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HOA Meetings -Troible Makers

Started by AlexM1 • 14 replies • 1111 views

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AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287
Posted:
What are we to do?1 or 2 very disruptive individuals at each Meeting bring in complaints against the HOA and all of them are totally outside of the HOA to take action on... They just want to sound off and be dominant at the meetings. I thought of bringing in an off-duty police officer to stand by. Their demands are really outside of the realm of HOA possibilities but yet, we have to waste our t time and listen to them. We could close the meeting. but at the next meeting, they will be back again.
KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550
Posted:
They complain during your open forum? Or, when?

We have guidelines on the back of our agendas, which limit when Ones can soak and, to some extent, topics that they may address.
MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836
Posted:
I made a rule that you can't present a problem to the HOA without having a solution. Otherwise, your saying the HOA can make any solution it wants. Plus respond with "We must look that up in the rules prior to providing an answer." The CC&R's, Articles of Incorporation, and By-laws are brought to every meeting. That is if anyone wants to review them. Otherwise, must wait for the HOA/MC to review the rules and provide an answer/action based on them.

That may quiet them down when they realize your putting the rules in place and forefront.
Former HOA President
AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287
Posted:
Oh...during the meeting
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
Alex

Are you talking Annual Meeting or BOD Meeting?

Either way best to listen and then inform them it is not an HOA issue. If they insist then just keep ruling them out of order and try to move on. Maybe others at the meeting will get on their case.
AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287
Posted:
This is a BOD meeting... not the annual meeting.
KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550
Posted:
What I menat, Alex, is: at your board meetings, is there a specific time Owners can speak? Or can they any time they want to?

Does you PM, if you have on, attend your meetings? If so, they'd be a good one to state: "That's nothing your board can deal with, contact the City on that topic."

Hiring a guard sounds way too excessive an expense for two loud mouths that the Board can't control for some reason.

AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287
Posted:
a) Hes the PM attends the meeting
b) We do give owners (at the end of our meeting) to talk but 3 minutes.
GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By AlexM1 on 03/04/2018 4:58 PM
a) Hes the PM attends the meeting
b) We do give owners (at the end of our meeting) to talk but 3 minutes.

So bang the gavel when their 3 minutes are up and move on. If they persist, bang the gavel again and rule them out of order, as John recommended. If they continue to disrupt the meeting ask them to leave. Only when you have done all of that should you consider taking further steps to address the problem.
TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
Alex,

Hiring an off duty officer would likely inflame the situation.

The President needs to be strong.
They need to stick to the time limit
They need to interrupt the member at the end of the time and ask them to sit down.
If they speak up when it's not their turn, the President needs to give one warning which includes, if they do it again they will be asked to leave.
If they speak up again, ask them to leave.
If they do not leave, recess the meeting, ask them to leave again.
If they refuse to leave, contact the police and wait.
Once the issue is dealt with, resume the meeting.

I will say that this process has a larger effect if you meet in a persons home. This is because, once the meeting is recessed, and the homeowner asks them to leave and they refuse, they are trespassing. If you are meeting in a club house or Association owned property, I don't know how the police would see the issue.
AugustinD
Posts: 5,144
Posted:
My former HOA and current HOA have both hired security guards now and then to deal with disrupters. It worked. People were civil because of the guard's presence and occasional approach to anyone being obnoxious. Where I am, I understand no touching is allowed.
KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550
Posted:
Members of the Board can be called "out of order" if they talk too long or off the agenda. Owners who attend cannot be called out of order because they aren't board members; it is not their meeting, it's a board meeting.

Do not call on these people until the very end.

IF following Tim's steps doesn't work, the Board could adjourn the meeting to a private home to finish the Ownrs' comments/questions an the meetings. You do not have to let the troublemakers into the home.
GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By KerryL1 on 03/05/2018 8:26 AM
Members of the Board can be called "out of order" if they talk too long or off the agenda. Owners who attend cannot be called out of order because they aren't board members; it is not their meeting, it's a board meeting.

Technically true. Psychologically, however, I think most in attendance will understand what 'out of order' means in a business meeting setting. An alternative such as 'shut up and sit down' will be perceived as 'mean' by many, no matter whose side they're on.
KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550
Posted:
I take Augie's citation of Confucius seriously: "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.”

Owners & directors get confused enough by the special language of Associations & meetings. There are many phrases that can be used when an owner/observer at a board meeting talks too long, rudely, or about items that aren't in the HOA's realm of responsibility. Don't have time to make a list, but it's pretty easy to think of things that aren't "mean." And, sometimes, the meeting chair must be very firm.

DouglasM6 (Arizona)
Posts: 724
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By AlexM1 on 03/04/2018 12:14 PM
What are we to do?1 or 2 very disruptive individuals at each Meeting bring in complaints against the HOA and all of them are totally outside of the HOA to take action on... They just want to sound off and be dominant at the meetings. I thought of bringing in an off-duty police officer to stand by. Their demands are really outside of the realm of HOA possibilities but yet, we have to waste our t time and listen to them. We could close the meeting. but at the next meeting, they will be back again.

Quote:
Posted By MelissaP1 on 03/04/2018 12:46 PM
I made a rule that you can't present a problem to the HOA without having a solution. Otherwise, your saying the HOA can make any solution it wants. Plus respond with "We must look that up in the rules prior to providing an answer." The CC&R's, Articles of Incorporation, and By-laws are brought to every meeting. That is if anyone wants to review them. Otherwise, must wait for the HOA/MC to review the rules and provide an answer/action based on them.

That may quiet them down when they realize your putting the rules in place and forefront.

Melissa, I’ve read the OP several times and fail to see how your response is even remotely relevant. Could it be that you posted this in the wrong thread?

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