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When Palmetto State Watch Foundation published “The Wheels Have Come Off the UHG Jalopy”, the available information indicated the story was little more than a tale of corporate insurrection–six members of the United Homes Group (UHG) board of directors had resigned and the company’s stock price had tanked by more than 50%. (On 10/29 it was selling at $1.64 per share.) However, (you knew there had to be a “however”) it was also a good bet that the information on the surface was covering a web of more disturbing events.
For openers, according to a report by FITSNews, “Investigations into UHG were announced by the following law firms:
While the notices from these firms cite potential violations of federal securities laws — including Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act — these are private investigations, not federal or SEC enforcement actions.”
But wait–there’s more. For the past week, rumors and speculation have been swirling about the departure of Oconee County interim Planning Director Ed Halbig and county administrator Amanda Brock being missing in action (the official announcement was that she was on a two-week paid leave). On October 28th, County Commission chairman Matthew Durham provided the facts behind the rumors, one of which was that county administrator Amanda Brock was no longer employed by the county. No updates have been provided about Halbig’s departure so it’s not publicly known whether the timing of his departure had anything to do with the UHG debacle or if his “interimness” had come to an end coincidentally with the wheels falling off the UHG jalopy .
With respect to Brock’s unceremonial departure, the reason is very clear. According to Durham, unbeknownst to any council member, she had accompanied several officers of United Homes Group, officers from Clemson, three owners/partners in Jocassee Real Estate and the South Carolina director of governmental affairs aboard a private jet for a trip to Purdue University. (The passenger manifest for the January 2024 trip is below.)
Durham noted, “The purpose of the trip was to tour a university-affiliated research park with mixed-use commercial and residential development — a model they hoped to replicate on the Newry site.”
Brock “leaving on a jet plane” was a problem because Durham stated that nether he nor any other council member was informed about the trip–either before or after. Secondly, in spite of the fact that Clemson personnel had denied any direct involvement with UHG, three officers of Clemson University were on the trip along with officers of United Homes Group.
Based on the evidence Durham uncovered, it appears that over a year before Mark Hart approached the county council with his proposal for the Newry development, the fix was in. In spite of denials, UHG had obviously been in talks with Clemson about the Newry project, and Brock’s involvement with the group was apparently to provide inside information about council discussions regarding the project.
Durham stated, I had specifically tasked Ms. Brock with determining when United Homes Group first made contact with the County. She reported that the earliest communication, based on an IT email scan, was from October 2024. That claim was inconsistent with the facts. The Purdue trip took place in January 2024 — nine months before the date she provided — and during the course of the investigation, I obtained county staff emails showing that an earlier trip to York County occurred in October 2023, involving UHG representatives and county staff to view a similar project with elements that the group hoped to develop at the Newry site.” You can read Durham’s full report here.
Additionally, it seems that Mark Hart has presented himself as representing only East Shore South, LLC, the developer of the Newry project. However, the flight manifest lists him as a vice president of United Homes Group. It is conceivable that sometime after the January 2024 jaunt to Purdue, he gave up his position with UHG so he could devote all his time to East Shore South projects. But his connection with UHG is still intact as demonstrated by the fact that both East Shore South and United Homes Group list their address as being 917 Chapin Road, Chapin, SC. According to county records, East Shore South had paid $12,214,400 for the land that is/was to be developed. Odds are, the land will either be sold, or another plan will be presented to the council. It all depends on whether new wheels can be found for the jalopy.
Not to be repetitious, “But wait there’s more”, coming in “The Jalopy Tales, Part Three”
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