KarenS11 (Florida)
Posts: 148
Posts: 148
Posted:
When a board member sends an e-mail inquiry to the president or property manger, what is a reasonable amount of time to expect a response?
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e-mail response time
Started by KarenS11 • 16 replies • 1386 views
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IreneC (North Carolina)
Posts: 111
Posts: 111
Posted:
1-3 days.. Calling is much more direct.
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Karen,
IMO, just too many variables to consider to say for certain how soon the email "should" be answered, but I would expect a reply sooner from the P.M. than the board Pres. Why? Because the P.M. has a working position and the Pres. doesn't. The Pres. may be at his paying job; retired and out for the day; may not have his computer on all day like the P.M. does (or should!), etc., etc.
The telephone is not always faster as Irene says. I've phoned our P.M and gotten the answering service and I've emailed her and gotten a reply w/i the hour! I even emailed on a Saturday, expecting to hear from her on Monday, and received a reply a few hours later.
Depending upon the nature of my email, I might expect a reply w/i one day or several days. If not recieved by the time I think I should have been answered -- resend!
IMO, just too many variables to consider to say for certain how soon the email "should" be answered, but I would expect a reply sooner from the P.M. than the board Pres. Why? Because the P.M. has a working position and the Pres. doesn't. The Pres. may be at his paying job; retired and out for the day; may not have his computer on all day like the P.M. does (or should!), etc., etc.
The telephone is not always faster as Irene says. I've phoned our P.M and gotten the answering service and I've emailed her and gotten a reply w/i the hour! I even emailed on a Saturday, expecting to hear from her on Monday, and received a reply a few hours later.
Depending upon the nature of my email, I might expect a reply w/i one day or several days. If not recieved by the time I think I should have been answered -- resend!
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Karen,
IMO, just too many variables to consider to say for certain how soon the email "should" be answered, but I would expect a reply sooner from the P.M. than the board Pres. Why? Because the P.M. has a working position and the Pres. doesn't. The Pres. may be at his paying job; retired and out for the day; may not have his computer on all day like the P.M. does (or should!), etc., etc.
The telephone is not always faster as Irene says. I've phoned our P.M and gotten the answering service and I've emailed her and gotten a reply w/i the hour! I even emailed on a Saturday, expecting to hear from her on Monday, and received a reply a few hours later.
Depending upon the nature of my email, I might expect a reply w/i one day or several days. If not recieved by the time I think I should have been answered -- resend!
IMO, just too many variables to consider to say for certain how soon the email "should" be answered, but I would expect a reply sooner from the P.M. than the board Pres. Why? Because the P.M. has a working position and the Pres. doesn't. The Pres. may be at his paying job; retired and out for the day; may not have his computer on all day like the P.M. does (or should!), etc., etc.
The telephone is not always faster as Irene says. I've phoned our P.M and gotten the answering service and I've emailed her and gotten a reply w/i the hour! I even emailed on a Saturday, expecting to hear from her on Monday, and received a reply a few hours later.
Depending upon the nature of my email, I might expect a reply w/i one day or several days. If not recieved by the time I think I should have been answered -- resend!
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Meant to state after "resend" -- put URGENT in the subject line. Sorry!!
CharlesW1 (Georgia)
Posts: 826
Posts: 826
Posted:
KarenS11,
I agree with the above posts and generally have experienced the exact same response. I usually receive a reply (vie email) within the hour, unless on the weekend. However, a reply is general given or answered well before Monday, the majority of the time.
If you are a board member, I would think you’d pick up the phone and speak directly to the president to answer your question (s) “IF” your question requires an immediate answer.
Best of luck.
Chuck W.
I agree with the above posts and generally have experienced the exact same response. I usually receive a reply (vie email) within the hour, unless on the weekend. However, a reply is general given or answered well before Monday, the majority of the time.
If you are a board member, I would think you’d pick up the phone and speak directly to the president to answer your question (s) “IF” your question requires an immediate answer.
Best of luck.
Chuck W.
Charles E. Wafer Jr.
AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960
Posts: 960
Posted:
Believe it or not, that is addressed in our contract with our management company. It states that the sender will receive a reply within 48 hours. The management company put that in the contract. Not us.
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
Unless your bylaws say so, don't assume that you can conduct business over email. That includes asking a question of the president or MC about HOA matters.
