homeowner who tries to control community

I live in a small 88 condo community for 55 plus. One of our members is always trying to divide the community, states untruths, attempts to undermine the board. He has harrassed the elderly here, and even forced opur manager to resign because of his constant badgering. What can our board do ? This person is not on the board.

Our association attorney refers to homeowners who behave like that as "vocational dissidents". Every community has a few. The key to dealing with them is remembering that they thrive on conflict and controversy, and that's what they're looking for. Don't give it to them. What we've done in our community:

* We make our board meetings as dull and uninteresting as possible. No emotional fireworks. It's important to have all board members and the property manager on board with this so that board meetings are under control. Some communities have enacted rules about proper behavior at board meetings, and they enforce these rules.

* The complainer is thanked for his/her comments, no matter what they are, with no further discussion at that moment. We've prepared a few canned responses to use that are bland and don't give the complainer anything to grab onto. No unscripted communications and all communications to the complainer are in writing so that we have evidence of what was said.

* Fortunately in Ohio we can have closed board meetings, although most every community holds open meetings. This gives us the option of putting discussion of a complainer's favorite issues in executive sessions to avoid meltdowns. We use this option sparingly, though.

* As far as undermining the board goes, we make an effort to get the real message out to homeowners via regular newsletters, web site, etc. We toot our own horns about the good things we're doing and how competent we are, and we're not shy about it. Doing so allows us to undermine the complainer's credibility without actually calling him/her a liar. After a while the majority of the community will figure out what's what, and the negativity won't find a receptive audience.

* Our newsletters always have one or two "Condos 101" articles. Many homeowners are very uninformed about condo ownership, and the more informed they become, the better. This also helps them recognize when the complainer is just blowing smoke.

* We don't use social media since it provides a platform for complaints. All public communication is controlled by the board. At the same time we make it easy for homeowners to communicate with the board or property manager privately, and we remind them that their comments will be listened to.

When I was elected to the board in 2014, we had a few complainers, but after a couple years of following the guidelines above, they pretty much have calmed down. They still complain among themselves, but they've basically isolated themselves from the rest of the community.

I call the HOA CCO's. Chief Complaining Officer. The best this is to ignore them but never ever let them upset you.

Thanks for your input. Some helpful suggestions in your reply.

Cathy's list is a good one. Meantime, for Shirley and other directors who hold open board, meetings, as required in some states, our board prepared the below when owners present kept buzzing among themselves an also wanted to complain about maintenance topics during open forum. We do have a an onsite PM and a very nice online work order system for maintenance items.

BOARD MEETING CONDUCT

We welcome homeowners as observers of the Board of Directors meetings. During the discussion and votes about agenda items, only those at the conference table may speak. Please remain silent so that we are able to hear one another and conduct our community’s business.

We invite your comments about the board’s agenda items or other related topics at the beginning of every board meeting during our Open Forum. We hold a second Open Forum at the end of the board meetings for your additional input.

During Open Forum:
Raise your hand to be recognized.
State your name, unit# and tower.
Express your topic in concise, clear terms.
Convey only one topic each time you’re recognized to speak.
Limit your remarks to two minutes.
Never interrupt others while they speak.

As a Reminder:
Ideas for improving XXXXXXX or concerns about Board policy are acceptable.
Berating any individual director, homeowner, or manager will not be tolerated.
We ask that maintenance items be reported to management outside of meetings.

Please realize that the Board or Management may not be able to respond to your Open Forum remarks without research. Board deliberation or votes on non-agenda items, per Calif. Civil Code 4920, cannot occur on the spot. The Board will consider these for a future agenda.

Thank you for your interest in our shared community!