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MS9 (California)
Posts: 13
Posted:
I am looking for ideas on what qualifications for the board members can be added in bylaws.

I can think of a number of qualities that I think a board member should have, but the lack of those can't be quantitativly used for disqualify somebody.

Any ideas you may have for what can actually be written in bylaws.

e.g. they should be mentally sane
MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836
Posted:
Sorry, but you can't write in qualities you want in volunteer labor. You can choose why you won't vote for a person for that position but you can't legislate it in. ALL members in a HOA are owners. Do you want a quality check on all the owner's as well before they move in or purchase property?

When it come to running a HOA, the stay at home mom/dad has the same rights as the executive at a corporation when it comes to be voted onto the BOD. It's up to you to decide how to use your vote if you want them elected or not.

Former HOA President
MarkM19 (Texas)
Posts: 65
Posted:
I have always thought that each Board Member who is being asks to manage a Large sum of money that most Boards deal with should have a Credit check run on them. If they can not manage personal finances why should we expect them to do a good job with Board funds.

I have also heard people say that Board Members should have background checks to make sure that they will not abuse camera access and other personal information that they are priveleged to have access to.

I would sign up for both if our community ever made this a requirement. What about everybody else?
RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067
Posted:
Ms9, I think all candidates for the Board should have one qualification, i.e., they must be members in good standing. Surprisingly, in many HOAs Board members do not even have to own property in the HOA. I have seen all types and qualifications but usually elections are more of a popularity contest. For example just evaluate the last national election (:
MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836
Posted:
It would be illegal to submit members to a background check for various reasons. The HOA doesn't need to know anybody's social security number. They just need to have the check cashed. I don't see why I would need to do a background check on my next door neighbors. It's an invasion of their privacy and it would be an invasion of mine as well. You realize YOU would have to submit to this background check to?

There is a loophole in many HOA's that allow members not in good standing to be on the board. The member may not have the right to vote due to not being in good standing but doesn't mean they can't have others vote for them...So a member not in good standing can be elected...they just can't vote for themselves.

Sorry, it would be great to have qualified educated people running our HOA's. It's never going to happen. You don't learn how to run a HOA until you get involved in it. That is the learning curve standard. How or why you get to be a board member is up to the other members. A person wants to be on the board they get elected by other members. This is why your vote is so important. Without your right to vote you have no way of controlling much of anything in your HOA. So I'd recommend keeping your right to vote and applying it to voting in the best candidate to represent you if your not running. That is why we elect board members...To act on our behalf to run the HOA on a daily basis so we don't have to.


Former HOA President

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