video recording HOA meeting

I filed a complaint with the BBB in Florida against the management company that handles the affairs of my association. When they found out the management company contacted the president of the association who then called a special meeting, indicating it was to go over bylaw changes. This happened in between our regular meetings. Because the president called for this meeting in between our regular meetings it is considered a special meeting. There are 7 members on the board, 4 are identical clones of the president. All are very mature in age, single Caucasian females and never say or do anything against her, they are all friends and she set the board up this way. When the president found out from the management company that I contacted the BBB concerning the management company she contacted her 4 clones and the 5 of them got together (how is unknown either by email, phone or in person) and they decided to give the management representative the first 7 minutes of the special meeting to berate and belittle me in front of my community.
Two bits of info to add here, I am also a board member, but my complaint in no way involved the board. I filed it after a meeting, and never said anything about involving the board at all. Also there is another board member that was not privy to what was going to happen to me, she does not meet the criteria of the other clones. Both of us wear left out of any discussion or information concerning the 5 members of the board choosing to allow the REP. to have his way with me. This REP. treated me like my father would have decades ago, while yelling at me from across the room, calling names, and threatening me he had the audacity to DEMAND I look at him when I turned away. He told the community my personal business while totally, freaking me out. The only good news is I video recorded the whole meeting including the 7 minute rant.
There are so many things the board did wrong here. I have a few ideas, if I miss anything please feel free to help out,
1-They had some kind of meeting and decided to handle association business with out including all the board members also there seems to be no minutes to look over.
2-Special meetings are only for the business that the meeting was called for. The 7 minute rant from the REP. was not on the agenda.
3-Not including all board members in the information that was passed around from the management company and each other.
4-ALL failed in there fiduciary responsibility by allowing the management company REP. to belittle me in front of my community because of a personal vendetta against me. (I also do not fit there cloning criteria, as I am a man and have opinions of my own) What the REP. did in NO WAY benefitted the association.
5-When the president sent out an email asking for the meeting I asked what it was for, she replied, "conforming different things and bylaw changes" nothing else.
6-The REP's. verbal attack on me was unnecessary and he admitted that "HE FELT CCOMPELED TO CONFRONT ME IN PUBLIC", wear he called me several different names.
All this because I discovered that the former president was collecting a crazy amount of money every month from the association, (our bylaws prohibit any financial payments to board members for any reason, as do Florida statues) and she just happens to fit the clone criteria perfectly. She is long time friend of the 5 board members that do not want to look into this issue. I also discovered that the election that the current president won was fixed, well kind of. The old management company that was fired right after the elections admitted they made a mistake counting the votes when I want to see them after they wear let go. I got copies of ALL the paperwork and it seems they wear off by 4 votes. In my community 4 votes is enough to get you on or off the board. These two issues together started what has now consumed my life at least for the last 6 weeks.
I am interested in suing the management company and the board. I also want to use the video recording to get financial help to retain a lawyer as they all want a hefty deposit up front. I had a notice posted about the recording, it is noticeable in the recording itself. I only recorded the board and management company, and the board members wear notified well in advance of the meeting. I am thinking about a "kick starter account and or fund me".....to help get the $7000 I need.
Any thoughts or help would be greatly much appreciated..

I have to ask why you want to spend $7k? What do you expect to gain?

It seems like a lot of money to prove a point or get vindication that you will probably run out of money before you ever see.

Would you mind sharing what your complaint against the MC involved?

When 5 of 7 board members talk about association business it is a meeting, how they communicated is not the issue. By email, phone or a meeting in person. It is illegal to conduct association business with out informing ALL board members and having an open meeting for the public to attend and minutes must be taken of all meetings also. A decision was reached by 5 of the 7 board members before the meeting even started to give the MC rep. the opportunity to tell the entire community my personal business, and to embarrass and belittle me while the board sat there and enjoyed every minute of it. It was a personal attack on me by the board, when the board allowed the MC rep. to do that to me, they failed in there fiduciary responsibility. The attack on me in NO WAY benefited the association, it was personal. That is a failure of fiduciary responsibility. I can prove they had a meeting because on the video recording, the president makes several statements that indicate 5 members of the 7 member board had discussed several issues. Also another board member said "I know we are going to talk about this later, but I think we should get rid of the old association files". She mentioned that before any one else, In her statement she admitted knowing what was going to be discussed before it was actually brought up.
I filed the complaint against the MC because, during a meeting in April, I brought up the fact that the former president was receiving $600+ monthly (over $24,000 in 3 years) to take care of the clubhouse,(the current president does the same thing for free now which is not permitted under any circumstances according to our bylaws and Florida statues. There is No legal reason a board member can collect compensation while servicing in Florida. I also had evidence that the election of officers was not properly done and votes counted improperly. I mentioned this with in 5 weeks of the election. All of this can be proven beyond a doubt. When I brought these items up the president and her board member friends jumped on me like a fat kid on a Twinkie, the management company sat there looking stupid and did nothing to see that the meeting was help properly. Also they wear unable to properly answer any questions concerning these issues. NOT legal questions, just simple questions about what the board is required to do, like should it be looked into deeper, ect.ect.
I sent to MC and all board members an email after the first horrible meeting indicating my intensions to file with the BBB. I waited 10 days before I did file the complaint, not one person reached out to me and asked what me problem was or how could we work out any issues. In a sense I am a member of a dictatorship, the president and her clones do what they want...The Mc is supposed to advise the board on matters concerning association business to stop the board from making bad decisions, that is one of their jobs. This MC in only doing what the president and her friends want, not what they are supposed to be doing.
We have all heard horror stories like this. Personal attacks are not permitted, by board members or MC.

It is certainly unfortunate and inappropriate that you were disrespected and mishandled publicly.

It is nice to learn that you are open to a peacemaking gesture from the Board.

Before you spend $7,000, I would suggest that you pursue mediation. Based on what you have said, someone who is an expert in creating a setting where people can meet face to face without repercussion might be very helpful at this point in time.

You would not lose face by suggesting it. The 5 members would not lose face by accepting your proposal. You can ask that everything discussed in mediation be kept confidential. Or you and the 5 can come to terms on rules of engagement for the meeting through the assistance of a professional mediator.

Would probably be time well spent.

I think you misunderstand fiduciary duty and the board's role. Before you hang your hat on that legal argument best to collect a factual understanding of the law.

You decided to take an action that could damage the ability of your MC to do business do you really not understand their response?

Before you head off on a course on conflict I would suggest you ask yourself do you want to be right or do you want to live a peaceful life.

By publishing your tape recording you will be escalating the conflict. Your view seems to be that scores some points for you. My guess you increase the level of bad feelings and would be shooting yourself in the foot.

When people are attacked some fight back. Seems your MC and board are such people.

Is this a fight you see yourself winning in the end?

1. There's an old saying: "Put your money where your mouth is." If you aren't willing to do that, you have earned zero credibility with me.

2. I took a quick look at kickstarter.com. Surprise surprise. They have 15 categories for contributions and none of them is titled "funds for lawsuits."

3. How much do they "need to pay"? Do you think that you are going to get money awarded to you because your feelings were hurt or a rule was violated? Wake up to reality. There's no money in this other than the $7k going to a lawyer that you think you can raise through "donations."

Complaints against the PM/MC should be filed with the Florida DBPR.
They are the licensing authority for this occupation.

Google it for the necessary information.