JayN1 (Missouri)
Posts: 3
Posts: 3
Posted:
Hello, and thanks in advance for any recommendations.
After many years of mismanagement by our previous HOA Board, the group that I led to oppose the Board finally was successful at removing the old Board. Now, we have a totally new Board, and we are trying to clean up the MANY messes left by the previous Board.
For the most part, the new Board is made up of individuals who were a member of the "group" that I led to educate owners about the mismanagement that was occurring under the old Board. So, we are all very like minded. However, one of the members is being VERY difficult. While she agrees with us on almost every issue, she is making things very difficult for the rest of us on the Board. She works very odd hours, and she constantly complains that it is very difficult for her to attend our meetings. But, she also doesn't like it that we discuss matters via e-mail and phone. While we would rather meet in person whenever possible (and do meet in person regularly) we are all volunteers, and we all have other lives and responsibilities. And, we have a LOT of work to do. Therefore, we have no choice but to communicate frequently via phone and e-mail.
Part of the reason why she doesn't like our use of e-mail and phone is because she feels she is being excluded from discussions. But, she isn't. She is included on EVERY e-mail that goes to all Board members. That's not to say that there are occasions where I may have a question about a financial matter, and I'll direct the question to the Treasurer and not copy (or call) every other member, because the issue isn't a critical matter where a decision must be made. She is included on every discussion where there are decisions to be made.
I think the real issue here is that this member wants to be President, but she isn't qualified, and this opinion is shared by every other Board member. She has also been scolded on several occasions because she has had discussions with homeowners about details of pending lawsuits. We have warned her repeatedly that our lawyer has told us NOT to discuss these matters outside of the Board, but she has done so anyway. Even so, we still continue to advise her of the status of these lawsuits-we do not exclude her. I doubt she will make this mistake again, because I think she knows we will remove her if she does. But, that doesn't stop her from disrupting meetings with pointed questions; demands; and so forth. So far, I have addressed this by telling her that she needs to stop demanding things of the Board, because she IS a member of the Board, and she can dig in and get the answers just as well as any of us can. That works for about a week, and then she just starts back in to questioning us, and accusing us of excluding her from discussions. My guess is that she has a personality disorder, because she is very suspicious.
What really bothers me is that the Board has nothing but the best intentions. We are all volunteers, and we are working hard trying to correct the many problems left to us by the previous Board. All of us, including her, have the same goals and desires for the HOA. We are all very much dedicated to full transparency, and to being far more open and friendly to the Owners than was the previous Board. And yet, she continually complains about the way we conduct business, and makes demands for information that we don't yet have, and so forth. I'll continue to turn the tables on her and demand that she work to solve some of these issues instead of making demands on the rest of us, but I would sure appreciate any other suggestions that you folks may have.
Thanks,
Jay
After many years of mismanagement by our previous HOA Board, the group that I led to oppose the Board finally was successful at removing the old Board. Now, we have a totally new Board, and we are trying to clean up the MANY messes left by the previous Board.
For the most part, the new Board is made up of individuals who were a member of the "group" that I led to educate owners about the mismanagement that was occurring under the old Board. So, we are all very like minded. However, one of the members is being VERY difficult. While she agrees with us on almost every issue, she is making things very difficult for the rest of us on the Board. She works very odd hours, and she constantly complains that it is very difficult for her to attend our meetings. But, she also doesn't like it that we discuss matters via e-mail and phone. While we would rather meet in person whenever possible (and do meet in person regularly) we are all volunteers, and we all have other lives and responsibilities. And, we have a LOT of work to do. Therefore, we have no choice but to communicate frequently via phone and e-mail.
Part of the reason why she doesn't like our use of e-mail and phone is because she feels she is being excluded from discussions. But, she isn't. She is included on EVERY e-mail that goes to all Board members. That's not to say that there are occasions where I may have a question about a financial matter, and I'll direct the question to the Treasurer and not copy (or call) every other member, because the issue isn't a critical matter where a decision must be made. She is included on every discussion where there are decisions to be made.
I think the real issue here is that this member wants to be President, but she isn't qualified, and this opinion is shared by every other Board member. She has also been scolded on several occasions because she has had discussions with homeowners about details of pending lawsuits. We have warned her repeatedly that our lawyer has told us NOT to discuss these matters outside of the Board, but she has done so anyway. Even so, we still continue to advise her of the status of these lawsuits-we do not exclude her. I doubt she will make this mistake again, because I think she knows we will remove her if she does. But, that doesn't stop her from disrupting meetings with pointed questions; demands; and so forth. So far, I have addressed this by telling her that she needs to stop demanding things of the Board, because she IS a member of the Board, and she can dig in and get the answers just as well as any of us can. That works for about a week, and then she just starts back in to questioning us, and accusing us of excluding her from discussions. My guess is that she has a personality disorder, because she is very suspicious.
What really bothers me is that the Board has nothing but the best intentions. We are all volunteers, and we are working hard trying to correct the many problems left to us by the previous Board. All of us, including her, have the same goals and desires for the HOA. We are all very much dedicated to full transparency, and to being far more open and friendly to the Owners than was the previous Board. And yet, she continually complains about the way we conduct business, and makes demands for information that we don't yet have, and so forth. I'll continue to turn the tables on her and demand that she work to solve some of these issues instead of making demands on the rest of us, but I would sure appreciate any other suggestions that you folks may have.
Thanks,
Jay