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StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
I live in a community of over 550 individual home owners. It is a upscale Golf Club where everyone lives in there own little bubble. In studying the By-laws section 1 Directors it states : the number of directors for varying lenghts of time. It concludes with "Upon completion of a three year term of office, a member may not submit his name for election or appointment until 1 year has passed since the last time that individual served on the board"

Our present president has ignored that by-law and considers himself the Czar of our community and will not take advice from anyone or let anyone even suggest a motion. Obviously I need help. When I call the associations attorney I am not allowed to talk to her since i am not on an approved list provided by the president. HELP !!!
DaveD3 (Michigan)
Posts: 796
Posted:
More details please.
In what way is that bylaw being violated and by whom?
Who has been on the board how long without taking a year break?
Are they being reelected? If so, who is submitting their name for nomination, and who is approving the nomination?
TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
Stephen

Are you on the Board?
SteveM9 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 3,699
Posted:
Quote:
When I call the associations attorney I am not allowed to talk to her since i am not on an approved list provided by the president.


Many associations only have one person authorized to spend money on attorneys, so its typical you do not have access to the association's attorney. If you wish to hire your own attorney with your own money, you are free to do so.

If everyone doesn't like this guy, you can organize an effort to get rid of him. But if the majority of people like him, your stuck with him regardless of his bad attitude.
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
No I am not on this Board. I have been president of another community before i moved here.
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
I do not want to mention names. that is insignifacant to the problem. He submitted his name prior to our last years HOA meeting and was re-elected. There was not a majority at the meeting. he submitted his reume 60 days prior to the meeting and the Vice president nominated him
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
He submitted his resume 60 days prior to elections and the Vice president nominated him.
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
he did not sit out for one year after his term that is in violation of our by-laws.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
Stephan

While it might not have followed the best procedure, is the end result not the same?

The BOD agreed to appoint a member to the BOD to fill a vacancy and agreed to appoint that new member as Asst. Treasure all at the same time.

Sort of like a multi-point motion. They can be tricky, but they can be done.

StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
That is the point. He did not sit out for the one year. I believe he is not on the board legally.
CarolR11 (Colorado)
Posts: 2,563
Posted:
So, Stephen, have you brought up this illegality at a Board meeting during open forum?? Or have you submitted a polite written request to the board, perhaps via your property manager, to explain their behavior? What do the other directors say to justify their behavior? How many directors are there? I feel like I'm missing something.

Assuming you do have a P.M., often they're required in thier contract, or should be, to not participate in board directives that oppose the governing docs or state laws.

John46, I think you meant to reply to a different thread.
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
I have brought it up at the board meeting and the respose was that the by-laws where changed. No evidence of that anywhere. One of the other Board members agreed with me after bthe meeting. It appears they know what they did was wrong but will not address the issue in an open forum. The P.M. has had an operation and is out for an indefinate period of time.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
Stephan and All

Disregard my post about double motions. It was meant for another topic.

Sorry

John
DaveD3 (Michigan)
Posts: 796
Posted:
Not asking for any names, but a little more description would help since none of us have any inside information on what's going on.

is "he" the president? how long was "he" on the board previously? to whom did "he" submit his resume (never heard of a resume being a requirement of election to a BOD for a HOA). I assume the party that received his resume was also the party that put his name on the ballot. Who was that? The prior board? The management company? If "he" is the president, through what means was his presidency secured? Did he simply run for the board and the board appointed him as president (or treasurer, secretary, or whatever he is), or did he run specifically for president. And also, just to understand the scope, what type of HOA and what size HOA are we talking about here? A group of 20 single family homes, or a 5000 person community in a high-rise building?

i.e. "Our current president has been on the board for 5 consecutive years. 60 days before his first term expired, he threw his name into the hat for re-election and _______ accepted his nomination even though our bylaws say ____________. The issue was brought up at a meeting and ________ said that the bylaws were changed. I asked ________ for proof that the bylaws were changed, but received nothing."

If there was a bylaw change, it probably required at least a majority vote of owners, and should have been officially recorded. Of all things, the HOA board should be able to produce THAT in short order.

If they're unable to (or if the bylaws really weren't changed) then your option is to hire an attorney and file suit against the HOA for breach of the bylaws, seeking the removal of the person in question.
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
Our present president was elected to a four year term that expired last December. 60 days prior to the annual meeting he submitted his resume for election. He wa elected to another 4 year term sitting out the mandatory one year. We are an upscale Golf community consisting of over 550 individual home sites. Prices for homes start at a little over 300k and go up from ther. You do not have to join the golf club (situated within our gated community) when you buy a home. Our election procedure consist of the board at least ten days and no more than 60 days give notice of meeting. All members dsiring to be candidates must submit there names and a one page summary of there qualifications. This notice will be distributed to all homeowners. Each candidate will be given an opportunity Prior to the annual meeting each candidate will be given an opportunity to make a brief presntation to there qualifications. (by-laws do not state where or when)
DaveD3 (Michigan)
Posts: 796
Posted:
If your bylaws make a reference to members elected to a 3 year term needing to sit a year out, how is it that he was elected to a 4 year term in the first place? How long are normal terms of office on your board?

