Types of Board Members

I do have to agree with you on that one Glen...Although it seems officers can confuse who the enemy is and shoot themselves in the foot with their own weapon...It's all friendly fire in a HOA....

Agreed! Good thinking.

Many don't understand that you don't have to be in favor of a motion to second it. A second merely means you believe the motion is worthy of discussion. Sometimes, when one believes a motion will be defeated, one will second the motion just to insure that will come to a vote and the eventual defeat of the motion will be on record.

It drives me crazy for someone to suggest a bake sale or yard sale to raise funds in a HOA. A HOA is a corporation so those funds raised that way could very well be subjected to taxes. The only true way to raise money in a HOA is by raising dues or special assessments. Collecting on debts takes money to collect money. Plus it only stops the bleeding or puts back money that was lost.

I also find it annoying about fining members. Like that is an income resource. No it is NOT. It is like a speeding ticket for the HOA at best case. Plus your rules have to allow and have a fining schedule inside them to enforce in the first place. Try explaining that to new board members or general membership when they holler "fine them" and then we will have some money. Not very likely as you can't even lien or foreclose for a fine...

Funding and spending money in a HOA is NOT that easy or defined. It is a non-profit so it must gather enough money to meet it's debts but not go over so much as to make a profit. Savings is not a profit as long as it is kept at a certain level. Otherwise you now subject your HOA to paying taxes. People then want to know why their HOA looks like crap and no maintenance is being done. If the HOA is making just enough to pay it's debts then how is going to make enough to maintain it's assets? A fine line of balancing amongst people who probably can't balance their own checkbooks.

I compare the budget for a HOA like a family. How many of you are willing to open up your checking account for your spouse and kids to see it every month? How would they have you spend your money if you did that? Well in a HOA that is EXACTLY what is supposed to happen. The checkbook is to sit wide-open and everyone is to judge where that money is spent. If it had been spent, then they have to judge and criticize that as well.

That is my budget pet peevery for today...It's NOT easy and many never get the concept. So HOA's suffer but survive as best they can. It's just dealing with the people you get willing to take on the challenge that really determines on how the money is spent and gathered.

I am soooo sorry GlenL....My mistake. I didn't know you could be so selective on a PUBLIC forum...LOL!!! Is Tim allowed? He may be in Mexico...;)

You guys are funny! LOL

Don't have a "name" for them, but some previous & current directors here want to generalize from one or few incidents. Their motto seems to be "Let's make a rule!" "Let's post signs!"

These same directors seem to have difficulty perceiving "the big picture," i.e., the entire community. They appear to be unable to get past perceiving one or some individuals, and what it is that may benefit those one or a few or what may make those one or a few angry.

Basically, they, IMO, focus too much on the squeaky wheels--some of whom will complain no matter what!

Jon,

It's like you have been sitting in on our board meetings.

We have a director who voted against including trash collection in the annual dues, since the total of trash plus assessments would be too large. She preferred making two separate payments even though the total of those two payments would have been larger than one payment that included a discounted trash service.

Then there was the motion to give every homeowner a check for $50 to help out with spring maintenance. Think about this even a little and you will see how ridiculous it is.

And our "once a month" directors (in our case "once a quarter") sign up for tasks that they never fulfill, and end up only delaying action until someone who actually does something picks it up from where they dropped it.

Glen wrote that "Stupid and lazy officers are harmless". I'm thinking that stupid, lazy people on the board of directors can really gum things up.

We had one of those as President for a while. He insisted on writing and publishing the newsletter by himself. Once we had waded through his non-selective use of bold fonts, italicized fonts, bold and italicized fonts, green, blue and red fonts and big and small fonts, we found this gem in his common areas discussion one winter:

The common areas are here for everyone to enjoy equally. Because of this, no one may use any part of the common areas. This is state and local law and we must all abide by the laws.

Sadly (not), he resigned soon after from the BOD when fellow directors informed him that there were enough signatures and proxies to call for a meeting and remove him from the Board. So we never did get to see how we could all enjoy the pool without actually going in it the next summer.

We have a former school teacher on our board. She's an idiot. Once she asked how "Grace" was spelled. NO wonder our kids can't read.

The types of board members I have seen, and I have seen ALOT..

The dictator... usually the president or wants to be. Often thinkg it's their way only. Makes decisions without contacting or consulting the board.. purchases items without consent.. etc.

The Passive one... who wants to have a meeting to discuss the meeting of the meeting next week, and takes months to figure out what they want blue, blue or blue carpet.

The angry monger... everything is an arguement. They vote against anyone just to argue. If you want them to vote a certain way, you just vote the opposite, it's a gaurantee you will get what you want.

The MIA. The one who shows up to maybe 1 out of every 4 meetings and then is upset becuase they didn't have a say so in the paint color.

The user, the one who breaks into the clubhouse on a whim to host thier own party without paying clubhouse rental fees or getting approval from the social committee.

The it doesn't apply to me.. the one who enforces rules of having a clean walkway or rather door front but is in fact guilty of storing a home peice of equipement on their front porch.

The list goes on.. lol