MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS ARE IGNORING THE RESULTS OF A BALLOT BY HOMEOWNERS TO REJECT ROADS ASSESSMENT

ON APRIL 13th...OUR HOA COUNTED THE RESULTS OF A BALLOT TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE A ROADS PROJECT IN OUR COMMUNITY OF 22 HOMES...ONLY 16 HOMEOWNERS VOTED...THERE WERE 8 FOR THE ASSESSSMNT AND 8 AGAINST.
THE BALLOT FAILED...THE REQUIREMENT IS ONE OVER HALF 1/2 TO PASS..HOWEVER, THE TWO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ON OUR HOA BOARD OF A TOTAL OF THREE...HAVE DECIDED TO ASK THE HOMEOWNERS WHO WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE ROADS PROJECT TO "VOLUNTARILY" WRITE CHECKS FOR THE ROADS PROJECT...HOW CAN THIS BE ??? CAN THE WILL OF THE HOMEOWNERS BE IGNORED ?
AND THEY ARE TELLING THOSE WHO WRITE THESE CHECKS THAT THEY, THE HOMEOWNERS WHO PAY THIS "VOLUNTARY" CASH --- TOWARD A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN LEGALLY REJECTED BY A VALID VOTE --- THAT THEY WILL NEVER BE ASSESSED FOR ANY ROADS PROJECT AGAIN ? I AM APPALLED...THIS IS SO UNEHTICAL AND WRONG. I AM THE TREASURER ON THE BOARD AND I THINK THE "WILL" OF THE ENTIRE HOMEOWNER BODY SHOULD BE UPHELD ??? CURIOUSLY, OUR ATTORNEY FOR OUR BOARD HAS NOT RETURNED MY PHONE CALLS TODAY WAS MY FIFTH ATTEMPT...THE SHEER ARROGANCE OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO IGNORE A BALLOT AND MERRILY ROLL WITH WHATEVER THEY THINK IS BEST...

More detail is needed: is this a paving? grading? a new road construction?

Yes, the motion was defeated, but what was defeated was the assessment, not the project.

thanks for the etiquette lesson...now i will be like ee cummings
i bet he is your favourite poet...

MicheleD go into politics immediately or become A REALTOR
you will be very successful at both

Geoge,

Frankly I think the BOD is being extremely arrogant in asking for "donations" for a project that failed a vote of the members. Then to state that those h/o's who make a donation will NEVER be assessed for any road project again is totally preposterous. Would that mean I could send in a $10 donation and never have to worry about a special assessment for a road project ever again even though I might live here for another 30 years??? Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Please tell us the light bulb went on and this plan has been rejected.

You think I should Fear MicheleD ??? from "Kentucky"
now, that's FUNNY !!! we are here to "LEARN" not to pick fights...

and yes, MY HOA in Rancho Mirage, California is acting in a Totally Unethical and Arrogant Way to ASK for Volunteer Contributions from Homeowners when the Assessment was Defeated...Why is that ???
They are the Only Ones who will Serve ???

Seems although I am on the HOA Board...I will have to Retain My Own Attorney...Ah Litigation !!!

George, first of all, Robert was being facetious and tongue-in-cheek.

There's no need to go insulting people because of where they are from. You don't know anything about me more than "Kentucky," but I can assure you, were there reason to "fear" me, that wouldn't be the reason. At least not the only reason

I also respectfully have to disagree with your assessment of your HOA board.

They may be acting in a misguided way, but, at least based on what you've shared so far, they don't appear either unethical or arrogant.

Be careful of a concept called "projection."

They may be all that (arrogant and unethical) and more, but just on your few posts, I'm not getting that vibe.

Frankly, they appear to be a board that is trying to get some (apparently) needed work completed for the HOA through the best way they know how.

A 50/50 split in a vote may mean the initiative didn't "pass," but it doesn't mean that the homeowners "rejected" it. Half of those voting did; half didn't.

And a 72% response rate is hardly "apathy." On the contrary, I know quite a few HOAs that would love to have a response rate like that! Members of some of them probably post here. I know we'd be thrilled for a 72% response.