Also, did he run for president, or run for the board and was named president by the board?
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
the by law set up 3 directors for 2 year ters and 4 for 3 year terms. He was elected president by the Board. The election only elects them to be members of the board. A respose I received today was that Florida Statue 720 takes priority over our by-laws and that after his legal councel made hin eligable to be on the board. I can not pull up that staue on the internet so off I go to the Library tomorrow.
DaveD3 (Michigan)
Posts: 796
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By StephenK1 on 09/19/2012 3:03 PM
the by law set up 3 directors for 2 year ters and 4 for 3 year terms. He was elected president by the Board. The election only elects them to be members of the board. A respose I received today was that Florida Statue 720 takes priority over our by-laws and that after his legal councel made hin eligable to be on the board. I can not pull up that staue on the internet so off I go to the Library tomorrow.

How was he elected to a 4-year term if 2 year and 3 year terms are the only options?
StephenK1 (Florida)
Posts: 10
Posted:
My mistake it was a 3 year term. Here is a copy of a letter I sent today

.Request permission to speak at September meeting in regards of eligibility of Board members, I also request all Documents that where interpreted to allow Mr. xxxx to seek re-election without remaining off the Board for one year. I have been told that Fl statue 720 was the resolution. I have studied that article and can not find the language that allowed our by-laws to be overruled.

Sincerely,

Stephen
Member

(b) Members have the right to attend all meetings of the board. The right to attend such meetings includes the right to speak at such meetings with reference to all designated items. The association may adopt written reasonable rules expanding the right of members to speak and governing the frequency, duration, and other manner of member statements, which rules must be consistent with this paragraph and may include a sign-up sheet for members wishing to speak. Notwithstanding any other law, meetings between the board or a committee and the association’s attorney to discuss proposed or pending litigation or meetings of the board held for the purpose of discussing personnel matters are not required to be open to the members other than directors.

(5) INSPECTION AND COPYING OF RECORDS.—The official records shall be maintained within the state and must be open to inspection and available for photocopying by members or their authorized agents at reasonable times and places within 10 business days after receipt of a written request for access. This subsection may be complied with by having a copy of the official records available for inspection or copying in the community. If the association has a photocopy machine available where the records are maintained, it must provide parcel owners with copies on request during the inspection if the entire request is limited to no more than 25 pages.
(a) The failure of an association to provide access to the records within 10 business days after receipt of a written request submitted by certified mail, return receipt requested, creates a rebuttable presumption that the association willfully failed to comply with this subsection.
(b) A member who is denied access to official records is entitled to the actual damages or minimum damages for the association’s willful failure to comply with this subsection. The minimum damages are to be $50 per calendar day up to 10 days, the calculation to begin on the 11th business day after receipt of the written request.
(c) The association may adopt reasonable written rules governing the frequency, time, location, notice, records to be inspected, and manner of inspections, but may not require a parcel owner to demonstrate any proper purpose for the inspection, state any reason for the inspection, or limit a parcel owner’s right to inspect records to less than one 8-hour business day per month. The association may impose fees to cover the costs of providing copies of the official records, including, without limitation, the costs of copying. The association may charge up to 50 cents per page for copies made on the association’s photocopier. If the association does not have a photocopy machine available where the records are kept, or if the records requested to be copied exceed 25 pages in length, the association may have copies made by an outside vendor or association management company personnel and may charge the actual cost of copying, including any reasonable costs involving personnel fees and charges at an hourly rate for vendor or employee time to cover administrative costs to the vendor or association. The association shall maintain an adequate number of copies of the recorded governing documents, to ensure their availability to members and prospective members. Notwithstanding this paragraph, the following records are not accessible to members or parcel owners:
1. Any record protected by the lawyer-client privilege as described in s. 90.502 and any record protected by the work-product privilege, including, but not limited to, a record prepared by an association attorney or prepared at the attorney’s express direction which reflects a mental impression, conclusion, litigation strategy, or legal theory of the attorney or the association and which was prepared exclusively for civil or criminal litigation or for adversarial administrative proceedings or which was prepared in anticipation of such litigation or proceedings until the conclusion of the litigation or proceedings.
2. Information obtained by an association in connection with the approval of the lease, sale, or other transfer of a parcel.
3. Personnel records of the association’s employees, including, but not limited to, disciplinary, payroll, health, and insurance records. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “personnel records” does not include written employment agreements with an association employee or budgetary or financial records that indicate the compensation paid to an association employee.

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