CfD (Virginia)
Posts: 265
Posts: 265
Posted:
I could really use the perspective of some of you here. Here is the situation:
We have a board member that is getting deliberately blocked from getting information to make informed decisions. It has been going on for a while, but has recently taken a very serious tone.
Our president and treasurer have been meeting with the association attorney without the knowlege of this one board member. In fact, they have deliberately kept it a secret from him. The associaton was billed for an email the attorney received from our property manager, but the property manager and president refused to provide the email to him when he requested to see it, actually telling him no.
This board member has requested documents used to remove a member from a committee over a year ago. This document was a written complaint against a homeowner who has no idea what he did wrong. It was never discussed openly, only in executive session, and the homeowner was essentially labeled a terrible person at meetings.
The problem is, when the homeowner asked what he did wrong or what the complaint was against him, the board said they had to "protect" the privacy of the individual that made the complaint, citing it was discussed in executive session, and never told him. He was labeled a mean, nasty person. Both the person making the complaint, and the person the board took action against by removing him from the committee, were on the same committee.
Fast forward a few months and it becomes apparent in a recent board meeting that a cease and desist letter was received by the board from the person who made the complaint. It was supposedly received by an attorney representing this individual. Their entire objective in the letter is to keep the clients name a secret, and even the attorney's name, from the asking board member, and the person the original complaint was made about. The letter was received 4 months ago and apparently was riddled with legal threats against the inquiring board member...but the other board members and property manager did not share it with him...deliberately. In fact, after learning of the cease and desist letter he requested to see it, but the property manager and president lied about its existence saying they didn't know anything about it. After more requests the property manager claimed he was making an executive decision and going against what he was directed to do by the board and finally shared it with the board member the letter essentially is written about. The president admitted that he lied about it in a recent meeting, and even admitted that our association attorney responded to the letter...but the inquiring board member has no knowledge of that and was not included in any discussion about it. All secret sauce.
What, if any, legal recourse does the board member deliberately left out of this process have?
We have a board member that is getting deliberately blocked from getting information to make informed decisions. It has been going on for a while, but has recently taken a very serious tone.
Our president and treasurer have been meeting with the association attorney without the knowlege of this one board member. In fact, they have deliberately kept it a secret from him. The associaton was billed for an email the attorney received from our property manager, but the property manager and president refused to provide the email to him when he requested to see it, actually telling him no.
This board member has requested documents used to remove a member from a committee over a year ago. This document was a written complaint against a homeowner who has no idea what he did wrong. It was never discussed openly, only in executive session, and the homeowner was essentially labeled a terrible person at meetings.
The problem is, when the homeowner asked what he did wrong or what the complaint was against him, the board said they had to "protect" the privacy of the individual that made the complaint, citing it was discussed in executive session, and never told him. He was labeled a mean, nasty person. Both the person making the complaint, and the person the board took action against by removing him from the committee, were on the same committee.
Fast forward a few months and it becomes apparent in a recent board meeting that a cease and desist letter was received by the board from the person who made the complaint. It was supposedly received by an attorney representing this individual. Their entire objective in the letter is to keep the clients name a secret, and even the attorney's name, from the asking board member, and the person the original complaint was made about. The letter was received 4 months ago and apparently was riddled with legal threats against the inquiring board member...but the other board members and property manager did not share it with him...deliberately. In fact, after learning of the cease and desist letter he requested to see it, but the property manager and president lied about its existence saying they didn't know anything about it. After more requests the property manager claimed he was making an executive decision and going against what he was directed to do by the board and finally shared it with the board member the letter essentially is written about. The president admitted that he lied about it in a recent meeting, and even admitted that our association attorney responded to the letter...but the inquiring board member has no knowledge of that and was not included in any discussion about it. All secret sauce.
What, if any, legal recourse does the board member deliberately left out of this process have?