Dear Judge Rick Zerr, Very Soon the Berhorst foreclosure case will come before you. What you do not know is that the bank at the Center of this foreclosure is central to Lincoln County corruption that is so frequently in the news. Jerry and Maria Berhorst are long time citizens of St. Charles County who attended high School in O'Fallon at St. Dominics. The Berhorst are leaders in the St Charles Community and had a successful business. PBT bank through a serious of unethical, undisclosed, conflicts of interest and a serious of high pressure shams pulled a fast one to try to steal the Berhorst business, home and life savings. What is not told in the pleadings, Is that PBT bank seeking to expand their corrupt enterprise from Lincoln County into St Charles County bought New Frontier Bank in St Charles. (Why PBT bank a well-known troubled bank which owns many other troubled banks was allowed to acquire another bank by Federal Regulators with their own poor record and undercapitalization issues is a discussion for another day) New Frontier Bank was the owner of the commercial building when the Berhorst bought it. PBT did not disclose their ownership interest to the Berhorst when they borrowed from them to buy the property. In a classic loan to own the PBT bank set it up so they would get the property back when times were better and they could profit. The Berhorst's made all the payments and PBT still took their home and business. Peoples Bank and Trust must be sanctioned and the Berhorsts property returned to them. PBT bank should have to pay all legal fees and expenses as well as a huge punitive damage award. Judge Rick Zerr you were elected to protect the citizens of St. Charles County. Do not allow St Charles County Courts to become an expanded version of the Lincoln County predatory courts that act as arm of PBT Bank and the corrupt Lincoln County government. Predatory courts hurt business and property values. They set an environment where people are afraid to work hard because when they do they will still be ripped off of their earnings by the government or the bank through the courts. A quick look at the lack of development and failed development in Lincoln County is symptomatic of this corruption. Money that should be going into the community and to support local business is instead shifted to the obscene fines, fees and jails expenses for non existent or over charged crimes. These fees and fines circle back into the wallets of the crooks that run the courts and the government in Lincoln County. This has caused the high unemployment and poverty rate pervasive in Lincoln County as well as the hopelessness that leads to high rates of drug use. We are sure you are well aware that Leah Wommack Askey has an owner interest in the PBT bank along with her mother and brother. Leah Askey's moral and ethical shortcomings are well known and have been well published of late. The PBT bank is the banking version of Leah. Leah also a borrower from PBT bank was more than 9 months in default on her $900k loan without a foreclosure during the same time frame as the Berhorst Loan was foreclosed on. Why the different treatment is a question you should be asking? Fair Lending Laws are supposed to protect consumers and our banking system from just this sort of crony favoritism. If you allow PBT to proceed with this fraud every business in the County is going to be looking over their shoulders. Send a loud strong message that Banks who act improperly and swindle borrowers will not be allowed to do so. Do not let the wicked scoundrels of Lincoln County get started in St. Charles County. They are all a bad virus and if not stamped out immediately they will spread. You alone are the one that can put a stop to it now. Send a loud clear message that St. Charles County will not allow Lincoln County Corruption and their predatory PBT Bank to defraud borrowers! The voters and especially business across the county will be watching to see whom you serve! Here is the latest article from the St. Louis Business Journal about the situation: Bank sells former TAP Restaurant building involved in dispute Peoples Bank and Trust Co. has sold a St. Charles building that previously was occupied by The TAP Restaurant + Brewery. The bank sold the property, located at 3803 Elm St., to a business entity called El Hiisache LLC, which is associated with St. Peters resident Ruben Ruiz. Ruiz, along with his brothers, owns El Agave, which is located next door to the former TAP location, at 3823 Elm. The deal closed March 7 and comes roughly three months after the bank took control of the property from TheTap LLC, the business entity controlled by TAP owner Jerry Berhorst. The TAP closed unexpectedly in November 2016. Berhorst said the bank foreclosed on the building despite the business being profitable and paying its bills on time. “It was a successful business and it still got taken away,” he told the Business Journal Friday. Berhorst has since filed a counterclaim against People Bank & Trust, alleging fraud and wrongful foreclosure of the restaurant property and Berhorst’s home in St. Charles. Berhorst is seeking actual and punitive damages. A hearing in the case is scheduled for May 26. Peoples alleged it was owed $134,737, plus interest. Joe Trad, an attorney with Lewis Rice who is representing the bank, had no comment beyond Peoples' court filings. Berhorst, along with his wife, Maria, is being represented by Sean Westhoff, an attorney with Duggan & Westhoff in Imperial, Missouri Ruiz, who acquired the old TAP location, wasn't immediately available for comment. Respectfully Submitted, Citizens to Stop Lincoln County Corruption "THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!"