Enter the latest attempt to

develop the land referred to as Deer Pointe. Instead of Deer Pointe, it

should be called "Question Pointe." Once again colorful maps

and diagrams presented to the local officials in attempt to convince them

that this is the best way to develop the land and benefit the community

are masking something that isn't what it seems.

Look beyond, below, and under

the presentations and follow the money. Deer Pointe is currently at the

center of a law suit, Mier vs Signa Development Corp., No 1:00-CV-1976.TWT

(N.D.Ga. Aug. 2, 2000). Two Atlanta law firms are accused of helping clients

hide assets to avoid an $18 million judgment, and then leapfrogging over

other creditors to secure their legal fees.

The suit also names the First

Citizens Bank of Georgia, and Fayette County developer Dan V. Stinchcomb.

What is at stake is who will

own the property after the suit is finished. Mr. Stinchcomb bought the

land only hours before Federal Judge Thomas W. Harsh handed down a judgment

against Signa Development. The sale was made on the condition that it

be completed quickly, according to the complaint in the suit.

With the property sold for

millions below the market price, the sellers were obviously anxious to

make the sale. Following the sale all but $3,648.51 was taken up by costs

determined by the law firms.

And with the same haste that

the sale was conducted, the developer made attempts to rush through the

development of Deer Pointe through the planning and zoning bodies of Fayette

County and Fayetteville. When the county was not warm to the development

plan, the city of Fayetteville was approached. Why? Could it be that all

the parties knew that there was certainly a lawsuit to follow once the

sale was discovered? Are these good neighbors?

Not too long ago an owner of

a house in a subdivision in one of the northern Atlanta counties discovered

that he did not have clear title to his house. Seems that the developer

bought the property from someone who passed themselves off as the "owner"

of the property. He couldn't sell his house, and had to go to the legal

system to determine what his future would be. This also applied to all

the other homeowners. Are the citizens of Fayette County going to be exposed

to this same legal morass?

Our local government has the

opportunity to protect and serve those citizens that elected them in this

matter. When one neighbor turns out not to be a good one, it's time for

our elected officials to be good neighbors and not let the parties named

in the suit proceed in the development of Deer Pointe until the suit is

settled and the citizens of Fayette County are protected.

Norman Nolde

Fayetteville