Derie Reece and her husband Kevin, of Ronda filed a complaint against Town Clerk Claris Howell, claiming an easement, signed over by the Ronda Church of God Board members was notarized without the presence of the signers.
"A complainant from the Town of Ronda made the complaint and supplied a name of a person who had not appeared before the notary but had signed the document," Capt. Steve Cabe with the Wilkes County Sheriffs Office said Friday.
"As part of being a notary one of the requirements is that the person who is signing a document has to appear before a notary. In this particular case that did not a occur."
Cabe said there was no indication of forgery and the sheriff's office is not looking into any other possible violations.
"There are possibly others, but one was sufficient based on the complaint (to bring a charge)," Cabe said. "There is the potential that others were not properly notarized and the town would probably need to revisit those documents in order to prepare them properly."
Howell said Friday the documents came to her already signed. "These people couldn't come during regular work hours," Howell said. "I don't know but that is one of the things, you're supposed to be in front of the notary when you sign them."
Howell said she can't understand why the documents were signed before they were presented to her.
"They (the documents) came before me and there was some signatures that were already signed, and I notarized them," Howell said. "I mean the way some people look at it is like I robbed a bank, and I haven't done nothing like that. I just don't like the way it all happened."
Kevin Reece, whose wife, Derie, filed the complaint, said the couple was never approached to sign in front of the notary.
"In April 2007, I went to pay my utlity bill and Mrs. Howell asked if would I have my cousin, Andrew Wood, and my wife sign a utility easement," Reece said.
"My question to Mrs. Howell was, 'is anybody going to get paid for these easements?' and her answer was that there was no money allocated for the easements, and if they did not sign, they would take us to court and condemn the land and take it. My wife is a stay at home mom and Andrew Wood is disabled, they're always at home."
Derie Reece and Wood did sign the easement, but Reece said they were never contacted about the manner in which the documents were signed or possible payment.
The problems arose when Reece caught wind some of the other citizens who signed over easements did in fact receive compensation for their property.
While the improper notarization allegation has brought about the charges against Howell, questions concerning the alleged payment of some citizens who signed their property over and the non-payment of others, deepens scrutiny.
According to town Commissioner Manuel Wood, the town board never approved payments for the easements. The board is supposed to. "At least it didn't happen while I was there, and I haven't missed a meeting."
Reece said he and his wife contacted Ronda Mayor Howard Privette and the town concerning the notary problem and the seemingly random payment process, but after three weeks with no reply he presented the matter of the notary violation to Cabe.
"My wife's and my main problem is that we felt like the town kept the citizens in the dark and did not tell us the truth," Kevin Reece said. "The reason we are upset is the town did not handle its business correctly. They didnt tell the citizens the truth."
Derie Reece is scheduled to appear at the Ronda Town Board meeting tonight at 7 p.m. where matter of the notary violation and the payment for the easements will be discussed.
She has announced her candidacy for mayor and Kevin Reece his candidacy for commissioner
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