Prior to sale of property on June 4th 2005 per ATA minutes of record. My interpretation is all life members of record that were still living were entitled to their fair share of the $2,023,997 the Vandalia property was sold for, I was not mailed a ballot or vote of record that was required by law, before the BOD and EC changed life members powers, they could not sell the Vandalia grounds, or change the ability to Re-Incorporate w/o our approval. I personally believe our life Members Powers were changed by the sole decision of the ATA secretary's interpretation, and not approved by an Attorney of Record representing the Life Members Rights. Gary Bryant 4010126 Life Member
Dr. Longshot, I would like to personally thank you for your crusade. I know somtimes you probably feel like you're all alone, but rest assured, you are not alone. The silent majority greatly appreciates your willingness to do the right and just thing regardless of the noise from the Kool-Aid drinkers. Thank you Sir! Keep up the good work.
Members of a non profit are not entitled to any assests of the organization. When a non profit goes out of business or disposes of any assests, the assests must be donated or sold to another non profit or to the government. Federal tax law.
The ATA did not go out of business they sold property for a profit. If the bylaws so state that the profits be divided up to Life Members that is what they need to do. The IRS shouldn't have anything to do about it.
Before you put a down on that boat , you should do a quick check on to whom IRS regulations permit 501 corporations to divest their assets. Then ask Kenny Ray if anything interesting in this area was reported as happening in 1955 meeting called by Maynard C. Neil
August 10th 2004 info on Life Member Certificates Minutes Starts line #65 then go to Life Member Certificares Line 543 ATA Opinion on lines 594-609 Reccomendations of ATA Lines 610-628 Changed Lines 549 thru 654 You need to read the minutes it is too much to write, but it is all explained there.
When you have an ATA member that is Illinois IDNR Building Grounds consultant, and Mike Hampton Consulting Co. Is that a licensed business? Working both ends against the middle? Appears to be Colusion, Illeagal operation. Being paid by both entities? Dr.longshot
I spent over 6 hours finding the information, there were actually 4 Different Life Member Certificates, and then a final Life Member Certificate as drawn up, which is actually worthless, Compared to the Original ones. If the original are still enforceable are worth quite a bit to the holder. Reason it was an ATA Opinion Only. Dr.longshot
Thank you for digging. That is how some of the all time big corruption cases are brought to light by somebody digging for the truth. Go Gary!!
I would like to suggest we all throw a few bucks together for Doctor Longshot. Just a token of our appreciation for the time, money, and effort he has and continues to sacrifice to make trapshooting Grand again.
Ken Cerney, If the ATA is chartered as a non profit and files tax returns as a non profit, then it is subject to the tax laws of the IRS and the IRS law dealing with non profits says very clearly in the 550 publication, no members of such non profit are entitled to distribution of profits, shares or assests ATA states in the rule book it is subject to the laws governing 501(c)'s which are IRS regs governing non profits. Since so many here are not ATA shooters, I guess it stands to reason you do not have a hard copy of the rule book which explains this on pages 75 and 76 dealing with memberships. You can find this on the ATA web site. Of course perhaps it would be better having this explained to you by a lawyer after you pay him his fee. If you guys really believe some type of wrong doing occured such as fraud, you might want to check the statue of limitations in the State where such fraud is supposed to have take place befor you get too far overboard on this.
Not only that, but there was no dissolution of the ATA; they just moved to a different location. Why on earth would they have to distribute assets when they are still operational?
AZCOTRAP, Since the ATA did not dissolve and they are a non profit organization now would they have to return PROFITS from the sale of property that they owned and since they are not turning around and purchasing new property. Since we are members of the ATA and that Life Members are to have voting rights, at least at time of said sale, as I was told, that the profits of real estate sale be returned to said membership. Then again not knowing what was in the original charter of the ATA and what legal changes if any was made to that charter and by laws anything is possible. Also read my first post on this.
It does not matter how or when the ATA was chartered, but what and how it was operating at the time of the sale. If it was a 501(c) at the time of the sale, there is no distribution of funds or assets to the membership. If it was not a 501(c) at the time of the sale, then that might be a different story. I would be very surprised it was not a 501(c) at the time of the sale.
AZCOTRAP that is good information now we have to see how this unrolls to see what is what. I do however think it is good to dig at this to see.
