Sunday, September 5, 2004 Hurricane Frances came through Ocala, FL and knocked down several large trees from the Elks Lodge property located at 702 NE 25th Ave in Ocala, FL which fell onto our property and crushed 80’ feet of our fence. 

Photo of Elks Trees on own Property. After 6 years, Elks Lodge has refused to remove their trees from our property and fix our fence damaged by their trees.  They have not even taken the time to come here and look at the mess.

The Elks Lodge Web Site, Elks.Org, proclaim “Elks Pledges Aid to Florida Hurricane Victims” and yet the Elks Lodge in Ocala, FL have not only neglected, but refused to help their own neighbors who suffered damages during Hurricane Frances from their trees.

Click here to view a photo copy of their website as it appeared on August 18, 2004 and to view the damage caused by their trees.

I wrote to a Mr. Sid Carter who is an official at the Elks Lodge in Ocala and their Exalted Ruler Mr Harold Floyd. The response we received was a letter from their attorney, Mr. Daniel Hicks of Ocala who indicated that he represented the Elks Lodge and stated "The damages your complex suffered were a result of an act of God and your insurance policy should cover your damages".

Click here daniel-hicks-attorney.htm to view the letter from the Elks attorney.

I was flabbergasted and outraged because he essentially told us the Elks Lodge has no intentions of doing anything about the damage caused by their trees.

While neighbors all over the State of Florida took responsibility for damage caused by their trees to their neighbors property, this Elks Lodge has refused to remove their trees from our property and fix our fence damaged by their trees.  They have not even taken the time to come here and look at the mess.

Damage estimates are over $1,500. Our deductible is 1% which equals $2000. out of pocket before the insurance pays one dime which means we would have to pay for ALL of the damages out of our own pocket.

We cannot afford to pay for the damages caused by the Elks trees NOR should we have to. It's their trees which cause the damage so THEY should be responsible and repair the damage.

After all, the ELKS advertise how they "Care and Share" and claim to be “Benevolent" and advertise all the "good things" they do for people so they need to live up to their Mission, Motto & Creed and repair the damage.

After receiving the letter from the Ocala Elks Lodge attorney stating they were not going to do anything, I then wrote numerous officials within the Elks organization, including Mr. Jack Jensen Grand Secretary of the Elks National in Chicago, Elks USA Grand Lodge Headquarters in Chicago,  Mr. Frank Palladini Florida Elks State President, Mr. James M. McQuillan, the Grand Exalted Ruler and the President of the Elks.

On December 5, 2006 I wrote the Grand Exalted Ruler and the President of the Elks, Mr. Louis James Grillo about this matter and received no reply.

In September 2009, I wrote 2 letters to the Elks Grand Secretary, Mr. Bryan Klatt and also spoke with him on 2 occasions about how the Elks claim to be a "Do Good" philanthropic organization which “cares” and claims to be “benevolent” yet they have failed to take action to have the damage repaired.

He (Mr. Bryan Klatt) stated in our phone conversation that he made the CURRENT Florida State Elks President AND Current Exalted Ruler of the Ocala Elks aware of the situation about the damage to our property and the Elks failure to do anything about it.

Since that conversation in September 2009, there has been no further communication from Mr. Klatt.

NONE of the people I have written to or spoken with within the Elks Organization has done anything to right the wrong which was done to my family.

Photo of Elks USA Grand Lodge Headquarters in Chicago

The Elks.org Mission States…

"To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to provide for its government, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share".

Note that their mission states;  To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love

At the top of the Elks Lodge web Elks.org site it says "The Benevolent and & Protective Order of the Elks". In their Motto and Creed, they state "Elks Care – Elks Share".  

In our case, the Elks have proved that they are NOT Benevolent, do NOT care, have shown no Charity, Justice or Brotherly Love.

I think most people would also agree that it is JUST that since the Elks trees damaged our property, they should fix the damage. 

The fact that NONE of the Elks I notified about this did anything in the past 6 years is an OUTRAGE.   Every member of the Elks who I notified and who failed to do anything has violated the Elks Mission, Motto and Creed, and they should be reprimanded and expelled as members.  They have proven themselves to be UN-caring, UN-sharing Hypocrites.  

I know of instances in which a neighbor's tree fell onto their neighbors property as a result of the Hurricanes and the owner of the tree took FULL responsibility and repaired the damage. THAT is what a GOOD neighbor does.

If average Joe good neighbors all over the state of Florida can accept responsibility for damage caused by trees to their neighbors property and repair the damage, the Elks Lodge who touts themselves as a philanthropic organization, should more than any neighbor in Florida do the right thing and remove their trees from our property and repair the damage to our fence.

