Help fire Compass
And Amend our Bylaws

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Why I Left the Board

By 2025, I had concluded that Rice Lake Terrace should fire Compass Management. I had spent too much of my time performing work we were paying Compass to do, correcting mistakes, following up on unfinished responsibilities, and making excuses for management failures.

I stepped away from the Board intending to establish a Landscaping Committee and explore alternatives to Compass—including self-management, rather than simply hiring another HOA management company.

The Landscaping Committee was never established. Instead, I was asked to develop a new HOA management solution. Meanwhile, the Board terminated our existing landscaper, a decision I believe was influenced by personal disagreements rather than the Association's best interests. I am also concerned that the change may have weakened protections previously available through our insurance arrangements.

When I challenged these decisions, I experienced actions that I consider retaliatory. In my view, Compass has increasingly portrayed itself as protecting the Board from my objections, rather than addressing the management failures that prompted those objections.

My fundamental concern is that the relationship between the Board and its management company has been reversed. The Board should direct and oversee Compass—not depend on Compass to control the narrative, the information, and the decisions.

I did not leave because I stopped caring about Rice Lake Terrace. I left because I believed meaningful change could no longer be accomplished from within the Board.

— Travis Mitchell
Former Board President, Rice Lake Terrace Townhomes Association

December 2025 - Misplacement of $13,870

We have a payment without an invocie.

Duplicate Warning was issued, and still paid.

After investigating.

Use of Compass Credit Card provides at max 5% rebate to Compass

https://www.guard.com/payments/ -

“If your policy is with business-facing arms like Berkshire Hathaway GUARD or Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC), they also actively support online credit card processing.”

Harvesting Our Payment Rewards

“We pay roughly 80,000 a year for insurance”

2025 Budget

American Express is providing 2-5% cash back on all purchases.

GAURD

$80,000 X 0.02 = $1,600
$80,000 X 0.05 = $4,000

Why does Compass keep this money?

Math

Failure to Execute Investment Purchase

Action requested:

Resolution to purchase approve 6 x $40,000 certificates for 7 months special at 5.15% APR for Pass August 20, 2025

Follow-up:

“Did you get an update on this topic?.”

Travis September 17th, 2025

Request for Remedy:

“This is a $900 mistake. Please check with the bank to see if Compass can use their influence to correct this error..” only five were purchased “.. and where is the 6th CD?”

Travis September 18th, 2025

“We are missing $53,432.92 from our accounts..”

Unanswered email from Compass December 2025

Responded with the GL account from the fire

“I requested more information regarding the professional services hired (lawyers, accountants and management fee) associated with this activity.” - Travis

Compass Underpaid our Landscaper

“Changing landscapers makes no sense, nobody is asking for new landscaper except one board member, Compass put all communication on me since they cannot do it. Now Compass stopped communicating with me.” - Travis 2025

Countless communication from homeowners went un-resolved and marked as complete and from phone recordings, Compass did not defend Koch.

  • Hi, I've submitted a previous request XN 577953 and even though it's been marked complete, the branch is still there and has not been taken care of yet. I've noticed that one of the branches on the tree directly across from my backyard is getting really close to my property. This is a little concerning as it's been raining on and off and wanted to make sure that no damage is done to the property in case of inclement weather. Is there anyone that can come trim it? Thank you and look forward to hearing from you! Tiffany

    Closed without completion.

  • Good evening! The bush on the edge of my unit is growing so tal that it's covering the window and our house numbers once again. Could it be trimmed? It had to be done last summer too.

    Closed without Completion

  • Hello, The gutters in my quad should be cleaned by the association and not a homeowner. This includes: 9259,9261. 9245, 9243. One of the homeowners ended up cleaning on his own as trees were growing out of the gutters over the garage and when it rains, the gutters have been useless as water pours off and floods garages.

    Closed without Completion

  • Good afternoon! I've reached out a few times about this and it hasn't been fixed yet so I'll try again. For the past 2 winters, the plowing company has run over/ damaged the edging right outside the front door of my unit. I was wondering if this can be fixed or replaced? Also we could use more rocks in the rock bed too

    Closed without any resolution

  • Our gutters are full and rain is flooding our garage. Also the trim above our garage is coming off. When can we expect this to be taken care of. Thanks

    Hired Maintenance Masters instead of Contacting Koch Costing HOA $400

  • Urgent Concern: Collapsing Retaining Wall Dear Compass management group I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to bring to your immediate attention a serious issue regarding the retaining wall located

