Why would you assume

Started by CarolH2 • 3 replies • 1502 views

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CarolH2 (Georgia)
Posts: 33

Posted:

After posting a rather in-depth issue about problems in my neighborhood I was surprised by the e-mails that I got back.

Responses such as . . .I question your view on things
or . . . You voted for this board
even . . . Volunteer yourself and make things better.

As a past board member in my neighborhood for 3 years I would think that I am educated enough to know what is and is not a violation of my covenants.

I thought this website was a place where people could present issues as to what is going on in their HOA and get opinions on how to move forward.

I have lived in my neighborhood for 5 years I was a member of the board for 3 years. My neighborhood is only 7 years old.

Please when you read a post do not assume that the person posting is bitter or ignorant.

JohnO6 (Georgia)
Posts: 424

Posted:

Carol - with all due respect to your post here as well as the other thread you started, I don't think the responses were all that out of line.

The essence of your post was:

1. My HOA is acting illegally and/or improperly
2. Can I as an owner react by not paying my dues (or somehow escrowing them - presumably to show your good intent at paying them - if only the HOA perpetrators would do what's right)?

I think the reason people started their comments in the vein they did was because the majority of your post was example after example after example of behavior that lended support to #1 above. It's as though you had to cite enough examples so as to convince us of "just how bad" these people were - bad enough to force you into not paying your dues. Frankly, that's both redundant, and somewhat irrelevant. It's a binary answer - either the HOA is acting illegally or it is not. The degree is of less importance - in business communications we often refer to this as "needlessly piling on".

Similarly the answer to your question is binary - yes or no.

I believe you got that answer rather succinctly.

MicheleD (Kentucky)
Posts: 4,491

Posted:

You'll have to excuse our ignorance of your particular 'expertise' on association living.

It seems rather unusual for someone who now professes to be a former board member to not know or have been aware of the very basic requirement of assessment payments.

Generally, when people post very basic lack of knowledge, we are pretty much left to presume they have little or no experience in an HOA.

Payment of assessments, or rather, the withholding of assessments, is pretty basic.

That's probably one of the first and/or key pieces that board members would grasp: The covenants run with the land; as per the covenants, the assessments are not "negotiable" and payment of same is not contingent on board or developer performance or lack thereof.

In addition, we regularly get posters who go off on how illegally their board is acting, only to find out as we get more information that the poster is either lacking in knowledge about what the board is and is not allowed to do, based on their governing documents, or they have a particular beef against them because they were "nailed" for a violation.

So, again, excuse us if we were not immediately on the Carol Train. We aren't mind readers.

JohnO6 (Georgia)
Posts: 424

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MicheleD on 09/30/2009 10:47 AM

It seems rather unusual for someone who now professes to be a former board member to not know or have been aware of the very basic requirement of assessment payments.

Thanks for adding this Michelle - it was one of the exact points I wanted to make, but forgot to include .. .. .. ahhhhhh, the wonders of an aging mind

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