Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Oct. 12, 2017)
A second lawsuit has been filed against former Ocean Pines Association Director Brett Hill. Hill is facing a lawsuit filed last month by a senior advisor to his former company, FTS Fiber, that alleges Hill failed to repay the balance of an $80,000 loan. Hill resigned as CEO of FTS and from the Ocean Pines Board last month. Kenneth Lawhorn filed that suit in the Worcester County Circuit Court in Snow Hill on Sept. 15. A second suit against Hill contends he did not pay back the balance of a $150,000 loan, given on Nov. 7, 2016 by Gary Sierk and due by April 1 of this year. Under the terms of the promissory note, Hill and Adam Noll, who took over as CEO of FTS, were to repay the loan in full and transfer two shares of FTS stock. The complaint, supporting exhibits and a request for confession of judgment was filed in Worcester County Circuit Court in Snow Hill on Oct. 6. Hill apparently made payments of $5,000 on May 17, $12,000 on June 23, $25,000 on July 7 and $12,000 on Aug. 3. Sierk, a Fairfax Station, Virginia resident, is asking for $108,120.90, which includes the remaining principal balance of the loan, $103,066.15, interest in the amount of $2,947.97, attorneys’ fees and expenses of $1,926 and $180.78 in court fees. Rachel N. Mech and Edward Hutchinson Robbins, Jr. of Miles & Stockbridge, PC, represent both Sierk and Lawhorn. Mech, last month, said it was a policy of the firm not to comment on open cases. As of press time no court dates were set in either case.