping the members informed by posting court documents that are public record just to make sure any members want to keep up. Peyton and others have tried to bring into public the facts about how Cmra was not being run in the best interests of its members. And what did 90% of people do? Members didn't step up and hold any of the BOD or employees accountable. Members as a whole did NOTHING. And what they did do was trash anyone who asked questions to be answered. Believe this or dont but all of us who stood out front or behind to expose any wrong doing about club truly loves racing and the people in it. Maybe its time the actual members step up and demand things change and make the BOD follow the laws and clean house so this never happens again. Its been pretty lonely fighting for whats right for Cmra members and it seems no one cared what we fought for. As anyone can see if i have something that needs to be said i pretty much say it. I have stalkers as you can also see. Ive offered my phone and address to them at anytime to show im not afraid to deal with them. But what i would like after all this is over and the facts come out are just a small few things. I want people to apologize to Peyton and Linz and a few others for them being wrong and not supporting them. And of course the club to be run in the best interests of its members. Hell i will even offer to be race director so that everyone is treated the same. Make racing fun again and to build American Road Racing back up at club level for a brighter future. Sorry just had to vent and wont happen again. The information is there for all to read. Lets see if we can all go have fun and be safe racing. Take care Steven
I hunted Peyton down at Vintage Days this year just so I could shake his hand and tell him that he was doing the right thing!
And everyone did agree to pay the employees and contractors for keeping it all organized, that's why they are paid salaries.
Getting paid a salary entails a set salary or an hourly rate and getting paid that with documentation called a pay stub or even a 1099. Not just depositing random cash into an account, nor does it involve going to amusement parks or buying lunch at mcdonald's. Again, if everything was on the up and up no one would have felt the need to file a lawsuit.
