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Board Minutes

Started by DavidS31 • 10 replies • 1196 views

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DavidS31 (California)
Posts: 1
Posted:
I am new to a Board. A bit of background... we have 5 Board members (including myself). 180 town homes. I was elected because I was against a major renovation (2nd most votes. The 2nd most votes went to a pro-renovation person). The remaining Board members all favored the assessment. A recent majority vote (2 days before I was elected) determined the project is indeed going through.

FYI, instead of being disruptive.. I have committed myself to brining the
community together. One of the items I would like to do is distribute Board
minutes (of the General meeting), complete with questions and answers by the homeowners. I feel this will help bring the community toghether. The Board has
been 100% pro-renovation until me and really never gave the homeowners a voice.
Close to half of the homeowners feel bitter. I would like to make the Board
more friendly to all the homeowners and improve the environment.

The Board is against any such disclosers because HOA attorneys and our management
company is against it. I understand the more you say and the easier you make it
for homeowners to get Board minutes -- the larger your liability. But I feel better Board mintues may bring hope to our community by demonstrating a more open environment. Until now, homeowners saw mostly the view of the Board president..
and she can be very cold and one-sided.

Can anyone here suggest examples of how extended Board minutes can help or hurt
a community?

Thanks.
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
How about a Board summary? You don't have to print all the comments and arguments, since once the motion passed, it became the ONE voice of the Board.

Surely your board needs to tell the Members that they are getting wapped with an assessment!!

You better have ALL the explanation in writing to avert a riot! What was their plan to explain all this to the members?

P.S. What is a General Meeting? If you are talking about the Annual Meeting, the Board MUST provide any member with the mintues.

A Member can request the minutes of the Board meeting, but the board does not have to provide them.
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
David,

I would suggest you check out the Davis-Stirling Act. Making available assn records upon request may be a requirement of state law. I know it is in many states. There should be nothing in the minutes that the board should object to the members reading. What is the board trying to hide? I think it's commendable of you to want the board to show more transparency in their actions. When a board is secretive in their actions it's only a matter of time b/4 problems arise. Since your assn already has some dissention among the members, I would think the board would be receptive to anything that might quiet things down.
GordonD1 (California)
Posts: 131
Posted:
David:

I suggest the same thing Mary is suggesting.

GordonD1 (California)
Posts: 131
Posted:
David:

1)Do you have any reserves for renovations/repairs?

2)When you say renovations, are you talking about necessary repairs or just making things prettier for the community.

3)Why your community needs a major renovation? It seems that the board has waited a long time to repair/renovate at the proper times.

Can you explain a little better why the major renovation?

Thanks

GordonD1 (California)
Posts: 131
Posted:
David:

1)Do you have any reserves for renovations/repairs?

2)When you say renovations, are you talking about necessary repairs or just making things prettier for the community.

3)Why your community needs a major renovation? It seems that the board has waited a long time to repair/renovate at the proper times.

Can you explain a little better why the major renovation?

Thanks

GordonD1 (California)
Posts: 131
Posted:
David:

1)Do you have any reserves for renovations/repairs?

2)When you say renovations, are you talking about necessary repairs or just making things prettier for the community.

3)Why your community needs a major renovation? It seems that the board has waited a long time to repair/renovate at the proper times.

Can you explain a little better why the major renovation?

Thanks

SusannaM (Florida)
Posts: 366
Posted:
GordonD, why do you post 3 times the same reply ???

SusanW, what do you mean by the BOD does NOT have to provide Minutes?? That might be true where you live but not in all states and all HOAs across the country.
GordonD1 (California)
Posts: 131
Posted:
Susanna: I have no idea why it posted 3 times?
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
There is no way our secretary is going to "provide" the minutes of Board meetings to each Member. Members can request to see the corporate papers of the HOA by appointment and would have to pay for copies. In that sense, they have "access" to them.

Some boards do print their minutes on their web site. They have "provided" the minutes to the Members.
SusannaM (Florida)
Posts: 366
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By GordonD1 on 11/15/2008 10:44 AM
Susanna: I have no idea why it posted 3 times?

Who knows, you might have clicked submit too many times. Don't worry. I know we can't edit or delete our posts here.

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