The Elks failure and refusal to do so is hypocrisy personified AND the Elks Lodge's claim of an "Act of God" to avoid responsibly is an outrage.

Since the Elks Lodge have proved in our case that they are NOT Benevolent and do NOT care and have failed to show any Brotherly Love for their own neighbor then it seems evident that the Elks are in violation of their own Mission, Motto and Creed… AND they only apply their Mission, Motto and Creed when it’s convenient or when there’s good publicity to be had (i.e. promising aid to Florida Victims). 

It appears that my family is either being discriminated against OR the Elks Organization is Engaging in False Advertising to the public, because it can be proven that in our case, the Elks are NOT Benevolent and do NOT share or care and have failed to show any Brotherly Love and are in violation of their own Mission, Motto and Creed.

It can also be proven that in our case, the Elks has practiced DOUBLE STANDARDS

The Elks Organization (National, Florida State & Local) has behaved in a Disgraceful, Stingy, Selfish, UN-Brotherly, UN-Caring, UN-sharing manner by their failure to have the damage to my property repaired, which was caused by the Ocala Elks trees.

A Fitting Remedy to This Situation

Since the Elks involved in this Matter has CLEARLY violated their own Mission, Motto and Creed, I feel that the Proper and Righteous Remedy to this matter would be that a meeting be called at the Ocala Elks. I feel that Mr Harold Floyed and the current Exalted Ruler should be admonished and that they should be forced to apologize to my family in front of all the Ocala Elks members.

They should then be stripped of their membership for life for failing to live up to and practice the Elks Mission, Motto and Creed.

I suspect that very few of the Ocala Elks members knows anything about this, but they ALL should be made aware so they will know how the management of their Lodge and how the Elks National Organization has treated me and my family.

I feel that every Elks Member who was made aware of this and did nothing should also be admonished and stripped of their memberships for life.

There's need to be a REAL housecleaning within the Elks Organization over this matter because it can be proven that MANY Elks Managers have violated and failed to apply, the Elks Mission, Motto and Creed in our case.

It is obvious that unless some pressure is brought to bear, the Ocala Elks management and Elks National will NEVER rectify this situation. It is also obvious that they could CARE LESS about my family and they have proved themselves to be hypocrites by failing to abide by and practice the Elks Mission, Motto and Creed.

As such, I feel that the Ocala Elks and Elks National should pay for all of the damages and pay at least an additional $10,000 in restitution for taking over 6 years to repair the damages and for the emotional damage it has done to me and my family and for the Elks failing to abide by and practice their own Mission, Motto and Creed in our case.

I have principles and believe in standing up for and fighting for what is RIGHT. I am Self Employed and have lost Thousands of Dollars due to time spent on writing letters and filing complaints in an effort to get SOMETHING done about this.

As of this date,   the damage still exists and the Elks has done nothing!

This is an outrage which needs to be reported so people will know what hypocrites the Elks are.

I intend to do everything in my power to let the WORLD know about this, including notifying the NEWS media such as 60 Minutes, Dateline, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the New York Times, etc.

Here's a link to the video I posted on YouTube; Elks Lodge

If you want to help, here's a few things you can do.

1. If you own a website or blog, please put this link on your site;

Title: Elks Lodge
Link to URL: http://elkslodge-exposed.com
<a href="Elks Lodge">http://elkslodge-exposed.com</a>

2. Let you friends & family know how the Elks Lodge has treated us.

3. If you know anyone in the News media at TV, Radio stations and Newspapers, let them know about this.

4. If you want to let the Elks know what you think about the way they've treated us you can call them at;

Ocala Elks; 352-732-7091
Elks Headquarters: 773-755-4708

If you are an attorney and would be interested in representing us in this case, please contact me using the contact link below.

Note to Elks:

Everything on this website is the 100% truth with NO exaggerations.

I am protected by the 1st Amendment of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press.

I have a right to report to the Public how your organization has not practiced your Mission, Motto and Creed, and how the Elks has treated me and my family.

If you are an Elks member and don't like me reporting this... ask yourself how YOU would like it if the Elks were your neighbor and their trees caused $1,500 damage to YOUR property and they refused to fix the damage while advertising "Elks Care, Elks Share"?

If the Elks had done the right thing and fixed the damage in the first place, this website and complaints posted throughout the internet would not have been necessary.

This website is a direct Result of and Response to the Elks failure to be a Good Neighbor and Repair the Damage... and The Elks Failure to practice it's Mission, Motto and Creed in our case.