Voted for myself for Secretary but Position was left unfilled

Started by TomR10 • 6 replies • 438 views

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TomR10 (Idaho)
Posts: 2

Posted:

Hello,

I recently had the opportunity to participate in my HOA election and I wrote myself in for the position of Secretary. The HOA is very small (13 members) and as is the case in many HOAs, there is a small group that basically dominates. I am interested in getting involved and felt that this was a great way to offer a contribution. I submitted a ballot and paid my assessment and never heard anything (normal). I just looked on the state of Idaho's document submission page and sure enough, the President and the Treasurer position were retained by the incumbents and no indication of a Secretary. I ran for the position because I saw nobody was interested and I am seeking some more transparency.

As a member, am I entitled to see a vote tally or be notified of the election results in a timely fashion?

Not trying to attribute malice here but it seems kind of bold to not count ballots or share results. They claim a quorum is difficult to achieve so they encouraged folks to participate.

Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance. Lots of knowledgeable folks here.

GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276

Posted:

The owners actually vote for who gets elected to the officer positions? Usually the elected board votes among themselves for the officers after the directors are elected by the homeowners.

At our annual meetings whenever there's an election, the vote totals are revealed right at the meeting where the election takes place. Here, as in most places, you run for a seat on the board of directors, not for any one particular office.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Tom,

If you start accusing the board of anything you won't be making friends.

Contact the Board and inquire if they received your ballot.
Be polite.
Mention that you are interested in serving as Secretary and see what their reply is.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Typically you get voted on the board via the general membership. Once elected then the board vote amongst themselves who gets the officer positions. I was voted in and then stated wanted the President position. Anyone wanted it could speak up then as well. We board then had a meeting to confirm or vote for who gets what position.

Have you read your documents and know what the Secretary position is?

Former HOA President

SueW6 (Michigan)
Posts: 814

Posted:

Yes. Ask if they even got your ballot.

In our little association the officers are elected and the officers become the board of directors. So it stands to reason that with just 13 members they would be thrilled to have someone step up and want to be the secretary.

It’s such an important position I’m even wondering if it’s legally possible to have an association/corporation without a secretary. Check this out. They should be glad to have you. But you have to tread slowly here or they will think you’re pushy.

CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299

Posted:

Random thoughts and speculation:

With that small an HOA, do they even have three board members or only two? WIth a two-person board, though, usually two positions are combined (eg. Secretary/Treasurer).

If the incumbents ran for re-election, then the OP would have had to unseat one of them, which can be hard to do. Typically, unseating an incumbent requires a number of dissatisfied homeowners as well as a candidate who has actively campaigned. Or term limits, which I think are pretty uncommon in HOAs.

It's possible the OP didn't go through the correct procedure for being nominated as a candidate for the board and so never appeared on the ballot. It sounds like he didn't attend the annual meeting, and so missed an opportunity if nominations from the floor are allowed in his community/state. (People can be reluctant to vote for somebody who doesn't even show up. Not saying that it's necessarily smart or right, just that it happens.)

Finally, board members serve at the pleasure of the homeowners, and can be elected or removed for any reason or no reason at all. Nobody has a right to serve on the board, only a right to seek election. I recommend getting to know the neighbors and developing a reputation as a savvy, friendly person. (In my community, if you walk your dog, you'll get elected regardless of any qualifications, because people know you.)

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