(Aug. 6, 2015) For three years, Ocean Pines Associations Board directors Marty Clarke and Sharyn O’Hare epitomized the philosophical divide on the board, often leading to fiery debates during public meetings.
On Thursday, July 30, during their final meeting together, the pair continued to clash.
Less than five minutes into the meeting, O’Hare asked Clarke to clarify his comments during a June 25 board meeting when she was absent.
According to the minutes, Clarke, addressing a CPI violation on Tail of the Fox Drive, said, “Sharyn must have forgotten it’s illegal to offer a house for sale without a written listing.”
“Marty, did you in fact make that statement?” O’Hare asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
O’Hare, obviously not amused, made a public statement that General Manager Bob Thompson “made it very clear” the property was not for sale.
“You are accusing me of doing something illegal,” she said. “This is my professional career, Marty.”
“I stand by the statement,” Clarke said.
“You are wrong,” O’Hare said.
“Okay, sue me,” Clarke said.
Board President Dave Stevens asked that the minutes of the June 25 meeting note that O’Hare registered an objection.
Clarke, however, was not finished.
“Is it not illegal to offer a property for sale without a listing in the state of Maryland?” he asked.
“Marty, the property was not offered for sale,” O’Hare said. “There was a lockbox on the property. That is not illegal. It was never offered for sale, and your general manager verified that. You’re accusing me of something illegal.”
O’Hare attempted to clarify that the lockbox was put onto the property as “a courtesy for the association,” allowing a real estate agent to conduct a market analysis “without coming to Ocean Pines to pick up a key.”
“It was strictly a courtesy. Bob and I talked about that and I did it to help [make] it an easy process,” O’Hare said. “That is it. It was not listed for sale.”
“I already know a lot more now about real estate than I wanted to know,” Stevens said, effectively ending the debate.
Two hours later, at the conclusion of the meeting, O’Hare thanked the board, general manager and the staff for what she called, “a very interesting three years.”
“I’m glad to have the opportunity,” she said.
Prompted by several board members to mark the occasion of his own retirement, Clarke simply said, “ditto.”
On Thursday, July 30, during their final meeting together, the pair continued to clash.
Less than five minutes into the meeting, O’Hare asked Clarke to clarify his comments during a June 25 board meeting when she was absent.
According to the minutes, Clarke, addressing a CPI violation on Tail of the Fox Drive, said, “Sharyn must have forgotten it’s illegal to offer a house for sale without a written listing.”
“Marty, did you in fact make that statement?” O’Hare asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
O’Hare, obviously not amused, made a public statement that General Manager Bob Thompson “made it very clear” the property was not for sale.
“You are accusing me of doing something illegal,” she said. “This is my professional career, Marty.”
“I stand by the statement,” Clarke said.
“You are wrong,” O’Hare said.
“Okay, sue me,” Clarke said.
Board President Dave Stevens asked that the minutes of the June 25 meeting note that O’Hare registered an objection.
Clarke, however, was not finished.
“Is it not illegal to offer a property for sale without a listing in the state of Maryland?” he asked.
“Marty, the property was not offered for sale,” O’Hare said. “There was a lockbox on the property. That is not illegal. It was never offered for sale, and your general manager verified that. You’re accusing me of something illegal.”
O’Hare attempted to clarify that the lockbox was put onto the property as “a courtesy for the association,” allowing a real estate agent to conduct a market analysis “without coming to Ocean Pines to pick up a key.”
“It was strictly a courtesy. Bob and I talked about that and I did it to help [make] it an easy process,” O’Hare said. “That is it. It was not listed for sale.”
“I already know a lot more now about real estate than I wanted to know,” Stevens said, effectively ending the debate.
Two hours later, at the conclusion of the meeting, O’Hare thanked the board, general manager and the staff for what she called, “a very interesting three years.”
“I’m glad to have the opportunity,” she said.
Prompted by several board members to mark the occasion of his own retirement, Clarke simply said, “ditto.”