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Posted By MichaelP6 on 04/10/2011 6:28 PM
In our HOA, it is the CAM who doesn't want this to happen because he's afraid that his performance will be discussed. His performance has been dismal like a lot of CAMS. He is at every meeting even though his contract states he only needs to attend 5 so that he can commandeer elections and control the process and the narrative. This forces the board (if they only had two of 'em) to call an exec. session to discuss the MC's performance and it's never happened. I wish he actually responded to calls like he's supposed to and did whatever a CAM is supposed to do. It seems to me like his job is to commandeer the HOA and secure as much revenue as he can for his Co. He simply can't be bothered with his contractual duties.
Back on topic..... w/o coffee at Dunkin', how can the board throw around this issue? How could a brand new board get their footing? How can it at least casually get the conversation started w/o a bunch of suspicious exec. sessions? They can't and it's no wonder that things never change.
We actually had a board president who once held meetings in her own home so she could control who attended. How about that for openness? How bad could coffee at Dunkin be?
Michael:
You and the Board are the victims of a well intentioned misguided group of state politicians who have no real knowledge of how a property is managed who decided every property owner needs to play a role in every meeting because that causes good feelings. You vote in a volunteer Board to manage the property not hold office so every owner can play a role in every decision. IMO that just slows things down or makes things impossible. So in your case maybe a new group wishes to hash out some of the detials or what ifs in private on their time and if you follow the letter of the law you might be in violation. To be honest times like this I am glad not to live in VA. in the HOA/condo property.
Lets just imagine if a business corporation required their corporate boards to hold open meetings for each and every shareholder? Do you think anything would get done? Wonder why they don't do it that way? It doesn't work.
So people think having more people involved gets better results. That never works in the real world. But the touchy feely folks like to think if everyone has a chance to participate things can only be better.
For me my job as President of the Board is to manage the affairs of the property in the best way possible. After 25 years I have some idea of how that's done. I meet with members of the Board outside Board meetings and e-mail them between meetings to make them aware of what has happened so they are kept in the loop.
In some states that would violate the letter of the law. The penalties? The enforcement well that is another question. No one I know of serving hard time for meeting at DD and having a discussion.
Serving on an HOA/condo Board is difficult enough. But some states seem to have the need to enact more rules that require more time and effort on behalf of the Board members which serves to complicate the operations of the Board. My bottom line what kind of job is the Board doing? Have they protected your property? Hasve they acted in the property's best interest? Have they managed your investment in a satisfactory way?
Some folks with to much time on their hands see the world as they think it should be and their shorts get all bunched up when they feel some "illegal"
act has taken place. Just what is the cost in $$$ and time and effort to make notifications for every time the Board meets? How many people show up at these meetings? In most cases my guess the turnout doesn't justify the effort and cost.
But those are the written rules and some people just have the need to follow those even if they make the property more difficult to manage and if they result in nothing positive.
On my property for nearly 30 years we hold monthly meetings open to only the Board. One meeting per year is open to the unit owners. Some would think that is not possible. Some would claim this is "illegal" "immoral" "unethical" or at least violates some unwritten law. Some how we have managed and there is no need for open meetings for every exchange of words among Board members nor does it result in appearance of some dirty dealing. We do our job and in the last election 80%+ of those voting supported the current Board members.
Myself I would not care if the Board met 24X7 at DD and drank coffee till it ran out of their noses if they did their jobs. IMO that should be consideration #1 not where they met, who was there, what they discussed and if that violates the letter of the law. That sort of thinking and second guessing is petty nonsense.
Sounds to me like VA. has a few zealots down there with a printing press spitting out new rules and regulations on how things should be done and why. Funny laws made up by people who never did the job rarely work. Recently, if I remember reading the new state laws the Board must answer any complaint within 10 days in writing. Now most Boards meet monthly and if you are self-managed how do you provide a written response in between Board meetings without holding a meetings. And doesn't this just impose on the Board the need for MORE of their time and effort. IMO a complete waste of time both the law and those that drew it up.
Good luck maybe you could hand out masks and meet in secret at an out of town location in the early morning hours to minimize the possibility of being caught.
What nonsesne...............