JohnK3 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 967
Posts: 967
Posted:
First off, this is a great site for anybody interested in HOAs, and I'm thankful I found it. It's been immensely helpful, and also entertaining.
Second, based on all of the posts I've read, most of our correspondents are either current Board members, former Board members, or are seeking/thinking about becoming Board members. I fall into the "current" category.
My general question: WHAT prompted you to take on this usually thankless, time-consuming, often troublesome and frequently frustrating path?
To quote E.A. Poe:
"A thousand injuries I had borne at the hands of Fortunato. But when he ventured on insult, I vowed revenge."
Yup. That's what got me to drink the Kool-Aid.
Our HOA was in disrepair. The 2006 Annual Meeting drew two warm bodies: Our Prez (the only current Board member out of three slots) and the PM.
With the 2007 AM a month away, I contacted the PM and suggested that rather than holding the AM at the junky municipal room 5 miles distant, that we hold it someplace on the property, as was permitted by our ByLaws (as in, the Board could choose), in hopes we'd get more participation. Her response was a flat NO, with the aside that I didn't understand how to read "complicated documents" like the ByLaws. After I informed her I had a law degree, and had worked (in a previous life) on state(s) legislative matters for over a decade, she switched gears and said she'd contact "an attorney" (turned out to be the PM's in-house counsel) for an opinion. 24 hours later, at a cost of $150 charged to the HOA, she reported back that NO, they knew what was appropriate, and that the meeting would be held at the JMR. If I didn't like the location, I was "free not to attend."
But I did. And managed to get 6 others to show up. Me and one other HO volunteered to stand for election. We were both elected.
Salvation came a few months later when the PM sent us a proposed 2008 budget, upping their fees to 1/3 of our total budget, increasing dues by 12% for the privilege of her/their fine services.
With the unanimous support of our Membership, the Board cancelled our contract with her/them and we went self-managed.
So far, so good, despite the occassional thought that we, the Board, could do without the minor hassles of management.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
How about you?
Second, based on all of the posts I've read, most of our correspondents are either current Board members, former Board members, or are seeking/thinking about becoming Board members. I fall into the "current" category.
My general question: WHAT prompted you to take on this usually thankless, time-consuming, often troublesome and frequently frustrating path?
To quote E.A. Poe:
"A thousand injuries I had borne at the hands of Fortunato. But when he ventured on insult, I vowed revenge."
Yup. That's what got me to drink the Kool-Aid.
Our HOA was in disrepair. The 2006 Annual Meeting drew two warm bodies: Our Prez (the only current Board member out of three slots) and the PM.
With the 2007 AM a month away, I contacted the PM and suggested that rather than holding the AM at the junky municipal room 5 miles distant, that we hold it someplace on the property, as was permitted by our ByLaws (as in, the Board could choose), in hopes we'd get more participation. Her response was a flat NO, with the aside that I didn't understand how to read "complicated documents" like the ByLaws. After I informed her I had a law degree, and had worked (in a previous life) on state(s) legislative matters for over a decade, she switched gears and said she'd contact "an attorney" (turned out to be the PM's in-house counsel) for an opinion. 24 hours later, at a cost of $150 charged to the HOA, she reported back that NO, they knew what was appropriate, and that the meeting would be held at the JMR. If I didn't like the location, I was "free not to attend."
But I did. And managed to get 6 others to show up. Me and one other HO volunteered to stand for election. We were both elected.
Salvation came a few months later when the PM sent us a proposed 2008 budget, upping their fees to 1/3 of our total budget, increasing dues by 12% for the privilege of her/their fine services.
With the unanimous support of our Membership, the Board cancelled our contract with her/them and we went self-managed.
So far, so good, despite the occassional thought that we, the Board, could do without the minor hassles of management.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
How about you?