YoungP (California)
Posts: 13
Posts: 13
Posted:
Everyone, please pull up a chair to the campfire and enjoy the latest chapter in the ongoing saga at Happy Acres HOA…
I recently moved to a HOA community and shortly thereafter was elected to the board of directors. Unlike the other board members already there, I had appreciable real estate experience when I first started; I had more than ten years of property management experience and almost another ten years of working for a government housing program.
Almost immediately I discovered the HOA board president viewed his position as his second career/identity. The property manager was incompetent and extremely unprofessional. The extent of involvement of other board members was basically limited to their attendance at board meetings.
The notable issues were lack of compliance with fair housing laws, antiquated governing documents (using the original CC&Rs from the 1970s) and non-existent internal controls.
When I brought my concerns to the board, I was interrupted whenever I spoke, my motives/qualifications were questioned and the debate devolved to discussing my alleged personality flaws rather than the substance of my concerns. At one board meeting, the property manager repeatedly screamed at me, “You’re an ass!”
When I sought and alternative remedy, I was told to either to orchestrate a re-call campaign or find other members to run for the board in order to take it over.
Before the election, I encouraged other members to attend the meetings (the property manager said I was spreading “poison” in the community) and primarily focused on the financial issues of the community. As a result, the property management blamed me for causing too much stress and terminated their service contract with the HOA.
To make a very long story short, I found two like-minded members, conducted an election campaign (where I was threatened by the HOA president with arrest), helped get them elected to the board and was selected as the new HOA president!
Right now, the community is in a transition phase with a new property management company as well as the two new board members. But I’d like to thank everyone for their responses and helpful comments to my previous post.
My current plans are to erect a life-sized statue of myself in the front of the community and change the title of “president” to “Supreme Leader.”
I recently moved to a HOA community and shortly thereafter was elected to the board of directors. Unlike the other board members already there, I had appreciable real estate experience when I first started; I had more than ten years of property management experience and almost another ten years of working for a government housing program.
Almost immediately I discovered the HOA board president viewed his position as his second career/identity. The property manager was incompetent and extremely unprofessional. The extent of involvement of other board members was basically limited to their attendance at board meetings.
The notable issues were lack of compliance with fair housing laws, antiquated governing documents (using the original CC&Rs from the 1970s) and non-existent internal controls.
When I brought my concerns to the board, I was interrupted whenever I spoke, my motives/qualifications were questioned and the debate devolved to discussing my alleged personality flaws rather than the substance of my concerns. At one board meeting, the property manager repeatedly screamed at me, “You’re an ass!”
When I sought and alternative remedy, I was told to either to orchestrate a re-call campaign or find other members to run for the board in order to take it over.
Before the election, I encouraged other members to attend the meetings (the property manager said I was spreading “poison” in the community) and primarily focused on the financial issues of the community. As a result, the property management blamed me for causing too much stress and terminated their service contract with the HOA.
To make a very long story short, I found two like-minded members, conducted an election campaign (where I was threatened by the HOA president with arrest), helped get them elected to the board and was selected as the new HOA president!
Right now, the community is in a transition phase with a new property management company as well as the two new board members. But I’d like to thank everyone for their responses and helpful comments to my previous post.
My current plans are to erect a life-sized statue of myself in the front of the community and change the title of “president” to “Supreme Leader.”
