Saturday, February 21, 2015

Brewer Removes Homestead Exemption Following Advance Indiana Reports Questioning Residency

Jocelyn-Tandy Adande, a Republican mayoral opponent of the endorsed candidate for mayor, Chuck Brewer, tells Advance Indiana that she has received confirmation that Brewer filed paperwork in the Marion Co. Auditor's Office this past Wednesday to remove the homestead exemption he has been claiming on his luxury downtown condominium in the Athletic Club he purchased in 2011 after he moved to Indianapolis from Chicago to open up his Potbelly Sandwich Shop on Monument Circle. The Marion Co. Election Board is scheduled to hear a complaint on Monday at 3:00 p.m. that Adande filed against Brewer claiming he illegally registered to vote in Perry Township last year when he originally planned to run for the open District 23 City-County Council seat before changing his mind earlier this year and deciding to run for mayor instead. Advance Indiana first raised concerns about Brewer's voter registration last month.

Adande's complaint alleged that records in the Marion County Auditor's Office showed Brewer continuously claimed a homestead exemption on the Athletic Club condominium at 350 N. Meridian Street after he claimed to reside at two different apartment complexes in Perry Township when he filed change of voter registration forms with the Marion County Board of Voter Registrations. Brewer first registered to vote in Marion County on March 27, 2012 at the Athletic Club condominium. He updated his voter registration to an apartment in Perry Township at 1452 Dakota Ridge Drive on March 18, 2014. A few months later he changed his registered voting address to another apartment complex in Perry Township at 623 Slate Drive on July 2, 2014 after he filed paperwork with the Marion Co. Board of Elections to form an exploratory committee to run for the District 23 council seat. Adande believes Brewer mistakenly thought the Dakota Ridge Drive apartment was located in District 23, but it was actually located just outside of it in District 20. She thinks he moved his voting residence to the Slate Drive address when he learned of the error so he could establish residency in District 23.

Brewer has listed his Athletic Club condominium for sale at various times over the past year, and his campaign spokesman insists he no longer lives there, although a former general manager who worked for Brewer's Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Sarah Hoyt, told Advance Indiana the restaurant regularly delivered take-out orders to his downtown condominium before she stopped working for him last September. Notes for the realtor listing for his downtown condominium contained a note to "Call owner to show or for info" according to a real estate broker who commented on Advance Indiana. "It is very unusual that a client asks to show their home themselves- that is why they hire a realtor in the first place- and we also do not recommend it," the real estate broker noted. The original listing expired for awhile before Brewer re-listed it with another broker on December 1, 2014 with a lower asking price.

Brewer's campaign sent photographs of his condominium to some members of the media to prove it was empty and offered to take members of the media on tours of it after Advance Indiana linked to the real estate listing showing photographs of a fully-furnished unit. Under state law, Brewer had 60 days to remove the homestead exemption on his condominium after it ceased to be his primary residence. Adande's election complaint was originally scheduled to take place during the election board's regularly-scheduled meeting last Thursday. It was delayed until Monday at the request of Brewer's attorney, David Brooks.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

This news vindicates all those who believed that Jocelyn-Tandy Adande nailed it - as certainly as Advance Indiana often nailed it- that the Homestead Exemption issue was the "hook" and that one of Indy's newer residents Chuck Brewer was on the wrong side of the law.

I have little doubt attorney David Brooks advised Chuck Brewer to remove that homestead exemption as quickly as possible because, again, that exemption is the hook that leads to so many questions about so many residences and voting records.

Anyone who knows attorney David Brooks understands how much political influence he wields behind the scenes, how many judges he knows and helped put in place, and how many people he has as chess pieces on the board to return favors. Who approved the "R" Election Board appointees in the past? David Brooks was a key player in those appointment decisions. I have little doubt Mr. Susan Brooks is preparing the groundwork for a slap on Chuck Brewer's wrist and the outcome of the hearing next week may, sadly, be already determined.

Paul K. Ogden said...

By waiting after 12/31 to remove the homestead tax exemption, Brewer will receive it on his 2014 Pay 2015 property taxes.

Anonymous said...

How would they receive Charlie White, were he to attend this hearing?

Anonymous said...

I met Jocelyn-Tandy years ago during a campaign and she came off as a complete nut-burger.

As for the Mr & Mrs. Brooks I say YUCK! What a matched set.

Anonymous said...

Dad's one smart cookie:

"H. Peers Brewer
Senior Banking & Finance Consultant

Peers Brewer is a commercial banker with extensive experience in US and international markets. His career began with Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company and extended through the acquisition of Chemical Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank. Within that time frame, he held numerous assignments, beginning as a security analyst for the banking, financial and insurance industries; followed by managing the investor relations department, strategic planning for the bank, financial modeling, managing relationships with international insurance companies and risk management for the bank.

International consulting assignments have been held in Tblisi, Seoul, Skopje, and Ulaan Baatar.

Mr. Brewer was the first General Manager of the Crimson Finance Fund, based in Pristina. The Fund is a short term lender to small and medium sized companies and entrepreneurs in Kosovo. The Fund primarily addresses the needs of customers whose financing is not easily accommodated within traditional banking practices. Mr. Brewer holds academic degrees from Colgate University (AB – History), Harvard University (BD – Theology), and New York University (PhD – Economics). He speaks Russian and Macedonian."

Imagine the pressure of trying to live up to the reputation and expectations of this kind of father.

Anonymous said...

A nice view of the Brewer ancestral manse.

http://tinyurl.com/mpt6yu5

Anonymous said...

I almost forgot to note the crimson mailbox.

School pride, indeed.

Anonymous said...

I'm kinda new to Indy politics, can anyone provide a background on Mr. Brooks? He seems to be involved somehow in about every shady local government deal.

Anonymous said...

Does Ms. Adande have a chance at winning the primary in May?

Anonymous said...

To Anon 258, Indy politics has a ridiculous SLATING process where those who are chosen by the idiot leadership of the party, NOT what voters REALLY want, give us the clowns to vote on. Sadly, those who have earned their "turn" are not the solution for success.

It is both parties, but the dems seem to realize they lead a bunch of sheep where the GOP voters are a little more free thinking.

Anonymous said...

In rereading this passage in the IBJ

"A New York native, Brewer has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a master's in history from Harvard University and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Business School."

I was struck by the unusual attainment of a master's in History. At Arts & Sciences programs at major research institutions, it is uncommon to earn a master's degree. Usually, a master's degree is only awarded as a courtesy if you drop out of the Ph.D. program.

Harvard's admissions policy for graduate History is customary in the discipline:

"History
Admissions

The dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences admits candidates to the Graduate School for advanced study in history only upon the recommendation of the History Department. The department considers applications only for the PhD degree. Strong preference will be given to applicants who are adequately prepared to meet the language requirements for the doctorate. The GRE General test is required. For a complete listing of the elements of a complete admissions application, consult the Prospective Students page."

http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/programs_of_study/history.php

Anonymous said...

Further curious:

* The History Department does not offer a terminal master's program.

http://history.fas.harvard.edu/graduate-programs

Anonymous said...

Is it possible Brewer has a master's from the Harvard Extension School with a concentration in History?

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-programs/master-liberal-arts/fields-concentration/history

"In the history concentration of the Master of Liberal Arts Program, you study the primary sources and historiography of cultural, economic, intellectual, political, and social developments. You focus on problems of historical significance throughout the world and time."

"The government field helps individuals prepare for or enhance a career in such fields as research, teaching, writing, diplomacy, politics, the law, the military, banking, insurance, journalism, or management."

If this is the degree Brewer has, it would be a M.L.A., not a M.A.

This distinction is not small.