Committee Volunteers

Good evening,

My question / concern is that I have volunteered to serve on various committees (pool, covenants, grounds, annual inspections) in our HOA and because the president doesn't like me, refuses to acknowledge that I have volunteered. This is after repeated requests for volunteers where very few actually step up. What this person has done is make all 7 members of the board committee chairs for the various committees and if anyone is on the board reports/works/etc. for that board member and must report back to them, not exactly what I thought a volunteer should be used for. In most things I've read, a volunteer could be the chair, talk to contractors, prepare reports, research options etc and report back to the entire board where they could vote on a recommendation. We assume that this is to keep control under her hand. For our annual inspection committee, a board member expressed that homeowners just weren't smart enough to figure out the language, be able the figure out the actual items of things to be inspected as we just weren't smart enough. Nothing like making your volunteers feel really wanted right from the start. Has anyone here has this experience and if so, how did you handle it or how can we change the President's mind that volunteers can be a great asset to the HOA.

I would appreciate any helpful suggestions you have.

Thank you,

Hi Lee, welcome to the forum.

There is no set methodology for an Association to run committees. The only thing I've seen that is common is that members of the committee are appointed by the Board.

My Association let volunteers run the committee. The committee chooses the chair. The chair, of course, makes the committee reports at the Board meetings and brings up any issues/suggestions on behalf of the committee.

We prefer not to have a member of the Board on the committee so we can maintain (or try to maintain) a perception of fairness. This is because decisions of the committee may be appealed to the Board by any member.

I have the following suggestions:

1) Next time you volunteer, inform all Board members (not just the President). This won't necessarily get you appointed but it will let others know that you are volunteering.

2) Attend a Board meeting and inform the Board in person that you are willing to serve.

3) Gather support and recall or don't reelect individuals on the Board whom you see as hindering better management/running of the Association. Perhaps you will even submit your name to be the person that serves in their place. This way, you can be part of the decision process to affect the changes you see that are needed.

Thanks, Lee, and also if there are directors chairing each of 7 committees, doesn't that mean that there also are homeowners also on those committees?

In many HOAs, neither committee members/chairs may talk directly with the vendors, but it depends on the Committee Charter for each. In addition, some committees have budgets and some do not. Some, like our Finance Committee only make recommendations to the Board.

If your bylaws on the topic are skimpy--like ours-- about the make-up of committees, etc., your state's corporations codes may help (as do ours) if you're incorporated.

More when you reply, Lee.

To add a few things:

I don't want to sue anyone, I don't want the other homeowners to sue anyone. I don't have an agenda against the BOD.

I want to give back to my community. I take care of serveral of my neighbors yards for various reasons, the top ones being I like working outside and some of them are unable. I also clean up, rake, mow, fertilize, and seed the area behind our tomehomes (common area) two rows of townhomes back to back with a fairly large area between the townhome fences.

I live across from the tennis courts where we have visitor parking. Because we are not gated, we get a lot of vehicle traffic, cars parking in the visitor parking, where they usually smoke dope and throw their trash from their munchies on the ground. Which gives me more to do, pick up the trash that will be in my yard if I don't.

In the summer, I can be found at the pool, after work and on weekends, teaching kids to swim. This is nothing formal, just parents that don't swim wanting their kids to learn.

I don't know if I'm the problem with this board member or if the problem is someone wanting to be in charge and in control. We've have several board members resign this year as well as last year. Their positions were filled with the president's picks.

Committee's are currently made up of a board member who is the chair and if they are lucky a homeowner to help. A lot of committees are not filled at this time.

Attitude / being nice doesn't seem to make a difference to this president, I'm on ignore. I really would like to help fill a void where needed and think I could make a difference and maybe take some of the pressure off of them.

I'm glad you wrote, Lee, that you're not interested in suing anyone as there's at least one person on this forum who assumes that every request for advice is a potential lawsuit.

You want to contribute and you have, which is a very good thing. You are a fine HOA citizen.

You wrote, Lee: "Home owners are only allowed to speak at the open forum if they have submitted agenda items the month before." Submit your name to be on next the agenda as a volunteer for one or more committees, which you'll name. Our agenda items are submitted to our PM. Perhaps that's a good approach. The board will then be required to discuss this, vote, and make a decision that will be recorded in the minutes. (By the way, there's no requirement that minutes be read aloud to be approved.)

Perhaps Tim will address this: Why are any questions or comments for "Open Forum" required to be on the agenda? Almost by definition, Open Forum comprises non-agenda items unless an owner wants to comment on an agenda item.

How is it possible that the board is, as you put it Lee, "going to talk about ideas for the community, special projects" in executive session? VA is an open meeting state and those topics should by law be discussed in homeowners' presence.

How can the president appoint those to fill board vacancies? Don't your bylaws state that the Board does this? If silent and you're incorporated, your states's corporation code will fill you in. Do a little research. Your bylaws or state corp. code also might say how many people are needed to comprise a committee. If like ours in CA, Board members are permitted to serve on committees and to chair them.

Sounds like this prez is power hungry and wants everything her way. The rest of your board sounds like they just sit there, acquiesce and do not contribute.

So if you can't get your wish to volunteer on the agenda, you'll need to find others to work with you and getting your HOA on a better course. In one your size with a lot of amenities, it sounds like you need an active knowledgeable board. This is especially so given your PM isn't onsite. Without active committees, you need an onsite PM. And I suspect that no one wants to pay for that!

It sounds like they have some ax to grind with you. Otherwise, why would they purposely block you from volunteering? Especially in a community that does not have a large pool of volunteers. My advice is to stop offering to volunteer, at least not for them. It is their loss, not yours.