LILLIAN, Ala. — The chairwoman of the Spanish Cove Concerned Property Owners Committee said this week that a town hall meeting at the subdivision clubhouse last week “went well” and was polite for the most part.

According to Julia Craig, who chairs the CPOC, over a hundred Spanish Cove homeowners and residents were on hand for the Jan. 12 meeting at which questions were asked concerning allegations of financial improprieties, specifically the misuse of three of the Cove’s corporate credit cards.

Charges relating to the credit card misuse has created tension between some of Spanish Cove’s more than 1,500 homeowners and members of the Property Owners Association of Spanish Cove Board. Also, the alleged misuse of the credit cards resulted in the firing of the Cove’s operations manager as well as their bookkeeper last year.

Gulf Shores attorney Daniel Craven, POASC’s attorney, and accountant Wayne Gruenloh, who oversees the Cove’s financial accounts, were on hand for the town hall meeting.

“Cove homeowners and residents wanted to ask questions, and the questions were answered for the most part,” Craig said of last week’s meeting.

“I’d love to see them continue to happen,” Craig said, a reference to the town hall meetings.

Joan Fletcher, chairwoman of POASC, initially said she had no comment on the town hall meeting when contacted on Monday.

“The Board didn’t arrange the meeting,” she said. “They (Board members) said they’d be there.”

Fletcher did say Craven made it clear that there was nothing that could be used to bring criminal charges against the ousted operations manager, identified as Charlie Davison of Fairhope.

Referring to an incident several years ago when criminal charges were brought against a Spanish Cove employee, Fletcher said the current situation in connection with Davison involved “no actual money.”

Last month, Fletcher termed the situation involving the credit cards “improper use” and “bad judgment.” Even members of CPOC have been reluctant to use the word “criminal” in connection with the current controversy. Asked, however, if POASC has asked the Fairhope Police Department to look into the matter regarding Davison, Fletcher answered affirmatively.

She said nothing has been heard to date; that the matter is “still under investigation.”

Fletcher earlier said Davison put expenses on a Cove credit card that were personal — expenses for which he reimbursed the Board “to a point.”

But Craig this week insisted members of CPOC weren’t after criminal charges being filed against anybody. In her words, they wanted reassurances of “fiduciary oversight. Where was the oversight that allowed it to happen,” she said of the alleged misuse of the credit cards.

CPOC has suggested accounting enhancement suggestions to POASC, which has taken steps to make changes in the accounting and financial process.

But while Craig said the town hall meeting was orderly for the most part, she was not satisfied with one aspect.

“I’m very disappointed the Board has seen fit to stand by their charges and didn’t respond to them,” Craig said.

The charges in question are what Craig calls “unreasonable fees.” According to her, there is a $500 fine for placing flyers in Cove boxes or magazines and a loss of membership rights for a year.

Other matters being proposed by POASC, according to Craig, include only one person at a time being allowed to review financial records and no photocopying or distribution of those records. Also, a proposal is being considered where only deeded Spanish Cove property owners would have access to those records.

“They’re forcing us to hire a lawyer to defend our rights,” Craig said.