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ErinM2 (Florida)
Posts: 12
Posted:
The homeowners in our 110 unit townhome development are fed up. We have a president who is spiteful, roque and menacing. She does things very cheaply and is ruining our home values. She will not discuss projects with anyone and goes ahead and wastes our money on everything she does. She is about to have a company put up aluminum surrounds around our garbage dumpsters. Our units are all woood framed and the existing surrounds around the dumpsters are wood. The aluminum will not withstand hurricanes and they look awful. How do we stop this project before it is too late? Can we get a petition going? Would a majority rule keep her from going through with this? Please help. I could write a book of the things she has done, but this item is the most pressing right now since we saw the contractor measuring the surrounds and it looks like they are going to start right away.
Erin
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Erin,

Of course this Pres can be recalled! The first order of business would be to check the bylaws and also FL HOA statutes for recall info. Once you know what the procedure is, then get together with you fellow h/o's who also feel the Pres should be removed. Follow the procedures outlined in the bylaws and/or state law which could include writing up a petition for the members to sign and present to the board. The board should follow up with a special meeting for the purpose of recalling the Pres. The board may have the authority to appoint a successor if the recall is successful. Otherwise you should have someone lined up to run for this position. The election for the new Pres could take place at the same special meeting to recall the Pres. Make certain you follow the bylaws and state law to the letter otherwise the whole thing can be contested and don't believe that would never happen!
ErinM2 (Florida)
Posts: 12
Posted:
What if the board does not want to listen to us? Do they have to listen to a majority rule? The board members do absolutely nothing but let this president rule us like we live in a communist country. They stay out of her way and never question her. Will our petition force them to remove her from office?
JohnK3 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 967
Posted:
As Mary asked - what are the procedures in your docs? If typical, probably a majority vote of Membership will be enough, and not subject to being stopped by the BOD.
DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671
Posted:

Erin,

You will need to call up on Google, the 2008 Fl. Statutes 720. and under 720;303 are the means to recall. I have copied a little of it but you need to read it all.

10) RECALL OF DIRECTORS.--

(a)1. Regardless of any provision to the contrary contained in the governing documents, subject to the provisions of s. 720.307 regarding transition of association control, any member of the board of directors may be recalled and removed from office with or without cause by a majority of the total voting interests.

2. When the governing documents, including the declaration, articles of incorporation, or bylaws, provide that only a specific class of members is entitled to elect a board director or directors, only that class of members may vote to recall those board directors so elected.

(b)1. Board directors may be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot without a membership meeting. The agreement in writing or the written ballots, or a copy thereof, shall be served on the association by certified mail or by personal service in the manner authorized by chapter 48 and the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

2. The board shall duly notice and hold a meeting of the board within 5 full business days after receipt of the agreement in writing or written ballots. At the meeting, the board shall either certify the written ballots or written agreement to recall a director or directors of the board, in which case such director or directors shall be recalled effective immediately and shall turn over to the board within 5 full business days any and all records and property of the association in their possession, or proceed as described in paragraph (d).

3. When it is determined by the department pursuant to binding arbitration proceedings that an initial recall effort was defective, written recall agreements or written ballots used in the first recall effort and not found to be defective may be reused in one subsequent recall effort. However, in no event is a written agreement or written ballot valid for more than 120 days after it has been signed by the member.

4. Any rescission or revocation of a member's written recall ballot or agreement must be in writing and, in order to be effective, must be delivered to the association before the association is served with the written recall agreements or ballots.

5. The agreement in writing or ballot shall list at least as many possible replacement directors as there are directors subject to the recall, when at least a majority of the board is sought to be recalled; the person executing the recall instrument may vote for as many replacement candidates as there are directors subject to the recall.

(c)1. If the declaration, articles of incorporation, or bylaws specifically provide, the members may also recall and remove a board director or directors by a vote taken at a meeting. If so provided in the governing documents, a special meeting of the members to recall a director or directors of the board of administration may be called by 10 percent of the voting interests giving notice of the meeting as required for a meeting of members, and the notice shall state the purpose of the meeting. Electronic transmission may not be used as a method of giving notice of a meeting called in whole or in part for this purpose.

2. The board shall duly notice and hold a board meeting within 5 full business days after the adjournment of the member meeting to recall one or more directors. At the meeting, the board shall certify the recall, in which case such member or members shall be recalled effective immediately and shall turn over to the board within 5 full business days any and all records and property of the association in their possession, or shall proceed as set forth in subparagraph (d).

(d) If the board determines not to certify the written agreement or written ballots to recall a director or directors of the board or does not certify the recall by a vote at a meeting, the board shall, within 5 full business days after the meeting, file with the department a petition for binding arbitration pursuant to the applicable procedures in ss. 718.112(2)(j) and 718.1255 and the rules adopted thereunder. For the purposes of this section, the members who voted at the meeting or who executed the agreement in writing shall constitute one party under the petition for arbitration. If the arbitrator certifies the recall as to any director or directors of the board, the recall will be effective upon mailing of the final order of arbitration to the association. The director or directors so recalled shall deliver to the board any and all records of the association in their possession within 5 full business days after the effective date of the recall.

(e) If a vacancy occurs on the board as a result of a recall and less than a majority of the board directors are removed, the vacancy may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this subsection or in the association documents. If vacancies occur on the board as a result of a recall and a majority or more of the board directors are removed, the vacancies shall be filled by members voting in favor of the recall; if removal is at a meeting, any vacancies shall be filled by the members at the meeting. If the recall occurred by agreement in writing or by written ballot, members may vote for replacement directors in the same instrument in accordance with procedural rules adopted by the division, which rules need not be consistent with this subsection.

(f) If the board fails to duly notice and hold a board meeting within 5 full business days after service of an agreement in writing or within 5 full business days after the adjournment of the member recall meeting, the recall shall be deemed effective and the board directors so recalled shall immediately turn over to the board all records and property of the association.

(g) If a director who is removed fails to relinquish his or her office or turn over records as required under this section, the circuit court in the county where the association maintains its principal office may, upon the petition of the association, summarily order the director to relinquish his or her office and turn over all association records upon application of the association.

(h) The minutes of the board meeting at which the board decides whether to certify the recall are an official association record. The minutes must record the date and time of the meeting, the decision of the board, and the vote count taken on each board member subject to the recall. In addition, when the board decides not to certify the recall, as to each vote rejected, the minutes must identify the parcel number and the specific reason for each such rejection.

(i) When the recall of more than one board director is sought, the written agreement, ballot, or vote at a meeting shall provide for a separate vote for each board director sought to be recalled.

ErinM2 (Florida)
Posts: 12
Posted:
Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it and my neighbors do as well.
Erin
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Erin,

Donna has provided you with the applicable FL statute. Keep in mind that it applies no matter what your gov docs say, which, IMO, is very good! Make certain you follow the statute to the letter. The BOD cannot deny a specil meeting to recall this board member. Let us know how it goes and good luck!
DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671
Posted:

Erin,
I know that this part of the Statutes is lengthy but this IS the law to follow. Petitions to recall directors must be followed carefully. The Statutes says that any Director may be recalled "WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE'
SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202
Posted:
Why stop at the president? You have a complacent board who MAY be allowing one person to run the HOA. It's really not clear. There should have been a motion passed at a board meeting to allow the work you describe. See if you can find it in the minutes and start questioning the other directors, too.

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