Unacceptable Behavior From the Court Clerks
An open letter to Mark Cody
By MadCoNuz Staff · October 13, 2026
Open Letter to Mark Cody,
Clerk of Court,
Madison County, North Carolina
Why are the women who work at the Madison County courthouse so damned nasty?
A few years ago, I was getting some papers from the court in Henderson County. Despite being very busy, the clerks were cheerful, agreeable, and helpful. I said to the young lady helping me that I should video it and show it to them in Madison. Then I paused and said, “Actually, I think it is personal. For some reason, they don’t like ME.” A paralegal who overheard the conversation added, “Nope, it’s not you. They treat everyone like that.”
On Wednesday, October 7th, I was attempting to file a civil complaint. The clerk’s office, where someone should be sitting, was abandoned, dark, and with a curtain pulled. The woman who took my paperwork looked at it with total disdain and said, “If you want information, take this up to the county office. Not here. We don’t do that here.” She was essentially disgusted with me and was showing it.
“No, ma’am. If you look, it actually is a request for a hearing, and oh yeah, please note that it is to be given priority treatment.”
Now she is totally disgusted, shaking her head. “This doesn’t go here.”
I asked why she was shaking her head and asked if that wasn’t the correct place to file a civil complaint.
“Oh, it’s here, but we don’t do anything like this. Take a seat and I’ll find out.”
She closed the window, PULLED a remarkably cheap curtain closed, and left. I confess, having been in a few courthouses, I have NEVER seen a window closed and a curtain? Why is there a curtain over the clerk’s window, Mark? One enters the building and the clerk’s window is closed, the lights are out, and a curtain is closed. Nothing says ‘You’re not welcome here’ better than that. But, I guess it really is fair warning for what is about to happen.
Do you find that acceptable? Why would the court clerks treat anyone like that? In fact, why is the window closed, and why is there a damned curtain over the window of the clerk? Answer, Because, "She likes it like that."
After 25 minutes, a nice young fellow shows up and says he had it figured out and it was filed. During our interaction, he had to step away. A rather large woman, with blonde hair, closed the window, put a lock on it, and pulled the curtain closed. I swear, if she could have spit at me and gotten away with it, she would have.
And after 30 minutes, they filed 3 documents, none of which were ever signed. At one point, I said I needed to sign them and was told to, “Hold on, I don’t think this gets filed here.”
I had a procedural question in Haywood County. It was a question about North Carolina General Statute 132.9, and the level of immediacy I was reading from it. They tried to explain that “top of the docket” didn’t mean TODAY. I think before they were done, 5 of them tried, with great patience shown to me (maybe not so much when they went back to their desks), but each one was knowledgeable and friendly in the explanation. They took a shot and attempted to explain what didn’t sound like the right answer. I was cordially allowed to ask the Judge about it.
No one scorned me. No one shook their head at me (that I saw). No one treated me like a disgusting interruption of her space. No one said that they didn’t do that there. No one closed the window and LOCKED it. Then closed the curtain and walked out of the office. Is that acceptable to you, Mark? And honestly, if it is acceptable, we need a new Clerk of Court. To be sure, it definitely isn’t acceptable to me, and oh yeah, I think everyone at the courthouse needs to be reminded: YOU WORK FOR US.
In Haywood, twice they returned my paperwork with notes about what I needed to do to correct it. They weren’t annoyed. They simply gave me papers back with some red marks: “You need to answer these, and then we can get it filed.”
Mark, I have never seen you when you weren’t friendly and more than helpful. But that can’t be said for the women who work under your leadership. And this bad attitude has been the way business is done in Madison County for years, and it is past time for this to stop. I would recommend a quick meeting with the office staff and “suggest” they change their attitude to be polite, friendly, knowledgeable servants of the people. Mark, contrary to their apparent misunderstanding, we aren’t invading their space when attempting to conduct business. Quite the opposite is true. Every one of you works in OUR building, and you work there for US.
Mark,
this unprofessional behavior is not new and people have addressed it with you before. Therefore, I am publicly requesting a written explanation about why I was subjected to their totally unprofessional, downright nasty looks and comments. Why should anything like that happen in Madison County? Change it, Mark, and send me an explanation about why the public, who you work for, has to experience this level of intentionally nasty, unprofessional, and unacceptable treatment by the clerks.
Pete Orthmann
Replies:
·Thank you! Yes I have also spoken to Mr. Cody about it. Mark Cody is a good man but both women who work for him are extremely rude! Especially the blonde lady!!! I even told her once on the phone she didn't have to be so rude. We were purchasing tax foreclosure property. And they acted like we were horrible people. It was actually other family members of ours that lost the property. We were buying it back and that was the only way to get the deed in our name. It was a whole issue where we parked at the courthouse. I think she needs to be removed or locked in a room where she doesn't have to interact with the public. Because she honestly cannot be nice or even pleasant.
Tersa Buckner Kelly was the nasty one that I had a talk with Mark about!
Teesa Buckner maybe you caught her on a good day!
Whirlibird Farms ·I have experienced the same nastiness! I know many others that have had the same problem. I also spoke to Mark about it. Glad you are speaking up!
Jerry Hagan I've dealt with them a handful of times over the past couple of years and they were just fine. I had no complaints at all.
Kelly A Fore Yes!!!! Ive experienced it too. Kelly is the blonde lady
Thomas N Cindy Sprinkle I failed and paid for my divorce months ago and I still haven't received the paperwork in the mail that should have been mailed to me when the judge signed off on it. But since Kelly Boone is a joke and don't wanna do the job she gets paid to do I'm still waiting to receive that paperwork.
Kelly A Fore YES!!!!
Denise Deaver Thanks for speaking up
Anonymous participant 158 I totally agree. We need a new Clerk of Court and a change of attitude with some of the employees. We need for someone to run against Mark in order to make this happen. It is time for a change.
