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# Organization’s finances released to some members
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/organizations-finances-released-to-some-members/
- Published: 2003-08-15T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:45:23.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*Legal complaint requesting documents ignored by board chair*

A neighborhood community organization’s finances that were kept secret for more than two years apparently have been released to some of its board members.

However, the one person who legally requested bank statements from the Ocean Park Community Organization hasn’t received them, despite having filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court nearly a year ago. In that complaint, OPCO member Tom Fuller demanded the release of financial records for 2000 and 2001.

The complaint, filed last September, has gone unanswered by OPCO chairman Rick Laudati. The organization missed its deadline last fall to respond in court to the complaint. The inaction put OPCO in technical default, thus preventing the organization from defending itself.

Because of legal technicalities, Fuller and his attorney, Gary Clouse, were asked by Superior Court Judge Allan J. Goodman to amend the complaint. The court required that Laudati be served again, which took months because he couldn’t be located. He finally was spotted at a DMV line at the end of May and was served with court papers.

Laudati had 30 days to respond to the complaint. Because he didn’t answer, he and OPCO are now in technical default again, Clouse said.

A judge is expected to make a ruling on the case in September, but OPCO may have difficulties defending itself in the proceedings because of its default, Clouse said.

Meanwhile, a few OPCO board members said they received a packet of financial documents from fellow board member Susan Love Loughmiller last week.

Some members reported getting an estimated two years’ worth of records.

“It doesn’t say much,” said OPCO board member Laurel Roennau, adding that he isn’t sure why Fuller wants the documents so badly. “The thing I don’t understand is what is he going to do with it once he gets it?”

Fuller, who got involved in OPCO in early 2001, asked to review the accounting books and finances, as well as a list of the organization’s current membership. But his requests were ignored for more than two years. The silence piqued his curiosity.

“I have a right to see them and I asked for them,” he said.

> “I have a right to see them and I asked for them.” — — TOM FULLER OPCO member

OPCO was formed in 1978 as a community organization for the Ocean Park neighborhood as a nonprofit corporation. Under California law, it’s required to provide its membership with financial records, according to Fuller’s complaint.

In his written request to Laudati in June 2001, Fuller said he was concerned about an apparent discrepancy between the number of reported members and the small amount of membership fees collected.

Love Loughmiller, who was appointed late last year after several board members resigned over the issue, wouldn’t comment. She left a voice mail message this week citing pending legal action by an unknown group against the Santa Monica Daily Press over its reporting of the issue.

Love Loughmiller also threatened to sue the Daily Press several months ago, though no lawsuit has been served.

Laudati has repeatedly declined comment when asked the whereabouts of OPCO’s money. Laudati didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.

When board member Fred Whitlock was asked this week about OPCO’s finances, he told a reporter, “I’m not commenting on that, sorry,” and hung up the phone.

But other board members are talking about OPCO’s finances — and its current status as a community organization.

“When you find out (about the status), I hope you tell me,” said a frustrated Roennau, who is unsure who is still on the board. He also said he doesn’t know when it meets or what its purpose is anymore. “I’m totally in the dark.”

Mike Strader, another OPCO board member, said the board hasn’t met for two months. He said he isn’t sure when it’s supposed to meet.

“It’s not a full board and I’m not actually sure who is on the board,” Strader said.

Strader said that when Fuller’s complaint came up at the last board meeting, there was talk about getting an attorney.

“I think the whole thing is a tempest in a teapot,” Strader said. “Rick has done a lot of good stuff for OPCO.”

> “I think the whole thing is a tempest in a teapot.” — — MIKE STRADER OPCO board member

One of OPCO’s functions is to review development projects and then recommend to the Planning Commission and City Council that they be approved or denied. Some OPCO board members who have recently resigned said they fear a lack of protection from liability should the organization’s legality be questioned.

Close to a dozen board members have resigned over OPCO’s inaction in the past year. Board members Audrea Golding Bitler, Ted Winterer and Elan Glasser attempted to work out a resolution with the board to get the finances released last fall.

But they resigned in November out of frustration that no progress had been made. In early 2002, Bob Loftus, Joe Pipersky and Bill Sunblad resigned over the financial questions.

It’s unclear how much money OPCO has collected from its members, how many members there are and what the dues structure is. Some estimates put the organization’s membership between 150 and 500.

OPCO’s last public bank statement sits in a file in City Hall. It details OPCO’s finances from December 1999 to January 2000\. At that time, OPCO had $2,933 in a Wells Fargo Bank account. During that month, deposits totaling $220 were recorded and $240 worth of withdrawals were made — all of which were made from ATM machines in cash.

OPCO hasn’t requested funding from the city for the last three years, but it has in the past. If City Hall contributes to neighborhood organizations, it requires that they provide financial records list their members.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)