New Board, cancelling fines & meetings…

Not even sure where to start. I am in Florida on the Fining Committee, we just had board elections in Nov (VERY contentious to say the least) and whole board was replaced. New board is also replacing our legal council with whomever was advising them during the elections. Our new board decided that “they will be reviewing all previously assessed fines” and has “cancelled” the Nov and Dec Fining Committee meetings ( not that they told us or discussed any of this with us). In Nov I asked our Management Rep (also replaced with a new staff member because of poor communication (ironic I know)), and he pretty much said, “That is what the Board decided”. I then asked the follow up of when that was, and why the Fining Committee wasn’t informed. Crickets. So I asked if we were having a Dec meeting (they hadn’t sent anything for us to review), and, if our non-meeting was in any violation of any statutes, and I realize that this might need an answer by Council. His reply, “the meeting is cancelled”. That’s it. Additionally, the wife of the Board President has said that all Committee members will be fired in the new year.

So wondering if anyone else has had this happen, or could suggest how to navigate this, and can the Board really fire everyone?
Thank you all, and Happy 2024…

I say committees are appointed by BOD's and they can be fired by BOD's. Only BOD's were elected to run the association.

Are enforcement actions in this community considered to be confidential, or are the records available for homeowner inspection? If the former, it would be inappropriate to have a committee of homeowners involved in any part of the process, including determining fines.

In addition, if fines are legally permitted, then the association should have a fining schedule that the board sticks to unless there are unusual circumstances. Putting a committee in charge of the process increases the likelihood of selective enforcement.

From the cheap seats, it sounds like there were issues with previous boards and association governance, and the new board was elected to clean things up. The removal of the old committee members suggests that there were issues there as well. In any case, as others have noted, committee members serve at the pleasure of the board, have no independent authority, and may be removed with or without cause. It makes sense for a new board to suspend all committees that are not required by the governing documents until the board can get a feel for whether these committees are even needed. Committees don't run themselves, and without proper supervision they tend to form their own little fiefdoms and try to call the shots. That's trouble that a new board doesn't need.

I believe the fining committee is actually an enforement review committee or appeals committee.

Others will straighten me out, but I think I recall that Fining Committees are possibly required in FL. And they can make decisions about disciplining owners in violation of the HOA's governing documents.

Meanwhile, Dawn, do check your own CC&Rs or Bylaws, which might say whether or not such a committee is required in your HOA. Even IF required, the current Board does not need to keep the current members and may dismiss them from serving.

With Cathy, the Prez's wife's unfriendly, nasty yammering is completely inappropriate. But everything else that you mention is legal. I may think the new Board should have eased itself in a little instead of dropping the hammer in so many areas, but they may feel that's what owners want.

I'm very puzzled about why all directors were elected at one election. Generally HOA's board members serve staggered term, i.e., 3 directors are elected at an annual meeting, and two the next (assuming 2-yer terms).

To your question: I don't think we've seen on this forum a new Board acting so swiftly and in such seemingly arbitrary ways, but maybe someone will replay with that experience.

Meanwhile since new members actually hired a lawyer when they were campaigning to b elected, make sure they do NOT charge the HOA for those "services." That activity, too, is unusually.

PS, please write in paragraphs.

A fining committee. How much money in fines have you collected and dished out?
If I was the president that woudl be the first committe I'd fire as well.

Old HOA administrations had racked up fines that equaled 2x our annual budget over petty crap.
Current administation has a total fine amount of Zero 0$ dollars.

you should just resign, you have no power to stay on a committe made by the board

I like the idea that when a new President is elected, all submit their resignations and the President decides which to accept an which not to accept.

Might work in the national or local government level.

For me, I'm thankful for anyone who stays and helps out.

It is an HOA

Subdivision, and as we are in FL fining/grievance committee required.

Well, must be nice to have people who take care to be in compliance or people who show to the grievance meetings.

We don’t seem to have much of that.

And for our subdivision of 600ish houses, fines were less than $2.5k, the bulk of which are properties owned by management companies and a few people who just don’t seem to give a crap about their property.

We NEVER recommend a fine if the HO shows.