Donald Trump isn't known to shy away from a fight. He may have one on his hands on Long Island, at the historic country club he is trying to acquire.
The potential sale of Engineers Country Club in Roslyn Harbor, N.Y., to Trump Golf may face a legal hurdle prior to the membership vote on the matter, reportedly scheduled to take place in mid-to-late January. On December 20, Larry Hutcher, a lawyer for an unnamed group of Engineers members operating under the banner "Association for a Better Engineers" ("ABE") sent a strongly worded letter to Engineers CC's Board of Directors, stating: "While we are prepared to commence an action and move for injunctive relief to enjoin the Board's submission of this proposal to the entire membership of the Club for a vote, my clients and I would prefer to try to amicably resolve this matter."
The letter — a copy of which was obtained by this blog — goes on to say that "each and every board member must understand the grave exposure you have both as a board member and in your individual capacity in the event you proceed with the proposed transaction in the existing improper manner." It accuses Engineers' board of having "completely and abjectly failed to do even the most basic due diligence" — including its purportedly neglecting to secure an independent appraisal of the club's assets or seeking out other third-party offers besides Trump Golf's. "The failure of the Board and each of its members to take these most fundamental steps constitutes a gross and egregious violation of their respective fiduciary duties which will expose each of you to serious, personal economic risk," the letter says.
Quoting a September 3, 2010, email to Engineers members from club president Robert Scheinman stating that the club "is on solid financial ground" and its "cash position is strong," Hutcher argues that there is no urgency regarding any potential sale and describes the dealings with Trump Golf as occurring at "breakneck pace."
A source at the club who spoke on the condition of anonymity had previously described an acrimonious divide between long-time Engineers members and newer members who had recently converted trial memberships into full memberships. The former group, said the source, was more likely to be opposed to a sale to Trump Golf than the latter group. The "ABE" letter puts a finer point on the issue — and suggests it is another potential cause for legal action.
"We are of the opinion that the sudden and recent conversion of the many ‘trial' members to full membership — which certainly occurred for the sole purpose of enabling them to vote on the issue of a sale to Trump — is a miscarriage of the intent for which these trial memberships were created," the letter states. "Surely, it was never contemplated that these trial members who had no stake in the Club would suddenly be able to control its destiny."
The letter opines that, if necessary, "ABE" will be able to prevent a vote of the membership on a sale until the issue of who may vote is determined in court.
"ABE" and Hutcher did not describe their own proposed plans for the club. They did, however, ask for a 60-day "cooling off" period to give "ABE" and the Engineers board a chance to meet. Failing that, however, there was the clear intimation of a court fight ahead.
"Absent the Board's immediate written consent to a stay, we have been instructed to take whatever action we deem necessary to protect our clients' interest....
"Please be guided accordingly," the letter ends.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Trump National Long Island?
Trump Golf may get Engineers Country Club after all. In mid-September, it was reported that negotiations were underway for the venerable club in Roslyn Harbor, N.Y. — which hosted the 1919 PGA Championship and the 1920 U.S. Amateur Championship — to become a Trump-branded country club. However, on November 20, the club sent the following letter to members:
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Dear Fellow Member:
We are writing to you to provide you with the current status of our discussions with The Trump Organization. It has been approximately three weeks since Donald Trump and his team met with us at our Club. Since that time, we have been working diligently in an effort to negotiate a number of important issues in an effort to arrive at a Letter of Intent that that Board felt comfortable presenting to the membership. In the course of this process, our objective was not to lose sight of our duty to the entirety of our membership.
With that said, it appears that we have reached an impasse in our negotiations. Our dealings with the Trump Organization have been extremely amicable and both sides have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism. Unfortunately, there are a few key issues that could not be resolved in a way that our Board and it’s [sic] counsel saw fit. It is for this reason that both sides have mutually agreed to discontinue discussions at this time. While we are disappointed that a deal could not be agreed to at this juncture, we are appreciative of the significant efforts of all those involved.
We can not thank you enough for all of your patience, suggestions, and participation in our meetings over the last few months. Your passion on both sides of the issues we faced should be commended. Our Club is fortunate to have such a caring family of members.
We look forward to a terrific 2011 season with a strong and vibrant membership. We believe it will be our best season yet! Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season.
Respectfully,
Board of Directors
Engineers Country Club
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However, a knowledgeable club insider passed along word that last night, December 7, the board voted to bring Trump Golf’s proposal to the membership. Should the deal go through, the club would become Trump’s first Long Island course and third in the state, joining Trump National Westchester and Trump National Hudson Valley. Engineers CC’s course was built by Herbert Strong in 1917 and redesigned by Devereux Emmet in 1921, with additional work in recent years by Tripp Davis.
“My personal opinion is [the Trump proposal] will pass,” said one veteran member who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “I am not necessarily in favor it, but we had over 80 ‘trial members’ step up who have voting rights. They clearly did it for reduced rates, and they have a substantial voting block. It has created a lot of tension within the club. The club is divided between old-time members — those over five years — and newbies who just want the next best deal.
“It’s not a good scene,” the member concluded.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
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