Board Member's Personal Comments

Gosh Anna,
This is grade school stuff. Unless there are credable witnesses to the name calling, I would guess that she is just blowing smoke. Kids are kids, some are naughtier than others and she better get used to dealing with being a Mother of them maybe being called names. Unless there have been formal letters of complaint against the kids , I cannot see this as being for real. The statements are not that harsh or liablous (except the fat thing was dumb to say) so just stay low with her and she will cool down. I really hate the childness of this sort of thing but ???

Do speak to the Board member and put her on notice that she is not allowed to speak at all to the Mother about the kids. Any communication or warnings must come from the Board or P.M, acting for the Board. That is what your P.M is supposed to take care of.

And how does she have access to the Association attorney? I cannot even talk with mine and I am on the Board. Only our President communicates to him unless I get permission to do so.

So, can the Board be responsible for her comments? I would venture to say, NO, and that is why you need to keep D.& O. insurance, just in case some over zealous person gets this riled up.

That's exactly what I was thinking, Donna. It's so childish. She made the comment that the board members should be held to a higher standard than the rest of the people. I wanted to say that board members are association members, too, and no better than anyone else. But I kept my mouth shut.

This woman used to be the association president. (She knows who the attorney is and sent him a letter---not a phone call.) She's no longer on the board because she stole $5000.00 of our association funds. The day she was going to be prosecuted she paid it back and resigned. She's since been in jail several times and is a convicted felon so she won't be on a Florida board again.

I know this information isn't relevant to my original question but it's just a little background about the type of person we're dealing with. I doubt our association attorney will even respond to her.

AnnaD2 - I'll give you this, the matter does require some finesse because regardless the person who you say said these things is a Board member. However, the person who went to another owner and complained about the other owner's children just so happened to be a Board member. Is that person not allowed to speak her mind just because she's a Board member? Does that person loose her constitutional right to speak? No. Is that person out of line for calling a little girl fat? Yes.

The way I'd approach it after receiving all communication from management and the attorney is that the Board as a voting majority does not involve itself in personal disputes between neighbors. However, it is not appropriate for anyone to call anyone fat, or other such pejorative descriptions. The Board as a majority frowns upon such unneighborliness, rude, and noisy behavior, and wishes that all can resolve their personal disputes amongst themselves as neighbors without involving the association. Furthermore you wish to assure the homeowner that she is not being, nor will she be harassed by the Board and that personal matters of association members are handled in strict confidence.

You guys are great! GeraldT, if you don't mind, I may use the exact words you printed in your last paragraph. You said it exactly as we need to say it. Thank you!

I think it's because it's not the "pitter-patter" of a little child's feet when she runs down the concrete second floor walkway. Poor little girl--she can't help it if she inherited her mother's genes.