Documents Seized From Holiday City Clubhouse In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ ? Law enforcement officers seized multiple boxes of documents from the clubhouse at Holiday City Phase II in the Silverton section of Toms River on Wednesday morning, photos and videos provided to Patch show.

At least a dozen boxes were removed from the clubhouse, witnesses said.

Toms River Police Department vehicles can be seen in the photos; the department referred questions to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutor's office said it does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of investigations.

The seizure comes amid allegations from a resident of Holiday City of misappropriation of funds by the president of the 55-and-over community's board of trustees. The board's president also is a Toms River councilwoman.

The president, reached by phone Wednesday morning, said "No comment" and ended the call.

The board of trustees oversees the Holiday City homeowners association, including its funds. Residents of the nearly 1,600-home community pay dues to fund maintenance and operations, with the fees $15 per month, paid quarterly. They are slated to increase to $25 per month in July, according to the association's newsletter.

The resident of the community, who requested her name be withheld, alleges association money has been spent on personal expenses and "lavish dinners" for the board president and members of the board of trustees.

The resident provided copies of receipts ranging from just over $1,100 to nearly $1,400 for meals at the Four Winds restaurant in Manasquan. Another receipt provided showed dinner for three at Longhorn Steakhouse that included a 9-ounce filet and lobster bordelaise and totaled $168 before tax and tip were added.

Another receipt showed reimbursement by the association to the board president for a special massage chair.

The resident told Patch she had been requesting documentation of how the community's funds were being spent for several months and finally received documents in December. She alleges the board president claimed the dinners were a thank you for the trustees' volunteer service.

"These weren?t just dinners," the resident said. "They were endless appetizers, unlimited alcohol."

The resident said she provided copies of the receipts ? including one published below ? to law enforcement shortly afterward. (Article continues below photo.)

The resident also alleges money raised by the community's weekly bingo games has been used to supplement the association's budget and its general expenditures, which appears to be a violation of New Jersey law regarding the use of proceeds from bingo.

No budget documents for the community were available publicly as homeowners associations are private entities. Their documents, however, are supposed to be provided to the residents of the communities on demand, under state law.

The current president has led the Holiday City board of trustees for most of the last 24 years. She is one of two Holiday City board members who serve on the Toms River Township Council.