Board member discrimination

This is a small condo complex of 10 unit. The Board of Directors recently dissolved after one tense meeting where one (of three) resigned. The other two decided to resign as well.

We had people willing to serve on the board, but they said, "We will only served if no one from the three units who had board members are on the board."

Currently, we're having an election with one person, let's call him Roger, saying he will only serve if another person is NOT elected, let's call that person, Dolores.

Roger's wife (let's call her Jessica) was the person who resigned at the tense meeting. Jessica and Roger no longer speak with Eddie and Dolores because of what happened at the meeting.

Dolores is tired of being discriminated against by basically four other units based on something she really knows anything about.

I wonder what to do when people who want to be board members are openly discriminating against other people/units in the complex.

Roger and Jessica are blatantly violating the pet rules (they have 8-10 pets and only two are allowed and they have animals other than what are specifically allowed). Wouldn't this instantly disqualify them from running as a board member?

An individual exercising a right to serve on a Board/committee or not to serve based on if someone else is part of the committee or board is not discriminatory.

Discrimination is typically the effect of some law or established practice that confers privileges on a certain class or denies privileges to a certain class because of race, age, sex, nationality, religion, or handicap.

It would only be discrimination if the Association told the other person that they could not run for the board.

As for the individual/s who refuse to serve if someone else is also serving, then those not willing to serve may have personal prejudices or personal issues and they should be considered jerks for giving that reason. However, that's a personal decision. It's also possible that the person they don't want to serve with is obnoxious enough that there are many personality conflicts.

Bottom line is the Association should stay out of the conflict and place all qualified nominees on the ballot.


It is possible that your Association has established qualification requirements for nominees. Some that I have seen in various documents have included that nominees must be members and/or must be members in good standing. However, the majority I have seen have no qualifications identified. If no qualifications are listed, then anyone may be nominated and placed on the ballot.

Therefore, you will need to check your Associations governing documents to see if this issue is addressed.

Tim