Since you are so ethical and humble, why don't you share with us some answers to the very specific questions that we asked? (You know, instead of coming dangerously close to putting yourself in a position of libel, why not talk about the issues instead of the personalities?)

First of all, specifically what is the road project that the board is planning?

In other words, why does the board (with the exception of you) and half of those homes voting feel it is an important enough project to seek voluntary contributions? (which, unless your governing documents disallow it, isn't necessarily "unethical.")

Second, how was the initiative worded?

Third, what is your objection to the project?

Thanks!

I don't give a flying rat's rear what the cost is.

We didn't ask for the cost. We don't even know what needs to be fixed do we?

We asked what, specifically, the "roads" project is. It could be adding speed humps every 10 feet, for all we know. Or paving 2 miles of road with heirloom bricks. Or it could be badly needed road repairs to roads that have been causing serious passenger vehicle damage due to their disrepair. We don't even know how many miles of roads is involved, either. So how can you expect any response that is anything but, "Yup yup. You done good! They be jerks! DUH!"

And you came here to this site to obtain or accomplish what? exactly?

Did you simply want people to stroke you and tell you what a brilliant, humble, and ethical person you are, or do you have a legitimate concern you need help with? Or do you simply want to complain about people who aren't doing things the way YOU want them to be done?

Or all of the above?

We certainly won't be adding "articulate" to your skill set, nor "courteous," since you failed to answer direct questions with relevant and directs responses and you were asked, politely, I might add, to stop using all caps as it is offensive to YELL AT PEOPLE WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM.

The questions regarding your specific issue that we asked were so directed for NO other purpose than to help YOU work through the issues YOU brought to this board.

We didn't go into YOUR house and start throwing garbage around and then start demanding that you share your details with us.

You came here. Remember? You signed up to talk to us. We didn't troll the internet tubes looking for you.

If this is an example of how you communicate and interact with people, especially with people from whom you expect some sort of assistance, I feel for your board and your community.

For the record (and out of respect for Robert), I'm giving myself extra points for not typing what I really want to say to you.

Mary, that's assuming you believe George. I'm not sure I do.

But the number of votes does matter. It wasn't a "fail," it just wasn't a "pass."

There are enough votes to indicate that this is a concern to some people.

To just dust your hands off and say, "oh well, that's the end of that," is not necessarily the right answer, if, in fact, there really is a problem.

I know I would not stop after one vote. Especially if it were that close.

And that's not "arrogance."

We have had residents vote on an amendment allowing above-ground pools for 3 years in a row. Each time the vote failed, by a w-i-d-e margin (9 for, 175 against the first year, 6 for 75 against the second year, 6 for and 180 against the third). Did we stop the same person from bringing forth the amendment each time? Heck no. There's nothing in our documents that says once a vote does not pass it can never be voted on again.

If our roads needed to be paved/repaired and, as a board, we tried to pass an assessment to do that, and it didn't pass, but the roads still needed repair, I'm not sure that asking for volunteer contributions would be ruled out. I probably wouldn't do it, but it's not "arrogant" for someone to try. I mean really, arrogant?! Come on, they're not demanding people pay up, they are trying to solve a problem.

What I would do is probably reach out to the people who didn't vote, hold in-house meetings with them to find out why not, and work to obtain buy in from them. Then I would hold another vote. And win that one. Then what? Would I be considered "arrogant"? (Okay, that was a gimmee to some of you out there! )

I already made my statement in an earlier post on the alleged promise of not having to pay future assessments, because that would not be within their power to grant. They can do a lot of things outside the box (like asking for voluntary donations), but they most likely can't grant a waiver on assessments.

But there is NOTHING stopping people from organizing a voluntary collection of funds to fix a problem.

The trouble is, we have no idea what is really going on.

And I'm not even sure George actually really wants us to know what is going on. He certainly hasn't wasted any time clarifying things for us.

I think he just wants a place to rant and complain about his fellow board members.

The minute we tried to get further information or clarification, he responded with snark and venom.

Okay. Whatever.

Maybe he'll feel better when the hangover wears off.

**snicker**

MicheleD --- There are Medications that will Help You Deal with Your Anger Management and Many Resources in Your Local Area with
Anger Management Group Therapy BEST WISHES !