Richard Homsi: Governors Island club practices selective enforcement

To the Daily Sun:

“Let the Buyer Beware” describes my past 12 years on Lake Winnipesaukee. When I bought my home on Summit Avenue in 1999, I was thrilled to be able to spend time away from work at the lake where my family had vacationed for many years.

At that time, I was asked if I wanted to join Governor’s Island Club, Inc. (GIC). As someone who values being part of a community, I said yes. That was a terrible mistake. Over the past years, I have experienced the almost unlimited powers of GIC, a powerful group of wealthy individuals with substantial resources and ready access to local attorneys and the courts. The club is governed by its Covenants and Restrictions document, but this is simply a piece of paper that may be interpreted in a way most befitting those in charge. Invariably, the decisions are made in favor of those whom the GIC Board of Directors believes are a good “fit”, code for the wealthy. While the club and their attorney have scorned the idea that their decisions are about classism, a look at who gets exemptions and who does not tells the story.

My problems began in 2008 involving the construction of a garage on my property. They denied my request, which had been approved by the city of Laconia and the state. The reasons were because the Covenant and Restrictions did not allow for a detached structure to have living quarters and that my request for a setback waiver was not acceptable. Both before and after 2008, garages have been converted, torn down, and rebuilt, all approved by the board, including those with living quarters and setback waivers, most recently as 2020.

I fought the charges, primarily representing myself, since I can’t afford expensive local legal representation, readily available to the club. The bills increased as the court case lingered on in Belknap County, the longest civil litigation in that county's history. At one point, I believed we had a successful mediation agreement, signed by myself, the Board President, their counsel and the court mediator. The next day, the board rejected it. Clearly mediation is not their interest. For those who wish to check the facts, all court proceedings are on file.

The board’s view is that I simply need to pay them “what I owe,” costs which should have never occurred had they granted me my original request, which was approvable. Their selective enforcement is glaringly obvious. Their motivation is not to protect from overbuilding since anyone can see the results of the overdevelopment on the island, some houses in excess of 14,000 square feet. It is not to be environmentally proactive, since setbacks are waived. It is to protect a certain class of homeowners. A self-employed mechanic does not meet their standards.

Buyer beware: please do your homework about GIC first. They want to financially drive me out. My home is not their image of what the entrance to Governor’s Island should be.

Richard Homsi

Laconia