Call or visit in person. Then ask them in person if you can communicate your concerns over email.
Call or visit in person. Then ask them in person if you can communicate your concerns over email.
AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960
Posts: 960
Posted:
Our association attorney says that any e-mail communication is considered official business. It's no different than writing a letter. As the secretary/treasurer of our association I print e-mails and keep them on file. A paper trail is a lot more efficient to maintain records than reporting what he said/she said from a telephone call.
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
Sending letters is one thing.
Conducting "business" is another.
If you are asking questions and holding discussions on subjects that are official business, and making decisions, that is a "meeting". There's a fine line between the two. Make sure that your other members don't have reason to believe that they are being deprived of hearing the entire discussion on subjects that should be presented in a fully-called meeting.
Conducting "business" is another.
If you are asking questions and holding discussions on subjects that are official business, and making decisions, that is a "meeting". There's a fine line between the two. Make sure that your other members don't have reason to believe that they are being deprived of hearing the entire discussion on subjects that should be presented in a fully-called meeting.
KarenS11 (Florida)
Posts: 148
Posts: 148
Posted:
Susan-
Obviously we are not conducting business, as I don't get a response- LOL!
No, we put a stop to e-mail decisions and private baord meetings last year. When I refused to have a private meeting, the rest of the board decided not to even address the issue that got them so hot.
I mean things that only apply to them- for instance, as secretary, she was to print out all e-mails. I have requested copies, as now she is the pres and I am the secretary and I need copies of e-mails from a specific vendor. I received no response.
She told us at the first meeting after being elected that she did not take phone calls and will respond to e-mails on Friday evenings. I think we all had an "oh cr@p" moment when she said that..... we'll have to deal with it at our next meeting.
BYW- I switched to Gmail and can now keep all of my e-mail. With AOL I had to choose to save it, but didn't, as the secretary was to have printed them out.
Obviously we are not conducting business, as I don't get a response- LOL!
No, we put a stop to e-mail decisions and private baord meetings last year. When I refused to have a private meeting, the rest of the board decided not to even address the issue that got them so hot.
I mean things that only apply to them- for instance, as secretary, she was to print out all e-mails. I have requested copies, as now she is the pres and I am the secretary and I need copies of e-mails from a specific vendor. I received no response.
She told us at the first meeting after being elected that she did not take phone calls and will respond to e-mails on Friday evenings. I think we all had an "oh cr@p" moment when she said that..... we'll have to deal with it at our next meeting.
BYW- I switched to Gmail and can now keep all of my e-mail. With AOL I had to choose to save it, but didn't, as the secretary was to have printed them out.
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Karen,
Perhaps the board should rethink their decision to appoint her as the Pres! Some people just are not effective leaders -- or effective officers, no matter the position. If she is this unconcerned about email communications, what other more important matters are she as unconcerned about?
Perhaps the board should rethink their decision to appoint her as the Pres! Some people just are not effective leaders -- or effective officers, no matter the position. If she is this unconcerned about email communications, what other more important matters are she as unconcerned about?
KarenS11 (Florida)
Posts: 148
Posts: 148
Posted:
Yeah, Mary, you're right. I think we need to have that discussion.
I sent her an e-mail last Friday saying that if the rest of the board supports it, I would be willing to serve as pres again and she could again serve as secretary, as I know that her new job is very demanding. I know that she has read the e-mail- but no response. It is a holiday weekend, though.
I sent her an e-mail last Friday saying that if the rest of the board supports it, I would be willing to serve as pres again and she could again serve as secretary, as I know that her new job is very demanding. I know that she has read the e-mail- but no response. It is a holiday weekend, though.
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
Karen - you said"
"I sent her an e-mail last Friday saying that if the rest of the board supports it, I would be willing to serve as pres again and she could again serve as secretary, as I know that her new job is very demanding. I know that she has read the e-mail- but no response."
This is exactly what I am talking about, even though there is a fine line here.
You are discussing Board actions ("if the board supports X, then I will do Y and you can do Z"
You can announce to her that you are campaigning for the Presidency. Period. You cannot make these "negotiations" with her in the name of what other Board members will do, without that being done IN FRONT OF THEM. You are speaking for them without their authority, and without really knowing their minds, IMHO.
