president of hoa on the seat

Gio,

Something fishy? Maybe no one else will step up and run for the office? You have a set of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws that tell you about your officers, how to elect them, how to remove them from office and probably terms that the office can be held. Many documents do not limit terms in office.

Has yours gotten "into trouble"? Tell us what you are looking to find out.

Why would someone stay on the board for a very long time, maybe even as president?

He/She is doing a good job.
The job is easy for this person
No one has stepped up to replace him/her
He/she wants to protect property values

The Board is supposed to act as a team.

No ONE person should have so much power that he/she is considered doing "fishy" things.

Gio - I don't know if you're on the BOD or were on the BOD and got off for some reason or if you're just a disgruntled owner. In almost all associations, it is like pulling teeth with a spider web to get people to serve on the BOD! If your documents have multiple year terms, that may be why someone is remaining on the BOD. And, when those terms expire, if no one else steps up to serve on the BOD, those BOD members whose terms are expiring may have to agree to serve another term in order to have enough BOD members. If you're not on the BOD, why don't you throw your hat in the ring in the next Annual election and get on the BOD? If you do that, you might find out why someone keeps staying on the BOD year after year. I know from personal experience of serving as a BOD officer for 10 years that alot of times people who run for the BOD have a personal agenda . . . they want something approved, installed, or changed in such a way to benefit themselves. Once they get what they want or when they don't get what they want, they're finished with the BOD. If you are knowledgeable, informed, dedicated, involved, and responsible, you find yourself continuing to be on the BOD in order to guard against such selfish motivation. Plus, if you've done alot of work and brought an association back from the brink of disaster because of bad leadership, you don't want to watch all the progress that's been made unravel because of an incompetent BOD.

As a PM, I jokingly tell people that they can plan on staying on the BOD "until they die or sell." Personally, I think that EVERY owner should have to serve at least one year on the BOD. It would certainly open the eyes of the people who want to gripe about everything, but don't want to be involved in any of the solutions, whether on the BOD or not! I also happen to think that everybody should have to attend at least one year of college. And, I feel that a couple of years of being in the military should be mandatory for every person. So, as you can see, I firmly believe in "walking in somebody else's shoes" before spouting opinions. If you think that there is a problem person(s) on your BOD, "walk" in their shoes by serving on the BOD for at least one year and then see if you still think that they're a "problem" or "fishy". Or, are they simply doing what has to be done to keep your association running the way they are mandated to do by the documents and your state laws? The only way for you to really find out is to get in the middle of the situation that you think is "fishy" and see if there is really something "fishy".

Gio - I just can't get away from your posting! "With all the trouble they get into" . . . in my 13 years as a BOD member (10 years) and a PM (7 years), I've never gotten into any trouble! "Why would they want to "volunteer?" Where would the world as we know it be without volunteers?! Volunteer firemen! Volunteer missionaries! Volunteer doctors and nurses on foreign missions! Volunteers in homeless shelters and soup kitchens! Volunteer parents in classrooms! Volunteer coaches for young people's sports programs! Volunteer parents at school festivals, school sporting events, etc.! Attorneys who "volunteer" to do pro bono work for people who can't afford legal services!

Why would they do this (be on BOD) unless they were doing something "fishy?" Everybody who posted a response to your question has given you many reasons why someone serves year after year. I bet Michelle would tell you that during her 13 years on a BOD that she's gone out of her way to make sure that things are done on every other unit in the community before they're done on her unit in order to avoid any perception of "fishy!" I know that I've done that!!

What do you think is fishy? Do you think that the association's funds are being embezzeled? Do you think that this person is getting paid for their service? Or has this person just made you mad and you're now "fishing" for support of your accusations?

If you want constructive feedback from this forum's participants, you will need to be more specific about what you think is "fishy."

The reason I ran for the board is because I wanted to ensure that we started off on the right foot. But I will say that some people enjoy governance. Why do people run for City Council? In my city it is unpaid and they have very long meetings. I doubt that too many people spend a lot of time thanking them.

Perhaps it is that they enjoy "being in control." There are many people who take the headaches as part of the course. The trade off is well worth it to have their voice in the community. Many of them simply enjoy being a key part of some power structure.

Michele,

Kudos to you for everything you do. It's such a shame we don't have more interested owners such as yourself. I guess it will never change. We have folks that sit on the sideline and do nothing but complain and then we have diamonds such as you. Congrats!

After going back to read Gio's original post, another thought occurs to me. I think it is possible for one to hold a certain office on a board so long that objectivity is lost. It's easy for a person to become so invested that the office becomes "mine" rather than the community's. I like Michelle's plan of 3 years on and 3 years off, or rotating offices among board members every so many years.

Kevin, that stinks. Veritably.

But to clarify, I have been a board member non-stop for over 12 years.

I have been president 3 on, 3 off.

I have held all four positions at one time or another.

And yes, the 3-off was when the position was cycled by another member who has been on almost as long as I have.

I don't mind long-serving board members, but that presidency needs to rotate!

One of the problems we have is that at election time, the previous president is cast aside. I'd like to see him/her serve on the board as a general member. Our past presidents are dumped. I think there is just too much knowledge that leaves too quickly.