ATLANTA – A quiet, DeKalb County neighborhood off of Flat Shoals Road is cozy with its bungalows, townhomes and single family houses. But, neighbors say, their new homeowners’ association president has created tension. “I’ve lived 10 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. It could be a reality show,” said Lauren Hise , a Brighton Village homeowner Brighton Village Board Treasurer Derick Montgomery chimed in, “I’m exhausted and tired and very frustrated.”

Many residents and some board members also blame the propertymanagement group, Sentry Management, for the new tension which spilled into a recent meeting. In an audiotape, you can hear Sentry representative Caren Brown challenges board member Brianna Gage who has pushed back at how the community is being treated.  “Do you want to see me outside Brianna? Let’s go,” yelled Ms. Brown.

Board treasurer Derick Montgomery was there. I said, ‘We’re professionals. We are not going to engage in a fist fight with a property management who is on the clock and we’re paying her to be there’.”

So how did it come to this? The installation of a security gate opened the neighbors’ eyes to just how closed off they feel they are to the management of their community. Even the HOA treasurer, the man in charge of the finances, says he no longer has a say in how the money is spent.

The treasurer says Brighton Village shelved an $80,000 gate proposal because they didn’t have the money. But then after new board leadership arrived, he says, a gate was going in and the price was going up.

“And we’re now at $135,000,” he told the Fox 5 I-Team.  Read more: