Explainer and Timeline - The Lawsuit Behind Rocket's Fight

Transforming a single legal case into a live 'Housing Justice Audit' - bringing radical transparency to the system gaps between Passive Ownership and Conscious Stewardship and finding Leverage Points for positive systemic change.

McNeil & Poyer v. SAC 181, LLC et al.
Case No. 2025-CP-10-05095
Charleston County Court of Common Pleas

Our Mission

The intent is to bring needed transparency for positive systemic change in Housing Justice by making this case a working example of a “Housing Justice Audit,” while staying objective and leaving anything that properly belongs in the courtroom in the courtroom. We want to help tenants adopt the "Empowered Relationship Building While Asserting Rights" Model and landlords to adopt the "Conscious Stewardship of the Shelters Life Stories Play Out In" Model. This moves tenants away from victimhood and landlords away from the exploitative extraction model that so damaging to tenants and - in the long run - to their profits as well.

Timeline Overview

From the initial forced displacement in July-August 2025 to the discovery of privacy violations in September, and the resource exhaustion tactics of the landlord attorneys, this timeline documents the breakdown of trust. It highlights the key moments where the "mechanical system applied to a social system" model - sometimes referred to as "passive rental property investing" - failed, leading to the current legal battle for accountability.

THE PROPERTY & PARTIES

  • Property: 181 Gordon Street, Charleston, SC 29403
  • Plaintiffs: James C. ("Chris") McNeil and Meaghan Poyer (Pro Se)
  • Defendants: SAC 181, LLC (owner); Meridian Residential Group, LLC; Tara Bayles (CEO); Adam W. Bayles; MRG Investing Company LLC
  • Tenure: March 1 2020 – July 31 2025 (over 5 years of uninterrupted tenancy)

KEY EVENTS TIMELINE

2020–2021: EARLIER LITIGATION (Different Issue)

DateEventContext
July 14, 2020Electric shock incident at propertyTenant injury on premises
2020–2021Separate pro se lawsuit filed (Case No. 2021-CP-10-02237; different issue)Safety-related claims; named defendants included Comcast, Dominion Energy, (current defendant) SAC 181, LLC, and (current defendant predecessor) Roadstead Management
2021Pro se opposition to joint motion for protective order

Plaintiff McNeil filed an opposition brief demonstrating independent research, Strategic Thought Leadership framing, and a public-interest approach to litigation.

Relevance to current case:

  • Demonstrates Plaintiff McNeil's prior ability to research, draft, and argue complex motions as a pro se litigant, without the use of generative AI tools.
  • Shows a consistent values-based litigation approach focused on public safety, transparency, and fair process over multiple years.
  • Illustrates longstanding use of Strategic Thought Leadership concepts to frame arguments and clarify systemic issues for the court.
  • Supports Plaintiffs' position in the current case that the quality and structure of their filings reflect established litigation skills and STL methodology, not undisclosed AI authorship.
  • Defendants included the same ownership entity as the current case (SAC 181, LLC) and the predecessor of Meridian Residential Group, LLC, the management entity in the current case (Roasdstead) as well as Comcast and Dominion Energy
  • Click here to see the "AI Paranoia Act I" filing by Defense (as well as the Plaintiffs' filing in response) or Click here to get your "AIbraham" AI Bogeyman Action Figure.

2023–2024: MANAGEMENT CHANGE & DISCOVERY

DateEventContext
December 27, 2023Meridian acquires Roadstead Management portfolioNew management company takes over property
January 5, 2024Transition letter from Meridian; confirms "property owner fully aware of this change"Establishes owner's knowledge of new management
2020–2024Photos obtained by Meridian predecessor Roadstead under guise of "inspection"Later published by Meridian across multiple platforms

2025: ESCALATION—SAFETY REQUESTS, EVICTION, AND DISCOVERY OF VIOLATIONS

DateEventOur PositionSignificance

April 2–3, 2025

Meridian demands property inspection with <24 hours noticeWe requested reasonable coordination; lease requires "reasonable times" for entryBegins pattern of unilateral direction rather than negotiation

May 8, 2025

Property manager claims lease invalid due to "missing signature"We provided documentation referencing de facto lease recognition under standard contract law principles.Misrepresentation of tenant rights

May 23, 2025

Plaintiffs submit good-faith safety proposalRequested: asbestos testing, duct cleaning, functional windowsReasonable tenant requests under SC landlord-tenant law

May 29, 2025

Notice to Vacate (NTV) issuedIssued 6 days after safety proposalWe allege retaliatory timing

July 14, 2025

Property manager misrepresents SC law re: entry "reasonable times"Chris provides legal citation (SC Code § 27-40-530); manager's supervisor later acknowledges tenant was correctDefendant's own management acknowledges legal error

July 14, 2025

Addison Bayles represents AI will remove plaintiffs from Matterport photosMeaghan consents to photography based on this representationWe allege fraud to secure consent

July 15, 2025

Matterport virtual tour createdImages NOT altered as promised; tour shows Chris, elderly dog Rocket in medical garments, company brandingSystematic privacy violation

July 19, 2025

Meridian announces 73% “renovation” rent increase ($3,050 → $5,276/month) after notice of move‑outIncrease announced 2 days after we questioned defendants' motives in writingIt appears designed to retroactively support a renovations pretext, showing awareness of wrongdoing.

July 26, 2025

Property listing removed from marketRemoved 7 days after rent spike; 9 days after we directly questioned motivesAs with the above 73% rent increase, this listing removal suggests contradiction with stated "renovation" justification. Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to Plaintiffs, their images remained live on the listings.

August 1, 2025

Plaintiffs vacate property; Rocket's trauma set upElderly blind dog loses familiar environment, navigation aids, and accommodating routinesIllustrative of harm - especially to the vulnerable - from forced displacement

August 27–28, 2025

Alleged deposit return mailingOn September 5, Defendants provided "postmark" documentation with August 28 date on it.Later document analysis shows irregularities (see below)

SECURITY DEPOSIT DISPUTE & FALSIFIED DOCUMENTATION

DateEventEvidence

August 28, 2025

Meridian claims deposit checks mailed on this dateProvides "postmark" stamp showing "EMAILED" with handwritten date—not USPS postmark

September 4, 2025

Formal demand letter sent via FedExWe dispute mailing date based on document irregularities

September 5, 2025

We request clarification on document irregularitiesTara Bayles provides same disputed "postmark" documentation again

September 8, 2025

Settlement demand issued ($7,785 = $2,595 deposit + treble damages)Demanded by this date

September 10, 2025

Deposit actually received via USPSGenuine postmark shows September 8 from Columbia, SC; check numbers match earlier claims, proving initial mailing narrative was false

September 30, 2025

Motion filed requesting accountingDiscrepancies between claimed and actual deposit returns

PRIVACY VIOLATION DISCOVERY

DateEventScope

September 18, 2025

Unauthorized family images discovered on rental platformsLocated images of Meaghan, personal belongings on 16+ platforms

September 21, 2025

Evidence preservation notice and takedown demands issuedDemanded removal from all platforms; preservation of metadata

September 23, 2025

Platforms modify listings with "coming soon" graphicsSudden coordinated removal suggests notification of legal exposure

November 2025

Additional sites with images identifiedDiscovery continues; potentially 50+ platforms via ShowMojo syndication

LITIGATION COMMENCED

DateEvent
September 9, 2025Initial Complaint filed
September 15, 2025Amended Complaint filed by Plaintiffs, adding individual defendants)
September 19, 2025Plaintiffs file Motion to Disqualify Counsel (Rule 1.7 conflicts)
October 3, 2025Comprehensive discovery served by Plaintiffs(13 interrogatories + 13–15 document requests per defendant)
October 10, 2025The original attorney for defense who was representing both Meridian Residential Group (along with its 2 key principals as individuals) and SAC 181 exits the case, after which the property management (Meridian and its principals) and property ownership (SAC 181, LLC) camps secured separate counsel.
October 24, 2025Plaintiffs file Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint (adding Charles S. Altman, image counts)
October 29, 2025Plaintiffs file Emergency Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions (re: Bolyard's Answer)
October 30, 2025Response to SAC 181's Motion to Dismiss
November 7, 2025Discovery due; SAC 181 files Motion for Protective Order instead of responding
November 10, 2025SAC 181 files "AI Paranoia" Motion the next business day after discovery was due; Plaintiffs file Motion to Compel Discovery
November 19, 2025SAC 181 files Motion for Sanctions over citation errors (now corrected) AKA "AI Paranoia" Motion Act II
November 20, 2025Plaintiffs' Response to Defense Request for Continuance and Motion for Protective Conditions filed, includes a Brand Promise Violations Analysis of Law Firms Phelps Dunbar and Resnick & Louis, along with some of the specific emails and (transcriptions of) a voice message referenced in an Exhibit
November 21, 2025SAC 181 files Defendant SAC 181's Motion for a Continuance
November 26, 2025Plaintiffs' Notice of Correction, Plaintiffs' Response and Cross-Motion for Sanctions in Opposition to Defendant SAC 181 LLC's Motion for Sanctions and Incorporated Memorandum of Law
November 30, 2025RocketsFight.org campaign launch
December 1, 2025Judge Grants Defense Request for Continuance, December 19, 2025 Hearing Will be Rescheduled.
December 3, 2025Plaintiffs filed Memorandum Regarding Probate Records, Ownership Interest, and Material Valuation Relating to Jonathan S. Altman and SAC 181, LLC, with 8 separate exhibits series, including sworn court documents and an exhibit titled "Why Systems Thinking in Housing Justice" explaining how Plaintiff pro se Chris McNeil's use of Systems Thinking and Strategic Thought Leadership to understand the deep roots of the housing crisis behind the alleged actions that led to this lawsuit, and to make a positive difference in the system of housing and housing justice so some good comes out of this case, regardless of outcome.
December 11, 2025The "Smoking Gun": Plaintiffs filed Supplemental Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion and in Further Support of Systemic Valuation Anomalies.