May 30, 2010
Franz Grimm
4484 Turnberry Lane
Lake Wales, FL. 33859
This letter is in regards to the terror that I have been facing in the Lake Ashton Woodworking Shop. My name is Franz Grimm and I have been a member of the Woodworking Shop for the past five years. In November 2009, I left to California for a few months and returned to Florida in March 2010. My terror began during the month of March 2010. I went into the shop one evening with a few 2X4’s which I had bought in Home Depot to cut. When I entered the shop, Roger Burton was there and he immediately starting yelling at me accusing me of taking 2X4’s from the shop. I hadn’t been in the shop for five months and now I was being accused of stealing. Roger Burton must have called his friend Larry Radcliff and told him about the stolen 2X4’s.
The next day, my wife and I went to the shop to glue some pieces of wood together and help clean up the shop. The day after, Larry Radcliff came into the shop around 11:00 a.m. while I was cutting some pieces of wood on the band saw. While I was cutting, the blade fell off and I asked Larry if he knew how to put the blade back on and he ignored me. Then he got very angry and told me, “You screwed up the whole shop.” He accused me that I put glue on the machine. He also stated that I cut a piece off of their plywood table. That cut was ½ by 8 inches long. That happened because I had to cut a piece of wood with a jigsaw. I did not notice the cut I had made. He then continued to yell at me stating that I needed to replace the new piece of plywood on top. Then I asked Larry Radcliff, “Who cut my 4X8 1/8 sheet of PVC?” Larry said that he didn’t cut my piece. I asked some other woodworkers club and they stated that Larry Radcliff had cut it. When I told Larry that other members told me he had cut it, he then stated that there was no name on the sheet and therefore he cut it. I told him that my name was on it and someone must have taken my name off. He had no business cutting my sheet and I stated that I had paid $40.00 for that sheet and the Woodworkers Club should reimburse me for it. He got extremely angry and said to me, “You Bastard!”
He was extremely angry and attempted to fight me. He came close to me and pushed his stomach against mine to fight. My wife was watching the whole interaction and then he wanted to start fighting with my wife. He then headed out of the shop yelling “You better take your shit out of here.” I immediately asked myself whether Roger and Larry own the shop because all of the shelves are labeled with Roger and Larry’s name and some of the drawers are locked. I feel that I am being discriminated and harassed by these two men.
A few hours later after Larry left, he returned with Roger Burton. When I saw Roger in the shop, I asked him “What happened to President Jack Maxwell?” He told me that he didn’t do anything for the people and that’s why they got rid of him. I remember when Jack Maxwell was the president, there were no problems in the shop. Roger Burton also stated that all of the 2X4’s and plywood in the shop came from the garbage dumpsters and when the security officers passed by they looked the other way. There is so much discrimination occurring in Lake Ashton that some people are able to take wood from the dumpsters and others are not. I was also told that if I take anything else out of the dumpster, the police will be called on me and I will be arrested.
I have also taken wood from the dumpsters but the guards reported me to Joe Hunter, who wrote me registered letter stating it is illegal to take items (wood) from a dumpster. My wife and I have constantly been harassed by the guards. I spoke to the Security Chief Luke that I had spoken to The Florida Refuse Department and they stated that I may take items out of the dumpster. I soon received another letter stating that it was illegal for me to enter a construction area. I stated to Joe Hunter that we have public streets and I may go wherever I want to go. As a member of the Woodworking Club, I have the right to drive to the shop or any other area I wish within Lake Ashton.
One evening I went to the shop and as I was getting out of my car, two security officers were present. One security officer pushed my car door against me, spit in my face and yelled “What are you doing here?” I stayed calm and told him I wanted to work in the wood shop. Soon thereafter, somebody called the police for me because I did not have a cell phone on me. When the police came they stated that I need to speak to the Lake Ashton Community Director. The police questioned the security officer and nothing happened.
Those guards live and work in Lake Ashton. I feel that they can mistreat me because Joe Hunter will protect them, no matter what they do. Joe Hunter should know that discriminating and harassing someone is against the law.
Very soon thereafter, I went to Security Chief Luke to let him know everything that had just occurred to me. He wrote a letter to his security officers stating no security officer can stop Franz Grimm from going to the wood shop. He stated in the letter that Franz Grimm has the right to go to the wood shop when he pleases. He then gave me a copy of the letter that he wrote to his employees. The harassment from the guards stopped after I received the letter. Luke had also told me that he was a New York Police Officer and he knew the law.
It is unfortunate that Joe Hunter worries more about someone taking scrap pieces of wood from the garbage dumpster than his other job duties. He should be doing his job. Karl Nowak and I have worked approximately 60 hours in the shop repairing the chess game for Lake Ashton and we never received a thank you or any type of appreciation but rather I have received harassment and discrimination on a weekly basis. I will also send a copy of this letter to the owner of Lake Ashton, Larry Maxwell, CDD and to the HOA. I am tired of people getting away with mistreating people and I want the public to know.
Thank you,
Franz Grimm
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