    Blamed Koch for getting involved with contact information

  • Homeowners received an email saying trimming was taking place. I sent an email stating that the bush in front of my main window was not trimmed and have not received a response. The bush is still blocking my entire front window and has not been trimmed. Is it going to be or what is the status. Also, there is a dead lilac bush on the side of my home. Is that going to stay as is or is that going to be disposed of? Please respond with an update to both of these questions

    Marked complete without forwarding

  • We unfortunately have lot of bees in the front of the house, by main door right in that little opening on the top step. It started a couple weeks ago but has gotten significantly worse. Can’t walk outside without a handful of wasps/bees coming in and out. We can’t see a nest just them flying in and out. There are so many, and we now can’t use our front door. We also noticed wasps consistently coming out of little gap on the left side of the chimney too.

    Koch uses non-toxic methods to remove insects, was never called

  • Shrub trimming requested at this unit, the shrubs have grown over his deck. He called in three weeks ago and no one has gotten back to him. He would like a call back

    Koch was never contacted.

  • My gutter downspout by the front door has detached from the gutter. Could you please have the grounds company reattach it to the gutter when they come out to do the grounds.

    Never contacted anyone and closed

Who was our options besides Koch?

Dayton, MN $39,600 / year

Proscape Maintenance
Hugo,MN

Jake ABRAHAMSEN

$49,152 / year

“How does a landscaping contractor from Hugo Minnesota end up on our management report as a possible solution to Koch?”

Lunseth
Bloomington, MN

Eric S Lunseth

$44,441.52 / year

“Most reasonable selection but how does a big box lawncare company out of Bloomington become a solution?”

B’s Lawns & Landscapes
Hannover, MN

Brian Lee

$47,400.00 / year

“Reasonable 20 mile distance, but minimal offerings”

What constitutes the need for a minimum 10% increase in cost?

We missed the warning signs with First Service
and it cost us thousands of dollars.

Poor Planning:

8-hour notice to remove cars from garages

“Aurora will start tomorrow - they'll be out in about an hour getting notices on the doors. I did get a pass for everyone to park on the street.”
-Compass September 30, 2024 1:10PM

2024 Service Debacle

  • Requested Rock 9/14/2024

    Resident

  • Countless emails and three cases for work under patio.

    Resident Complaint

  • Continued to close the case without resolution. Had to get Travis Involved

    Resident complaint

We pay for Compass’s HOA Software

We paid for it, we were trained on it, Board Members and Former Board Members should have full access.

“The rate for this work is $150 per hour.”

-Shelby Thull October 1, 2026

“When I was on the board, the Vantaca Portal could download all invoices and checks within 10 minutes and reviewed against board resolutions. There are zero Meeting Notes tied to any payments made to vendors.”
- Travis


Payment Fees for Compass

“You will not have to pay for fees with our service.”

Compass Representative December 2023

Sun, Jun 2, 2024, 9:30 PM

Compass,

My phone blew up over new banking fees. I made sure we will not be incurring any fees in addition to the association dues with the exception of credit cards with Jared Lawrence to prevent any confusion on the total amount due. The addition of the "One-time ACH" is outside of our agreement. It was encouraged to set up banking and use OneTime ACH in the beginning by Compass and now we see a fee. We now have people that are confused, wondering whether to pay this month or sending me messages over the broken promise of zero dues increase for 2024.

If this Onetime ACH fee is a new policy, please reactivate everyone's paper statements stating the new policy and give them an opportunity to send paper checks or set-up their Auto ACH.

-Travis

Hey Travis,
There isn't a way for us to turn those off or to have the Association pay those. It could be something that the Association reimburses those fees to those owners, if they choose to continue to pay using that system. 
-Compass

By the math of 68 units two thirds paying $4.95 and the other third paying 3.99%
$8,019 ETF, $2,447 card fees paid to date
$10,466

“The board president should not have to manage communication, vendors, and operational decisions. What are we paying $23,000 a year for - Pay the board.”

Travis Mitchell

What I need:

“I need a limited power of attorney to represent you.”

I had an attorney write a document that contains legal language to empower me to:

  1. Adopt the Amendments you select.

  2. Power to hold individual directors accountable.

  3. Lawfully cancel Compass Management Group Contract.

Simply contact me and I will arrive with a notary public to record your signature.

Travis Mitchell — 612.817.3036 — travis@trustplus.com — 9209 Upland Lane

Amendments Synopsis:

Life + Compass

Don’t worry about the amount in reserves, we do that for you.

So what if we are $100,000 short in our Reserve funding, we can always assess members $1800 and raise dues.

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