Difficult Board Member -- Tell Me Your Stories

One of five board members behaves in the following manner:

1) Insists on reviewing, before release, every form of communication prepared by the secretary (emails sent to homeowners, letters of introduction to new homeowners, covenant violation letters, responses to real estate agents).
2) Provides useless, pedantic corrections to all correspondence. ("You have used the wording, "Hi neighbors" which is too informal. Unless and until you change that wording to "Dear Community Members" I will not sign off on this email." "You must capitalize the "M" in "meeting" or I will not sign off on the minutes".
3) Appears infuriated when any other board member answers a question from a community member without involving him. (I.e., "When are the dues payable?" -- Nope, can't answer this unless an email is sent to all board members, indicating the question was asked and everyone agrees with the answer, which, by the way, is in the bylaws.)
4) Sends weekly, semi-threatening emails to other board members, keeping track of every perceived slight or violation of his personal code of conduct.
5) Makes "mountains out of molehills", especially if that means he can demean another board member. The other board members are easy going, take complaints from neighbors seriously, prefer to work things out as a community and in a transparent manner, while the problem member prefers an autocratic, governing-type relationship with the community, and appears to take particular glee in going after any hint of a problem involving his perceived "enemies" in the neighborhood. He wants to use the HOA's small budget to pay for legal advice, when none is needed.

The HOA has great difficulty filling board positions in this extremely small community with an equally small budget and few responsibilities. The majority of the community members just want to be left alone. I can't recall the last time there were more names on the ballot for officer openings than the number of openings.

He can be removed as an officer (he's not the president) but he will remain on the board as he was elected (no one else wants to run). There are some board members who are concerned he will become litigious, which will cause even more difficulties with future openings.

The president has slapped him down a couple of times, but is tired of the game. Other board members have told him that he is being rude and controlling. The four other board members have stopped responding to his email requests and have cut him out of the loop when he is not directly involved. Politically, he is in a minority position and knows it. He does not appear to have anything else to do with his time.

This board member used to be the secretary, but was replaced amidst a growing concern regarding the tone of his minutes and other communications with the neighborhood. He revealed information in the minutes and at open board meetings which could easily expose the HOA to, at a minimum, D&O insurance claims, if not suits for libel/slander.

I'm venting. I'd actually like to hear about worse problems between board members, as that might help put this issue in its proper context.

We had a president who was like that last year. That person is not the president anymore. Tell the board member No. The other directors do not work for him or her.

Thanks for the input.

He's driving me nuts.

Yes, in an executive session, warn him with a vote that he must be more civil and stick to his own business or you'll all vote to remove him from office. He sound really terrible.

Just how small is your HOA? I take it, no property manager. Do you have a clear written division of duties among directors? In my HOA, for instance, I'm secretary and communication to members goes through me for proofreading, etc. Occasionally, we directors work together if a letter is very sensitive.

1) The board votes to authorize the Secretary to do such communications. Say as much to him exactly once, and be done with it. Ignore subsequent disruptions by him on this matter.

2) Have him put his corrections in an email to the entire Board. Then ignore these emails.

3) Literally have the rest of the board ignore his tantrums. Answer questions that members have. Continue with the agenda.

4) Ignore these emails.

5) Give him two minutes to rant, then ignore.

Do not second any motion he makes to send xyz to the HOA attorney.

For all of these, he has no legal ground on which to stand. A judge would say the same.

Do not try to reason with individuals like this. Do not think you will be able to make yourself understood. Let him say or write whatever, but do not engage him. Think of how much more peace you will have in the hours later if you all stay calm and do not put energy into his irrational, cannot-be-changed, conduct.

Thanks for the input. We have been ignoring him.

Treat him with benign neglect: An attitude or policy of ignoring an often delicate or undesirable situation that one is held to be responsible for dealing with.

Basically ignore him. Pay lip service but do nothing.

You don't need unanimous approval for the minutes, or for a welcome letter, or for pretty much anything the Board does, unless your Bylaws say so, which would be extremely unusual.

I have worked with Board members like this before and usually the rest of the Board just waits for him to finish ranting or whatever and then carries on as if he hasn't spoken at all.

Tell the board member No. The other directors do not work for him or her.