"I sent her an e-mail last Friday saying that if the rest of the board supports it, I would be willing to serve as pres again and she could again serve as secretary, as I know that her new job is very demanding. I know that she has read the e-mail- but no response."
This is exactly what I am talking about, even though there is a fine line here.
You are discussing Board actions ("if the board supports X, then I will do Y and you can do Z"
You can announce to her that you are campaigning for the Presidency. Period. You cannot make these "negotiations" with her in the name of what other Board members will do, without that being done IN FRONT OF THEM. You are speaking for them without their authority, and without really knowing their minds, IMHO.
KarenS11 (Florida)
Posts: 148
Posts: 148
Posted:
Susan-
It seems that you are reading more into many of the posts than is there.
She became pres last month and has been non-responsive to the board, residents and the management company. Folks are getting upset- board members and residents alike. I'm sure that she agreed to serve because she thought no one else wanted it. I just wanted to let her know that I would be okay with doing it again and give her an out. Nobody else will serve as president.
My e-mail was in no way an attempt to grease anything. I just wanted to let her know that if she is sorry that she took the job, she has an out. I'm sure there will be complaints about her at the meeting. But if she goes into the meeting knowing that there is someone else willing to serve as pres, she can save face by explaining her work situation and proposing a solution if that is what she wishes to do.
And I have just gotten an e-mail from her that our meeting this week shouldn't take more than an hour- even though we have more than 50k in contracts to vote on, two ARC requests and two legal issues to address. We called a special meeting to go over the contracts so that we wouldn't make the same mistakes as in the past, but she cancelled it on her own, even though it was voted on at last month's meeting.
I really think that she just has too much on her plate, so hope that she will either delegate some of her responsibilities or discuss a change in officers.
Thanks for all of the good advice/input!
It seems that you are reading more into many of the posts than is there.
She became pres last month and has been non-responsive to the board, residents and the management company. Folks are getting upset- board members and residents alike. I'm sure that she agreed to serve because she thought no one else wanted it. I just wanted to let her know that I would be okay with doing it again and give her an out. Nobody else will serve as president.
My e-mail was in no way an attempt to grease anything. I just wanted to let her know that if she is sorry that she took the job, she has an out. I'm sure there will be complaints about her at the meeting. But if she goes into the meeting knowing that there is someone else willing to serve as pres, she can save face by explaining her work situation and proposing a solution if that is what she wishes to do.
And I have just gotten an e-mail from her that our meeting this week shouldn't take more than an hour- even though we have more than 50k in contracts to vote on, two ARC requests and two legal issues to address. We called a special meeting to go over the contracts so that we wouldn't make the same mistakes as in the past, but she cancelled it on her own, even though it was voted on at last month's meeting.
I really think that she just has too much on her plate, so hope that she will either delegate some of her responsibilities or discuss a change in officers.
Thanks for all of the good advice/input!
AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960
Posts: 960
Posted:
Lots of things are discussed between meetings. If they weren't then meetings would drag on and on and one and everything would be "tabled" month after month. We all "throw ideas around" between meetings. This is a sign of good communication and of being involved. Nothing is decided on, nor changed, nor voted on UNTIL a duly posted and called meeting. E-mails are a great way of accomplishing this. NO Board decisions are being made until meetings, but by the next meeting everyone is informed, educated and have time to decide how they will respond or vote at meetings.
A good board meets and discusses and votes on issues. A great Board comes prepared, informed and educated by communicating with each other before and between meetings. No one likes to be "thrown" a topic and be expected to make a decision until they've had time to research and THINK about it.
Those board members who keep all information to themselves are usually the ones who "bully" others into making a snap decision at a meeting just to push things through for their own agenda.
A good board meets and discusses and votes on issues. A great Board comes prepared, informed and educated by communicating with each other before and between meetings. No one likes to be "thrown" a topic and be expected to make a decision until they've had time to research and THINK about it.
Those board members who keep all information to themselves are usually the ones who "bully" others into making a snap decision at a meeting just to push things through for their own agenda.
AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960
Posts: 960
Posted:
P.S. to Susan: In Florida, no one "runs" for the president position. The Board, among themselves, nominate who will be the officers and what position they will hold. It's very common for the board to ask among themselves, in advance, who would like what position; i.e. Pres, V.P. Sec. Treas. etc.
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