KTLO, Classic Hits, and The Boot News continue to revisit the most watched and talked about stories of 2024, presenting them in no particular order. Some highlight uplifting or feel-good moments, while others reflect more serious or somber events.
The 11th article on the list was published on May 14, when a local partner of a luxury RV park won a judgment against a Missouri couple.
A ruling was handed down in Baxter County Circuit Court terminating the operating agreement for the Whispering Oaks Luxury RV Park development. The judgment also awards approximately $334,000 in damages to two of the partners and gives them absolute authority to dissolve and liquidate Whispering Oaks Luxury RV Parks LLC.
The lawsuit was filed by Duane and Stephanie Smith of Baxter County against Brian and Stacey Sides of Branson.
The complaint lists each of the four as 25% owners under an amended operating agreement signed in August 2022.
The Smiths had also filed an affidavit with the court listing money they claimed was lost due to the acts or omissions of Brian and Stacey Sides.
The civil lawsuit alleges that Brian and Stacey Side misappropriated business assets for their own personal benefit and gain, issued checks when there were insufficient funds in the bank, and deducted all misappropriated money and Refusing to describe the property, they took actions designed to “damage and destroy a business known as Whispering Oaks Luxury Parks LLC.”
Among the items listed were numerous ATM withdrawals made from company funds in Las Vegas, funds intended to pay contractors and subcontractors diverted to Side’s personal use, and false claims made. This included creating a book and using the funds for the benefit of Brian and Stacey.
Other charges include misselling equipment owned by the company and operating a scheme in which workers working on the project submitted invoices to the company for just over $20,000, a portion of which was paid to Brian Sides. is included.
The suspect also allegedly tried to involve other workers at the site in a similar scheme, ordering construction materials that would allegedly be used to build the RV park and selling the materials without paying for them. has been done.
According to the complaint, Brian and Stacey Sides approached the Smiths about becoming involved in a business opportunity for a Mountain Home RV park in 2022.
The Sides advised the Smiths that the Baxter County couple would not be required to invest any money in the project, but that they would bring a good credit score and financial credibility to support the loan approval needed to finance the construction. He is said to have claimed that this was expected.
The Sides claimed that most of the construction and opening costs would come from the sale of their home on Mission Ridge Lane in Reed Spring, Missouri.
The lawsuit reveals that Mr. Sides never actually owned the house outright, and when the house was sold in 2022, none of the funds made it into Whispering Oaks’ accounts. It is claimed that this has been found out.
Initially, there was an understanding that the Smiths did not need to invest any more money into the project, but Brian Sides frequently contacted the Smiths, usually on an urgent basis, to resolve various shortfalls, according to the complaint. It is said that he was asking for compensation. At some point, they took money out of their retirement accounts to cover the deficit.
The lawsuit alleges that the Brian Sides “abandoned” the Whispering Oaks project in 2023, leaving the Smiths to deal with the growing financial turmoil.
According to court documents, Brian Sides and his wife received notice of the lawsuit in mid-December, but were unable to file a response.
The RV park, located off Bay Point Drive in the Mallard Point neighborhood, has been controversial from the beginning.
How the development will affect transportation in the area and other issues, including the potential for increased stormwater runoff and access to the public right-of-way leading to the boat launch, which has been in use since 1970. Many questions were raised.
There were also questions about water, septic tanks, and basic engineering permits. The Baxter County Planning Commission voted earlier this year to approve plans for the RV park, pending approval of the necessary permits by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed in Missouri with similar allegations. The initial lawsuit involved Sides accepting money from Joplin tornado victims but failing to do the work or follow standards. Brian Sides was recently indicted by a grand jury in Texas County, Missouri, and charged with accepting $49,000 from a customer to install an off-grid solar power system, but failing to honor his end of the contract. .
Mountain Home attorney Roger Morgan is representing the Smiths.
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