HOA home owner harrasses board members

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

We have 164 families in our HOA in NE Oklahoma. Just ONE homeowner frequently harasses our board members and management company with obnoxious emails and phone calls.

Do you have any ideas how we might best handle this situation? Are there any laws that we could invoke to get him to behave like a decent person?

Any help will be sincerely appreciated.

Thanks, Hugh, Board President

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

Hugh, check out this article from an Ohio law firm. Note the laws sited are for Ohio but I believe the advise is sound. http://www.ohiocondolaw.com/articles/verbal_abuse.htm

The Board should check with the HOA attorney on what can be done.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

BrianB (California)
Posts: 2,820

Posted:

another simple solution.

delete.

hang up.

NoelleC3
Posts: 43

Posted:

I believe Brian is right on this one. We actually had a board member who would do this to our own HOA. He would send out slaying emails to everyone including the management company cc'd on all of them. It was if he was trying to embarrass the board.

We tried a montage of approaches. The best? Ignore was the best.

I'd make sure that the emails and calls are not "worth looking at " or listening too thought. I personally put my hostile emialer on notice.. and cc'd everyone like he did. It did slow it down. but the rest response to his hostile emails was to just ignore, no matter how hard that is.

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

The best thing you can do once the calls or emails are assessed for any valid need hang up or delete. If it's that big of a problem. I agree with NoelleC and think you should put him on notice. Emailing is fine, but I'd suggest a certified letter. It seems so much more serious a response.

Your job as a volunteer board member is enough. The fact someone is harassing you is not good.

Does his or her emails have any real need other than to ruffle your feathers. Meaning, does he or she actually have a reason to email you? All complaints, issues, concerns should be going to your pm if there is one. Not individual homeowners.

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

The best thing you can do once the calls or emails are assessed for any valid need hang up or delete. If it's that big of a problem. I agree with NoelleC and think you should put him on notice. Emailing is fine, but I'd suggest a certified letter. It seems so much more serious a response.

Your job as a volunteer board member is enough. The fact someone is harassing you is not good.

Does his or her emails have any real need other than to ruffle your feathers. Meaning, does he or she actually have a reason to email you? All complaints, issues, concerns should be going to your pm if there is one. Not individual homeowners.

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

The best thing you can do once the calls or emails are assessed for any valid need hang up or delete. If it's that big of a problem. I agree with NoelleC and think you should put him on notice. Emailing is fine, but I'd suggest a certified letter. It seems so much more serious a response.

Your job as a volunteer board member is enough. The fact someone is harassing you is not good.

Does his or her emails have any real need other than to ruffle your feathers. Meaning, does he or she actually have a reason to email you? All complaints, issues, concerns should be going to your pm if there is one. Not individual homeowners.

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

Please, do not be upset about several responses. The connection on my pc is not too great, I assume it has to do with this. or the website is slow. I didn't mean to do it. so sorry.

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

FionaC: Please don't be concerned about that; it happens to most everyone sometimes.

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

GlenL: The article you referred me to from Ohio is really good. I'm forwarding the URL to all of my board members and the management company also. Many thanks for sending it to me.

DarylF (Washington)
Posts: 157

Posted:

Kill them with kindness. Lots of "thank you for your concern on this issue" types of replies. Also, suggest that they become a board member if they are not happy with the way things are going in every phone call and email reply (chances are they have more fun complaining then doing). Slowly but surly they will start to feel a little foolish.

What type of harassment is it? Are they making threats or crossing a line where legal action should be considered, or are they just not happy with the way the HOA is running and say so often?

StanH5 (Colorado)
Posts: 89

Posted:

I would be interested in knowing what the complaints are about. If the homeowner, for example, is asking for financial records and is being ignored, then they should continue making requests. If the person is attempting to get some landscaping or architectural work completed that they are entitled to, then the letters should continue. Just curious as I know some Boards are deaf when it comes to responding to homeowners. Again, just curious and we should all be before making assumptions. If the letters are not threatening bodily harm then there is not much one can do about it.

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

STANH5

This is the ONLY homeowner that has ever shown any interest in our financials. His harasment caused us to lose 2 different managment companies. He uses hostile threats and sarcasm and sends email attacks and phone calls to almost everyone on the board unless his phone and email address have not been already blocked. He is permitted to ask for specific records. He has just requested nearly 100 different items including bank statements, paid bills, etc. Our management company does not include this service in our contract; they charge $50.00 for their clerical services and a low fee per page of copies, I believe it is 20 cents per page.

Of course his most recent complaint regards the fee for services that only he will be using. He wants to be one of the HOA's contractors but REFUSES to get liability insurance for his company. He wants the HOA to pay for his liability. He plays "HOA Nazi" ... same as a "condo commando". As bad as this all sounds it is actually worse. He has a serious psychological problem.

Got to get back to work now. Thanks for your interest.

HughB

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Hugh,

I expect that you are charging the member for the fees to receive the copies of the documents (including the clerical services).

All you can do is provide him with the documents that he requests and move on. As for the complaint of fees, invite him to submit his name to the ballot and, if elected, he will have an opportunity to change the decision of the Board in charging those fees. You should also cite any applicable law or governing document that authorizes the Board to recoup those fees.

Tim

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

Tim,

Almost correct. Our contract with our management company does not include payment of fees for clerical services and/or copies of documents provided to homeowners. These are paid directly to the management company and the services are performed at their offices.

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I'm closing this topic today.

HughB

HughB (Oklahoma)
Posts: 6

Posted:

Tim,

Almost correct. Our contract with our management company does not include payment of fees for clerical services and/or copies of documents provided to homeowners. These are paid directly to the management company and the services are performed at their offices.

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I'm closing this topic today.

HughB