HOA Board meetings

Its normal. If verbal questions were allowed, the meeting would likely be full of people complaining with no clear question and no solution which usually happens. I'm sure thats why they want questions in writing.

If your questions are not addresses, keep submitting them. If they continue to ignore you, start your own group and have your own meetings, then go up against the meeting together or vote them out of office. There are power in numbers.

Our HOA permits an "open forum" for the first thirty minutes of the Board of Directors Meetings. Homeowners are encouraged to attend the meetings to ask questions, complain or discuss anything on their minds.
Our board of nine members meet once a month, and since they are elected by the homeowners, and pay the same amount in assesement fees, their interest in, and right to know everything going on in the community is the same as any member of the board.
The board then holds their official meeting, and topics discussed during that meeting can be addressed by the homeowners for thirty minutes during another "open forum".
Homeowners should not ask, or make comments during the official board meeting.
Devoting one hour for open forums is not much to expect if the meetings are held once a month, and the business part of the board of directors only goes for about an hour.

Jim

Chuck

The VA Law § 55-510.1. Meetings of the board of directors address the open meetings requirements for VA HOAs.

Per the law:

"Subject to reasonable rules adopted by the board of directors, the board of directors shall provide a designated period of time during a meeting to allow members an opportunity to comment on any matter relating to the association. During a meeting at which the agenda is limited to specific topics or at a special meeting, the board of directors may limit the comments of members to the topics listed on the meeting agenda."

This means that the Board needs to offer a method for any non-board member who is in attendance to make comments about topics covered in the meeting. However, they are not required to allow comments about anything that isn't specifically on the agenda. It should be noted that non-board members may not add items to the agenda.

Unfortunately, the law doesn't specify how the comment can be made. Therefore, the Board has the option of only allowing written comments. You should insist that any comments submitted in writing become an attachment to the minutes.

IMO, we would be thrilled to have a member attend the board meeting that we would put them at the top of the agenda.

Tim