Board Unable to Function Due to Harassment

Who is the chairman? It's his/her duty to manage meetings. Sounds like your chairman is timid and causing the problem.

Terri,

They are the target, unfortunately. Have tried everything.

Terri,

I do like so much of what I've read from California's laws. This is VA and that is my focus. In our Gov Docs we can remove a board member with 25% of the members voting affirmatively. But this person would continue the harassment even if not on the board. As it is now, they never get their outlandish motions passed because nobody, mostly, (the other 6) votes with them. This is what infuriates them. The other person is no longer on the board but continues the harassment.

The board should also develop and approve a code of acceptable conduct at meetings, and the code should apply to all attendees.

If you are allowed to conduct business via Zoom or other online meeting app, I suggest using them. The person who runs a Zoom meeting is able to mute persons other then the current speaker, and it can help that person if they're not confident in their abilities to control meetings. These meetings also help train all attendees in proper decorum and may help you get back to in-person meeting faster.

If you want to continue to meet in person, our lawyers told us that if someone is disrupting the meeting, the chair should adjourn the meeting for 10-15 minutes until everyone can calm down. They also said that if the person refuses to stop and this is a continuing issue, consider having an off-duty police officer present who can escort the person from the room. It's also illegal in my state to disrupt a business meeting, so our boards have the option of taking legal action against someone who does this.

But the main goal is to figure out what the disruptive person is trying to achieve and to not give them what they want. Easier said than done, I know. But this person is holding the board hostage to their issues, whatever they are. It can't be allowed to continue.

Cathy,

Thank you. We only have Zoom meetings, but I do like the of idea of looking into an off-duty police officer being present. Maybe that would be enough, or at least they could observe the behavior. Actually, the disruptive persons are more concerned with attacking anyone that doesn't agree with them. They developed a deep animosity against three members. They flip on any issue just to always be against the three people that usually do not (or did not for previous board member) vote with them. It is really more of a childish jealousy and hurt feelings issue with the disrupters. One of these disrupters is on the board now, so they often get out voted by 5:2, but often 5:1:0 because one person often abstains because they are trying to be neutral. Whenever the disrupter is outvoted, they come up with a new motion similar to previous one and then the board has to go around again with comments and votes. Then the disrupter does it again. Motion, after motion, the disrupter usually goes on a rant after a few rounds. Then the board moves on to the next agenda item. It's a merry go around. There are very few motions on which this person votes with the others, and very often abstains with the comment, "nobody cares what I think." The other board members and the member presiding over the meeting (President) are very patient, always thanks the disrupter for their comments. Even when called names, the president has made a mild comment such as "that's not nice" or "oh wow," and they have also made a motion to adjourn the meeting at least once. I think they have tried every tactic in the book. The ongoing tactic seems to be "don't give them anything to bite on by always being polite and letting them talk" which has worked to some extent. Of course, the disrupter is "baiting" them into saying something wrong, so this tactic infuriates the disrupter even more.

On Zoom, the chairman can mute the offenders.

Cathy I heard you used brief, bland and boring before but I did not know it had a method name of gray rocking. Heck I can use it for family meetings.

the OP does the time length need to be five minutes it sounds a bit of a long time.

the board member and the former board member who are acting up is there one major point that they have that could be valid? I am just playing the devil's advocate.

thanks and sorry that you are going through this.

Yup. :-)

I actually came up with "brief, bland, boring" before I came across the gray rock method. Different names for the same approach. Both recognize that you can't control other people's behavior. Instead you control the interaction by changing your piece of it, which removes the emotional payoff the other person gets from acting up. It takes time and consistency, but eventually the other person realizes that this just isn't any fun anymore.

Our lawyers actually had a name for the people who harass the board and disrupt things. They referred to them as "vocational dissidents", since it appeared that their sole purpose in life was to oppose anything the board was trying to do. As was noted upthread, this knee jerk reaction sometimes results in the vocational dissidents supporting and opposing the same thing depending on who was saying it. This would be amusing if these folks didn't do real harm. (Our most recent crop of vocational dissidents managed to run off our entire board last spring, so we were facing the possibility of receivership. If we hadn't had a community manager with year long contract in place, we wouldn't have been paying any of our bills or been able to react to an emergency.)

All,

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. Short on time for more of a response but thank you.

we had a situation where an owner was harrasing contractors.

We added the following to our rules and regulations

General Conduct

Board members and residents shall not engage in any abusive or harassing
behavior, either verbal, written or physical, or any form of intimidation or aggression directed at other members, residents, guests, or vendors.

Then we added the following to our fine schedule.
Abusive or Harassing behavior- either verbal, written or physical, or any form of intimidation or aggression directed at other members, residents, guests, or vendors.
First Violation- a fine of $100.00 and any expenses incurred and or actual damages
Second Violation a fine of $200.00 and any expenses incurred and or actual damages
Third and subsequent violations $400.00 and any expenses incurred and or actual damages.

Owner is now very quiet.